© Ming Tang-Evans
London's best butchers
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By Euan Ferguson
Posted: Wed Mar 3 2010 -
Proper meat is worth paying for, and a good butcher is a world away from the vac-packed, anonymous experience of shopping in supermarkets. For a bit of extra cash, you'll get top-quality produce, knowledgeable service and a guarantee of provenance. These butchers are a cut above the rest
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Borough Market
8 Southwark St, SE1 1TL (7407 1002/www.boroughmarket.org.uk)
As you’d expect from the best-stocked market in London, good meats are easy to come by at Borough. All the various stalls that sell meat are excellent, and indeed one of the best things is wandering around, picking and choosing from a selection. We like Sillfield Farm’s stall, with its lamb, chicken, bacon and wild boar.
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A Dove & Son
71 Northcote Rd, SW11 6PG (7223 5191/www.doveandson.co.uk)
Dove isn’t the cheapest on busy Northcote Road, but the denizens of Battersea seem to have no problem paying for quality. And quality is what you get: joints cut to order, game and special orders.
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Ginger Pig
99 Lauriston Rd, E9 7HJ (8986 6911/www.thegingerpig.co.uk)
London’s meat-lovers will probably need no introduction to the Ginger Pig’s four butchers across the city. The Hackney branch maintains the high standards the company lives by – thoroughbred animals, raised on its own farm in Yorkshire and sold by passionate, knowledgeable people.
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C Lidgate
110 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UA (7727 8243/www.lidgates.com)
West London’s premier butcher has been operating from the same premises since 1850 and is still a family concern. You’ll find the best organic meat from grass-fed livestock and poultry, as well as superb sausages and a wide range of own-made pies and pasties.
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M Moen & Sons
24 The Pavement, SW4 0JA (7622 1624/www.moen.co.uk)
Queues often stretch out the door at this perennially popular Clapham Common butcher-cum-mini food hall. As well as some of the best organic and free-range meats in London, there’s a display of charcuterie, cheese, herbs and vegetables. Moen cures its own sausages and bacon too.
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13 comments
i have visited many butchers across london, moens are good and so are Lidgates(but a little bit silly on price). But my favourite is without doubt HG Walter.
What about Jack O Shea amazing beef with sound provenance and well priced despite location barbecoa at the back of one new change is also excellent despite the celeb chef association.
I bought some steaks from AllensofMayfair Butchers, and it was the best I'd never had.
I would also suggest Stenson and Sons in Brakenbury Village - near Hammersmith.
55 Aldensley Road London W6 0DH - 020 8748 6121
Go and see John and Perry for top meat - great skills and good advise.
I don't agree with the assessment on Borough Market - the whole tourist label is such a tired argument - sure there's tourists, but it's a great market in and of itself. For sure there's a lot of expensive stuff, particularly around the Saturday gourmet market - but Sillfield, Ginger Pig and the other place that does the game and poultry are all competitively priced and superb quality produce.
If you want to get onto the vegetable suppliers, then I find it hard not to spend more than £12-15 and not come back with a shopping trolley filled with top quality fruit and veg. I'm always amazed at how much I get and think about how little I'd get for the same money at a supermarket.
I'm sure Brixton market is good too, perhaps even better value - but it's not so convenient for me to get to.
Borough Market is for tourists and those with more money than sense who buy into (literally) the nonsense propagated by the latest 'celebrity chef'. Ridiculously over priced stuff, often of doubtful provenance and quality, I've seen, for example, 'wild boar' on sale that was far too light in colour to be even the product of a domesticated cross.
Brixton Market now, is a very different matter. Try the halal butchers on Electric Avenue or travel on to Tooting and go to the ones between the Bec and Broadway tubes.
Nice to finally have organic meat (Rhug from Wales) at Borough Market
Barretts in England's Lane. Legendary!
40 Englands Lane, London, NW3 4EE
And HG Walter at Barons Court. They are great!
Balwin's on Green lanes, Manor House! Excellent range of produce - brains, sheeps heads etc. Good game and the sausages - the true measure of a butchers - are superb.
We really like Hennessys on Northcote Road SW11 - really helpful staff who know their stuff (and meat!)
Ginger Pig also has a concession at Green Smiths on Lower Marsh - 27 Lower Marsh, SE1 7RG
Don't forget Chadwicks in Balham - the best butchers!