Shoulder of Mutton Field: The Retail Butcher's Trade in Camden - Softcover

"In an updated version of a history of the meat trade in Camden, retired butcher Des Whyman tells the story of the development of butchery, producing a valuable social history that charts the changing shopping and eating habits of people in Camden." --www.islingtontribune.com (January 20, 2011)

This book charts the growth and structure of the retail sale of meat, from a hawker simply upending a barrel by the roadside to the modern supermarket in the context of the changing social climate. The story is not solely confined to statistics or even great events, but just as importantly the employees and customers, essential to their success. From Archbishops, apprentices, class, crime,inventors, insolvency, Royalty and rationing to the great names in meat retailing and beyond. A time when the meat consumption in these islands out stripped the world and the meat industry was only second in importance to the great railways - all is explored. The findings, all interwoven with an enormous amount of detail, allowing the inquisitive and knowledgeable reader alike an enjoyable meander on a journey of discovery revealing much that is still pertinent today.