Corrie's is a family run butchers in the center of Newtownards and it prides it's self on the…read morepersonal service it provides to its customers who come back again and again. Young Gareth is a pal of mine simply through heading in here. They are very helpful with everything and even advised me on special low fat cuts of meat when I told them I was on a diet. The steaks and other meat cuts are the best in Newtownards which explains why the shop is always busy. A very friendly feeling greets you as you enter and they will suggest the right pieces for a dinner party or just a Wednesday night stew. I remember being in recently and after discussing the diet with the butchers they recommended how to cook the pork chops I was buying to cut the fat content. I also bought a cheesecake which I had a tiny piece of - raspberry ruffle - homemade and it was so nice!

You know a butchers is authentic when it has its very own awning and Corries has got one! The…read morebutchers inside also wear those straw hats and aprons, no they are not scarecrows but that's the only way I can describe them without the correct terminology. Corries also has great offers on, today they had Milk for 89p and some Chump steak for 3.49, random prices eh? They are so old school they do not believe in round numbers. This place is always absolutely jam packed but I suppose that only goes to suggest that it is the best butchers in the area. Despite how busy it is the staff in their outfits always treat each customer with the same warmth.

"The authentic, original farm shop." In the middle of nowhere, my sister swore by this place so we…read moreswung by it on the way home from Ards Shopping Centre. I say we swung by it, that makes the journey sound simple, but it was anything but. We travelled about 50 (slight exaggeration) winding country roads and at one point I began to question the existence of this farm butchers and in turn began to question my big sis's sanity. We finally found it and I had to eat my words...again... The blurb on the website says; "Known locally as Drumhilla Farm, our home is on the farm, our shop is on the farm and our heart is on the farm. We take pride in our top class breeding, state-of-the-art facilities and an exemplar farm." This is absolutely bang on, we did get a warm welcome and we came away with some top quality meat at an even better price. I was informed that the butchers has loads of contracts with local restaurants, so if you have eaten out in North Down you may well have sampled the top class meat Corries offers. The farm shop is your best bet if you want to replicate the restaurant experience in your own home, they always have deals on for instance when we went in they had Chump Steak - 3.79plb 8.36pkg Mince Steak (5lb or over) - 1.99plb 4.39pkg. You can not really argue with these deals. Corries is well worth the trek and you will reap the benefits of your journey when you sit down to a tender slab of meat at the dinner table.

Good selection of food on the menu, and they do small plates. I'm not sure about the system of…read morereading the menu in the foyer and then ordering at the counter. I felt under pressure as there were people behind me and I was getting a bit panicky trying to remember what everyone wanted. I also find it easier to decide when there is a menu in front of me and you can ask the waiter/waitress about a dish or ingredients without holding people up. However the food was server quickly and the service staff were pleasant.

Something really bizarre happened me at Mckees Farm Shop today. First of all I have never been…read morebefore and was not expecting what I found. It's huge - a massive big cafe selling local and homemade food. A large shop with shelves upon shelves of local produce such as sweets, jams, cakes and even ice cream. I bought a tub of ice cream which is Yellow man flavored and about two seconds ago had a big scoop - oh my word it's good and made in Newtownards! Anyway, I went in to get a big dish of take away dinner for I am entertaining (Don't you know - said in a very posh voice!) tomorrow evening. my future mother in law recommended the place if you are having people round as they do a great variety of hot dishes like lasagna, curry, sweet and sour, stews for up to 20 people at decent prices. I went for chilli chicken for 6 - 6 very generous portions came to £20. While I was waiting I noticed a bit of an atmosphere in the place and i asked the guy who was serving me what was happening. He informed me that the boy band Mcfly had just landed in. I said 'what are they doing here?' to which he replied, obviously 'having something to eat.' Being a massive freak when it comes to celebs I had to have a nosy so I stuck my face up against every window in the place until I finally caught a glimpse of them (other people were staring at me as if I was deranged!) When I got home I Google imaged them to make sure it was definitely them - it was. I have to say I am massively impressed with McKees, not only is the food amazing, fresh and local but they sell a great mixture of kitchen goods as well as flowers and gifts AND they even attract celebrities! AWESOME.

Veggies beware, Primacy Meats Food Village kind of give the game away with their name. It started…read morelife as a butcher and farm shop and is mostly a carnivore's paradise. That said there is plenty of fresh fruit and veg in the shop as well. Although Bangor has an abundance of butchers, this one has joined the growing trend of having a coffee shop/restaurant attached. The food in here is good quality using on site ingredients for good prices. You can get a hearty feed for £5. Unlike other reviewers I find Primacy to be one of the cheapest butchers in Bangor (maybe its more to do with what I buy) and they have good meat packs available which offer decent discount for bulk buying. Some of the other products on offer in the shop can be pricey though. I also think their meat is great quality and well tasty. The staff are all great. Friendly and happy to provide help and advice.

Primacy Meats used to be a small family run butchers with a small farm shop that probably stocked…read moreproduce 2 years past its sell by date. But within the last 3 years it has grown, matured and developed into a super butchers. It now boasts a coffee shop, gift shop and fruit and veg shop, its like when one of your friends comes into money and completely changes. They get a brand new house (shop) build big iron gates and lose all personality. Although I think I may just be bitter because I felt a certain affinity with the old Primacy meats. It is rather over priced compared to its competitors and it feels like it is trying to hard to be the best. With the awards it has won there is no wonder that it has developed an ego. Northern Irelands Butcher of the year 2009 is one of these accolades but trust me if you want reasonably priced meat I would stay away from the Primacy. The staff are friendly and polite and they will even throw in an extra dog bone with your purchases. But if they get any more expensive the dog will be missing out and I will be chewing on the bone. It is a great location, out of town and if you fancy something different for lunch then you should visit the coffee shop, it is a little more reasonable. Parking is fantastic but it does get busy in BBQ season and you may have to queue out the door.

Ards Saturday Market is a traditional Irish Market dating back to the 1760's. It has a variety of…read morethriving stalls and local produce including meat, vegetables and fish. These will be as fresh as you can get too. Don't be disappointed, although this is a traditional Irish market it still has stalls where you can purchase 5 lighters for a pound and get wicker washing baskets for your household chores. This is also traditional in the sense that you can get some knock off clothing, for instance instead of an "Adidas" tracksuit why not get an "Amidas", exactly the same only with two stripes. You will be the envy of all your friends, by envy I of course mean punch bag. This really is a must if you are in Ards town centre on a Saturday, you will meet some characters on and off the stalls. This market ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous so expect to be beckoned over to see some form of tat or tradition.

Newtownards, like many of the smaller towns and villages in northern Ireland plays host to a market…read moreevery Saturday and every Saturday I pass by, so used to seeing it that it could be full of naked shoppers and I wouldn't notice. I decided last week to make an exception and to enter the market square. My friend and I decided we would play a game. each had £1.00 and we had to buy the other a gift using only that pound. We set off in different directions. The stalls all sell typical market products. There is a butchers with great deals on meat such as five steaks for £10 and also selling a selection of nice looking sauces. There is a fishmonger selling any sea creature your heart desires - just follow the smell. There is also, bizarrely, a stall selling big massive lighters, as in lighters the same length as my arm, car fresheners: 4 for a £1.00 with rather interesting perfume scents such as cool water and poison - this stall also sells pellet guns. There is a florist stall with all colours of plants and a lady selling big Sloggi branded knickers - i decided to get my friend a pair but they were only slightly dearer than a pound so instead I bought her one giant prawn, thankfully she bought me some really nice buns from the bun stand. She told me she had gone straight for the big knickers too - ha ha great minds think alike. The market is good for machinery, garden things, rugs, meat, big lighters and fish. It's worth a look.