William Rose Butchers

[JamesG]

What are your experiences of them? Can anyone recommend an alternative as I?ve had enough of lining his pockets? He must the richest man in ED! I know of a couple of butchers in Nunhead but it?s not that convenient.

[mightyroar]

there's one on Wood Vale

[bigbadwolf]

Very rude.

[Siduhe]

Libretto and Daughters on Wood Vale. Not an every day butcher but well worth checking out IMHO (although they are much closer to me than WR, so I may be biased). Nice, family run butcher. No connection.

http://uktv.co.uk/food/localfoodhero/outlet/oid/2020

[TJ]

Sparkes. noth cross rd at the weekend.

much better.

[Jeremy]

Generally good meat, inexpensive, knowledgable staff. The only downside as far as I am concerned is the queue.

What is your beef (boom boom) with WR?

[JamesG]

Rude (especially the young lad), long queues, expensive, not always great produce.

My 3 bird roast at Xmas was ok and not cheap.

I wish it felt like I was going into a local community butcher not just another retailer taking advantage of middle class post code migrants (like me). I know that?s naive.

He behaves and charges like he has no competition!

[SeanMacGabhann]

Almost any possible opinion about WR has been expressed on

this thread

the young lad is just that - a young lad

most of the staff are a joy

I have had a few brusque encounters - I'm a big boy and can deal with that. Mostly I have a laugh and a joke with the people in there

You can pay a lot of money in there - but you are usually getting the product to go with it. If you stick with basics (mince, bacon etc) then you almost certainly get better quality and usually (in my experience) cheaper product than the supermarket

I waited years for a butchers to open in ED I'm not about to turn my back on it now

Other butchers are available. I like most of them too. Sparkes is great but because of the van he can only have a limited stock tho. Would be good if he obtained a premises

[JamesG]

I'm sure you?re not suggesting that because I?m dissatisfied with my encounters that I am not a ?big boy? and therefore immature.

I too have ?waited years? for a butcher.

I can only comment on my experiences. Generally they are fine but not always and today when I called to ask for a goose and asked how many people it would serve he said ?look its half price do you want it or what!?

[Jeremy]

The last few times I've been there, I've got duck breasts, lamb chops, nice sausages... all cheaper than Sainsburys.

JamesG, what did you buy in there which was so overpriced? (apart from the 3 bird roast).

[mockney piers]

I've no issue with the place and generally found it equivalent or cheaper than Sainsbury's with far bette quality produce.

FOr crimbo I got my mum to bring me a goose from the countryside...queue free ;)

[Carrie]

Mr Sparkes told me last week that he is hoping to get a bigger unit (still mobile and non NCR) so that he can display more stock very soon. Never had any cause for complaint regarding meat or service from him. Have been to WR a few times but rate Sparkes higher.

[Horsebox]

I've started to use sparks instead of WR. The guys in the van are generally friendlier and seem not to mind being asked questions about their products provenance, cooking tips etc, where as I've always felt rushed in WR. In my experience the quality is better and as there's never more than 2 people in front of me at sparks it also means less of my saturday wasted in a queue. Sparks FTW.

[mockney piers]

I got some very good duck breasts in the Butchers on Rosendale rd the other day. Plus some great quality Lamb's kidneys (about 40p each) with which I knocked up some fantastic devilled kidneys.

Friendly, and no queue at all!!!

[Jimbob]

i only use it for handiness ie if passing and i need something, otherwise all my meat and poultry comes fom sainsburys, decent produce and price to boot.

[Torben Pieknik]

I use the butchers on Rosendale Road, Scotch Meats. As you say MP friendly and no queue.

[Flapjack]

I too have had rude service from them and have, as a result, used them much less over the last year.

Last Christmas (2007) I ordered a capon, to be collected a week before Christmas. I was a regular customer and would go in there at least once a week, so they knew my face. I sent my husband to collect said bird and he was sent home with a turkey. I went back with the turkey, on a Saturday and was told by the main guy that I was wrong and I had definitely ordered a turkey. Now I wouldn't mind but a capon is a pretty specific thing to order - and to make matters worse he loudly started telling me what a capon is and sarcastically asking the lady who took the order "would you have written a turkey if a customer had ordered a turkey" etc. I was mortified and furious and I now only go back if I really have to. Shame, as most of the staff are pleasant but the best Italian butcher there left a while ago now.

I now buy my meat via Riverford - excellent quality, but not cheap so we eat less of it. Sainsburys, I am sad to say, is also a beneficiary of their rudeness. Woodvale is excellent, particularly for beef, but it usually takes too long to get served with two active boys in tow.

William Rose are sadly becoming a victim of their own success.

[Gimme]

Generally I like William Rose (apart from the queue) but at Xmas, I ordered 2 free-range chickens and was given 2 St George range chickens at ?14 a pop for the Xmas dinner. Got them home and after not finding the words 'free range' on the label, I found out (by checking suppliers website) that they aren't actually free-range (they are reared in a shed).

I ended up taking them back to WR and complaining, and instead paid ?17 a chicken for proper free range chickens (WR's Sutton Hoo range). They were very good about it and switched them but I can't help thinking that it isn't very ethical to sell chickens as free range if they aren't.

Someone else I spoke to said they bought 'free range' St George chickens from WR and hadn't realised that they weren't actually free range so maybe this is happening a lot.

Supplier's website:

http://www.diaperpoultry.co.uk/productsCK.asp?maingrp=CK

[JamesG]

A very good point. Also ?17 is silly business for a chicken! I want to support local privately owned businesses but a free range chicken from Sainsbury?s is ?6.00 (just checked online). I?ll pay a premium for not using a supermarket for good produce but not 183%.

[*Bob*]

Chickens do come in different sizes, you know.

[Gimme]

In some defence of the price: They were reasonably large chickens and very tasty indeed (particularly when stuffed with a mushroom and breadcrumb duxelle in pocket between the skin and breast)! Mmmm.

Would like to try Sparkes now after recommendations.

[HonaloochieB]

When I first passed the Saturday queue, I assumed there was a sale on, a kind of indoor version of the meat raffles one used to find in pub carparks.

I like a lamb chop as much as the next man, and my admiration for pretty much every bit of Brer pig has been a constant in my life.

But I couldn't see myself queuing outside a shop like that on a freezing Saturday, even if uncomplicated no-strings sexual intercourse was on offer.

Unless there was a bacon sandwich involved.

[LegalEagle-ish]

I like them now cos they gave someone I know a job and they are a nice bunch to work with apparently!

[LuLu Too]

To answer the OP - an alternative is Libretto & Daughters on Woodvale. Try them.

[Mick Mac]

My brother was visiting east dulwich last year and I sent him down to WR to buy the goodies for the Saturday morning fry up (i'm good like that). He said the chap in front of him in the queue asked for a free range chicken and the butcher picked one up and was about to bag it saying "that one's ?17 sir" - the chap very calmly responded saying - "Actally I think I'll have a less grand chicken".