Mike the Butcher is a butcher shop at 3 Kent Street in Newmarket, Auckland, with a perfect 5.0 rating from seven Google reviews. Customers describe fresh, tender, full-flavoured meat, a premium selection and a friendly butcher who takes the time to explain cuts and match them to what you are cooking.
A good butcher rewards a conversation. Tell them what you have planned and they can steer you — chuck or blade for slow braising, a scotch fillet for a quick pan supper — then trim, tie or cut to order while you wait. Regulars learn that the unfashionable cuts, lamb neck or oyster blade among them, often beat the famous names on both flavour and price. When picking a shop, look for a busy counter, meat that looks moist and freshly cut, and staff who ask questions rather than just weighing up.
Judging by its reviews, Newmarket cooks have found exactly that at this Kent Street counter.