The Village Butchers

The Village Butchers, an online butchers based in Essex

The Village Butchers is a family-run online butchers based in Essex (UK). Its aim is to bring quality meat at a reasonable price to families across the country, with next-day delivery to the customer's door. The company presents itself as a family-run business and stresses that its customer service team offers advice to recreate the traditional butchers experience, something that, according to its own description, can be lost when buying online.

Range of meats and cuts

The online shop organises its offer by type of meat and by specific cuts. For beef it includes roasting joints, steaks and ribs, as well as slow-cooked preparations and Australian grain-fed beef. Beef cuts include tomahawk, côte de boeuf, T-bone, picanha, rump steak, sirloin, New York strip, flat iron and bavette, along with beef Wellington. The pork range covers chops, loin steaks, roasting joints and ribs, with specific BBQ items such as pork belly, baby back ribs, St Louis ribs, kebabs, diced pork, Boston butt, pork belly slices and pork belly burnt ends.

For chicken, whole and portioned cuts are offered: whole chicken, thighs, wings and breast, as well as supreme, spatchcock, free-range chicken and corn-fed chicken. The lamb section brings together chops, roasting joints, slow-cooked lamb, mince and lamb Wellington, with cuts such as cutlets, leg, rack, rump, kofta, Barnsley chop, neck, shank, loin and kebabs.

BBQ, game and deli

The company has a dedicated BBQ section, with beef, pork and chicken, burgers, sausages and kebabs, as well as accessories and extras. This section includes Angus & Oink and Lumberjaxe rubs, BBQ sauces, curing kits, smoker accessories and cooking methods such as low & slow and hot & fast. It also sells game meats, with game birds, venison and wild boar, and specific items such as venison haunch steaks, venison joints, whole rabbit, Barbary duck, mallard duck, whole pheasant and whole partridge.

The deli section includes sausages and bacon, gammon and ham, cooked meats, black pudding, salt beef, pies and puddings, with meat varieties, suet pudding and dessert pies. To this are added condiments such as Verstegen sauces and goose fat.

Collections, meat boxes and seasonal products

The shop offers meat boxes and prepared selections, including Butchers Signature, Carnivore, Grass Fed Steak Sampler, Lean Meat, BBQ Pro and BBQ Basics. For the Christmas season it has a specific collection with turkeys, beef, pork, lamb, gammon and ham, meat boxes and extras, as well as products such as Kelly Bronze turkeys, turkey breast joints, beef Wellington, lamb guard of honour, pigs in blankets, goose fat and meat thermometers. The website indicated that the Christmas collection would be announced soon and encouraged customers to sign up to the email list to find out first.

Offers and purchasing conditions

The site maintains a weekly offers section with discounts subject to limited stocks. At the time of analysis, promotions included carvery ribs of beef at 50% off from £18.98, 5 kg chicken fillets at 50% off for £27.38, 5 kg boneless skinless chicken thighs, an Angus & Oink Sriracha rub, T-bone steak, pork neck end joint and côte de boeuf, among others. The company offers free delivery on orders over £85.

Delivery and storage

As the website itself explains, the order arrives in a super-insulated refrigerated container that keeps fridge temperature for up to 60 hours. The company states that it guarantees the quality and freshness of its products and notes that the selection of goods, being very fresh, is suitable for freezing and keeping for later. The next-day delivery service is offered to homes nationwide.

Recipes and cooking content

The site publishes recipes and cooking methods as content to support sales. Among the recipes included are smoked picanha, tagliatelle with beef shin ragù, ragù and beef pie, and chicken thigh gyros.

Corporate details

The Village Butchers Limited is registered in England and Wales with company number 10254894 and registered office at 95 High Road, Benfleet, England, SS7 5LN. The company presents itself as a family-run online butchers based in Essex.

Location and contact

181, Thorndon Avenue, West Horndon, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 3TP · Phone: 0330 229 2881