the solid block-built top, bound with iron clasps to the corners and raised on a later painted pine base of four square-section legs with a slatted pot-shelf,

The Butcher's block bears the cast label of "William Douglas & Sons"  and refers to Douglas Wharf - their longtime premises at Putney. This premises is now occupied as "The Boathouse" a well known dining and drinking establishment.

William Douglas & Sons:

"Founded in 1888 by William Douglas and his sons, Tom, John and Loudon. A contract with a Glasgow company provided them with the opportunity to apply shale oil techniques to the lowering the temperature of lard so that it could be controlled and packaged. Around the turn of the century, Douglas supplied anything and everything for the meat trade, issuing a 400-page encyclopaedia covering all aspects of meat production – machinery and equipment, meat processing, the chemistry of the pig, butcher’s clothing, swine fever, ingredients and recipes for national and local speciality meat products. The company’s industrial refrigeration business sprang from their supplying thermometers and cold stores in the 1920’s.

The company’s efforts in WW2 were of substantial value, Two cold stores were built for the Ministry of Food, each with a capacity of a quarter of a million cubic feet. A large number of ice-plants were made for the War Office, many of these twenty tons per day plants being sent out to the Middle and Far East.

By 1962, the rate of growth was such that Douglas had outgrown its premises in Putney and Sunbury and plans were in place to re-locate to a new £350,000 factory in Basingstoke." [excerpt from: http://www.douglashistory.co.uk/history/Businesses/william_douglas_&sons]