Day 70 - "Meat" the community

Source: Facebook page for R&D Walker Ltd.
T/A Checkett @CheckettsButchers

I was shopping at the local Moreton in Marsh butchers today for the first time. It's a small shop called R&D Walker that has a display of meats in the front window, with lots of fresh, local vegetables for sale out front of the shop. Inside, a thin aisle leads from the door down the length of the counter. Behind this small space, four men were working (there may have been others; as they were all quite busy).

Every time I pass this shop it seems to be doing a busy trade. Today was market day, so probably busier still with the added number of people in town.

The butcher who served us took great pride in his product. We asked for a lovely piece of beef on display, and before Phil even had a chance to ask where it was from (as he always does), the butcher was telling us how it came from a farm near Stratford Upon Avon, and that it was one of the nicest cuts he had eaten in a long time. Grass fed. Locally sourced. Perfectly aged. We added in some bacon to the order, and he didn't charge us the full cost for it, saying he'd deduct some for the fat left on the roast "which we had to keep for flavour." [Aside: we slow roasted it for dinner, and it was wonderfully flavourful and cut like butter.]

You lose out on on something special when you buy your meat already plastic covered sitting on a tray of styrofoam from a grocery store. You get beef that is bright pink instead of dark red from proper aging. You get chickens that are white and tasteless rather than yellow with a bit of fat under the skin. You get pork filled with water that tastes like ....well, nothing (for definition of the word see previous day's blog).

But it's more than that. You also lose out on having a conversation with the person whose job is on the line if they sell you something that isn't of the best quality...a person who takes pride in what they do, and has a knowledge level far superior to the high school student manning the grocery store's meat counter (if they even have a counter to man). With an independent butcher, you get someone who can recommend something new, tell you how to best store it and cook it, and learn just what it is you like. They can even help with portion sizing (we all sometimes have unsuccessfully guessed how far different kinds of roast will go once fully cooked).

The neighbourhood butcher shop is almost dead in Canada. My quick google search to find out how many independent butchers remain in Ontario yielded no results. I did find a site for Independent Meat Processors Association which has 300 members, but those include abattoirs, processors, suppliers in addition to butchers. 

While I could find information on UK butchers, sadly the number has been on the decline, suffering as all independent retailers have from the growth of large chain supermarkets and cheap imports. In the early '90s there were about 15,000. Last year, there were about 5,400. However, there has been a more recent boon to the butcher business caused by various food scandals (people put more trust in buying local from someone they know) and also by the plethora of cooking shows on TV.

The butcher we spoke to today said he sells a lot to local restaurants. Great to see how the members of the community support each other and provide a way of ensuring local products remain differentiated from bland name brands.

The menu at local Moreton in Marsh restaurant, Redesdale Arms sources its
meat from R&D Walker, and proudly displays this on their menu. 

With a local butcher, you might pay a bit more; you might not. But you inevitably get better quality. If cost is a concern, consider this: many of us tend to eat more meat than we need to anyway. So, even if you find it more expensive from an independent butcher, I would still argue it is smarter to buy less of something better than it is to buy more of poor quality, bland food.

When surveyed, people all say it is best to support local, independent stores. It's better for the community as a whole as it builds a sense of belonging, helps sustain unique trades and goods that would otherwise risk dying out, provides jobs that build skills, and keeps in tact what makes a place special rather than homogeneous.

We all know it's the right thing to do, yet we don't keep it top of mind enough. As we approach the holidays and are out doing more shopping than normal, it's a good time to reconsider where we buy and what that is supporting. We'll not only be helping others, I think we'll be helping ourselves in the long run too.

Now, off to find the baker...and maybe the candlestick maker!  ;-)