I hope that my frequent five star ratings of establishments does not diminish the veracity of what…read moreI type in these reviews. Writing reviews for me is more about giving my fellow yelp family the opportunity to visit these locations to sample, taste, buy and own the best of what is available whilst getting exceptional quality for their money and unparalleled service. I'm not about bargains, I prefer quality over quantity. And if it's good enough, large volumes can be consumed...I've been known to eat three meals in one sitting with dessert and the usual accompaniment of vino. Franklin Country Meats (FCM) is an fine example of a butcher that puts out high quality fare. If you're after volume at a cheap price, then I'd recommend you go somewhere else. If you're happy to pay a little bit extra for fantastic meat, then this is definitely one butcher to stop in at. A friend had recommended FCM to me some years ago. He stated that the meat doesn't shrink like other meats purchased at other butchers'. He named one franchise in particular which just happened to be the one that I 'used to buy' my meat from. That and a supermarket chain, both of which shall remain unnamed. I'd always thought of meat as being a means to an end...something that was served up but couldn't really be dressed up much more than what it was...because it was meat. I've always thought that if I wanted to eat an exceptional cut, it would have to be served up at a fine dining restaurant. It annoys me now, that I'd held this misconception for some years because the two best and most memorable steaks that I had ever eaten in the world were not at fine dining establishments. One was at a restaurant in Dahab, Egypt where the beast was slaughtered and prepared to be served the following day. What was surprising was that this restaurant did not purport itself to be anything other than a place for sustenance, nourishment and 'hydrating' after a spectacular day diving in the Red Sea. The other most memorable steak of equal standing was from a cafe that I happened across in Brussels, Belgium. It was a €5 Euro meal which had steak, pomme frites and salate. They didn't even ask me how I wanted it, and it was served rare! What an absolute delight that steak was. And if you've been to Belgium, you'd know that they do food fantastically. Now, coming back to FCM. The reason this review has come about in a roundabout way, is because I wanted to highlight that you don't need t spend top dollar to have the best steak in the world. Hotel Kostes, Paris. Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai. Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park. Le Méridien Etoile, Paris. London Hilton on Park Lane. The Grosvenor, Park Lane. Fantastic meals, I have enjoyed at all of these places, but you could have five star quality meat from Franklin Country Meats. Their pork marinated ribs are divine and they have gold medal, silver medal and bronze medal awarded sausages. Their casarole cuts are top notch and do not shrink when you slow cook them. All in all, the best of the best, except for the bacon and ham, which I go to Pokeno Bacon for. Love, love, love all the same!!!

From the owner: We have a large range of specialty Meat products.read more

If you're in the Manukau area and in need of good quality, cheap meat, I would recommend coming to…read morethe Mad Butcher at South Point Countdown building. Not only is this a good place to come and get your meat, but there is also a Countdown supermarket and a pharmacy. South Point is your one stop shop for all necessities. The Mad Butcher here is massive! They have so much variety and some fantastic deals. I find it's always good to look on their website to see their weekly specials, then you can compare them to the cuts and prices found at Countdown and choose the better of the two. This can be done all under one roof, making the entire shopping experience extremely efficient. As this Mad Butcher is located in a mini shopping mall there is plenty of onsite parking available. As the Mad Butcher is located store front of this building you can also find parking spaces directly in front of the store. Perfect if you have young children and don't want to walk very far.

I didn't know this place existed - just happened to stumble upon it in the heavily South African…read morepopulated capital of Highland Park. The owner, Isak, was especially nice, offering to describe each of the delicious meats that were on offer - everything from boerewors (cheese, garlic, etc) to spare ribs. He handed us a sample of their shop made snack sausages, which were delicious and clearly fresh as you can get. My eyes landed on their rusks (also shop made - basically these guys must have a small carbon footprint! haha) and a few imported snacks, such as fizzers and ghost pops. Truly a good selection of the best South African goodies. There's another branch out in North Shore if you can't make it out East, and really if you appreciate this sort of ethnic food, you will appreciate them.

Great selection of meat. Place looks clean too. Good service…read more They even honored our special request how to pack our meat because we had to transport them on a flight. Professionally done!!

I never gave the Aussie Butcher much thought. It seemed weird and unpatriotic to patronize an…read moreAussie brand in NZ when there were equivalent alternatives. I've heard the cheesy radio ads and just clumped them in with the likes of the Mad Butcher. I was assigned sausage duty for a social club event at work and on recommendation I decided to inquire with the Mt Roskill location. The manager, (I think his name was Paul), was super helpful and gave us a great discount due to the quantity ordered. They had an extensive range of flavours which were all offered at the the same price and gluten free. We ended up going with 100% beef and the Garlic & Smoked Paprika options. The manager advised that they made sausages every Monday and Thursday and since the event was on Friday, we were getting them fresh as! When I went to pick them up all the staff were so incredibly friendly and the manager was so insistent that I soak the sausages in hot water for 10 minutes before grilling them that he gave me a bucket to do so free of charge. I was really surprised at the wide selection of quality yet reasonably priced meat and specialty cuts. At the social club event, the sausages were such a hit and inspired many people to talk about their deliciousness. The Aussie Butcher isn't super boutique but also isn't a cheap meat lot. You can tell they care about the product and are keen on providing reasonable prices. Totally a fan!

I once stopped here for some burger patties as I wanted to make handmade burgers for dinner than…read morenight. Despite there being none made up, the butcher was happy to make some up for me. Less than ten minutes later they were ready, and they made for an excellent dinner. Another time I was asked if I would like to sample a sausage that they had cooking away, and as it was conveniently at lunch I obliged. It was a sausage from the Pokeno Butchery (Mt Eden Butchers have only recently started selling these, along with their award winning bacon). It was very tasty indeed and I think they make a great option for an easy dinner. If you're after friendly, helpful service with an emphasis on quality - visit Mt Eden Traditional Butchery and see if you too become a fan.

We came here on our way home, conveniently at 5.30 on the dot when the clearway outside stops,…read moreenabling us to park right outside. All I wanted was a couple of pieces of eye fillet, so I wasn't in a position to say 'hey, what should I have for dinner?', but in saying that, I feel this is totally the kind of place you could. You know the New World ads where they pretend that's what the butcher will do, but really it's just some 17 year old who doesn't give a crap about what you have for dinner... Here is where they might give a damn. Will totally head back, especially if the head is in a bit of a jumble about what's for dinner. Parking is a little bit of a mission in Mt Eden, but sometimes you can wing it - like we did! The meat itself was beautiful, and for two big pieces of eye fillet it was $12.00. I don't think that's any more than I would pay in the supey. I was also eyeing up all those delicious sausages as well... I'm sure they'll make it into the basket next time.

Traditionally, I've been a bit worried if someone is serving up some "Humble Pie." Isn't it like…read moreeating crow? But NOT this place! This place makes me want to eat humble pie every day! This little butcher shop is an authentic New Zealand butcher shop, with meat pies and sausage rolls. I got one of each- the pastry was doughy and flaky, and the succulent meats inside were a definite treat for just a few NZ Dollars. It was some of the cheapest eats on the island of Waiheke. The butcher also sells cuts of meat, of course, but I only tried their takeaway. The meat pie was so delicious- fresh meat carved up in a fresh flaky pastry. There's a nice bench out front where you can take in the scenery and the meat. I asked them if I could try a possum, but they didn't have any. The butcher was quite friendly, and was disappointed to not be able to showcase the country's dish in a meat pie. The place is completely safe, it's right next to the police station on the main road of the island. Parking can be found along the roadside.

I popped in for a looksie while up in Waiheke. Nice butchery. I didn't notice any butchery smell…read more Being a fan of the good old English pork pie, I decided to try the Steak and Mushroom pie. This was a proper pie. Full of meat. It didn't have as strong a mushroom taste as the Big Ben steak and mushroom. Could have done with a bit more seasoning. I liked it though. This was a big pie suited to a big hunger. Constructed in the same fashion as the pork pie this one is eaten piping hot. Looking to try another pie next time I'm on Waiheke Island. Will also try their game meat. Yum yum.

A hidden gem. The tandoori chicken and spicy lamb sausages are the best in NZ. If your anywhere…read morenear St Luke's or want to go for a drive to find a decent butcher this is the place.

I love the variety of good quality sausages and meats hereread more