Festive Food: The best butchers in South West London and Surrey
THE BEST BUTCHERS IN SOUTH WEST LONDON AND SURREY
The time is fast approaching when you will need to begin preparing that monumental Christmas dinner. Here are the best local butchers where you can source the finest cuts of meat for your festive meal.
With a focus on traditional butchery and locally sourced meat, these butchers are a cut above the supermarket meat counter. By Imogen Willis.
1
PARSON’S NOSE
Putney, Fulham and South Kensington
This family-owned butchers have three branches in south west London. Driven to preserve the traditional art of butchery on the high street, they have set up several local initiatives, including sustainable farming workshops at local schools and online butchery masterclasses. With an online shop and home delivery service, the Parson’s Nose is the perfect place to stock up when entertaining friends and family. Make sure to try their handmade award-winning sausages, and beef which is hung and dry aged for 28+ days. Or, if you are looking for a quick dish, browse their range of healthier ready meals made in partnership with Michelin star chefs using meat from their counters.
2
CLEAVERS BUTCHERS
Old York Road, Wandsworth
Started 13 years ago by restauranteurs who grew unhappy with standard butchers products, Cleavers, located on the Old York Road, is a lovely local store providing meat sourced directly from smallholdings and suppliers, in what they describe as ‘straight from farm gate to your plate’. Cleavers is packed full of ready to grill items, BBQ essentials, artisan ingredients, and fresh vegetables. There is also a deli counter, with cheese and pies for picnics, alongside a selection of wines with tastings to make the perfect pairing with your meal. The staff are very friendly and are happy to help you choose the best cuts and ingredients for your dishes.
3
BEVAN’S BUTCHERS
Kingston, Esher and Bagshot
The 2019 winners of Britain’s Best Butchers Shop, Bevan’s Butchers have almost a century of expertise under their belts. Opened in Kingston in 1929 by the owner’s great grandfather, the team has a vast pool of knowledge when it comes to traditional butchery techniques, including whole carcass butchery for their signature dry aged beef. In keeping with their transparent approach to sourcing their meat, everything is on show from the street in their Kingston shop, with a floor-to-ceiling glass window showcasing their cuts. They have a close working relationship with local farmers, priding themselves on tracing their meat back to the farmer which reared it.
4
THE DORKING BUTCHERY
Dorking
Winner of two stars in the Great Taste Award 2018 for their Classic Burger Roll, The Dorking Butchery excels in standard and taste. Specialising in dry-aged beef matured for four weeks, they focus on cultivating quality above mass produced quantity, hoping to bring a more traditional style of farming back to the high street. Supporting local farmers who share their passion for traditional farming methods, they ensure the wellbeing of the land and animals at the farms they source from. Livestock is pasture fed, with a natural diet free of antibiotics and fertilisers, and reared in a stress-free environment that ensures both ethical and green standards. The result is high quality meat with a real depth of flavour. Make sure to check out their useful guide to cooking the perfect steak on their website.
5
THE VILLAGE BUTCHERS
Southfields
This award-winning butchers in Southfields, named “an amazing local family butchers” by none other than Gordon Ramsay, offer a variety of free-range meat from a selection of top UK farms. Opening onto the street near Southfields station, they are friendly and helpful. Their BBQ Range includes their Great Taste Award winning ‘Southfields Sausage’ alongside marinated chicken thighs and wings, pork ribs, beef, lamb and chicken kebabs. Their dry aged beef and extended meat range are also well worth trying and can be purchased for home delivery on their website.
Searching for harder to find ingredients? Explore this guide to speciality food stores:
