Britain's Best Butcher

[thom]

In Glossop (where I reside) there is nowhere to eat out (boo!) but there are some very decent food shops (yay!). The best amongst them is Mettricks Butchers, and after raving about it for ages my evangelism has now been justified – it is has just been voted ‘Best Butchers in Britain’ at the meat industry Oscars (yes, they do hold such things).

They are a fantastic butcher, traditional yet forward thinking, and they fought tooth and nail to keep their own small abattoir during foot and mouth. They’re even registering (delicious) High peak Lamb as a quality mark with DEFRA support. There really is no comparison between their locally sourced, home killed (and home cured, and home hung) produce and the decent but uninspiring meat that most butchers buy in boxed up.

They’ve even got a neat little website (offering national delivery) to have a look at (http://www.mettricksbutchers.co.uk), and you’ll notice they can name every farmer they buy from. They’re lovely guys and well worth making a fuss of.

Cheers

Thom

[Bapi]

In Glossop (where I reside) there is nowhere to eat out (boo!) but there are some very decent food shops (yay!). The best amongst them is Mettricks Butchers, and after raving about it for ages my evangelism has now been justified – it is has just been voted ‘Best Butchers in Britain’ at the meat industry Oscars (yes, they do hold such things).

They are a fantastic butcher, traditional yet forward thinking, and they fought tooth and nail to keep their own small abattoir during foot and mouth. They’re even registering (delicious) High peak Lamb as a quality mark with DEFRA support. There really is no comparison between their locally sourced, home killed (and home cured, and home hung) produce and the decent but uninspiring meat that most butchers buy in boxed up.

They’ve even got a neat little website (offering national delivery) to have a look at (http://www.mettricksbutchers.co.uk), and you’ll notice they can name every farmer they buy from. They’re lovely guys and well worth making a fuss of.

Cheers

Well Lucky you Thom. Looks great and I love the League of Gentleman Hamper

[thom]

Yes, I think the League of Gentlemen link sometimes narks them a little bit, but they do play up to it (you should see the Mettricks corporate Christmas cards) and seeing as they film it right outside the shop it would have been a crime to ignore it.

'Special stuff' all round then?

Cheers

Thom

[thom]

Remind me, did I ever tell you about my local butcher Mettricks? I did. Excellent.

The latest news is that they have just won the prestigious national ‘Best Local Food Producer’ award at the Radio 4/BBC Good Food Show food awards. I think John Mettrick was interviewed on Radio 4 yesterday morning.

Pretty impressive, and even more so is the fact that their lamb was served as part of the Good Food Show chef’s dinner to universal praise from Rik Stein, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay et al. Based on the number of chefs placing Christmas orders (Raymond Blanc in particular was keen) John is now worried about running out of stock…

Without wanting to indulge in gloating I do feel very lucky indeed to have these guys on my doorstep. The meat they sell is of extraordinary quality, but it's not just artfully posed middle-class meat-porn, they are traditional butchers and still sell the more old-fashioned or challenging cuts which you just won't get in 'posh' butchers.

As an example, a couple of months ago I got some skirt (fnar) as I had read in 'Roast Chicken and other Stories' that although tough it work's fantastically as a pan-fried steak (a la Onglet). I got enough for three portions, and also bought enough shin beef to make six portions of a slow-cooked stew with root vegetables. The cost for nine portions of top quality (though thrift cut) meat? £4.46.

Last weekend I fancied doing these Hugh FW things which are like fancy lamb scratchings. Poach a lamb belly in mirepoix, then brush with mustard, dip in egg and coat with breadcrubs, finally roast till crispy. Hugh notes that lamb belly is hard to find, and it usually just binned by butchers. Needless to say Mettricks had it to hand, and a piece big enough to make twenty fish-finger sized portions was £1.62.

Ok, gloat over. I'm just proud of these guys, and only wish naively that more retailers could and would follow their lead. Their website is http://www.mettricksbutchers.co.uk/ should any of you want to treat a loved one to a meat-hamper. That does sound like a particularly sordid euphemism, so Bapi and Gary feel free to make smutty innuendo.

Cheers

Thom

Edited November 28, 2005 by thom (log)

[Bapi]

Thom - Can a man with a chipolata physically treat a loved one to anything?

Listened to this radio programme on the way over to a "friend's" pub on Sunday and thought it must be your butcher that had won.

Think I will have to pop over to sunny Glossop to stock up.

( PS- Red Chilli was the superb- will post shortly)

[thom]

Good work Bapi, I knew I could reply on you to lower the tone. That said, your post doesn't make clear whether the 'chipolata' comment is a rhetorical question, directed at me or is simply a plaintive cry for help from your good self?

Delighted that you enjoyed Red Chilli, and intrigued to know how adventurous you were with the menu. Look forward to reading all about it on the relevent thread.

Let me know if you make it over Glossop (or try Mettrick's online ordering, I've heard the interweb is a wonderful thing). Coincidently, I happened to find myself watching a programme late last night about nudists hiking from Lands End to John O'Groats, and pleasingly they received their most enthusiastic welcome on the stretch from Buxton to the Pennine way, within a couple of miles of Glossop. We're a welcoming lot in the Peak District...

PS I'd stay away from pubs run by 'friends'. I find pub landlords generally to be disreputable reprobates and hairy-palmed social inadequates who are normally concealing dark and terrible secrets behind their haggard and gin-worn faces. Not the sort of chap you would want in your social circle...

Cheers

Thom

[battleofthebulge]

Well, I'm a 20 minute walk from the second best butcher in Britain (2005, won in 2004) and the best in London and the South East - H G Walter at Barons Court. Went in to get sausages and pork belly the day after the awards were announced to find the staff looking hungover but pleased.

More reviews here:

http://www.urbanpath.com/london/butchers/hg-walter.htm

Sarah

[thom]

It's a small world indeed.

My IT chap is from somewhere in the outer reaches of Huddersfield, and his local butcher came second to Mettricks in the Meat Trades Gazette national awards.

They all seem to know each other quite well through their industry body. It's the one with the big 'Q' logo; 'Guild of Quality Butchers' maybe?

Cheers

Thom