Two 1920s south London sausage shops have been saved with Grade II listing

Two sausage shops in south London were today listed as Grade II buildings.

The shops each have many original 1920s art-deco features such as tiling, "sunburst" lights and engraved glass features from nearly a century ago.

The listed shops, in Camberwell and South Norwood, belonged to the Kennedys chain of sausage sellers, who owned a number of shops in South London for nearly 140 years. The shops being listed, dating from 1923 and 1926 respectively are two of the earliest branches of the chain to survive.

Kennedys - along with Boots, WH Smith and Woolworths - was one of the first multiple-branch shops to develop the idea of brand identity, with the same materials and decoration used in each building.

Announcing their listing today, culture minister Margaret Hodge said: "It's fantastic to be able to preserve a little bit of that history, and brilliant to find shops dating from the Victorian or early 20th century which have not been changed beyond recognition by refurbishments.

"The great British banger has been a staple of our diet for centuries. It is right that these wonderfully preserved sausage shops should get the additional protection - an extra skin, if you like - that listing provides."

The two shops listed are largely unchanged since their opening, with polished glass signs, granite stallrisers and sunburst transom lights. They also have original green and yellow tiled walls with marble-topped counters, wooden cabinets and mirrored panels.