A family is helping Cromer buck the high street trend by opening a new butchers.

Alex and Delores Pendleton, 35 and 26, will open the shop, named Beast to Block, on Church Street on Wednesday, October 13.

Mr Pendleton has been a butcher for ten years, having worked at the Papworth family farm shops in Fakenham for four years and in Sheringham for six years.

He said: "We're just really excited to get open. Also a little bit nervous. It's something I've thought about doing for years.

"On New Year's Eve I was talking about it with my wife and mother-in-law and I just thought, 'This year I'm going to go for it'."

Mr Pendleton applied for and got a loan before signing a lease on the premises in August.

The couple, who have three children, have been busy for the last two months refitting the property, installing a walk-in fridge, ceiling, specialist equipment and the all-important block.

The premises itself last traded as estate agents Arnolds Keys.

The conversion, said Mr Pendleton, is bucking a high street trend.

"Usually a butcher shop would close down and turn into an estate agent. Here it's the opposite happening, which is different," he said.

The shop will also sell locally-produced wine, beer and cider, as well as English whiskey, and spirits from Poppyland Brewery and Distillery, only a five-minute walk away on West Street.

Mr Pendleton said: "It just makes sense to me. You come in to treat yourself to a nice steak and then you can choose a drink to go with it."

They will also sell cheese.

The shop's name - Beast to Block - is also a little unusual, compared with regular butchers shops.

"It's sort of modern and different and catchy," said Mr Pendleton. "It refers to the fact we're buying a lot of whole carcasses and doing proper traditional butchery."

The shop doubles the number of butchers in Cromer, joining The Butchers Joint, also in Church Street.

Further away, there is East Runton Butchers on that village's high street.

Beast to Block will open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am to 4pm on Saturday.

"We can't wait for it to open now," Mr Pendleton said.