Best product in Melbourne along with courteous service...

Lamb and Rosemary pies superb.
Mini chicken roasts, chicken OK but the stuffing bland.
Morrocan lamb filo parcels we expected lamb pieces not mince.

There are butchers ...and there are butchers!

Don't get put off by their prices - amongst the most expensive in Melbourne. What you take home is an experience. Simply the best meat in this state!

Two country trained butchers showing us city slickers what meat is really about!

A high turnover from this small strip shop ensures total freshness. In addition, an excellent selection of pre-prepared meals - don't go passed their Thai chicken balls when they are available!

Excellent service with great variety. The staff were very friendly. I was really impressed by their own rage of smoked meats. It was good to find a place with international cheeses to choose from too.

Approximate cost: $30

Cornehls and Blackburn is a great neighbourhood butcher, complete with old-fashioned good service. Although two suburbs away, our family buys the majority of our weekly meat and cold cuts from C&B.

C&B offers a good variety of items in addition to the quality meat and poultry. One can find anything from ABC Kecap Manis to Lindt Cooking Chocolate pieces. I eat these straight out of the packet!

The convenient pre-packed meals such as the Meatballs in Napoli Sauce, Green Chicken Curry and Spaghetti Bolognese are favourites in our household, and require nothing more than a few minutes' reheating on the stove or in the microwave. Great for those nights when you just can't be bothered, but still want to serve the family a great-tasting, home-cooked meal.

We especially like the fresh leg ham, which I believe is Otway Pork. It has to be the best tasting ham I have had. It is mild, with just the right amount of saltiness, and tastes fresh, not "processed".

One thing I have found to be a great timesaver is placing my order over the phone - my husband then collects the order on the way home from work. This spares me a drive with 2 kids and it spares my husband from doing the shopping, which he doesn't enjoy. I do the same for the greengrocer next door.

C&B have also been very accommodating with some large orders for steaks etc I have had in the past. On one occasion I requested several cuts of meat of varying thicknesses and vacuum-packed and labelled individually - and they did it! This kind of service is very hard to come by!

I do find C&B to be quite dear, however, in comparison to other butchers. On more than one occasion I must admit to having been taken aback by the final bill. But in saying this, I suppose one is paying for quality foods, and I continue to go there with this in mind.

(As a note, Peter Bouchier's at David Jones Chadstone has a very similar ham (if not the same - I note they also sell Otway Pork) as C&B. It is $3/kg cheaper at @ $26.99.)

I highly recommend Cornehls & Blackburn Butchers. The service and quality is great, and will not disappoint.