Family-run butchers in the capital have seen trade soar since the horse meat scandal as Londoners shun supermarkets.
Danny Lidgate of Lidgates in Holland Park said pie and minced beef sales had increased by 10 per cent and that other meat sales were rising as customers stock up.
Mr Lidgate said: ‘We have full traceability and mince our beef on site. So it’s a question of trust. People know where the meat comes from.
“When they come in they also pick up other products which is also boosting sales.”
Godfreys in Islington has also seen a rise in sales.
Manager Patricia Headd said their figures show a two per cent increase in takings in one week.
The butcher has been trading for more than 100 years. It supplies hotels and pubs as well as a local nursery.
Ms Headd told the Standard: “Most of the increase in sales has been with mince. We have a one-to-one relationship with our suppliers so we can trace our meat at every stage. Godfreys knows exactly where its produce comes from.”
A spokesman for The Hook and Cleaver in Ealing said: “We’ve had a lot of people — every second person — asking about our views on the horse meat scare.
“It’s a bit early to tell if that’s translated to sales but we’ve had a lot of people in.
“We’re not dealing with thousands of carcasses, unlike the supermarkets.”
