If you’ve ever wondered why a clothes shop is called O&C Butcher, the answer takes us back more than 140 years.

O&C has been part of Aldeburgh High Street since 1884. A lot has changed in that time - not least what we sell, but the business has remained independent, family-run and firmly rooted in Aldeburgh.

It started with Edward Butcher

The story begins with Edward Butcher, who founded the business in Aldeburgh in 1884.

Back then, O&C wasn’t the fashion and footwear shop you know today. It began life as a grocery and general store, selling the sort of things local people needed for everyday life.

The O&C name came a little later.

Edward’s sons, Owen and Clifford Butcher, joined the family business after the First World War - and it is their initials that are still above the door today.

Around this period the business moved to 129–131 High Street, where you’ll still find us.

O&C goes to Sudbury

For a time, Aldeburgh wasn’t the only place you could find O&C.

During the Second World War, Owen Butcher opened another shop in Sudbury. There were concerns about the evacuation of coastal towns such as Aldeburgh, so establishing a second shop further inland made a lot of sense.

Stock travelled between Aldeburgh and Sudbury however it could — by car, road and rail, and sometimes even on the Eastern Counties bus.

The Sudbury shop remained open until 1967, when the decision was made to concentrate the business back in Aldeburgh.

From general store to clothes shop

O&C evolved gradually over the decades.

By the 1960s, under the Cook family, the business had moved away from its general-store beginnings and become focused solely on clothing and footwear.

The shop has passed through generations of the Butcher, Cook and Stacey families, with each leaving their mark on it.

In 2007, James Stacey took over O&C Butcher, with his father Richard training him up before he retired. Richard (and his Father and Grandfather) came from a retail background through W H Stacey & Son in Harleston and Bungay. James meanwhile swapped a career in corporate banking for life on Aldeburgh High Street.

Fleur joined the business in 2015, a women's boutique shop just across the road from O&C. Today the collections from both shops come together here online.

Always changing

One of the reasons O&C has survived for more than 140 years is that it hasn’t stayed the same.

The shop has changed enormously since Edward Butcher first opened his doors. The brands have changed, the High Street has changed and, thankfully, we no longer have to send stock to Sudbury on the bus!

What hasn’t changed is the importance of looking after people properly.

Personal service has always been at the heart of O&C, and it remains one of the things we care about most. We want people to feel comfortable coming in, asking questions, trying things on and getting useful advice — whether that’s finding the right size in a pair of Levi’s or choosing a coat that will actually do the job on a wet and windy Suffolk day.

At the same time, we’re always looking forward. Our buying continually evolves, with established names sitting alongside brands that are completely new to O&C and Fleur.

There aren’t many independent shops that can look back on more than 140 years on the same High Street. We’re very proud that O&C can.

But we think the best way to look after that history is to keep changing with the times.

So if you're coming to Aldeburgh, pop in and say hello!