As Brits, most of us enjoy a good old-fashioned meat pie.  What you may not know is that there is often much debate among ‘foodies’ as to what constitutes a ‘real pie’. The general consensus is that the pastry in a proper pie completely encases the filling, so excluding casseroles or other dishes which just […]

Chicken is one of the most popular meats when it comes to a low fat, high protein diet.  It is frequently recommended in diet plans by fitness and weight loss professionals and a favourite of elite athletes. So, why is chicken THE number one choice when it comes to health and well-being? Chicken – A […]

Once Christmas  Day is over, many of us struggle with what to do with all the leftovers that are now crammed into the fridge.   These are likely to include turkey or other meats, vegetables, cheese and half-drunk bottles of bubbly.  So, what are you going to do with all of this leftover food? Whether you […]

We all love Christmas, well most of us anyway!  But if it’s your turn to prepare the festive feast this year, the stress of entertaining the family may already be starting to rear its head.   The best way to avoid the stresses of the good old Christmas Dinner is to plan and do as much […]

Everyone may be talking about turkey but once the Christmas Day feast is over, what’s the plan for Boxing Day.  It’s worth taking a bit of time now thinking about your Boxing Day menu, particularly if you have friends and family coming to visit, as they probably won’t really fancy turkey sandwiches. However, if you’ve […]

With just a few weeks to go until Christmas, we’d like to share with you our butcher’s tips for cooking the perfect turkey. When it comes to the bird, we recommend our Hugh Phillips Gower Butcher ‘Hollyberry’ turkeys which have been reared in small flocks in Pembrokeshire. They are naturally reared and free from antibiotics […]

The team at Hugh Phillips Gower Butcher, headed up by our MD Catherine Butler, has scooped a handful of prizes at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair this year. The company has taken a stand at the Fair, following the highly successful time we had at the Royal Welsh Show last summer.   On offer are a […]

At Hugh Phillips Gower Butcher, we pride ourselves on the quality of our meat and one of the reasons is because we always strive to find the best sources to meet the high standards our customers expect.   This is why all our beef products come from grass fed cattle. As well as knowing the exact […]

No matter where you go in the world, in most places which are popular with British tourists, you’ll find cafes and bars selling ‘a full English’.  But when did this love affair with sausage, bacon, eggs and the rest start? At Hugh Phillips Gower Butchers, we’ve looked into this and thought we’d share our findings […]

It’s not everyone’s choice, but we can’t get away from the fact that online shopping is here to stay; and more and more products are now available to purchase at the click of a button from the comfort of your own home.  Over recent years, many food items are also available via the internet and […]

There’s definitely a nip in the air now that autumn is well and truly with us. Traditionally, autumn is the month that gently eases us into winter with some sunny days and light evenings until the clocks go back.  To make the transition from summer to winter less depressing, we have come up with a […]

PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) products represent excellence in European food production and are the result of a unique combination of human and environmental factors characteristic of a certain geographical area. For this reason, there are precise regulations for their safeguarding to protect consumers and provide producers with specific rules to better identify and promote products […]

Slow cooking has become increasingly popular over recent years due generally to people’s lifestyles as well as the availability of quality slow cookers.  Another advantage of slow cooking is that you can use less expensive cuts of meat to achieve delicious and heart-warming stews and casseroles. But the key to successful slow cooking is to […]

Roast lamb is now commonly eaten throughout the UK, a great tradition in a similar way to roast beef, and a centuries old favourite which is still going strong today. Influences from around the world have led to an increase in its popularity and with Welsh lamb regarded as one of the World’s best, this […]

There’s no doubt, if you’re looking for good quality meat, then you need to find a good butcher. But how do you know if a butcher is good and what should you be looking out for? Catherine Butler, MD of Hugh Phillips Gower Butchers, says the main answer is trust. “Find a butcher you can […]

Many of our customers ask us about the different cuts of beef, what are they best used for and how to cook them.  With this in mind, we thought we’d prepare a break down of the different cuts of beef to help avoid confusion. We’d first like to mention that all our beef products come […]

Meat has been essential part of the homo sapiens diet from the very start, not only because it was a hunting staple but is also full of nutrients essential to human development.  There are three main nutrients in meat and if you make the right selection at the Butcher’s counter, you’ll be maximising that extra […]

Female butchers are an uncommon sight in butcheries anywhere in the world. Meat cutting has always been seen as a man’s trade. But physical strength aside, how do women butchers compare in this male-dominated industry? Could they, in fact, be better than men in many ways? According to an article in Butcher Magazine “these days […]

You might know how to barbecue, but do you know how to barbecue right? From picking the best barbecue to the right barbecue fuel type to how to barbecue everything from burgers and sausages to chops and steak discover all you need to know with this guide from the team at Hugh Phillips Gower Butcher. […]

For the third year running, Catherine Butler, MD of Hugh Phillips Gower Butcher, has been invited to be a judge at the prestigious World Steak Challenge which takes place in Ireland on 9th and 10th July. In its fifth year, the World Steak Challenge is designed to benchmark the quality of beef production between international […]

Our MD, Catherine Butler, has scooped the prestigious award of South Wales Business Female Entrepreneur 2019 at an event hosted this week by Sara Edwards, held in The Bear Hotel in Cowbridge. Catherine took over the family butchery business, Hugh Phillips Gower Butcher, in 2016 and put all her effort into developing the customer base […]

The key to becoming great at carving meat is to start with good meat! This may seem obivous, but in the simplest of terms, good meat that comes from good stock, on a great farm, and that has been properly hung by the butcher, will cut and carve much better than young meat, which is […]

With Easter fast approaching, most people are planning their traditional Easter Sunday roast. The problem is there are so many joints of meat to choose from these days, it’s hard to know which ones will provide the most succulent, tasty meat that’s the best value for money. Whether it’s a big Easter lunch with family […]

With some many cuts of steak available to consumers, it’s no wonder we are often overwhelmed by which cut to choose.  And when it comes to the option of frying steak, the choices are still huge. So, to help you to decide we’ve come up with a quick guide to help you to choose the […]

Yorkshire puddings have been a national favourite since the 1700s, but we Brits still can’t seem to agree on the best way to enjoy them! If you’re trying to nail the classic Yorkshire Pudding, read on to learn our tips and tricks to creating and serving them.  And why not treat your mum this Mother’s […]

Every good chef knows that the key to creating delicious tasting dishes is to use only the freshest and most seasonal ingredients; and there’s nothing tastier than home grown, fresh Welsh Lamb. Locally sourced from the Gower and surrounding areas, our Welsh lamb is hand-picked by us from farms with whom we have long established […]

There’s nothing better than a good old-fashioned slice of bacon!  Sadly, sometimes bacon gets a bit of a bad rep for being ‘unhealthy’ but as long as it is cured properly, then bacon can most definitely be included as part of a healthy, low fat diet. At Hugh Phillips Gower Butcher, our qualified butchers prepare […]

If you’re planning on staying in this Valentine’s Day, avoiding the rush to restaurants with over-inflated prices, then read on.  We’ve come up with some great recipes, starter and afters ideas for the perfect, easy to make Valentine’s Day recipes. Through a combination of the great local produce we offer from our Deli Cymreig and […]

Following last week’s article about the best cuts of beef for a heart-warming stew, as promised, this week, we’ve come up with a guide to the best cuts of lamb to use in a delicious winter stew.  These recommended cuts are ideal for slow cooking, so you can prepare you stew in the morning (or […]

There’s nothing more heart warming than a delicious bowl of beef stew during the cold winter months.  As you can add all sorts of different vegetable and pulses as well as your chosen beef cut, then a stew is also an easy and inexpensive family meal. The temptation by many of us is to simply […]