About a month ago I decided to experiment by bypassing the supermarkets, and returning to do my…read moreshopping at specialist stores. This included buying my fruit and veggies at the vegetable store, meat at the butcher and salt at the spice trader. Okay, I made up the last one, but you get the drift. I was amazed what you can get if you buy your meat from the butchery; the local butcher was able to cut my chops to man sized chunks and my steak to include a generous helping of fat. I know, heart attack city, but damn it's good. Sam's Butchery is also a good place to try out new cuts and sausages, so the experiment worked well in the process of trying new foods, unfortunately it failed miserably in the attempt to save money.

I was unfortunate enough to purchase a Sams butchery ham couple of days before Christmas. I glazed…read moreand cooked it on Christmas Day, it tasted simply awful. I've cooked hams using the same glaze and cooking method before and they always come out delicious and so I'm pretty sure it wasn't my cooking. The ham had an odd smell when it came out of the packet, it is dry and tastes terrible. I wouldn't buy another one, $70 totally wasted!

Butcher Jacks has been in operation in Glenfield since 1995…read more They have a long relationship with the neighborhood and are well known by the locals of the North Shore. I popped in recently on a trip to the doctors and pharmacy only right next door and decided to buy some delicious NZ Scotch fillet steak for dinner. The set up inside the big red store is similar to that of a supermarket; they have packed meats in fridges and freezers. The difference between Butcher Jacks and say the franchise butcher down the street is that they pride themselves on serving 100% NZ owned meat, and they even produce on site their own bacon, sausages and legs of ham at anytime of the year. I really enjoyed my dinner that evening; the meat was top quality and just a perfect few cuts. Weekly specials change every week so check out what they have to offer, and you will walk off with a freezer full of meat and a great bargain! They are moving to a new location just down the road in a few weeks, so be sure not to miss them next time your near Wairau Road.

This butcher is a little bit out of the way for me but I continue to come here regularly as they…read morehave the most amazing selection of meats and all of them taste so good! My favourite is their butterfly chicken which is marinated in a tandoori sauce. It just tastes amazing and is perfect for the bbq because it is much quicker to cook because it is cut in half. It isn't the cheapest butchery but you really get what you pay for. They are very experimental with their sausage blends which I enjoy. Their pork saussies are my favourite as well as their chicken breakfast sausages. If you want your chicken portioned they do a really great job of it here and they are just so friendly and helpful. There is plenty of free parking on the street as well as some parking behind the building, y'all know I love that!

We have been coming to this butchery for many years now. What is important to us is that the…read moreproducts they stock are organic or free range. This gives us a top quality product, free of any nasty's so we know it is good for us. They also have a great selection of both standard products, I really like the crumbed schnitzel and the Italian stuffed chicken breasts. They also now have pies, which are full on top cut meat, no off cuts that lots of other places put in their pies. If you ever watch Food Inc. then you will see why we now choose to shop for our meat here, rather than the supermarkets or chain stores. Its just a better way.

When you can get 14-21+ day dry aged beef for the same price as in the supermarket, how can you not…read morebuy your meat here???? Plus, the pricing is comparable. And did I mention anything about their excellent customer service???? They stayed open late on a holiday to wait on me, and never made me feel pressured or hurried. I bought one Savannah dry aged prime rib for $46/Kg (see photo), and it easily is the best meat I've ever bought at a butcher. I'm a believer, and I look forward to returning.

If you're looking for quality meats in the Ponsonby area pay a visit to Neat Meat…read more It's situated within Ponsonby Central, a hub of wonderful produce suppliers and other retailers and some of Auckland's best places to eat, many of which this family business butchery supplies. The entrance to the store is not for the feint hearted vegetarian; you'll see premium cuts of meat ageing in the window. Inside there is a massive selection of meats and smallgoods, sauces and other pantry items on offer. The meat is sold by weight from an impressive looking and well stocked cabinet and they also sell a range of pre packaged well known quality meat brands like Harmony. Their sausages are first class and so is their bacon which is available in thick cuts. Be prepared to pay in the high side for some cuts but be assured you'll be buying quality.

This butchery has been around for decades. As an independent family owned business, Better Butchers…read moreof Mt Eden gives off a friendly, trustworthy, reliable vibe and is a proud part of the Mt Eden community. All their meat is locally grown and the animals receive the best care during this time - you don't have to worry about pigs in cages, and battery chickens here. Quality is what this butchery prides itself on, as evidenced by their good cuts of meat, fresh boned chicken and REAL MEAT SAUSAGES. The Better Butchers of Mt Eden are also well known for their amazing Christmas hams. We get our ham from them every year and are always really impressed with the flavour and quality of the meat, as well as the price! Unlike other butcheries and supermarkets, you actually get what you pay for with Better Butchers. No one I know has ever been let down by these guys, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone after some decent meat - and some friendly banter! Bonus: Not only is this a great butchery but the staff are really welcoming and have a great sense of humour. Every visit is a delight!

So if you've read a few of my other reviews you'll know that I'm a bit fussy about eating meat. I…read moream however also a mother of three and am not ready to discount whole food groups on behalf of everyone else. Known to locals as the Wairiki Butchery (it's on the corner of Mt Eden and Wairiki Roads), I feel lucky to have this place close by. While whole carcasses really do freak me out, I'm a typical hypocritical consumer and meat in its prepared and packaged form does excite the cook in me. I go here often for the Chicken Nibbles, Lean Beef Mince, a log of Eye Fillet for a special occasion and also some really interesting sausages - the Wild Thar are always a hit at my BBQs. There is something about shopping at your local butchery that makes me feel like a small girl with my nana and I think it's so important to support specialty businesses like this. The guys are always so lovely; really helpful and I don't feel stupid asking them for advice on temperatures and timing. A lot of the basics I buy are priced comparatively to supermarkets so if you have the time, it's well worth dropping in here to get your meat. They also have some flash stuff in the fridge (marinades and the like) so it's one stop shopping if you have a dinner panic.

Aussie Butcher, thats my favourite local butcher. The meat is always fresh and its good quality,…read moreyou can also get bigger pieces of meat if thats what you are after. Personally they are much better than Mad Butcher. I also like that they have a free range section in store for pork and chicken. They also have a great range of tasty sausages. There are often good weekly specials instore. This particular Aussie Butcher is nice and handy on Mokoia Road. The guys who work there are so super friendly and helpful if you need advice on cuts of meat and stuff like that. With service like theirs why would you go anywhere else.

If you prefer buying fresh meat from a butcher instead of a supermarket, then this is a pretty good…read moreone in the Saint Johns/Glen Innes area. It has a nice selection of good quality and fresh meat, while still remaining quite competitive pricewise with the larger supermarket chains. You can also find rarer meats that you wouldn't normally find in a supermarket, like duck, venison, rabbit, pheasant etc. Not to mention free-range goodness. There is a fruit and vegetable store next door too, so when you're done with the selection of meat, just cruise in there and Boom! Roast pork and veges for dinner.

This is boutique butchering at its best! I absolutely loved the meats on show at Gladstone…read moreButchery. Now I love to cook, serve up and eat a nice lamb chop, standing rib roast or steak. What I love even more is when said cut is trimmed to perfection and wrapped in the white butcher paper. I really get irritated about how polystyrene trays are the mainstay of supermarkets and butcher shops, just another thing for the landfill. But I digress, Gladstone Butchery display these ready to eat cuts of meat, they will trim a piece to your order if it is not already done and all with a very big smile from the butcher. You can see him at work at the butcher block behind the counter, all very hygienic as well which is another big plus. I loved their sausages, home made and in different gourmet varieties.

A very high quality butchery on the Gladstone Road in Parnell. I first came here when I was…read morehousesitting across the road - the pies are to die for. The pastry is melt in the mouth and filling is pretty good too. Most of the meat here is organic and you can taste the difference. The fillet steak is really good and worth coming here alone for. You may be wondering how I could afford to shop here but the guy I was housesitting for had an account here. I could order anything I liked and could tell the butcher to 'put it on the tab'. Happy Days. One night however I needed some meat for the dogs in the house. When I told the butcher I was looking for meat for the dogs, he did not look impressed. I explained to him that I just wanted some meat for the dogs dinner and didn't want to go all the way to the supermarket for it. He gave me some left over meat and the dogs were delighted with it. In fairness to him, he's a nice guy and saw the funny side of it.