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

Without a doubt, the best in, sausages, pork, bacon and ham by a country mile…read more We cook a pumpkin and bacon risotto which was a nice dish, until we spent a little bit more for bacon and have never gone back to the factory farmed supermarket variety. A few rashers of chopped Pokeno bacon in my leek and potato soup just tastes divine with homemade bread. Seriously, I'm so glad that I live just minutes down the road from their Pukekohe store as I pop in weekly to stock up on supplies. Their bacon hocks and bacon bones are super tasty and naturally smoked so that soups are an absolute delight. I often serve up their pure pork sausages, green Thai pork sausages and spicy Italian sausages from my BBQ. I'd never go anywhere else for sausages again. My son has egg and dairy allergies but can eat the pure pork sausages fine which is a testament to the meticulous methods in the production of their top quality pork products. They also do a gluten free sausage which we used to buy as well and they are a gluten free product which tastes better that your average breadcrumb and starch sausage. And their Christmas ham! Don't waste your time buying the uncertain sourced ham from supermarkets. If you like to enjoy food, Pokeno Bacons hams are the best to have. We have one every Christmas! Mm-Mmmm!! That is unless you're having Jamón Serrano. Ooh, now that is the best ham in the world! But it wouldn't surprise me if Pokeno Bacon had a crack at it. And if they did, it would certainly be award winning.

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

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!

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.

Let's say for argument sake I lived in Norwest Auckland on a lifestyle block and needed to contact…read moresomeone reputable to process our homekill, I'd give these guys a call: With 30 years' butchering experience and two awards for their top quality sausages, Bruce Scott, owner of Kaipara Meat Processors & Scott's Traditional Meats in Helensville will take your animal from the field to the freezer! I've had a peek at their hygienic premises where you pick up your product. 64B Mill Road, is directly behind Scott's Traditional Meats on the main road leading into Helensville. Of course the meats are absolutely delicious at Scott's where they manufacture everything on site such as bacon, ham, salami's, sausages, luncheon, dog rolls, specialty sausages such as Bratwurst, Cabanas, Chorizo, etc.

This is a brilliant butcher with quality products and friendly knowledgeable staff. Pop in when you…read moreare in Warkworth.

Excellent presentation and variety of assorted meats, and a few non-meat items. They also provide…read moremarinated meats, and prepared rubs, kebobs, etc. Everything looks very fresh and properly colored. I had them slice some bacon from their award winning recipe, into extra thick cuts. They also offer frozen turkeys. Very friendly and attentive service makes this a pleasant experience!!

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.