How Specialty Butchers are Making A Comeback
At a national level, as the U.S Agriculture’s Economic Research Service reports the rise of consumer demand for local meat, the local butcher shop is more relevant and important than ever.
Packaged Facts’ report, “Meat and Poultry: U.S. Retail Market Trends and Opportunities” predicts a period of continued growth for the meat and poultry market, with retail sales to hit the $100 billion mark by 2019. Over the past five years, the meat market industry has continuously grown with further predictions of the price of red meat increasing in 2018 according to a study by IBIS World. Further, the study shows a $7 billion dollar increase in revenue for the meat and poultry market in 2018.
Dicksons Farm Stand is Making Their Mark in Chelsea Market
This neighborhood butcher shop located in Chelsea Market is known for sourcing all of its best meats from small, local, family-friendly farms in upstate New York. The farms Dicksons source from all raise animals in humane and cruelty-free ways. These animals are grass-fed and live without added hormones, prophylactic antibiotics, or animal by-products. Head Chef Eva Pesantez and her team work in-house with the animals by upholding tradition and making products from whole animals in an effort to use every part of the animal to preserve the traditions of butcheries.
Dickson’s is bringing back an old traditional technique called dry-aging because the increased quality of dry-aged meat. This process involves taking a whole animal carcass without any type of covering and then refrigerating the animal for approximately 7 to 21 days, depending on the animal. This process used to be completed almost ubiquitously 40 years ago, but due to cost cuts and budget restrictions, butchers and farmers began to vacuum package meat right after slaughter. Wet-aged meat is what 90 percent of the country currently eats and is the reason why this butcher shop is offering meat that is different from others.
Comments found on Mercato’s website focus on the freshness of the meat provided by Dickson’s:
- Laurel K. New York, NY
“Dickson’s is great. Fresh, local, grass-fed. Fantastic broths and beef jerky. Love.”
- Elena M. New York, NY
“Everything was of the highest quality. Spoke with the store on the phone to discuss the order and they know their meat!”
- Karen E. New York, NY
“Everything was great…delicious…fresh.”
Through Mercato, Dickson’s is able to provide customers with same-day delivery of any custom order from their gourmet menu which includes beef, lamb, pork and poultry. Dickson’s success stems from its small-scale design, in which quality is priority and transparency allows consumers to know exactly where their meat is coming from.
The Windy City’s Meat Market is No Exception to Quality
Since 1950, Potash Market has been located in the heart of Chicago providing customers with a local and family-owned specialty grocery store for decades. Their slogan, “butchering is in our blood” rivals big-chain competitors who source from various, unknown locations compared to the Potash family, who focus on great food and specialty meat from reputable farms.
The Potash Market’s specialty within meat focuses on beef and chicken. The market keeps their meat elite with the following methods:
- All beef offered by the market is Certified Angus Beef USDA Choice, which is unique because only less than 1.5 percent of all beef achieves the standards of the Certified Angus Beef brand. Further, this elite beef must pass an evaluation with 10 science-based qualifications in order to pass their quality check and be branded.
- The chicken sold at the market is sourced from Gerber’s Amish Farms, located in the center of Ohio’s Amish Country. The chickens on the farm are all raised on vegetarian diets, free-range and without any antibiotics.
The Potash Family owns three markets throughout Chicago, and through Mercato sell various meat products at the same price provided in-store. More of their products that can be delivered in one-day or same-day delivery can be found here.
If you’re considering opening or expanding your own local quality butcher store, these qualifications can help you expand your business and provide your customers with the best products possible. Contact Mercato to help provide further information on how to maximize sales, create an online presence and allow for same day delivery (Mercato takes care of everything).
Meat Farms in Major Cities All Have Delivery Services offered through Mercato
The success stories seen through Dickson’s Farm Stands and The Potash Markets offer an opportunity for butchers and meat-sellers in a growing meat market. From New York, Boston, San Francisco to Washington D.C and Philadelphia among other major cities, Mercato is bringing fresh meat from farms to your kitchen table. Local butchers ranging from Whole Ridge Poultry & Meats in Colorado to B&A Pork Store in New York have striving business’ and after all, Mercato’s got you covered on delivering all your fresh meat needs.
For further reading about success stories, check out our feature on seafood speciality stores.