It's an impressive feat running a business, it's even more impressive if you've been running it for over 140 years. Tucked away on Mitcham Road, Tooting, lies Coppins Butchers, one of the oldest surviving family butcher shops in the entire city.

Still found in the site of the original shop Coppins has paved the way for the local meat industry since they first opened their doors back in 1860. It all started with the founder James Coppin in the 19th century, before the butchers was passed down three generations to Paul, the last Coppin to run the business. Balham was the site of their original shop, before James set up on Mitcham Road in 1890.

Since 2015, the butchers has been under the leadership of Irmantas Danilevicius, or Herman to those who know him, Paul's right-hand man, who's been working there for the past 20 years and runs the place with the same traditional methods which were passed down from generation to generation.

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Coppins is one of the oldest butchers in all of London

So what can you expect when you venture down to Coppins? They're one of the very few shops in the UK who serve classic dishes - think traditional Danish ham, or their Scotch salt beef, both winners in their classes at the 'Q' Guild Awards. On their menu? Think 30 day dry aged fore rib of beef, Jerked poussin, and every cut of beef, pork, chicken, and lamb you could possibly think of.

Like other local businesses across the country, Coppins were impacted by the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions back in 2020. Herman explained the locals' attitudes to shopping both changed the way they do business, saying: "They were ordering loads on lockdown, because they couldn't get delivery from the supermarkets.

History is decked out on their walls

"And we used to do same day orders, same day delivery. That was really good but then once everything opened, they would order everything from one place."

The restrictions put in place meant their customers would order everything online or over the phone, but this wasn't the first wave of change Coppins experienced. Over the past 20 or so years, they've seen their clientele change from older locals who'd lived in the area for decades to a horde of young professionals moving into the area.

James (left) stands proudly outside of the Mitcham Road store

"It's all youngsters now, it used to be old people coming early in the morning… they all died," Herman said.

"Or moved away to the coast somewhere. Young people moved in, all of those young professionals, they don't do morning shopping."

A photo of a 15-year-old James outside of the Balham shop adorned the shelf

Shopping trends shifted from in person to online, with the lasting effects of the lockdown lingering after restrictions were eased. However, it's not just the attitudes of the locals Coppins have seen change, it's the prices too.

They told MyLondon that in the past, Coppins' prices could rival the likes of Lidl. They explained the war in Ukraine affected their costs, but not a lot. Herman admitted he thinks the rising prices of meat might be a shock for the communities moving into the area. "They still remember that back in their country, in their village in Poland somewhere, pork used to be pennies," he said.

The business has officially been running for over 100 years

Cost of living has also had an impact on the local area, with Herman, and his assistant John, explaining how Tooting has evolved from a relatively affordable area of south London to becoming incredibly sought after. "The area used to be a cheap area, now it's expensive. The house's cost like £700,000 to £800,000."

But after running Coppins since Paul's departure, Herman is looking to the future and time for a new chapter.

He explained that everyday it changes, and Coppins' future isn't set in stone. At some point, he wants to move on to somewhere with more "vitamin D", as he called it.

What happens next for one of the oldest butchers in London? With a season full of barbeques ahead, the faces behind the machine are taking it day by by.

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