A Bridport butcher - which also happens to be one of the oldest family businesses in the UK - is giving advice to young British companies.

R J Balson and Son features in a compendium of the UK's oldest family businesses created by SumUp, a financial technology company. It approached 10 companies asking owners to provide one useful piece of advice to young British companies.

Balson butchers was founded in 1515 and 25 generations of family members have kept the business continually trading for more than 500 years.

Richard Balson, of Balson butchers, said: "Being around for as long as we have, there have been many plagues, wars, fires, floods and in 1979 we had water up to the letter box. These situations, not to mention recession and health scares, have brought on difficult times. Covid-19 is just another obstacle.

"Thankfully for us, during this pandemic, we were considered an essential business - so have remained open throughout. But, the Covid-19 guidelines have made things challenging and we have lost a lot of trade business from the closure of the hospitality industry."

With the pandemic drastically affecting business, Mr Balson puts a lot of emphasis on community.

He added: "There has been such a surge in support for small and independent businesses. People are looking to boycott the bigger supermarkets, because of the large crowds, and have welcomed a return to a more traditional way for shopping. Smaller shops feel a bit safer.

"Breaking the habit of robotic shopping, people have embraced our style of good old-fashioned service. We prioritise great and personal customer service with real conversations and, in time, where personal interactions have been limited, I think that's what people wanted.

"For new businesses, my advice would be: prioritise your local community.

"We know our customers and we have been a part of the community for centuries. We have tried to do what we can to support the community. We have been offering local phone orders that we can deliver locally to those self-isolating or shielding. So, any business starting out should look to act in ways that benefit their local customers. They should also be ready to adapt and diversify in ways that benefit customers."

SumUp wants to help newly formed enterprises to flourish post pandemic by giving them the opportunity to tap into the wisdom of some of the UK's oldest family firms.

Umberto Zola, lead of UK growth at SumUp, said: "By collating this compendium of business advice - from those who know best about survival in the face of adversity - SumUp is reasserting its commitment to restoring parity for new small businesses in what is a highly competitive market, recognising that in these difficult times British businesses should indeed stick together.

"It is reassuring to see that adaptability, quality of product, and customer care are the fundamentals at the heart of success, even many centuries after these businesses were formed, demonstrating that these key principles will always remain."