Capital Delights - Prime Butchers

Five generations of Lidgates have provided the people of Holland Park and beyond with fine meats and more. Daniel Lidgate of C Lidgate talks change and continuity amongst their discerning clientele.

C Lidgate was founded in 1850 – how has Holland Park changed over the generations?

It hasn’t really changed much! Holland Park is special – it still has its greengrocers, butchers and bakers treasured by local residents. For people coming from outside, we still have parking around the side roads and free parking on Saturdays.

What would you say makes C Lidgate so enduring?

We’re always searching for excellence and quality. We source the best farmers you could possibly find. There’s also the uniqueness of the products – we make our own marinades, sausages and pies and we’re always looking at ways to improve our products and services.

Everyone behind the counter at C Lidgate is an expert – what sort of questions do they get asked?

Some of our staff have different specialities – our sausage maker makes all 27 varieties so can answer any question or create something bespoke if, say, you have an allergen concern. Some of our customers from Italy, Portugal or France might not know quite how to describe a particular cut in English, but our staff from across Europe can help translate.

What trends have you seen?

Over the last few years the worlds of butchers and chefs have merged. Three of our qualified butchers used to be chefs and lots of butchers are learning more about flavourings and wine pairing.

What’s the secret to a really great steak?

A great steak happens at the end of a long chain, that starts with a very good animal walking around in a field. It’s about the farmer’s attention to detail and the love and care they give the animal. Then it’s about the ageing, perhaps enhanced by closely monitoring the humidity, or adding Himalayan salts to the environment. It’s then about expert butchering and cutting. You can do things faster and cheaper, but that generally affects the quality and flavour.

 

C Lidgate stocks produce from the Highgrove Estate. What other special products stand out?

Shetland lamb is one of our specialities. It’s uniquely flavoured as the animals are a lot smaller and graze on the heather and seaweed as they walk around the beaches and land.

What are your favourite products?

We’ve just brought out a range of casseroles, including Boeuf Bourguignon. It’s an easy way of being with your guests and still enjoying something tender and really tasty whilst staying out of the kitchen. Another favourite is the Wagyu beef fillet or sirloin. It's richness and tenderness really define it. It’s almost like another species.

How is the digital age affecting high-end butchers?

More people are buying online. We’re really flexible – you can order up to 12 noon online or on the phone and get deliveries by 3pm in local London postcodes. We also work with Amazon Fresh, selling through them seven days a week. We deliver around the country and beyond, even to superyachts on the Mediterranean.

If there’s one thing any discerning buyer of meat should know it’s…

They should eat less meat, but buy better quality and form a relationship with their local butcher to try something delicious they wouldn’t necessarily choose.

110 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UA, lidgates.com

THE GINGER PIG W1

This popular butchers began life over 20 years ago and now has eight shops across London. Staff at The Ginger Pig farm over 3,000 acres of pasture in North Yorkshire and also work with a small network of farmers. Their tiered celebration pork pie “cakes” are handmade to order and are guaranteed to be the talking point of any party.

8-10 Moxon Street, W1U 4EW, thegingerpig.co.uk

 

PARSON'S NOSE SW5

At Parson’s Nose you can pick up the finest free range meats from a selection of Great British farmers and producers. Don’t fancy doing all the hard work for the Sunday Roast? The experts here will bone and roll the meat, ready to roast for all the family. Check out their award-winning sausages - these pigs are born outdoors and live their whole lives in lush green pastures, with mud wallows, fresh bedding and quality fodder.

165 Old Brompton Road, SW5 0LJ, parsonsnose.co.uk

H.G.WALTER W14

Sourcing their meat from small, traditional British farmers, the butchers at H.G. Walter are always on the lookout for new and interesting products, exploring new flavours and stocking specialist meats. The Barons Court outfit supplies over 30 Michelin Star restaurants and is a favourite amongst London’s food critics.

51 Palliser Road, W14 9EB, hgwalter.com

TURNER & GEORGE EC1

Richard H. Turner, acclaimed chef from the likes of Hawksmoor and Foxlow, joined forces with James George, a keen advocate of traditional butchery and cutting methods, to create the East London Steak Company. With increasing demand came Turner & George, a butcher’s shop filled with a huge variety of the best meat from British native breeds reared on independent farms and smallholdings. Dry-aged in-house on the bone for flavour, they make their own sausages and burgers too.

399 St John Street, EC1V 4LD, turnerandgeorge.co.uk

 

PROVENANCE BUTCHER W11

Husband and wife team Guy Gibson and Erin Hurst both grew up on farms in New Zealand and are on a mission to give Londoners “a taste of meat as it ought to be.” They specialise in grass-fed Wagyu beef, Cambrian Mountain lamb and hand-selected charcuterie.

33 Kensington Park Road, W11 2EU, provenancebutcher.com

SMITHFIELD BUTCHERS EC1

With over 170 years combined butchery experience, Smithfield Butchers is a leading supplier of the highest-quality meat products in London. Boasting a state-of-the-art temperature controlled cutting room and large underground fridges enabling them to buy in bulk, Smithfield aims to be economical for its customers, who can purchase as little as a single chop all the way up to thousands of pounds’ worth of meat. It’s located just minutes from the world-famous Smithfield Market (the largest wholesale meat market in the UK, open to the public from 2am every weekday).

23 Smithfield Street, EC1A 9LF, smithfieldbutchers.co.uk

WYNDHAM HOUSE SW10

Lee and Lin Mullet began Wyndham House after 20 years in the poultry industry. The aim was to produce high quality chickens using sustainable methods to their own exacting standards of welfare. Now with shops in Chiswick, Chelsea and Borough Market, they offer a full range of meats, poultry, condiments, cheeses and other deli products. Butchery courses for customers are available in addition.

339 Fulham Road, SW10 9TW, wyndham-house.com

JAGO’S OF CHELSEA SW10

Established in 1972, this traditional family butchers stocks a wide range of different meats and cuts. The beef is 21 days matured, the lamb is grass fed in Devon and the pork is free range from Somerset. Seasonal produce includes fresh young grouse, pheasant, partridge, teal, snipe, woodcock, wild rabbit and wild duck. A short walk from Sloane Square, Jago’s accommodates special requests and deliver locally.

9 Elystan Street, SW3 3NT, jagobutchersofchelsea.co.uk