WHEN Miss Sarah Jane Ballard took over her father's business, she really did put her head on the chopping block.

She has become Thirsk's only woman butcher.

"The other butchers in town and the men at the auction mart were very surprised when I first took over, but they have got used to me now and are very helpful," said Miss Ballard.

Now aged 35, she worked alongside her father, Mr Ray Ballard for four years before taking over when he retired in April this year.

The business was bought in 1963 from "Johnson's" who had been in Thirsk since 1820.

"I have grown up watching my father in the business and wanted to follow him. I knew when I was at school that I wanted to do some kind of job that most women didn't," said Miss Ballard.

With this in mind, when she left school she attended the Thomas Danby college in Leeds to study meat technology for three years. She then went to work for Dalepak food manufacturers for 11 years.

"Yes, you can say I waited a long time to take over the shop myself, but Dad was very pleased that I did, even though he has been surprised at some of the changes I have made," she said.

The shop was given a complete re-fit six weeks ago and now, when her father visits it, he can't find a thing.

"We have gone into other areas of food too, you have to move with the times and the days of women buying a pound of stewmeat are fast disappearing," said Miss Ballard.

"We provide many ready-made meals, including for instance beef Wellington and my customers are only to pleased to have had all the hard work done for them.

"In fact I know one lady who passed of one of our beef Wellingtons as her own."

The business employs two butchers, three bakers and an assistant in the shop.

"We are very well known for our pies, which we call 'Yorkshire pies' and sell a lot wholesale in both Helmsley and Norhallerton," said Mrs Ballard.

Everything in the shop is home-made and, at present, for ready made products Mrs Ballard isn't just a "front of house" figure either.

"I do all the jobs, butchering, baking, selling, paperwork and delivering - whatever is necessary at the time."

It's a long day for work starts at 6.30am for the shop to open at 7.30am. She doesn't get home until about 6pm and with a nine-year-old son and partner to look after, there aren't many spare moments.

"But I love the job and wouldn't want to do anything else," she said.

Miss Ballard is seen, above, at work in Johnson's butcher's - D&