The tiny town of Mōkau is tucked away between two gaping gorges on the North Island's rocky west coast.

The hidden South Waikato town has a population of 400 people, and one of the country's last village butcheries – if you want to buy meat elsewhere you need to drive for at least an hour.

This particular meat business is isolated, lucrative (it made a profit of $200,000 last year) and on the market.



Owners Graham and Gloria Putt want to retire. They have put their home and business up for sale for $450,000, and that's not all the lucky buyer will get: the pair plan to hand on their "world-famous" sausage recipes too.

READ MORE:

* Warning: Farmers ignore concerns at peril

* Budget Buster: Bring on vego revolution

* Concerned Kiwis eat 20kg less meat

* Jonathan Milne: NZ must unite in meat fight

* Abbie Jury: Not your stereotypical vego

Butcheries outside of supermarkets are on the decline. Beef and Lamb chief executive Rod Slater says in their 1970s heyday, there were about 2000 members for meat retailers. Now there are fewer than 300. Mōkau is a rare gem to be bought, he says.

With other butcheries struggling since the introduction of meat sections into supermarkets in the 1960s, the Putts have managed to increase their profit by $20,000 each year in the past 18 of the 28 years the couple have owned it.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Mokau Butchery owners Graham and Gloria Putt are looking to sell their business and retire after owning it for 28 years.

Some customers make a two-hour-long Sunday drive just to pick up some of what they claim are New Zealand's best sausages.

Graham has had his share of international visitors compliment his sausages – one Swiss couple came to Mōkau because they'd been told stories about the sausages.

And a friend heard a conversation on a Canadian radio station about the world's best sausages coming from Mōkau.

To meat or not to meat? Share your stories, photos and videos. Contribute

The most popular item is the low fat sausages (which the Putts think are the best in New Zealand) as well as old-fashioned bacon. Graham calls making these items an art.

They also sell a lot of whitebait during the season.

The pair have seen many changes through the years, including people's taste in meat. They used to sell a whole beast easily; now it's mainly steak, sausages and bacon.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Gloria and Graham Putt in front of their butchery.

They are kept occupied every day and occasionally have after-hours requests – after all, there's a sign on the butchery door welcoming customers to come up to their house if the butchery is closed.

"You're more mates with them than they are clients," Graham says.

"They keep coming back and back and back," Gloria adds.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Graham mixing the minced meat for his famous sausages.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF They've spend a long time building up their business.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF The Putts think their sausages are the best in the country.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Sausages are popular in Mōkau.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF The recipe for the sausages comes with the business.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Graham Putt fills the casings with minced meat for his famous sausages.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF The finished product.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Graham Putt's sausages are ready for the world.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Bacon and sausages are some of the butchery's best sellers.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF The Mōkau butchery is popular with people travelling to and from Taranaki.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Gloria Putt works the counter.

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF Gloria Putt deals to a hunk of meat.