Proper British Bacon & Meats, Auburn

Combining Old World traditions with New World sensibilities, the butchers at Proper British Bacon & Meats pull from the freshest sources they can find as they create faithful renditions of the United Kingdom's iconic meats. They work with free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free pork, grass-fed Nebraska beef, and eggs from chickens that they've raised on their own farm. From there, they proceed to smoke their own jerky, grind beef using actual steak instead of leftover trimmings, and age steaks without resorting to any mechanical processes. These carefully prepared cuts are then used to make an eclectic assortment of cured as well as nitrate-free and low-preservative meats—many inspired by savory snacks from across the Atlantic.

Smoked British bacon, for example, remains a perennial favorite, with a relatively lean flavor and texture compared to its American counterpart (which the store also sells, of course). Other unmistakably British goods—such as steak and kidney pies and haggis made with lamb, beef, herbs, onions, and stone-ground oats—are also available by the pound. The full selection features more than 500 different choices, including 18 bacons made in-house, more than 55 different varieties of handmade sausages, and an assortment of imported English cheeses. To help hunters who've won the day's staring contests against wild game, the butchers also lend their expertise to processing everything from deer and elk to caribou and big-horn sheep. Aside from food, Proper British Bacon & Meats is also a dealer for the Big Green Egg ceramic cooker.