London shopping is one of the most difficult things for local residents - and foreigners in particular. The variety of shops and supermarkets is stunning, and one can easily get lost in the diversity.  London shopping guides cannot always provide you with the necessary information; and, besides, the local residents know more than the guides. Today we speak about traditional London shopping - butchers.

When it comes to freshly cut meat there's nothing better than visiting the local butchers and choosing from a range of carefully cut bacon, pork, beef, sausages and mince. Independent and family-owned butchers are ideal places to get the most tasteful meat.  If you are searching for the freshest, choicest, tastiest meat, London butchers are the places to go. Let's look at the London's top butchers.  In the first place there are the organic butchers.  They sell the best, most natural product, and as a result, the prices might be a little high, but quality has always been expensive.  So if you live in the North of London, choose to visit such butchers as the Frank Godfrey Butchers (7 Highbury Park, N5. (020) 7226 2425); and the Freeman Butchers (9 Topsfield Parade, N8. (020) 8340 3100). Those who live in the west of London have a much better choice and can go shopping at the following butchers: H G Walter (51 Palliser Road, London, W14. 020) 7385 6466), Lidgate Butchers (110 Holland Park Av, W11. (020) 7727 8243), JW Miller (14 Stratford Rd, W8. (020) 7937 1777), Stenton Butchers (55 Aldersley Rd, W6. (020) 8748 6121), Thorogoods (113 Northfield Av, W13. (020) 8567 0339) and Wholefood Butchers (31 Paddington St, W1. (020) 7486 1390). People living in the south can buy the best organic meat at Randalls Butchers (113 Wandsworth Bridge Rd, SW6. (020) 7736 3426), A Dove and Son (71 Northcote Road, SW11 6JP (020) 7223 5191), and G. G. Sparkes (24 Old Dover Rd, SE3. (020) 8355 8597).  If organic meat does not seduce you, then, we suggest the kosher butchers.  They are excellent and the reasoning behind this is that not only is the meat prepared in a very specific way, but also there might be a range of exotic things, too.  All your kosher needs can be satisfied at A Perlmutter & Son (Hampden Sq, N14. (020) 8361 5441), Schlagman (112 Regent's Park Road, N3. (020) 8346 7788), Kosher Deli (132 Golders Green Rd, NW11. (020) 8381 4450), M Lipowitz (Royal Parade, Ealing, W5. (020) 8997 1722).  But we still want to bring your attention to one of the best-known butchers of London, and they carry a great variety of organic products, this is the Wyndham House Butchers (309 Fulham Road, SW10 9TW).  This place is incredibly popular with the residents of Fulham.  Wyndham's is a family business, and it also has a shop at the Borough Market.  Their chickens are grown on a family farm, and all the poultry and meat is of the very finest quality. They also have a great line of pre-marinated meat, and stock some very delicious preserves and relishes.  At every one of these butcher shops, you can get not only the wonderful cuts of meat, but also the best service from well-trained staff. Some people believe that the butcher is a person who simply cuts meat - but, not in London. Except for the different technologies of cutting the meat, a butcher has a lot of other duties and functions, too.  He (or she) will help the customers to choose the meat of their choice, gives advice about various cooking methods; breaks down the animal carcasses to salable cuts of meat for customers; cuts and trays different types of meat for display and sale; cures and smokes meat, makes sausages and small goods for sale; forecasts customer needs and plans future production for a butchery; maintains a working environment in a hygienic state; sharpens and maintains knives and other equipment;  has a thorough knowledge in the safe handling of knives and equipment for the preparation of high quality, nutritious meat cuts for their customers.  As London shopping is not an easy task, especially buying of meat, we hope the given information will be of particular help.