M & B Meats

They have opted for the multibuy tactics here to contend with their eastside/​westside rivals of Principal meats across the road. Luckily, I generally shop at a great organic butcher out of town, so can write this without allegiance to either of the butchers of London Road.
M & B is probably a bit more no nonsense and market trader style operation than Principal and probably the better establishment if you are cooking a summer BBQ and want to stock up cheaply.
They always have a range of 3 trays for a fiver, or thereabouts offer on a range of cuts from chicken legs to chops etc. There are also some general dairy goods for sale at competitive rates including cheddar and eggs.
They will happily marinate any chicken or cuts that you want and you can certainly stock up without breaking the bank. A cut above the supermarket, but probably not as premium as other establishments in the city and surrounding area.

I’ll put it out there; i’m a Principal Meats man, so I can’t help but be a little mixed about this place. Upon stepping in, I always feel a little bit awkward; the deep room looks somewhat intimidating and cold, with the meat counter and staff looking down at you.
I’ve made that sound a bit Stephen King, so i’ll move on. Food quality wise, it’s at a lower end of the market than Principal, although they do sell a few more specialist items like Quail’s eggs. Equally, they also sell basic price cheese and a few other dubious items.
Not bad for a local butcher however, and it is always good to have a bit of competition.

After a dismal first attempt at cooking barbecue lamb chops, I decided to have another go at it. The only trouble was that I didn’t have the necessary ingredients to cook the dish (those necessary ingredients being the lamb chops). As I was near London Street when the idea popped into my head, I hoped that I would encounter a meat shop so my plan would come to fruition. It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon M & B Meats. Luckily, they had a good deal on lamb chops. I perused the other meats they had for sale, and they all looked to be quality cuts.
The second go-​around at my barbecue lamb chop recipe attempt was a bit more successful. Despite it being overly seasoned, the quality of the meat was superb.

Another pretty decent Meaty extravaganza, along with Principal Meats, on the London Road.
I think I prefer Principal Meats, as the quality of meat does seem to be more consistent, but this place is also pretty quality too.
Again, good packs of meat bargains, just ready for you to get your carniverous hands on and tear apart like the savage animals we all are.

Sitting opposite Principal Meats, M & B doesn’t come across as being as «traditional» as Principal, but does offer a fantastic variety of multi buy meat trays.
You can pick up anything you want, from whole chickens, legs of lamb, bellies of pork and even (gulp) rabbit. And it all tends to come in good value multi buy options. If you live near here, you’ve got no excuse not to pick up your meats from one of these two establishments. And if your a bit of a walk away (like me) its well worth the extra effort to come down here and see what your money can buy!
I particularly like the budget bacon slices… Dice them up with some pickled chopped olives, gherkins or cornichons and mix into a tomato sauce (crack in some sun-​dried tomato purée while your at it), and enjoy a savory salty sauce or topping… Cheap and tasty!
Don’t be afraid of the larger bits of meat and all, as they’re just as easy to cook as anything else, they just take a little longer.