Wholly Cow Butchers, Cannon Hill is a superb local butcher and one of a dying breed of non-supermarket independent butcheries. Meat prices are very reasonable and there are always great deals such as 3 small uncooked chickens for $10.00. The variety of meat far exceeds that in supermarkets and of course has the added advantage of you being able to choose your own cuts.

What really sets Wholly Cow apart from others is their weekly Sunday afternoon meat auction. At 3.00 p.m. locals crowd around the counter with $20.00 in hand, ready to be one of the first to "slap it down" onto a large plastic meat tray. The butcher then fills the tray with selections of all the meat which would otherwise have been packed away, or disposed of, at the end of the week. You'll undoubtedly receive mince, sausages, steak (sometimes rump), lamb chops, chicken pieces, schnitzel, and marinated steak in the mix. From my experience the quantity of meat bought for this $20.00 bargain is always enough for at least 7 evening meals for my family of three. If you're not fussy about your meat choices, and are prepared to work with what you receive, there is no reason why you would need to buy any other meat at all during the week. Although it is called a meat auction, there is almost invariably enough meat for everyone, even if it means having to wait around for 10 or 15 minutes. The Sunday Meat Auctions provide a phenomenal service to the community, particularly to those who are socio-economically disadvantaged. I once had a fellow customer remark to me that the owner should be made a saint!

I now live at Russell Island and therefore, unfortunately, am not frequently at Cannon Hill on a Sunday for the auctions. During weekday visits, however, I always make sure I pop by Wholly Cow and pick up a bargain. This local business, which also home delivers, really deserves to be supported.

Approximate cost: $20.00