Businessman who started funeral home at 19 is back in town with a new venture

By Bill McCarthy

Opening a new business in the middle of a deadly pandemic is a tough call, but for Edward Cutler, one of the area’s youngest entrepreneurs, it is a return to his Sutton Coldfield roots.

For Edward, a native of Four Oaks, this is nothing new, having opened his first business, aged 19, in the teeth of the economic meltdown of 2009. Cutler Funeral Directors grew before the business was sold to a corporate firm in 2013.

Now he is back and Sutton Coldfield’s newest funeral business has officially opened its doors in Four Oaks.

I have always planned to return to the area to serve the local community in which I grew up in once again – Ed Cutler

He has opened Royal Town Funerals on Belwell Lane, Four Oaks, with a pledge to serve the people of Sutton Coldfield.

People in the Four Oaks and Mere Green area may well remember Edward, when just 19, opening his first funeral business on Little Sutton Road, close to the Fox & Dogs pub.

After selling the business, Edward diversified, spending time in London and becoming involved in international retpatriation. This where if a death occurs overseas, repatriation is the process of transporting a deceased person to another country.

Starting out, Edward was backed by the entrepreneurial expertise of his father John, but took his first steps on the road to business success after he left Arthur Terry School, aged 16, to work for two years at Rugeley Co-operative’s funeral parlour.

Cutlers Funeral Directors grew, mainly through word of mouth, to the point where he was able to open additional offices in Lichfield and Kingstanding.

He said at the time of opening the original business: “Death can be taboo with a lot of people but I’ve wanted to be a funeral director from the age of eight or nine. I was always interested in seeing what the job was like behind the scenes.

“My dad backed me financially, which was a great help in a recession. He looks after the business side of things so I can concentrate fully on looking after the funerals.”

Now the young businessman says he is delighted to be back and able to provide a caring personal service.

He said: ” I opened my first funeral home on Little Sutton Road in Four Oaks. We gained an excellent reputation and grew the business on word of mouth, opening additional offices in Lichfield and Kingstanding. In 2013, the family business was sold to a large corporate company, following which I diversified into international repatriation. 

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“Being born and bred in Four Oaks and attending The Arthur Terry School, I have many connections in the area. I have always planned to return to the area to serve the local community in which I grew up in once again.”

He added: ” I am extremely pleased to announce the opening of my new funeral home at 3 Belwell Lane, Four Oaks. Royal Town Funerals is a family business and is dedicated to serving the families across Four Oaks and Sutton Coldfield, providing a truly caring and personal service.”