David John

David John is the kind of butcher that used to exist on every high street and now survives only in places like the Covered Market. The counter displays whole joints, properly hung carcasses, hand-made sausages, and cuts prepared by butchers who know what they're doing. The meat is sourced from farms in Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties, with a focus on traditional breeds and proper husbandry. This is not the anonymous, gas-flushed tray of supermarket meat — you can ask where your beef was raised and get a straight answer.

The difference shows in the cooking. Properly hung beef has a depth of flavour that factory-farmed equivalents simply don't achieve. The sausages, made on-site, are well made — spiced according to recipes that haven't changed because they didn't need to. The free-range chicken and game birds (in season) are another step above what's available in supermarkets.

For Oxford residents who cook seriously, David John is worth the slight inconvenience of a market visit over a supermarket run. The staff will prepare cuts to your specification, advise on cooking times, and bone or roll joints on request. This is personal service that has all but disappeared from British food retail, preserved here in the Covered Market's Victorian arcades.

What to look for

The sausages are good value — well-made, properly seasoned, and a fraction of what "artisan" sausages cost elsewhere. Ask for recommendations on which beef is best-hung and ready. The game selection in autumn and winter is excellent — pheasant, partridge, and venison appear seasonally. For Sunday roasts, order your joint in advance by Thursday to get exactly what you want. The staff are happy to advise on quantities for dinner parties.