Where to Shop in Vancouver: Coming Back A Carnivore

As a former raw food advocate it may seem hypocritical to be making a comeback as a carnivore. However, having tried various foodie lifestyles to deal with a malfunctioning gall bladder I finally arrived at the meat heavy paleo diet. The question I had as a recovering vegetarian was where to shop in Vancouver for healthy, locally sourced meat for my family?

Where to Shop in Vancouver, Carnivore Edition

On a neighbourhood stroll I came across West Broadway Meat Co. After pestering the workers with my meat questions I was directed to Lorne McMillan, Head Butcher. For Vancouver Mom, McMillan explained why West Broadway Meat Co is where to shop in Vancouver for great meat.

Where does the meat love come from?

When I was a kid, some of my fondest food memories revolved around a local butcher shop. It’s a small family run store (which is still there) and my parents would order a quarter beef every year. I remember the sights and smells of the shop, the butchers, the crazy looking guy unloading the truck and most importantly, the meat. The beef that we serve at the shop takes me back to those childhood days. I always wanted to work with food, so I got a job with Cactus Club and worked my way into a culinary arts apprenticeship. Dealing with meat was always my favourite part of the job, and when I got to cooking school, the first two days were meat cutting. That opened the door to a whole new world of food preparation. The only problem was, at that time, butcher shops were closing all over the province, so I stayed in the kitchen until a few years ago when I got a chance to run Pasture to Plate’s retail store on Commercial Drive. That opportunity, coupled with the birth of my first child, made the transition from behind a line to behind a deli case an easy decision. With a young family to feed, the switch to well sourced meat just made sense, and if I could get paid to do it, then it was that much better!

What sets your store apart when it comes to where to shop in Vancouver for meat?

We source all of our products from BC farms. As much as possible, we purchase directly from the farmers (like our beef, lamb and rabbits). We do our very best to ensure that all of our products were raised and slaughtered in humane conditions. Our farmers and ranchers are good stewards of not just the animals, but the land they were raised on. Another thing that sets us apart is our selection of house made deli meats. We are the only place, that I know of, that makes all their own bacons in house and nitrate free, along with things like smoked turkey, ham, roast beef, pates, and meat pies. We also do whole animal butchery, so we can custom cut just about anything for our clients.

In a lean and green city like Vancouver, what makes your meats healthy for the body and environmentally friendly?

The local aspect for sure. One of the benefits of sourcing food locally is the decreased carbon footprint of our products. Also, we can make sure that those farmers are in fact taking good care of the land. Just stocking products like grass fed beef and lamb is a step in the right direction, as those ranches are inherently better for the environment than feedlot operations and factory farms. From a personal health perspective, there is lots of well documented info out there on the benefits of grass fed vs. grain fed and pasture raised vs. feedlot. With our house made products like the bacons, broths and deli meats, we don’t use any chemical preservatives, artificial colours or flavours. As we like to say in the shop, “If your grandparents wouldn’t recognize it as food, we don’t use it.”

What’s your favourite prepared meat? How do you prepare it?

That depends on the time of year. I love braising in fall and winter, beef short ribs, osso bucco, pork hocks anything that cooks low and slow and gives big, rich flavours. When it’s a bit warmer I do most of my cooking outside on the grill. It’s quick, gives great flavour and produces a lot less dishes to clean up! Bacon, pulled pork and sausages are great all year round! I like to do my bacon in the oven, it’s easier and gives a more consistent finished product. Sausages are great done in the oven, grilled, or crumbled up to put in a sauce.

Can you recommend your picks for best meat served at any restaurants in Vancouver?

Fable Kitchen has great food and atmosphere, very good value, and is kid-friendly. It serves all local products, prepared in house. Bishop’s is excellent. John Bishop is a legend in Vancouver for a reason. He really was one of the farm to table, local food pioneers in the city. It also helps that he shops at our store, so I know he has good taste in meat. We deal some of the same suppliers as people like: Campagnolo and Campagnolo Roma, Meat & Bread, Burdock & Co, and the Farmer’s Apprentice. I haven’t eaten at any of those yet, but I know they source good quality products.

West Broadway Meat Co is partnering with Urban Digs Farm at The River Market in New Westminster for an evening to stimulate your palate and your mind on February 22, 2014 from 6:30-10:30pm. Urban Digs will be offering a selection of bite-sized delights made with locally sourced, sustainable meat. They then will be screening a thought-provoking, film featuring Joel Salatin who uses a system of pasture rotation to produce pork, beef and chicken in a way that is both economically and environmentally sustainable. The film also presents conventional ways of meat production through the eyes and stories of commodity farmers. The film will be followed by a panel discussion. Tickets can be bought online for $27.50.