Butcher closed down?

chrisj1948 · Post by **chrisj1948** » 27 Oct 2009 16:48

My wife and I regularly go to Sargent's, the butcher at 341 Sydenham Road in the vicinity of Bell Corner, because their meat is excellent. Today the shop was closed and empty, and a notice taped inside the window from 'County Bailiffs' indicated that the premises had been re-entered due to lease termination. If this is permanent it is a sad loss.

Regards
Chris

simon · Post by **simon** » 27 Oct 2009 17:08

Yes is a sad loss indeed, was a quality butchers. Now feel a bit guilty that I didn't use it more.

ALIB · Post by **ALIB** » 27 Oct 2009 17:32

it is a sad day. I was an infrequent customer due to their irregular opening hours.

However, I did also let them know they needed to 'up their game' (no pun intended) as their shop front was in a poor state of repair, and they even lacked proper signage.

a sad loss nonetheless

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 27 Oct 2009 18:32

I admit I never went there despite some good reviews. It was just in the wrong place (lets face it, if you were buying food you would not be walking down there), it looks like you had to wipe your feet on the way and opened when it felt like it.

Shame, if it was on the high street and further up I would have used it. The delights of great advice from a friendly butcher are something I miss from when I used to go to Deptford.

Unfortunately I'm sure some will say this is evidence we need more chicken shops as these are thriving.

nork1 · Post by **nork1** » 27 Oct 2009 19:33

Contributors to this forum are always moaning and complaining about lack of decent independent shops but here was one that sold quality produce but failed because it was either in the wrong place, it didn't advertise itself or people just couldn't be bothered. I'd be interested to know exactly what people on here want... is selling what you want not good enough if it's 3 minutes out of your way? Would it have succeeded if it'd been on the main drag rather than a couple of hundred yards down the road? Please, before I get shot down, I'm not having a go at anyone, I just find it frustrating that everyone's crying out for places that aren't nailbars or charity/pound/chicken shops but ignore a gem like this and let it die. I know quite a few people who bought their meat there and raved about the place - it was word of mouth persuaded them to shop there, none of them actually live down that end... maybe the butcher could've done more to advertise, I don't know. Sad. I hope they decide to give it another go soon.

MartinH · Post by **MartinH** » 27 Oct 2009 20:02

Well said. So why has'nt anybody else opened a butchers shop further up the high street ? Is it because there is a shortage of bush meat ?

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 27 Oct 2009 22:03

I'm guilty.

Never went. Hope a new one opens soon.

sean · Post by **sean** » 27 Oct 2009 22:15

Never went. Hope a new one opens soon.

What's going to make you use the new one - you never used the old one you said?

Juwlz · Post by **Juwlz** » 27 Oct 2009 22:46

Its sad it shut down (whatever it was called) but it was wrong in so many ways.

1.Too far down the high street (for me anyway).

2. Looked a bit grubby and down-at-heel.

3. Never looked like it was open. (wasn't open the one time I tried to go).

4. Impossible to notice it was even there unless someone told you about it.

For these reasons I never personally bought anything there.

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 27 Oct 2009 23:41

Exactly Juwlz.

Chazza · Post by **Chazza** » 28 Oct 2009 00:29

Oh, that's a shame, I'd just last week bought a joint of beef from them for a Sunday roast. The reasons it took me so long to actually get myself in there and spend some money have already been highlighted by Juwlz.

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 28 Oct 2009 07:20

To answer nork1 directly I had simply never heard of it and given I only ever go to that part of Sydenham for the Doctors there was no chance to 'happen' upon it.

If there was talk of it on the STF I missed it. It's a shame but it does highlight how important it is to advertise yourself - especially if your product is good. Viral marketing has it's limits.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » 28 Oct 2009 09:20

This is the one opposite Home Park right? There have been one or two mentions on the forum about it before (and would have been described as "Home Park butchers"). I used it regularly, and in the main I found the meat to be really good, and very reasonably priced, so I'm sad that it has closed down and I hope it opens up somewhere else soon.

It was a bit of trek for me to get there, and I would never have gone there unless I hadn't heard about it (probably from a posting on here some time back) but I thought it was worthwhile to walk an extra five minutes to support one of the best shops in the area, and the rather old-fashioned feel to it (I half expected to be asked for my ration book tokens) was actually quite appealing. The opening hours were also fairly old-fashioned, but it was always open when I went round on a Saturday, so I've no complaints on that score.

smiler · Post by **smiler** » 28 Oct 2009 09:51

There is no denying that the closure is a real shame. We used them a few times and liked the meat.

However location is a key factor in retail and unfortunately lots of people have commented on how 'out of the way' they were.

I really hope they take up one of our closed down shops further up the high street. I for one would be a regular every saturday morning.

coll · Post by **coll** » 28 Oct 2009 12:34

Very sad. I was just there on Saturday and thought "I need to use this place more often". The guy told me that they use the same suppliers and products as the really posh butcher on Lordship Lane. It was a bit rough on the edges and that tower block across the street is truly scary!!! Still a very sad loss.

Susie1791 · Post by **Susie1791** » 28 Oct 2009 14:06

As a local resident, close to the "truly scary tower" (seriously, it's just a building, it's not that scary!) it's amazing how often I go by the butchers that people rave about, and yet there is no one there! In short, if we have a local Gem, like the Dolphin, the butchers etc use them, good thoughts and intentions will not keep them open

Andwar · Post by **Andwar** » 28 Oct 2009 14:11

Having read through this forum hearing people say it was just a bit too far, not in the right spot, too grubby to look at.

Well all I can say is, you missed out on one of the best shops in Sydenham. I have been shopping there for over two years and found everything they sold to be of the highest quality. They even used to prepare the meat for some hog roasts that I used to do, which Sainsburys would not even contemplate.

'A bit too far', well how many of you drove past it to get to Sainsbury's. Personally I used to walk it and I live Westwood Hill way.

'Not in the right spot', where else would it be. If it was on the High Street (Main Drag) then their prices would go up just to pay for the extra rent. As it was they were excellent value for money which is probably why the bailiffs were called in as they were not making enough money to cover all their costs.

'Grubby to look at', again they would have to charge more in order to modernise the place. Anyway a butchers is a butchers and they would have to comply with Health and Higene laws anyway.

So now I shall have to look elsewhere for a decent butcher apart from the overpriced and much too busy one in Dulwich.

leenewham · Post by **leenewham** » 28 Oct 2009 14:20

If they had one the place up more people would probably have used it.

If more people used it they wouldn't have had to put their prices up.

And they probably wouldn't have closed.

Smarter, nicer looking shop does not have to = higher prices.

Cllr John Getgood · Post by **Cllr John Getgood** » 28 Oct 2009 23:33

We used it regularly - it reminded me of real butchers shops for my childhood. Also liked his pork pies. Slow shopping but quality. It will be missed. You can still find a quality butcher at Murray Brothers on Penge High Street.

Cllr John Getgood
Penge & Cator.
http://www.pengeandcatorcouncillors.co.uk

scott.l.hamilton · Post by **scott.l.hamilton** » 29 Oct 2009 00:51

Agree about the loss.. never had a cut to complain about.

Sorry John, respect your posts, but too much of a " sorry your shop closed, come here instead" vibe. Glib is bad...

A bit condescending....

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Butcher closed down?

Butcher closed down?