Porterford Butchers

Every time I came to London for a visit, I made sure to eat here at least once a week. So happy I live here now! Their chicken and bacon baguette with horseradish sauce is perfect for me and the extra bits they throw in the bag makes sure I’m full.
It’s not just good for lunch though, they have a variety of meats and some hard to find quality items as well. Anything you need, they’ll have it or can get it.
They do accept card: Cash, Visa, no Amex, not sure about the rest.

Long, but fast moving queues for the lunch counter — which to my shame I haven’t sampled. Think burgers, sausages etc. However, the «proper» butchers shop seems to be largely overlooked by punters– which is a shame, as, although fairly expensive, has excellent meat and knowledgeable butchers.

A huge fan of the spiced chicken baguette.

Porterfield Butchers holds quasi-​legend status in the City, but the long queues outside turned me off from it for the first year that I worked in the area. But then once I showed up at around noon and was able to finally waltz in without a wait at all. If you are ever lucky enough to make it to the counter, there are a number of prepared meats that you can order either on its own or to put in a sandwich with your sauce of choice. I like getting the honey chicken, the jerk chicken, the ribs, and the potatoes. I have also gotten the steak and onion sandwich, but I didn’t find the steak as satisfying as I had imagined (they are very thin strips, not like what you get across the street at Smithfield, which is proper steak). I also hear they have a sale on Friday afternoons to get rid of their remaining meat before the weekend, but I have never tried to purchase it myself. Also note: this place is cash only but a meal will only set you back about £5.

Just had this for lunch and i cant believe i havent had it before. granted the line was filled with gentlemen so i did feel a little intimidated but the lunch line was quick. i ordered for my first a chicken baguette, which i have to say was divine. you get to add your sauces and there you are. on another hungry day i am so back here!

I have been in London for just over a week and eaten lunch here twice with coworkers. Their is always a line for good reason. The meats are delicious and it really reminds you of an old school butcher with some fresh cooked meat.
Thus far I have had the sausage on baguette with mustard and the steak and onion with horseradish sauce. Both excellent choices.
I will be back before I depart this wonderful city!

awesome butcher shop that also serves some seriously mean sandwiches for lunch. Great spot near my office. Like it a lot.

Meat lovers unite! I’ve been looking for another lunch spot to add to my repertoire, and this place has got everything– wings, peri peri breast, chinese seasoned pork ribs, sausage on baguette, steak on baguette, jerk chicken, blood sausage, pork loin, beef ribs… all for a friendly price. Really enjoyed the roasted potatoes (a pound a quid I believe), and the ribs especially.
I got 2 ribs, 2 pieces of chicken, and potatoes all for 5 quid. It’s an affordable but filling meal. The meat can sometimes be a bit dry, but it’s overall a steal. Get there before 12:30 as there can be a line of carnivores waiting to order. They do accept cards, but there’s no seating. Great for anyone looking for a quick takeaway meal but warning, there aren’t vegetables other than the potatoes.

Meat, glorious meat! Yes the Porterford Butchers sells a pretty dazzling variety of meat from your standard cuts of beef and pork to some harder to find game birds including quail, partridge, and guinea fowl. And while I’ll keep it in mind for later (prices are pretty reasonable with sirloin coming in at £19/​kg) for a steak, what I’d like to share is the lunch options.
Despite its small size, PB puts on one helluva lunch spread composed primarily of, you guessed it, meat. You can get various bits of chicken (breast, leg, thigh, and wings) in piri-​piri spice, Chinese 5 spice glaze, bbq, or just plain. There are ribs in the same flavour options, massive lamb kofta and spicy chicken satay on skewers, sausages, rolls of boerwurst, pork and lamb chops, and even whole roast chickens on offer. The food is tasty although the spicy options are nowhere near spicy enough for my tastes. Still, for the average person, I imagine this is just right and I can’t fault the other flavours.
PB also sells a range of baguettes from the bacon or sausage baguettes for £2.50 to a steak and onion for £4. But if you want your carbs, I highly recommend the roast potatoes (4 for £1) which are massive, well flavoured with a tangy salt and spice crust, and always piping hot straight out of the oven.
The prices are hard to beat with an epic meal of 2 ribs, 6 potatoes, and a steak and onion baguette only coming up to £6.70. A smaller portion (although no less filling) consisting of a lamb kofta, a spicy chicken satay, a piri-​piri chicken thigh, and four potatoes ringing up a fiver. For a hot, fresh, food coma meal in the Bank area, it’s hard to beat this. Assenheims 56 has some competition!
Special thanks to Tirthankar for alerting me to this most excellent of places for lunch near work.

Porterford Butchers was a chance discovery i made a couple of weeks back when i was looking for a new place to have lunch. Now don’t get me wrong … i don’t have raw meat for lunch. But this one is not just a butcher shop, it also sells cooked meat at lunch time … and they are delicious.
This place is ideal for a colleague of mine … who likes protein rich and carb-​free meals. Although they do serve one or two items like steak and onion baguette that panders to the majority who would like something other than just meat for a meal … it pretty obviously doesn’t consider them their core clientèle. They have 3 sandwiches on the menu, but the primary attraction is shelf full of cooked meat items kept behind a glass partition. Honey glazed chicken breast, chicken thighs, pork ribs, meat balls, peri peri chicken … they have it all. The prices are on the lower side (i am guessing that they source their products directly from some farm without going through middlemen). One rib costs about 90p, a big piece of chicken will set you back by ~£2.50. In my experience spending about £4 should ensure that you are very full.
I have never actually bought anything from the raw meat section of the shop, but i have learnt from the occasional furtive glances that way that they stock all of the common meat and a few unusual ones too (like rabbit). If i ever decide to cook at home, i know where i will be getting the meat from.
I have already convinced 4 of my colleagues into visiting Porterford frequently (maybe they should be paying me some commission). Now that the initial excitement of the discovery has begun to wear off, i will be coming here less frequently, on the days when i don’t feel like having any rice or bread.