About Us

From the age of 13, Simon Broadribb knew what he wanted to become. A butcher. And not just any butcher – an award winning butcher! Growing up in a family of poulterers and fishmongers whose tradition goes back to the 19th century, Simon’s childhood dream came true in 1994 when he took over Uptons of Bassett butchers in Southampton, Hampshire.

Pioneering a spirit of traditional quality with a commitment to fulfilling modern animal welfare concerns has helped make Uptons of Bassett one of the premier butchers in the south, supplying not only an eager public but hotels and restaurants too.

Their expertise is recognised professionally, as a proud supplier to local restaurants, including those for celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Canteen and Rick Stein’s Winchester eaterie. Uptons also gets a nod in Stein’s book, “A Guide to the Food Heroes of Britain.”

Local ethically sourced meat
Sourcing the best quality breeds, with an emphasis on local, free range products ensures meat from Uptons of Bassett not only tastes outstanding, but answers health and animal welfare concerns too. We always visit the farms we are using, so that we can reassure our customers first hand of the high standards of our producers.

Awards
Unsurprisingly, Uptons of Bassett are regularly recognised in national and regional competitions. Many of the winning products use methods handed down from generous past traditions, skilfully brought up to date by Simon and his dedicated team. Home smoked products are a fine example of this and Uptons’ smoked bacon has won a Gold Award in the Great Taste Awards for three years in succession – a feat not yet matched by anyone else.

2014 Overall winner, Hampshire’s Best Sausage
2014 Finalist, Britain’s Best Sausage
2015 Best Butcher in Hampshire by Hampshire Life magazine
2016 One of England’s top 4 sausages
2016 Winner, Britain’s Best Bagel
2016 ADHB Pig Awards – 7 Gold Awards, including category champion for Traditional Pork Pie
2016 ADHB Pig Awards – Young Sausage Maker of the Year won by James Collin (for his Pork and Marmite recipe)
2017 Winner, Best Steak Wrap in the South at UK Sandwich Awards
2017 Katarina Broadribb wins UK Pasta Chef of the Year (winning recipe of brisket and wild mushroom ragu is now on the bistro menu)
2019 Winner, UK’s Best Wrap at UK Sandwich Awards (duck and slightly pickled cucumber)
2020-2019-2018 Best Black Pudding in Hampshire and currently also Best Black Pudding in the South
2020 Runners up in Meat Management’s Best Sausage in the UK (Pork & Marmite and Classic Butchers’ sausages)
2020 Winner, Best Faggots in Hampshire
2021 National runner-up at the Charcuterie Live Awards for Uptons black pudding
2021 Winner, Britain’s Best Bacon at the Charcuterie Live Awards
2022 UK finalist, Sandwich Designer of the Year Awards
2023 British Sandwich & Food To Go Designer of the Year, Katarina Broadribb
2023 British Sandwich & Food To Go Awards 2023, Mona Dairy Gouda category winner – Katarina Broadribb (Smokey brisket roll with Gouda cheese)
2023 British Sandwich & Food To Go Designer of the Year, Futura Foods Yamas! Feta winner – Simon Broadribb (Mountain feta & Merguez wrap)
2023 British Sandwich & Food To Go Designer of the Year, Independent Retailer Award – Uptons of Bassett
2023 Meat Traders Journal Butcher’s Shop of the Year 2023 – London & South East finalist

But the accolades don’t stop there, and include: nine Gold Awards at Hampshire Fare’s Great Hampshire Sausage & Pie Competition 2015 for a range of sausages, pies and home cured bacon (including wild boar streaky bacon), Hampshire & Isle of Wight Supreme Champion for their smoked chicken fillets, and Gold at the Great Taste Awards for three consecutive years for their smoked bacon.

In May 2023, Katarina Broadribb was crowned Sandwich Designer of the Year at the British Sandwich & Food to Go Designer of the Year Awards. Uptons of Bassett won the Independent Retailer Award which shines a spotlight on the independent retailers which lead the way in new trends and tastes.

Uptons of Bassett has been voted Best Butchers Shop in the South three times, and was voted runner up in the 2019 Best Butcher Shop in the UK by Meat Management magazine. We are once again a finalist in the competition for 2023 in the hotly-contested London & South East category.

To find out more about Uptons of Bassett butchers, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media for regular updates. We look forward to welcoming you to our shop and bistro in Southampton.

 

Food hygiene rating 5 stars

Charcuterie Live Awards logos Gold and Silver 2021