Faced with empty supermarket shelves due to coronavirus panic, many shoppers have rushed back to local butcher shops, which are struggling to meet demand.
Mince steak, sausages and chicken, along with other meat products and eggs, have been in huge demand at Sutherland Shire's oldest butchery business, Stapleton's at Gymea.
"You open the doors at 7am and the people pour in," said Ron Stapleton, who has come out of retirement to help the dozen regular staff, who are doing it hard working longer hours.
"None of the supermarkets have meat, and I can't work out why," said Mr Stapleton, who has a life-time of experience in the industry.
"People have to be hoarding. They just don't listen when they are told it's not necessary.
"I am told you cannot buy a top load freezer anywhere in Australia."
Mr Stapleton said the shop had been selling about 300kg of mince steak a day and had been forced to impose a limit of one kilo per customer.
"We haven't stopped making sausages - about 500kg a day - but they are going out the door as fast as we put them on the shelf," he said.
"We have been getting in a couple of hundred kilos of chicken a day, but have had to increase our order because we ran out yesterday."
Mr Stapleton said they were "trying to look after everyone".
"Our family kept the shire going through the Depression, and we are doing our best now," he said.
"We have things in place to make sure we have enough meat to keep up the supply.
"But, we would like people to recognise that it's small business that is supporting them through this situation.
"It's not just our shop, but all butchers and fruit and vegetable businesses, as well.
"We have stepped in when the supermarkets have failed."
Mr Stapleton said while the extra demand was welcome for the business bottom line, the situation might not last.
"After this, we might have two months of doing nothing," he said.
