This week is National Butchers’ Week and we can now reveal the findings of our survey. More than 500 of you completed our 30 second questionnaire and told us what you thought about independent butchers, and what we discovered shows that the Local Food Britain community is really passionate about supporting independent butchers.
93% of respondents told us they perceive their butcher as most trustworthy and a further nine out of 10 felt quality was more important than price. Your feelings are echoed by celebrity chef Tony Tobin, of The Dining Room in Reigate, who sources meat from Robert and Edwards butchers just a few doors down from his restaurant and really appreciates talking to a butcher about the origins of the meat. “Quality is important to a real butcher – it’s his livelihood,” Tobin explains. “When people ask me for dinner party advice, I always say, ‘If you do nothing else, spend on your meat.’ Your butcher is someone you can talk to about what you need.”
“Shoppers are always enlightened when they buy from us,” adds Robert Hewitt, the manager at Robert and Edwards. “They find they get more flavour, the provenance is traceable and they can get exactly what they want.”
Of the 529 people who took part in Local Food Britain’s survey, 85% said that knowing they are supporting local farmers would make them more likely to buy from a butcher, while another 75% stated that ethical production was a factor in their choice. In addition, more than three quarters of those surveyed indicated they would like to know more about the local farmers who supply their butcher.
Our founder Tracy Carroll says: “The survey has offered a fascinating insight into how people feel about butchers. Provenance and quality is clearly very important to Local Food Britain’s shoppers, and independent butchers have a great advantage when it comes to traceability, as many have developed strong relationships with the farmers who supply them.”
If you’re thinking about popping into your butcher during National Butchers’ Week – perhaps for the first time – you can find some tempting offers from a selection of our butchers here. If you’re on Twitter, tweet us what you’re buying using @localfoodfinder and the hashtag #ButcherIsBetter, or join us on Facebook for recipe suggestions and more.
Tags: meat
butchers
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National Butchers' Week
