Orr and Sons Family Butcher

One thing is certain about my future. The bikini is not part of it.

Once every two months or so, we make the excursion to Brentwood Bay to stock up on meaty treats from Ronald Orr and Son Family Butchers.

A family business in Canada since the 1970s, and previously to that in Scotland, Orr and Sons has been running a successful and tasty butchery long before the words artisanal and charcuterie became part of our everyday lexicon.

Run by brothers (sons) Stewart and Fraser Orr, and a meat savvy staff, the store produces a gob smacking array of house made products from sausages - bangers and blood sausage to name a few - meat pies, smoked hams and bacons, briskets and specialty cuts of meat, rounded out by a thoughtful selection of packaged goods from the U.K.

The pies just go on and on.


Orr's is also your go-to place for tattie scones (delivered weekly).

Check out this massive roll of Wiltshire bacon, a smoked version of Ayrshire - made in house of course. It's lovely as a pancetta substitute in pasta, or sauteed kale.

The beef tongue is absolutely luscious, made in a vintage press.

Stewart Orr is in charge of the links department, among other things, and today he's been working on perfecting something new.

The Savaloy. Cured with a pickley flavour and a deep red colour from the natural cochineal dye, the Savaloy is served in many British fish and chip shops, and will soon be a regular on the Orr roster.

Taste test.
Back at home, we boiled them first, grilled and gave them a go with only mustard. They're very juicy with a dense meaty texture, but next time we'll try them with sauteed onions for more oomph with some rich gravy and a toasted bun. Or maybe some mushy peas.

A trip to Orr and Sons is not complete without a Scotch egg. The only place in town to procure one.

Before....
And after, with a side of HP for dipping.

Haggis, of course, is always available, in sausage or its traditional form, all year round. But I prefer the haggis piggy bank.

With chops, sausages, roasts - pork roast with crackling this time - and sliced meats all packaged to go, we're good for another few months. Until summer then, when that one-piece will fit just fine.