Johnny Pusztai Butcher

Introduction

Johnny’s absolute passion for the highest quality food and traditional methods for its preparation is a legacy from his Hungarian roots. His father, Dezso Pusztai, arrived in this...country in 1956, a refugee from the Hungarian uprising. Settling in Sherwood, he was amazed by the choice of meat, fruit and vegetables available here and soon built a small smoke house to cure and smoke his own bacons and gammons from which to make Hungarian salami’s. The family would gather round the table to savour these while discussing the day’s events - a tradition which Johnny continues to uphold with his own family nowadays. His philosophy is that the kitchen is firmly at the heart of the home (and not the TV!) and that is where family and friends gather to talk and enjoy delicious food together. Dezso returned to Hungary shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain but sadly died a few years later, leaving his farm there to his son, where the family visit regularly to see relatives and help out.

It is clear that Johnny sees the preparation and cooking of meat as something of an art form; with twenty-five varieties of sausage on offer alone, you get the sense that this is a man who will always go that extra mile to get the details right. How do you fancy tomato and basil (particularly good for Sunday brunch I am told) or maybe Robin Hood venison is more to your taste? And of course the Hungarian cultural heritage is reflected in the form of that aforementioned Kolbasz - a spicy salami-type sausage reminiscent of Chorizo - containing pork and lashings of paprika; but the exact recipe is a strictly guarded secret!