THE BRACE SEASONAL FOOD
SEASONAL FOOD THE BRACE
ROB OWEN BUTCHER
Always happy to chat, our highly experienced butcher Rob tells us about
his background, knowledge and passion for developing products.
How did you get started in butchery?
At 13, I got a job as a Saturday boy for a small, rural
butcher. I then took my GCSE’s and worked for a
succession of independent butchers, where I was
fast-tracked in butchery and honed my skills. I then
worked for several large supermarket chains, so I’ve
seen both the convenience and traditional side of
the business.
How many years in butchery?
Incredibly it’s been 21 years! In that time I’ve seen
many changes to the industry such as the Foot and
Mouth outbreak of 2001, BSE and the rise of the
supermarkets. It makes you appreciate what we do
at Brace of Butchers as an independent store. We
value provenance, traceability and of course the
importance of working with local producers. These
days the public are very interested in the knowledge
of the butcher. There’s no embarrassment in asking
questions about our products in store. I was taught
to have a recipe for every single piece of meat.
Sopley Salads candy beetroot, rainbow carrots and beets
Seasonal
I’ve worked with Ben since I was 13, so for the last
VEG
Asparagus
Aubergine
Avocados
Beef tomatoes
4
Leeks
Mushrooms
New potato
Peppers
Radishes
Romanesco
Cauliflower
Red onions
Rocket
Runner Beans
Salad Onion
Sweet Potato
(purple)
Sorrel
Tomato
Watercress
Basil
Chervil
Chives
Coriander
Dill
Elderflowers
Oregano
Mint
Nasturtium
Parsley (curly)
Parsley (flat-leafed)
Rosemary
Sage
Sorrel
Tarragon
Thyme
What products have you developed
at Brace of Butchers?
Sausages are a big one for us. We don’t use pre-
bought seasoning and instead developed our own
base mix that focuses on seasonal ingredients.
After six months we recognised a need to offer
gluten-free sausages, as it’s a common intolerance
now. We care about the product and think we’ve
Top BBQ tips
“Try the butterflied leg of lamb
on your BBQ or our pre-cooked
pork ribs. These are slow cooked
for five hours and ready to be
finished on your BBQ.”
FOOD
HERBS
recommended Ben Black who’s at the top of his
game. Tom responded with a text message saying
“let’s make it a brace of butchers” and that’s where
the name came from.
made a tasty alternative. Everything is hand-made
such as chicken kievs, rubs, sauces, black pudding
and kebabs. We use traditional ways and we pride
ourselves in making good use of many cuts that
would not normally be found in other retailers, but
where our real point of difference lies is in the dry
aging of our beef, maturing the texture and flavour
in house behind the glass fridge to provide the very
best quality. It comes down to taste. We don’t sell
fresh beef, we hang it for four to five weeks, which is
what you can see in the glass fridge. We also smoke
and cure our bacon in a Jerez sherry barrel. It’s a real
talking point and reminds people of how the process
used to be done. Again, with our free-range products
the taste and quality is what counts at all costs.
Strawberries &
Clotted Cream
£2.25
Blueberries
Currants
Elderflowers
Greengages
Loganberries
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tayberries
Beetroot
Broad Beans
Broccoli
Butternut Squash
Carrots
Celeriac
Cherry Vine tomatoes
Courgette
Cucumber
Fennel
Fresh Peas
Garlic
Green Beans
Guernsey New
Potatoes
Lettuce and Salad
Leaves
“I’ve worked with Ben since I was
13, so for the last 21 years we’ve
been the Ant & Dec of the
butchery world!”
BUTCHER ROB OWEN’S
JUNE/JULY/AUGUST
FRUIT
21 years we’ve been the Ant & Dec of the butchery
world! When Brace of Butchers owner Tom Amery
approached me to work for him in 2013, I also
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