About Musk’s
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The Wonderful History of Musk’s
James Musk’s Newmarket recipe has been passed down through the generations and remains a closely guarded secret.
James and Elizabeth Musk founded Musk’s in 1884, Elizabeth 10 years James’s senior was already a butcher and our 137 year old recipes is almost certainly much older! Having lived in the nearby Stechworth they moved o Newmarket and opened Musk’s. They started to sell their own brand of sausages that were made with a secret range of spices and it still remains a closely guarded today. Elizabeth Musk initially mixed the ingredients in their Stetchworth farmhouse on her kitchen work-top which was then rushed to Newmarket to be made into sausages.
The reputation of these Newmarket sausages spread and the Musk’s shop became a successful butcher, moving in 1905 from Market Street to a prime location on Newmarket High Street.
Musk’s have been a favourite of the Royal family for generations, having been the proud holder of four Royal Warrants since 1907.
HM the Queen grants our warrant in 2005.
At the start of the 19th century our sausages were so highly sort after that Musk’s, then managed by Louis Frederick Drake, received our first Royal Warrant in 1907 granted by George (Prince of Wales later to be King George V.)It was converted to the King’s Warrant in 1911 as suppliers of Pork Products. The villagers of Stetchworth claimed that both pork and sausages were regularly shipped to Buckingham Palace and Balmoral Castle by train.
The business was then inherited by Louis Frederick's son Louis Gilbert Drake and he received further Royal Warrants in 1929 from Edward, Prince of Wales (later the Duke of Windsor), and 1965 from the late Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother .
The Musk’s shop finally shut it’s doors on 26 May 1979 and the secret recipe was sold to Amanda Clarke who, with her manager Mrs Waddilove, established a new delicatessen in The Rookery. This shop in turn was sold in the early 1990’s to Lord Ronaldshay, who must be given credit for building the present factory. He split the factory from the shop selling the latter to George Vesty. When Lord Ronaldshay moved back to Yorkshire the recipe was sold on to Chris Sheen, who still produces Newmarket sausages to the original recipe from a modern factory on the north side of town. A further Royal Warrant was granted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2005 with deliveries being made to Sandringham in Norfolk over Christmas each year.
Historical Dates
1860
1860
James Musk born in Stetchworth, s. Robert Musk (d.1891) & Lucy Henson Musk (d.1902)
1884
1884
James Musk marries Mrs Elizabeth Drake (neé Cooper). Trades from Market Street, Newmarket
1905
1905
The shop moves to Newmarket High Street
James Musk dies of pneumonia (13.12.05) – buried Dullingham church
1907
1907
Royal Warrant granted by George (Prince of Wales later to be King George V)
1911
1911
Royal Warrant converted to King George V
1929
1929
Royal Warrant granted by Edward, Prince of Wales
Royal Warrant converted to King George V
1930
1930
Elizabeth Musk dies aged 88. Buried Stetchworth Church. Formerly lived in All Saints Road
Royal Warrant converted to King George V
1965
1965
Royal Warrant granted by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Royal Warrant converted to King George V
1979
1979
Shop in High Street closes. Recipe purchased by Amanda Clarke
Royal Warrant converted to King George V
1984
1984
Jane Waddilove receives Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
The shop moves to Newmarket High Street
James Musk dies of pneumonia (13.12.05) – buried Dullingham church
1993
1993
The Earl of Ronaldshay buys the company
1996
1996
Factory unit opens in Goodwin Business Park. Delicatessen sold to George Vesty
1999
1999
Company bought by Chris Sheen
2000
2000
Pork & Leek and Gluten Free varieties introduced
2005
2005
H.M.Queen Elizabeth grants her Royal Warrant.
2007
2007
Acquired Braughing Sausage Co trading as D.White Butchers in Braughing, Hertfordshire.
2010
2010
Teams up with Aspall to create a new Pork and Cyder sausage.
2012
2012
Newmarket sausage granted a PGI (Protected Geographical Indicator) status.
2015
2015
D. White Butchers in Braughing closes
2017
2017
Packaging rebrand
2018
2018
Purchase of 7 Acorn Business Centre
Useful links
Shop Address
7 Acorn Business Centre
Newmarket
Suffolk
CB8 7SY
© 2024 Musk's British Sausages Registered in England and Wales. Company Number 02782780