Indie Of The Month: The Guildford Butchery ‘Best Meat Britain And Surrey Has To Offer’

Published on: 14 Oct, 2020
Updated on: 16 Oct, 2020

By Hugh Coakley

“The best meat Britain and Surrey has to offer,” says the website of traditional The Guildford Butchery in the parade of shops at Collingwood Crescent at Boxgrove in Merrow. Having visited them, I think they would be very hard to beat.

The Guildford Butchery in Collingwood Crescent

The business started in Dorking in 2016 but has now opened a branch of its high quality speciality butchers in Merrow.

Owned by the youthful Alex Emmett and Gary Corpse, both in their early 30s, they opened in July this year after a start delayed by Covid.

The youthful Alex Emmett, co-owner of The Guildford Butchery. “Our meat is reared locally, cared for and the quality is far superior,” he said.

Alex told The Guildford Dragon NEWS that the aim is to give customers “the full experience”. “We stress the importance of service. We will look after you,” he said.

And he was keen to put that into practise. They all look very professional, with flat caps, apron, white shirt and tie, and staff are given cuts of meat to take home and practise cooking. “We want all our staff to be able to cook so they can advise customers.”

Apprentice butcher Adam Moon, a physics student who deferred his studies to work in the shop, enthusiastically talked about the various cuts he had cooked. He said: “We have a better relationship with our customers if we can help them with cooking ideas.”

Local shopper George Cranstone said: “The quality is excellent. I’ve ordered some wood pigeon, they have been so obliging.”

Apprentice Adam Moon talked about the practising cooking different cuts of meat so he can help customers.

Alex had a Saturday job in a butchers at 16 and enjoyed it. After nearly 15 years in the trade, he is very clear about the quality they striving for. “We don’t agree with 99% of practises in our industry,” he said.

“The industrialisation of farming is having a bad effect on the planet and we can do much better.

“People are telling us they have lost faith in supermarkets and are going back to local community shops. It may be more expensive but it is better value. Our meat is reared locally, cared for and the quality is far superior.”

The Guildford Butchery tries to source everything within 30 miles. “About 40% of the beef comes from the Surrey Wildlife Trust’s belted Galloways, pork from Ockley and lamb from the South Downs,” said Alex. “We know our farmers very well.”

Alex Emmett shows the dry-aged cured meat in the shop, one of its specialities.

A speciality of the shop is dry-aged beef. People often order their cut of meat weeks in advance so it can be properly hung and tender.

The shop has four staff, all either qualified butchers or in training. The manager and qualified butcher, 22-year-old Lewis Winstone, said: “I was a bit worried about the responsibility to begin with but Alex and Gary give me their full support.”

It is a lovely location for the butchers shop with Peacocks fruit and veg, a One-Stop store and free parking on the shopping parade in Collingwood Crescent.

Alex added: “We may eventually go for another butchers, but right now we want this shop to be as good as it can be. So far, so good.”

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