So for many years I have been going to my local Farmers market as well as Slater's Meats. Located off of 38 about 11 miles from my home. Bob Slater, the owner makes many of his own meats to sell as well as other local meat makers. When I asked him how long he had been Butchering, he laughed and said "long before you were born, 1957" When I asked him about his meat supply, he stated that some was local, and the other from out west. He made it clear that it was the cost of raising the beef locally and what farmers could get per pound. I also know from talking to another farmer locally that supply can increase on a weekly bases.
It was a very clean store and you can tell a lot of attention goes into their up keep. There was clean saw dust on the floor around the cutting stations, and the veggie cooler was perfectly clean. They offer a wide variety of HOMEMADE loafs and meat mixes as well as a large selection of locally sold spices from a local company. You just got the feeling that this was a shop for locals, no gimmicks or thrills, just a down right country store.
If you happen to be passing through or are local, stop in and try some of their deli meats. They will allow you to free sample some, just like the old days!
Here is Bob Slater and one of his other butchers. Bob was cutting NY Strips while his other butcher was cutting a piece of fresh Top Round for me to make my jerky from. His knife was very sharp I might add.
Here you can see the butchers rail coming from the freezer while a mule deer looks away from the butchers table.
Butchers rail
Prepping some meat
Trimming off the fat of my top round
Look at this selection of cold cuts, homemade sausages, loafs and meat mixes!
How good are these prices?
Local Chicken
Prices so good, it is worth the drive for the price alone not to mention the quality!
What grocery store can claim they make their own lunch meats? I did sample and bought a pound each of the Pepper Loaf and Dutch Loaf. The Pepper Loaf taste just like a hot pepper sausage, but its flat! YUMMY!
Other local meats and sausages as well as a wide selection of cheeses. I am going back today to pick up my pork bellies for bacon makin! They also supply me with my pork and fat trimmings to make my homemade sausages!
I really like this post! Maybe I should do one like this too. It really helps to see beyond the meat counter. Not all homesteaders raise their own meat and to be honest, meat is very expensive and even in the stores, we should be getting a top quality product. Your store looks awesome and I'd shop there in a minute!! Thanks for a great post!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing. I too buy all my meat from a local buthcer shop, well two local butcher shops. I know my meat is raised locally and I know the money stays here and supports my town.
ReplyDeletehere in pa., my wife has worked at the same 'MOM AND POP' meat market for 20 some years..home made meatloaf to ham loaf..hamburg ground daily..stuffed porkchops to home made kielbasa links..most of the time they beat wal-mart's prices on most deli items..but sadly..these stores are disappearing from our communities.
ReplyDelete..please buy local if u can..support your town, your people, your neighbors..and if close by,,stop on in , grap some fresh smoked bacon and beef jerky..fresh from the smokehouse