Looking for a good Butcher [General]

2012 Jan 20
I need a new butcher, since all the stuff that is happening with Aubreys'

Look for a butcher with the following requirements:

1. Local meat
2. Grass fed beef
3. Organic if possible
4. Hormone and antibiotic free meat
5. Nitrate and preservative free sausages and bacon

Any suggestion would be greatful. I don't have to find it all at one, if you know any butcher that means on of more of the above requirements please let me know.

Thanks

2012 Jan 20

2012 Jan 21
I also need to find a good butcher especially for bacon. The old thread didn't really help. What about Weatheralls? Where's my bacon!!

2012 Jan 21
Brian's in the west end has great meat. Small, locally-sourced, cut to order. Very pleased -discovered them via a coupon deal.

2012 Jan 21
Brian's actually carries mostly Alberta beef. Only the stuff they sell as O'Brien's is local. At least when I asked them about 2 years ago. And at that time they were pretty proud of the fact they use Alberta Beef so i'd be surprised if anything changed.

Make sure you ask lots of questions at any butcher shop because I can tell you that a lot of places don't even make their own "fresh" sausage.

Farm Boy bacon is really good but I don't think they make it themselves - not sure who does. They did not have a smoke house when I got a grand tour of the facilities a few months back.

Some questions to ask :
Do they buy direct from farmers or on auction? (Or indirect from farmers via the one of the local slaughterhouses)
Do they used boxed beef or swing beef?

One thing I learned in my short stint in a butcher shop is to ask lots of questions

EDIT: what did you not find in the old thread? Bacon? There was a link there to Mr Beef out in Almonte who is absolutely all local. Only thing you won't find there is pork since it is a Muslim owned shop. And Manotick Village Butcher is the only other place I know where you can be assured that everything is local. Every other place I know of - ask lots of questions.

2012 Jan 22
Forum - Hobbs Family Farm has some fantastic beef that they raise there on site. Mostly frozen but they say to call ahead about fresh cuts because they do have some fresh cuts daily. They also have some pork from another local farmer but not sure about the conditions it is raised under. And they have bacon from that pork - made locally but I'm not sure by whom. It's good bacon though - you'd have to ask about nitrates

2012 Jan 22
Mr Beef is in Pakenham, I believe. Another thing to consider is that they all all halal, and I know some people (and gov'ts) don't approve of their methods of slaughter. Well put together packages on their website though.

2012 Jan 22
Try Manotick Village Butcher. They have all locally sourced beef,pork and chicken, They will dry age for you if you ask nicely. At Christmas I got a 29 day dry aged four rib prime rib from O'Brien's it was so tender you could cut it with a butter knife. The flavor has to be experienced. Here is a before pic.

2012 Jan 22
And after rare at 123F

2012 Jan 22
Oh yeah sorry Packenham.

2012 Feb 28
Thanks Bobby and Zymurgist for your comments. I am from Mr. Beef and you are correct about the meat being local. As for the slaughtering, its 100% inspectors approved and certified and according to the province of ontario rules. there is absoulutely no difference other then the no pork thing.
you can make your orders online or visit the store in pakenham at 223 Mcwatty Rd, Pakenham, ON.
www.mrbeefstore.com