New shop: The Butcher Shop

By Will Wu, September 5, 2014

Photos by Claire Zheng

Food safety is a concern to all, yet sadly it remains something of a Holy Grail in the Middle Kingdom, the cradle of frequent food scandals. Guangzhou’s locals and expats are demanding suppliers they can trust. One such brand is McCawley’s sibling, The Butcher Shop, which has opened its meaty doors to the rising demands of the PRD’s food capital.

Located on expat haunt Huajiu Lu in Zhujiang Xincheng, The Butcher Shop is currently enjoying its soft opening. Positioning quality and hygiene as its raison d’être, the shop offers discerning foodies fresh cut-to-order meats. Imported chilled offerings come from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and South America, enabling meat lovers to choose from prime cuts such as grain-fed Aussie rib eye (RMB38/100g), Argentinean chicken (RMB7/100g), American turkey breast (RMB18/100g), New Zealand lamb rack (RMB28/100g) and more. All are cut and weighed in front of customers as part of the shop’s pledge to sell only meat delivered on the same day.

For those who crave the morning glory that only an English breakfast can deliver, streaky bacon (RMB15/100g), handmade sausages and black pudding (RMB17/100g) are available to form the essential porcine triumvirate. Traditional bacon cuts are also a must for breakfast butties or a bit of naughtiness to go with a salad.

The Butcher Shop offers a well-stocked array of high-quality cheeses, ranging from Australian cheddar (RMB12/100g) and New Zealand mozzarella (RMB12/100g) to Gouda (RMB12/100g), Emmental (RMB20/100g) and London truckle (RMB140/wheel). Bread, one of cheese’s best buddies, is also on offer for RMB20-25, made daily in the shop’s in-house bakery.

In addition to wine from Chile, Argentina and France, the shop packs beers like Rogue, Blue Star and Brooklyn, and is offering a 20 percent soft-opening discount on all craft beers.

Although its shelves are currently a tad sparse, expect more imported foods and booze as The Butcher Shop carves, bakes and pours its way to becoming a Zhujiang Xincheng hotspot.

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