Raise your hand if you've ever scraped ice off a sad package of forgotten frozen chicken breast, showed up to the barbecue with just the buns or are hesitant to eat meat because it's bad for the environment and your health. Ok, you can put your hand down now.
For those carnivores and flexitarians out there, don't fret, we've got some good news with our list of Toronto's top butcher shops for high-quality meat.
The meat eating experience can actually be really great when you buy local from Toronto butcher shops that specialize in quality cuts. From Cumbrae's to Sanagan's Meat Locker and the classic Cote De Boeuf, these Toronto butcher shops are a cut above the rest.
Whether you're looking to fulfill your charcuterie dreams or want to experience what it's like to buy and cook the best cuts of steak, (spoiler alert: it's wonderful), look no further than these top Toronto butcher shops selling carefully sourced and expertly prepared meat.
Top Toronto butcher shops for high-quality meat
Cumbrae's
Multiple locations
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If you want to grocery shop like a chef, put Cumbrae's on your list. A deli, butcher and market all rolled into one, their stores on Queen West and Bayview Avenue are emporiums of top quality meat and farm-fresh ingredients. You’ll also find ready-to-eat meals like a whole rotisserie chicken dinner with sides and a dry-aged sirloin steak sandwich that we can’t stop thinking about. And they have a bunch of prepared freezer-friendly foods, so future-you doesn’t have to stress over dinner.
Sanagan’s Meat Locker
176 Baldwin St.
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On your next trip to Kensington, don’t miss the friendly neighbourhood butcher Sanagan’s Meat Locker. Sourced directly from Ontario farms, the meat and poultry selections here are top-of-the-line and will make you actually look forward to cooking dinner — or there are delicious take-home meals, too. Their dry-aged beef is *chef’s kiss* and their charcuterie program, inspired by northern European techniques, has over 30 items from dry-cured sausages to pâté en croûte.
Cote De Boeuf
130 Ossington Ave.
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This charcuterie closet may be small but it’s certainly mighty, with some of the best dry-aged beef and cured meat in the city. Their breakfast sandwich with peameal or thick-cut bacon and creamy aioli is an absolute must. Part bistro, part butcher, this tiny gem is an Ossington strip staple. Plus, they have an excellent takeout menu with to-go items like duck confit, braised beef ribs and a cheese board.
The Healthy Butcher
Multiple locations
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With two Healthy Butcher locations, one on Eglinton West and the other on Queen West, plus an online delivery service, you won’t be hard-pressed to find organic, sustainable, ethically raised and 100 per cent grass-fed meat, along with sustainable seafood. At The Healthy Butcher, meat is never a mystery. Their mission is to ensure that food is produced the way nature intended: animals are raised humanely, fed food that is natural to their diet and are drug-free.
Bespoke Butchers
Multiple locations
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Bespoke Butchers has always been ahead of the curve, from vetting the best local farms to using the whole animal — and now they have craft butcher boxes with free next-day delivery (for orders placed before 4 p.m.) so you can literally bring the farm to your table. Find butcher box items like a whole chicken, maple bacon breakfast sausages and a rack of baby back ribs. If it's sausages that you're after, their vendor Sausage King at the St. Lawrence Market has the best wieners free of filler and preservatives.
Whitehouse Meats
St. Lawrence Market
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If you want to up your, ahem, meat game, Whitehouse Meats, veteran vendor at St. Lawrence Market, is known for their wide selection of game meat. This isn't your average beef butcher (although they have plenty of that too). Here, you'll find unique products like venison, kangaroo and camel — talk about cooking something totally different for dinner tonight.
They have a wonderful mix of fresh, prepared and smoked meat, but our special-treat faves have got to be the confit duck legs and foie gras from France. Oui, s'il vous plaît.
The Friendly Butcher
3269 Yonge St.
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Their name totally gives them away — it's always a pleasant shopping experience at The Friendly Butcher who get their meat from local Ontario farms. For an even more pleasant experience that doesn't require putting on pants, you can order any type of meat by the pound directly from their website. Prepared food, produce and pantry items like Sicilian pesto or spicy chili miso are also available in-store and online for all your one-stop-shopping needs.
