Food & Drink Awards 2019

www.lux-review.com Page 73 There’s nothing quite like a prime piece of steak, aged and cut to perfection, seared to that beautiful balance between medium and rare. Still succulent, you take a bite and reflect on the talented artisans who brought this piece of meat to glorious life. Quite aside from the evident skills of an expert chef, a major player is the provider of such fine meat. Here at LUXlife, we decided to take a closer look at O’Shea’s Butchers to find out more. O’Shea’s Butchers Ltd. Best Free-Range Premium Butchers 2019 - London Established in the late 1700’s, it must be of no surprise that eight generations on, this family-run butcher is a premium supplier of prime meat. Nestled beneath the arches of the mainline to London Bridge, Darragh O’Shea runs a business with few frills, but plenty to thrill. At the heart of the business is an appreciation of good meat, aged to perfection, cut to the customer’s specification. Straight-forward, down-to-earth and grounded, there’s something about this Bermondsey- based butcher that exemplifies how meat should be prepared and provided. Right from the off, O’Shea’s is dedicated to quality in every respect. The journey begins with the animals, pure-bred, selected with great care and allowed to roam freely to ensure an organic background to their growth. Provided with a natural, relaxed atmosphere and high, animal welfare, these creatures are perfectly bred to provide fantastic flavours. While the meat is predominantly from Scot- land and South West Ireland, some comes from O’Shea’s own farm in Perthshire. In an ever-changing marketplace, the ability to buy locally and support the home market is of great enjoyment to Darragh. Once reaching Bermondsey, the meat is managed by the expert team at O’Shea’s. Employed for their passion and ambitions, all employees are informed of the long family history that goes into O’Shea’s, and the legacy that they must uphold while employed there. Interest and passion are key to the business, with Darragh and his team always interested in their customers – ranging from top-class restaurants to individuals looking for something a little different – and how they intend to cook their meats. It’s this person- al, informative touch that keeps customers coming back again and again. O’Shea’s specialises in beef, with cuts run- ning the gamut from succulent sirloin to juicy T-Bone. With their aging techniques honed over years of experience, O’Shea’s beef is the perfect blend of dark crust, with burgundy interior and yellow fat. Because of the artisan nature of the butchers, O’Shea’s can source, age, butcher and prepare any cut to a customer’s specification. This freedom of choice makes for a delicious product that is without parallel in the whole of London, but if beef is not to your tastes, O’Shea’s also stocks pork and lamb for your delectation. O’Shea’s is unafraid to experiment, so don’t be surprised if Hungarian sausages or smoked sirloin steak appear on the counter from time to time. It is the variety of meat that O’Shea’s produce that sets them apart from a regular butcher, clearly produced and inspired by a deep appreciation for how best to preserve and present meat. Providing meat for the general public is one thing but O’Shea’s supplies meat for many of the top restaurants in London. Gillray’s Steakhouse and Bar is where occasional cooking demonstrations provide the opportunity for Darragh to show off his expertise at butchery, showcasing the finest steak cuts. Thinking locally, diligently and with an arti- san’s approach, O’Shea’s has been able to maintain the excellent quality it has become famous for, for eight generations. Part of a business’ success must be put down to where it will go in the future. Having just put in new systems at their unit in the name of efficiency, it seems like Darragh expects his business to maintain the strength in the market it has had since the 1700s, and why not? So long as people want good produce, there’ll always be a place in the market for O’Shea’s. Contact: Darragh O’Shea Company: O’Shea’s Butchers Ltd. Web Address: www.osheasbutchers.com Telephone: 0207 064 1712