Vote now for Tasmania’s Best Butcher – delicious’ celeb foodie Matt Preston wants to know

Great grub and good old fashioned service are the keys to an excellent butcher shop, according to an Eastern Shore purveyor of fine meats. SEE WHAT BUTCHERS MADE THE CUT + VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE >>

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GOOD product and good old fashioned service are the keys to a good butcher shop according to an Eastern Shore purveyor of fine meats.

Matthew Hansson from M and J’s Butcher On Clarence said there aren’t too many butcher shops around anymore – but people are finding more time to shop at them.

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“People are getting back into butcher shops and trying to support local a bit more, especially with coronavirus around, they’ve come back to butcher shops,” he said.

Mr Hansson said hungry punters know they can get quality meat at the Bellerive store

“When we do a speciality sausage or something like that they go quite well. Our everyday items, even just our chicken schnitzels are big sellers, Cape Grim scotch, Waygu scotch when we have that in, a few of those different things go quite well.

Josh Scharner butcher at M&J's Butcher on Clarence. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Most of the store's meat is local, Tasmanian product, sourced from the North West.

Mr Hansson believes the store will be flat out in the build up to Christmas, with hams the big favourite.

Legs of pork are cut on site and sent out for smoking and come back, ready to walk out the door with customers.

“A lot of people leave their orders until the last minute, these next couple of weeks are pretty crazy,” Mr Hansson laughed.

And his hot tip? While ham is a must-have for Christmas, Mr Hansson said people are steering clear of a traditional roast and opting for a butterflied lamb shoulder or chook on the barbecue.

“Ham is always the most popular, but a lot of people have barbies and they have butterflied legs of lamb or butterflied chickens,” he said.

“We butterfly it out flat so it cooks real quick and it probably only takes half an hour on the barbie, no need to carve, no bones or anything.”

M and J’s Butcher On Clarence has been nominated for Best Butcher in Tasmania.

**SMARTdaily cover story in early December about the Taste team's Christmas/summer food trends** Matt Preston, at Holt Street, Surry Hills, today.Picture:Justin Lloyd

Voting is now open and celebrity foodie Matt Preston wants to know who’s the best, because he might just pop by for a taste test.

Voting has been extended until 9am, Thursday, December 17.

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