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People are cramming so much into a day that the desire for one stop shopping has done away with a great many specialty stores. That's why places like Wal-Mart exist. Because sometimes you need a pound of butter, a sledge hammer, a birthday cake, a pedicure and an oil change.

We used to go to our favorite butcher for meat, fish monger for seafood, bakery for bread, pastry and celebration cakes, and Italian salumerias for hard-to-find Italian products. This doesn't even take into account some people would go to one butcher for sausage and another for a beef roast!

There are a few "neighborhood" butchers left but I'm afraid their kids don't want to carry on the tradition. There are also gourmet and ethnic places where you can get certain specialized meats but they generally carry a higher price tag.

If anyone opens a small-scale "boutique" butcher with the economy in its present condition, I think he or she is flirting with financial disaster. That type of store might fly when things are bountiful but with everyone pinching pennies, now is not a good time.

My grandfather owned a very successful butchershop from the early 70s to early 90s, when many domestic purchase quotas were lifted and larger companies started buying meat overseas. His business hinged on the meat produced for local restaurants (some chains) and when those contracts were lost, it was simply too expensive of an operation to rely on local family purchases. Many other butchers (large and small) in the area slowly closed over time, or sold their business to some huge corporate conglomerate.

And therealchiffonade is right about the tradition not being passed - my dad took over part of the business but now only has a small shop to provide specialty butchering (mostly religious/cultural preparations), and my siblings and I certainly have zero desire to take over. It's really hard work, very dependent on the economy (especially purchasing the supply), and difficult to build a strong customer base, not to mention the expense of daily operations. It's hard for the local butcher to offer deals that are competitive with larger operations who absorb the operation costs much more easily.

So, I expect to see less and less small, local butchers...unless, of course, the economy continues the way it is, and larger producers close or scale back.

I only buy protein from my butcher. People always have comments about how my beef is "beefier", my pork is so moist, my chicken is so tender...because I don't buy pre-packages, saline injected shit from a grocery store that has been sitting there for a week.

THAT being said....I tout my butcher to anyone that will listen to me. Hence, if ever in Northeastern Ohio...specifically the Youngstown/Warren Area, please stop at The Meating Place on New Road. You will never buy anything shrink wrapped again!

In the Toledo and Columbus areas people are still smitten with a real butcher, in the form of House Of Meats. Some days it can be difficult to walk through one of their shops because of all the customers, particularly on Saturdays.

Outside of this small chain, and the in-store butcher shop at Sofo Foods in Toledo, things are pretty sad. I'd rather spend an hour at House of Meats or Sofo than 5 minutes at a grocer's meat case.

oh, I think so...I live in a city with no immediately available butchers, save the clowns at the chain grocery stores, and i'll be the first to tell you, $7.50 an hour does not a butcher make. in terms of selection of meats and in terms of actual knowledge and experience in butchery, i'd so much rather have an actual like, real butcher.

There's a butchershop in my town that's been here through several generations, and there are a lot of younger guys working there, along with some oldtimers.

The place is usually busy, but the only time it's crazy busy is before holidays, when there's a line snaking through the store. But even then, it's efficient, and they know to expect crowds, so they've got everyone working those days.

There is also a meat packing house not too far away, and that's where I pick up the lamb I buy every year, and hunters will bring in their elk for processing during that season. Some of the smaller farmers bring other livestock there as well.

So it seems we're pretty well covered, as far as fresh meat is concerned.

My family frequents a pork store in central NJ. He makes the ultimate chicken francaise and potato croquettes. The cold cuts can't be beat, either. It is more friendly, although more expensive than the typical supermarket, but we have a good repoire with the owner - helps us out a lot. If butchers/pork stores go by the wayside, there is one less reason to live.

I live in Charlottesville, VA and we have a relatively new butcher (opened in the last few years). They appear to be doing quite well and we buy all of our land and air based protein from them. (There's a fishmonger right next door...we get virtually all of our water based protein there unless our friend at the fish counter at Whole Foods lets us know of something particularly exceptional there.)

I agree that in the current economy, it doesn't seem like a good time to open a butcher shop. I'm very very (very) happy that we've got our local butcher, though. I'd have a hard time going to back to the offerings at our local grocery stores.

We have a German butcher about less than 15 minutes from where we live. Their prices are reasonable, their butchers are talented and extremely cordial and they are always happy to see me walk in the door. Most times I order "custom" cuts and they want to know what I am making. It is a warm and friendly shop and always my first choice.

Thank you all. My question was prompted by a never ending search for a nice cut. I have found a couple of shops but nothing near me (30 min min). With that said I do like the service and the quality (although limited) at my local Price Chopper. I live in a little New England town with a nice town green. The businessman in me was wondering if a shop here would stand a chance.

Thanks again and keep the feedback coming!

I do not trust butcher shops. I raised a pig, took it to the butcher, and found out he just traded his meat for mine. Man, I practically hand fed my pig, we called him dog, and he had the best, with a little love to boot!! Now, my husband and I do all our own butchering on deer and elk....we don't really know what we are doing, but we know its our meat in the package and not some old deseased animal.PUKKK

@cocoloco ~ wow, I'm feeling outraged and it didn't even happen to me. I'll bet he kept your pig for himself. Did you raise a fuss? Can he be sued? I'd want some sort of revenge and restitution. My Irish temper would have raised its ugly head. I know that because I can feel it rising, just reading of your experienc. You have to fill in the blanks. You didn't just take it lying down, did you?

This time of year(deer hunting and turkey) I pay particular homage to my butcher. I have noticed the trend of butchers preparing proteins. We have a butcher in my town that also specializes in BBQ. It seems to work out good for him. I think that butchers are going to have to invent new ways of keeping the customers coming in. I hope they can becuase I would hate to have my only choice be the megamart.

How would I get suuuuuper-thin beef for pho? Fresh rabbitt, fresh veal, fresh duck - from my boyfriend - the butcher!! I need him to sharpen my knives... I need him to make "stew meat" from fillet.... and when he's not around - I need his co-workers to wrap up 1/4 pound of pepper bacon for a single BLT.... I LOATHE factory-packaged meat in pillow packs, and like to know there are men sweeping bone dust off my new yorks in a cold room. oi.

just ask my wife...lol

Clay Gordon has sooo many good points about this too. Premium selection of cuts, customized butchering and quality are all things you really can only get from your local butcher.

I have a good relationship with the German butcher about 20 mins from me. Nver mind all that--I LOVE the smells of a butcher!!!!!!!!!! MMMMmmmm....

Butcher shops still have a place in this world. I'm 23, and I feel many of my friends have begun to question what is in their food and how it was produced. One of the simplest ways to be certain about this is to visit your local butcher. Butchers also carry or have the ability to acquire a wider selection then your resident box mart.

Real butchers can save you money - not a specialty service for good economic times - just the opposite. A real butcher will tell you how to cook a very economical cut of meat, they'll show you how to coax wonderful flavor out of cuts you may not have tried. They can also sell the pricey cuts to the guys from AIG, but I just made the most amazing chilli with stock I made from trotters and bones and a couple of pieces of leg meat. Three of us had several meals on what might be considered mostly scrap. Go back to the cooking of grandmas...

Here in San Diego, Ca. we have very few butchers with the majority selling low quality meats to the hispanic population with the meat coming from mexico and it's not the best unless you marinate it heavily and burn it on the grill then smother it in sauce and the mystery meat sausages filled with a paste like substance .On fishing trips to Cabo I've eaten Sonora beef, a t-bone they called porterhouse, with a big hype about it while it was being burnt and it was as expected like the sole of my leather sandal dry and grissely. We desparatly need a quality butcher not meat cutters , big difference, Bristol Farms has choice meats but they get it pre-packaged cut and wrapped individually . The last real butcher near me, a German, has gone to mainly in-house sausage fresh made and smoked all his own receipes and they are excellent you can actually see the meat and fat no mysteries also smokes his own bacon different woods and cures also has english rashers and so on, he even used to dry-age his beef but couldnt afford the refrigeration system the usda and health depts required, a tragic loss for us.I'm sure if someone opened a Real butcher shop and cut their product from hanging meats the quality would be A-one and they would come in masses, with the right variety of meats and processed meats products not just a glorified deli with the usual generic so-called speciality brands we all know the names, one could have a thriving business.

All this talk about Butchers... I am a Trade Qualified Butcher; yes the trade does exist but not in the US, here they are meatcutters with "certification" and I use that word as a toungue in cheek expression.

The trade of Butchery is dead. Although sad but it is a sign of the times.

I gained my trade in Australia (where all butchers are trade qualified). Starting out at the ripe old age of 16 and 80$, 7 days a week and required college education for 4 years with 6 years on the job training.

I have learnt all facets of the "trade" from slaughter to center of plate, breakdown of all carcasses including kangaroo!!

I have gained employment as a Butcher in San Diego and am to happy to pass on my experiences. I would like at some stage to faciliate formal Butchery education and am currently undertaking the investigations to do so.... It would be nice to see the Trade recognised again. I know that i would like to see the Bakers and candle stick makers return....