Fresh Meats Barrington is a neighbourhood butcher shop in Shop 36 of Barrington Shopping Centre, Christchurch, offering a fantastic range of top quality meat: beef, lamb, chicken, pork and venison. Meat is sourced from around the South Island, varying by season and availability, and the shop covers everything from a BBQ or a party to the ordinary weekly shop.
A good part of the cabinet is made on the premises. Bacon, ham and selected smallgoods are produced in-store using traditional methods and quality ingredients, most gourmet cuts are made in store daily, and the newer Grandad's Bacon is dry-cured on-site. If the cut you need isn't in the display, the friendly team will prepare it — Asian-style meat cuts are available on request.
The shop is also a familiar community fixture, well known for its raffle packs for sports clubs and its fundraising barbecue outside the store, which local clubs and charities can book for a sausage sizzle. Orders can be phoned or faxed ahead, and members of the Fresh Meats Shoppers Club receive Christmas Club Bonus points when they spend $10 or more.
Step into Shop 36 at Barrington Shopping Centre and you'll find Fresh Meats Barrington, a neighbourhood butcher shop built around a simple idea: top quality meat, prepared on the premises by people who know their trade. The cabinet covers all the classics — beef, lamb, chicken, pork and venison — and the team handles everything from the weekend BBQ to the party and the ordinary weekly shop.
The meat is sourced from around the South Island, with the range varying by season and availability. The shop's links page points customers toward New Zealand producers and resources too, including NZ Pork and the NZ Deer Industry's venison guides for recipes, nutrition and cooking tips.
A good share of what's in the cabinet is made in-house. Bacon, ham and selected smallgoods are produced on-site using traditional methods and quality ingredients. The newest member of that family is Grandad's Bacon — dry-cured, made on-site and, in the shop's own words, delicious.
Gourmet cuts are another source of pride, with most made in the store daily by the skilled team. It's the daily rhythm you'd hope for from a proper butcher: meat prepared fresh for the day's shoppers rather than sitting around.
Fresh Meats Barrington offers a large range of traditional cuts alongside those gourmet lines, and the team invites customers to ask if they can't see the cut they need. Asian-style meat cuts are available on request — just let staff know what you're after.
If it's more convenient, orders for any meat cuts can be placed ahead by phone on 03 332 8450 or by fax on 03 332 8098, so your order is ready when you arrive. It's a handy option for a big BBQ run or a weekend roast.
Fresh Meats Barrington has made itself part of the neighbourhood well beyond the counter. The shop is well known for its raffle packs, a fundraising staple for sports clubs and similar groups. Outside the store sits the shop's fundraising barbecue, which local sports clubs and charities can book for a sausage sizzle to raise money — the team invites anyone interested to come and see them.
Regulars are looked after as well. Members of the Fresh Meats Shoppers Club receive Christmas Club Bonus points when they spend $10 or more, and customers who enjoy the meat and service are invited to become Fresh Meats Barrington Ambassadors. The shop says it is always striving to improve and welcomes suggestions and comments, with news also shared on its Facebook page.
It isn't only the two-legged customers who are catered for. The shop keeps a good selection of pet food and dog bones so animals are well looked after, and its newer lines include dog treats alongside fresh patties and sausages.
Hours are generous: Monday to Saturday from 7:30am to 6pm, and Sunday from 8am to 5pm, which makes the shop workable for both a midweek top-up and the Sunday shop. For anyone in Christchurch after a traditional butcher that cures its own bacon, makes smallgoods the old way, cuts to order and backs local clubs, Fresh Meats Barrington ticks the boxes.