The Mad Butcher has opened its 40th store in the Nelson suburb of Stoke, after an 18 month search to find the perfect site.

The store will serve a local market of 7000 people, and the larger Nelson city area of 46,000  residents.

“It’s a prosperous area with a good size population and the competition is mainly from supermarkets so we see an opportunity to successfully carve out our niche in the area,” Michael Morton, Mad Butcher chief executive and Veritas director, said.

The franchise is owned by Daniel Perrin, a butcher by trade who worked at the Riccarton Mad Butcher prior to his career as a professional rugby player.

The Mad Butcher franchisor is owned by Veritas Investments, a NZX-listed investment company focused on the food and beverage sector.