Best butcher
Entries are welcomed from Suffolk-based butchers.
Judges will be looking in particular at the following:
- Ambience of the shop, friendliness of staff, speed of service
- Evidence of where meat is sourced, in particular, use of local suppliers
- Advice and suggestions for customers on preparation and storage of meat products, for example, explaining for how long your beef is hung
- Whether you make your own sausages/burgers, pies etc
- Hygiene and general cleanliness of premises/shop
- Awareness of customer demands and trends, eg do they cater for customers wanting to purchase ready prepared foods or ready meals?
- The role of the shop within the community and efforts of the shop to source local products, such as eggs.
- Education for all ages. Does the shopkeeper make an effort to link in with local schools/catering colleges/other professionals?
- Hints and tips for cooking meat
- Use of marinades - are they homemade or branded?
- Evidence of other complementary products on sale, eg. locally produced chutneys, mustards
Shortlisted entries
Broxtead Butchery, Suffolk Food Hall, Ipswich
This is a traditional butchery with a progressive and innovative feel, situated within the Suffolk Food Hall, Wherstead near Ipswich. Everything sold in the butchery is locally farmed, the nearer the farm the better. All farmers are met personally and visited to ensure that the animals welfare is paramount. Sausages, bacon, butchers are all made on site, along with kebabs, meatballs and delicious fresh marinades and are currently expanding our ready-meal range which is on sale through the Food Hall.
Broxtead Butchery, Suffolk Food Hall, Wherstead, Ipswich IP9 2AB
01473 786610
Rolfes of Walsham, Walsham-le-Willows
Last years winner of this category, proprietor Paul Hubbard began his career in this traditional butchers shop at age thirteen as a Saturday lad, taking over the business in 2001. Totally committed to being a good butcher and purveyor of fine food, Paul has gone out of his way to ensure that the shop remains at the centre of village life.
Animals are sourced from local farms, enabling Paul to have full traceability and the peace of mind that the meat on sale is of the finest quality and that the animals welfare is of the up most importance. All processes performed at Rolfes are under gone by hand and to traditional methods such as curing and smoking of bacon, cooking of pork cheese, making sausages and pie making.
Rolfes of Walsham, High Street, Walsham-le-Willows, Bury St Edmunds IP31 3AA
01359 259225
Five Winds Farm Smokehouse and Butchery, Melton
Opened in 1998, the retail shop for Five Winds was part of the diversification plan of Five Winds Farm at Bromeswell, Woodbridge.
The shop, a member of the elite Guild of Q Butchers, supplies meat, poultry and game from local farms, as well as home cured and smoked meat, poultry, fish and cheese. Pies and ready meals also on sale, are all homemade.
Five Winds Farm, Smokehouse & Butchery, The Station, Melton, Woodbridge IP12 1LT
01394 386116
Orford Butchers Shop, Orford
Located close to Orford Castle, the Orford Butchers Shop is an old fashioned oak beamed property which offers a traditional and personal service as you would expect from a village butchers.
All meat is sourced locally, as are the free range eggs. All sausages, burgers, scotch eggs and pies are made on the premises, and all hams are honey roasted on site.
Strongly supporting the campaign for plastic carrier bags, Orford Butchers have now introduced recycled brown carrier bags for their customers.
Orford Butchers Shop, Front Street, Orford, Woodbridge IP12 2LN
01394 450204
Salters Family Butchers, Aldeburgh
Established in April 1988, Salters Family Butchers sell top quality locally produced meats and believe in the traditional method of butchery – having sides of beef, pigs and lamb in to hang, sourced from local farms.
They also sell dry cure Suffolk gammon, bacon and hams, alongside a complementary deli counter. All sausages and burgers are made on the premises and work together with Jason Gathorne Hardy on his Alde Valley trail experiences.
Salters Family Butchers, 107 – 109 High Street, Aldeburgh IP15 5AR
01728 452758
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