Best Boutique Butcher in Australia!

Best Boutique Butcher in Australia!

21st November, 2017

Australian Traveler Magazine has named 1888 Certified as the number 1 boutique butcher in Australia. It’s a huge thrill for which we thank Australian Traveller whole heartedly and look forward to some of their readers discovering the joy and difference of grass fed and finished, hormone and antibiotic free meat.

Without going on too much, it really is quite humbling to be included in this list. To be named as number 1 is thrilling!

To be ranked above the likes of Peter Bouchier , Meatsmith & Cannings in Victoria and Victor Churchill in Sydney is the realisation of a lot of hard work. Loading sheep and cattle on a Sunday afternoon to unloading the bodies at 3am and having the meat ready for sale at 9am takes a huge commitment from all of the 1888 team. Our Model of a fully integrated paddock to plate butchery was never going to be easy. There’s a reason that 99% of butchers in Australia order boxes from wholesalers. It’s Easier. There’s less cutting, trimming and preparation. They don’t have to find a home for the whole animal. Most butchers buy cartons of whatever they need. It reduces waste and time spent trying to find a home for the cuts that most people don’t want (or know about).

As a result the art of Butchery is slowly dying out. It’s a bit like farming. The push into larger corporate farms, more automated practises and that fact that it’s long hours of very hard work for what most would consider little reward tends to lose it’s appeal to many that would once have followed parents in the industry. The problem with mass marketing or commoditising a product is that some corners have to be cut to make it worthwhile. In most instances it’s the quality of the product that suffers. Moore’s law, in the world of computing has eased people’s mindsets into the routine that nothing lasts forever and that if it lasts 18 to 24 months, it’s had a good life. The read across to farming is the increase in battery feeding production systems (or feedlotting). Production volumes increase, unit cost decreases and quality falls away. In the case of meat the health and flavour qualities of the meat suffer. Think about fruit like tomatoes and strawberries, they used to have flavour, well so did meat. Sadly, when you eat something for long enough it becomes an accepted norm.

In an age where disruption is the key to success we thought taking a step back might be a way of helping people take a few steps forward. Quality produce raised ethically and sustainably takes longer and costs more BUT once you try it the memories come flooding back of a great tasting meal you had as a kid or in a top restaurant. That doesn’t mean it costs more for the consumer. We take many of the middlemen costs that boxed meat incurs along the long road to your plate. Saleyards, agents, processors and warehousing fees add up fast. The beauty of our model is that they are avoided. The benefits are yours!

It’s not for everyone but it is for us and we hope you can taste the difference and appreciate it .

Here’s the link to the article Australian Traveller Article. We hope you agree and look forward to seeing you in-store or delivering to your door.

Written by Tim White

Tim is a co-owner of 1888 with Charlie Crichton. He’s passionate about farming, educating people about the food chain and sustainable practices. Sadly for Tim he is also passionate…

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