We know that summer is slowly drawing to a close, but there’s still time to call some friends over and fire up the barbecue! You’ll want everything just right — chilled drinks, comfy chairs and activities to keep the kids happy — but surely the most important thing at a summer barbecue is the meat!
Whether you prefer a well-cooked sausage or a thick slice or steak, Devon is spoiled for choice when it comes to top class butchers. Many of the best meat suppliers in the county are family businesses with decades of expertise and teams driven by their passion to supply the best meat around. Several of these butchers are also taking a modern approach to providing their products, offering delivery through online ordering or over the phone.
With that in mind, here is our selection of ten of the best butchers in Devon — did your favourite make the ‘cut’?
Ullacombe Farm Shop, Bovey Tracey
Located on Dartmoor’s southern fringes, this farm shop’s meat provider — Cox and Laflin — has a transparent ‘field to plate’ process, with their livestock carefully nurtured and grass fed before becoming well-presented final cuts of meat. The team at Cox and Laflin have more than 18 years of experience and deliver some of the best meat around.
https://www.coxandlaflin.co.uk
Pipers Farm, Exeter
The focus for Pipers Farm is sustainability’ a 50-acre permanent pasture farm, championing traditional, sustainable values to create truly delicious and top quality meats. You’ll find beef, lamb, chicken and pork here, but also parkland venison, free range turkey and goose too. Their meat boxes are stuffed to bursting with delicious treats that will keep the wolf from the door for a while!
Hayman’s Butchers, Sidmouth
An absolute staple on the high street in Sidmouth, this high class butchers was established in 1907 and has been committed to supplying the best quality local meat ever since. Hayman’s has won prizes for several of its products, including its delicious duck and plum sausages and cooked ox tongue in the Taste of the West Awards.
https://www.haymansbutchers.co.uk/
Denhay Farm, Honiton
Every decent barbecue HAS to have bacon — there’s nowhere better to get your bacon than Denhay Farm, which uses traditional hand crafting methods and their own special cure to create bacon with a traditional taste you just can’t get in the supermarket. The farm’s dry cured gammon is also scrumptious, having been hand dry cured using the farm’s unique sea salt cure.
Palmers of Tavistock
This butcher shop has a wide offering of products, selling dairy products and eggs, pies, pasties, sauces and preserves; however, their fantastic selection of meats is what gets them on this list. Their Old English sausages are a real treat and will go down a storm at any barbecue, while if you fancy something a little different, their range of wild game will pique your interest.
https://www.tavistockbutchers.co.uk/
Farmer Luxton’s Shop, Okehampton
All the beef and lamb you’ll find at this farm shop is home produced by the titular Farmer Luxton — all their livestock is well bred, well fed and well hung to create a beautiful, matured flavour. You’ll find joints of tasty chicken, pork, sausages and burgers gere too — why not try a lamb and redcurrant burger?
https://www.farmerluxtons.co.uk/
Eversfield Organic, Totnes and Tavistock
Eversfield sells everything you’d want from a farm shop; fresh fruit and vegetables, a full range of dairy and cheese produce and breads that smell amazing. Their meat offering is incredibly impressive too, with premium hand-butchered meats, wild game, fish and even meat alternatives! They have two stores, in Totnes and Tavistock, both worth checking out!
https://www.eversfieldorganic.co.uk/
Lovaton Farm, South Tawton
The meat products you’ll find in Lovaton Farm’s signature meat boxes have won them a string of awards from Food Drink Devon, Taste of the West and Great Taste Awards. If you order one of their boxes, you’ll have everything you need for that summer barbecue and guarantee your guests have a smile on their face.
https://lovatonfarmmeat.co.uk/
Kenniford Farm, Clyst St Mary
Much like Denhay, Kennfird Farm specialises in rearing pigs, having been farming pigs for more than 20 years. Their Devon pork sausage was named the best sausage in the region in the 2019 Taste of the West Awards, while their pork and bacon are delicious too. If you’re really pushing the boat out, they provide hog roasts for special occasions too!
Bakers The Butchers, Newton Abbot
Established for more than 50 years, Bakers is still under the same family management, who are as committed as ever to providing the best traditional West Country meat to its customers. All of their meat comes from West Country suppliers, while their deli range includes a fantastic selection of cooked meats, pies and pasties.
https://www.bakersthebutchers.co.uk/
That’s our list! Did we miss off your favourite? Let us know in the comments section below!
