Allens of Mayfair
Encyclopedia
Allens of Mayfair is a butcher shop located on Mount Street in London
's Mayfair
, just off Berkeley Square
, which has been in business for 180 years. It is London's oldest butchers shop.
officially mandated and still owns.
By May 2006 Allens was on the brink of bankruptcy until it was bought by David House and Justin Preston the owners of Rare Butchers of Distinction.
House and Preston bought the name and the leasehold, with House commenting at the time: "It's got a fantastic hertitage and we had to move very fast to close the deal. It's a wonderful name, but it didn't move with the times. Allens needs a lot of work done to it."
The new owners immediately started work to change around the fortunes of the ailing shop, to turn it back to its former glory. To date they have spent in excess of £1 million in refurbishing the Grade II listed building, and installing new modern equipment inside the shop and attached office.
In 2008 Allens bought Simply Real Sausages also in London, which had been trading since 1991. With House & Preston's knowledge of the trade and existing contacts, Simply Real now supply many of London's top kitchens, including The Dorchester and the Soho House (club)
group.
All of the Pork, Beef, lamb, geese and turkey sold comes from farms in the UK, and all meat sold can be traced back to the farm.
Butchery classes are held weekly around the huge, hexagonal butchers block in the middle of the shop. Introduced in 2007, they were designed to prevent basic good butchery become a thing of the past.
Allens' butchery classes achieved number 60 on GQ magazine's "100 Best Things In The World" in December 2009:
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, just off Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square is a town square in the West End of London, England, in the City of Westminster. It was originally laid out in the mid 18th century by architect William Kent...
, which has been in business for 180 years. It is London's oldest butchers shop.
History
Allens was opened in South Audley Street in 1830, and moved to its current location on Mount Street in 1880, making it London's oldest butchers shop. It was one of only four shops that the Duke of WestminsterDuke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
officially mandated and still owns.
By May 2006 Allens was on the brink of bankruptcy until it was bought by David House and Justin Preston the owners of Rare Butchers of Distinction.
House and Preston bought the name and the leasehold, with House commenting at the time: "It's got a fantastic hertitage and we had to move very fast to close the deal. It's a wonderful name, but it didn't move with the times. Allens needs a lot of work done to it."
The new owners immediately started work to change around the fortunes of the ailing shop, to turn it back to its former glory. To date they have spent in excess of £1 million in refurbishing the Grade II listed building, and installing new modern equipment inside the shop and attached office.
In 2008 Allens bought Simply Real Sausages also in London, which had been trading since 1991. With House & Preston's knowledge of the trade and existing contacts, Simply Real now supply many of London's top kitchens, including The Dorchester and the Soho House (club)
Soho House (club)
Soho House is a well-known private members club patronized by those in the arts and media. The original location is at Greek Street, Soho, London, England . There are now nine 'houses' worldwide, found in Babington, Notting Hill, Chiswick, Shoreditch, Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, West...
group.
Products and services
Allens is famous for its meat, especially the Scottish Beef which is bred especially for them in the Cairngorm National Park.All of the Pork, Beef, lamb, geese and turkey sold comes from farms in the UK, and all meat sold can be traced back to the farm.
Butchery classes are held weekly around the huge, hexagonal butchers block in the middle of the shop. Introduced in 2007, they were designed to prevent basic good butchery become a thing of the past.
Allens' butchery classes achieved number 60 on GQ magazine's "100 Best Things In The World" in December 2009:
"The butchery course at Allens is for those looking to suck the marrow out of life - then roast it with a little salt, thyme and sage butter. Some of the trade's best heads will show you how to carve up a whole chicken without waste, cut the perfect pork loin and sharpen your knife skills no end."