There is a lot to like about The Dry Age Boutique, unless you are vegan, in which case, look away. Social media followers will know that I am turning the corner on becoming more plant-based, but not exclusively plant-based. What a time to pivot when I heard about the Dry Age Boutique. So where does a niche, high-end ‘luxury’ Dry Age Boutique fit within this lifestyle?
Less is more is the answer. As I eat less meat, I am more discerning about quality meat. I want to restore the notion that meat is a treat and not a given. The diffusion of supermarkets commoditised food and created an impersonal relationship with it. There is nothing sincere about animal flesh swathed in plastic wrap labelled for its parts and weight. The supermarket aisle is a flesh gallery portioned in plastic coffins.
The mastery of butchery is lost on many. Butchery is more than advanced lab dissections. Butchers tell you how to cook a steak, how to slow cook a joint, they reveal a chicken’s oysters, advise on which herbs to add. The artistry of French trims, the value of rare breeds and, if you’re lucky, you get bones or freebie trims thrown in for loyalty. Ah yes, the rewards of loyalty. You do not get this at supermarkets. Supermarkets reward you with self-scanning and queues.
I shopped at higher-end butchers in London for those meals that mattered: my parents visiting, friends reporting back on the week’s adventure, time with Mrs EatGoSee or just time to myself.