Startup CPG Newswire:
RJ Balson & Son USA Relaunches: England’s Oldest Family Owned Butcher Returns to America

PRESS RELEASE — NEWS PROVIDED BY Sara Sturges for RJ Balson & Son USA

NEW YORK, NY (MARCH 2026) — RJ Balson & Son, England’s oldest family butcher, established 1515 in Bridport, Dorset, has relaunched in the United States.

The business has traded continuously for over 510 years, beginning in the Tudor shambles and continuing today from its Victorian era shop in Bridport. More than 25 generations of the Balson family have passed the craft hand to hand, through wars, recessions, industrial change, and the rise of modern retail. What has remained constant is the daily practice of butchery and the responsibility of keeping the recipes intact.
The United States is not new territory for the family. A previous American operation built a loyal following before ceasing operations at the start of Covid-19. In February 2026, the business returned, rebuilt from the ground up with a full rebrand, new production partners, a direct to consumer model, and a frozen cold chain network shipping nationwide. The first production run sold out on the website in under a week, driven largely by returning customers who had been waiting for the sausages to come back.

RJ Balson British-Style Bangers are made in the United States using the family’s traditional recipe and US sourced pork. Known in the UK as a banger, it is a classic fresh pork sausage that has been a staple of everyday cooking for generations. More finely ground than most American sausages, lightly bound with rusk for a soft, even texture, and seasoned with restraint. The flavor is savory and balanced, with a clean peppery finish and a touch of honey to enhance the meat. Each pack contains five links at 14 ounces, sold frozen and ready to cook.

Expanded product lines in development include a Saxon-style sausage marking the brand’s 510th anniversary, alongside chipolatas and British back bacon.

Sara Sturges, British American and stepdaughter of Richard Balson, 25th generation master butcher, now oversees the US branch as Founder and CEO.

“Growing up around the shop, watching the discipline and craft my family has carried for over five centuries set the standard for how I approached this rebuild. As the first woman in over 500 years to operate a branch of the business, and the 26th generation, my responsibility is simple: carry the craft forward and bring a true taste of Britain to American tables.”

RJ Balson & Son USA ships frozen nationwide via rjbalson.com.

About RJ Balson & Son

RJ Balson & Son is England’s oldest family business and butcher, established in 1515 in Bridport, Dorset. Beginning in the medieval shambles, it has remained in continuous family ownership for over 500 years. More than 25 generations have preserved its methods and recipes through daily work. In 2026, RJ Balson & Son USA relaunched under family stewardship, shipping traditional British sausages nationwide. New products in development include a Saxon style sausage, chipolatas, and British back bacon, with retail expansion planned for later in 2026.

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