Allens of Mayfair

Allens of Mayfair butchers shop a few years before it closed its doors.

Allens of Mayfair was a butchers shop based in London. It opened in Mayfair in 1830.[1] In 2006 Allens was taken over by the owners of Rare Butchers of Distinction, and in October 2015 it was forced to close its shop. The landlord, Grosvenor Estate, said that the management had 'fallen into administration' and that the court's administrator had not renewed the lease. They said they hoped to rent space to another butcher shop or other food store very soon.[2] Allens Scottish beef was bred especially for them in the Cairngorm National Park. Butchery classes were held weekly since 2007.

History

Allens was opened in South Audley Street in 1830, and moved to its final location on Mount Street in 1880. It was London's oldest butchers shop to date. It was one of only four shops that the Duke of Westminster officially mandated.[3] By May 2006 Allens was taken over by the owners of Rare Butchers of Distinction.[1] Over £1 million was spent in refurbishing the Grade II listed building, and installing new modern equipment inside the shop and attached office.[4] In 2008 Allens bought Simply Real Sausages, which supply many of London's top kitchens, including The Dorchester and the Soho House group.[5] When in October 2015 it was forced to close, it said that rents in the local area had been increased by an influx of designer fashion shops. It said its online business would continue.[2]

Products and services

A butchery class in progress

Allens Scottish beef was bred especially for them in the Cairngorm National Park. All of the pork, beef, lamb, geese and turkey sold came from farms in the UK, and all meat sold could be traced back to the farm.[6]

Butchery classes were 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 becoming a thing of the past.[7] Allens' butchery classes achieved number 60 on GQ magazine's "100 Best Things In The World" in December 2009.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "But Allen of Mayfair is sold to rival from Lewisham, says Supplier to Queen's kitchen collapses". The Daily Telegraph. 29 May 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  2. 1 2 This Is Money: Customers of historic London butcher Allens of Mayfair take to Twitter to lambast its landlord Grosvenor, 23 October 2015
  3. ↑ "The Grocer", 16 November 2007 "<http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=123199>"
  4. ↑ Jeannine Williamson, "Meat Management", January 2010 "<http://www.meat-ezine.com/>"
  5. ↑ "Sausages on line with Simply Real Sausages". Foodepedia. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  6. ↑ "Store visit - Allens". The Grocer. 16 November 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  7. ↑ Richardson, Belinda (3 November 2007). "Butchery: Knives are out". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 August 2010.
  8. ↑ "GQ Magazine", December 2009

External links

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