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Chef meets butcher at Midtown Meats

Shop sells all-natural beef, pork and free-range chicken along with seasonings
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Midtown Meats is bringing a new flavour to downtown Red Deer.

One-Eleven Grill owner Mahziar Peyrow, “extreme foodie” Will Castro and sixth-generation butcher Robertus Peters are behind the shop at 4928 Ross St., which opened its doors a few days ago.

“With this whole mixture of all three of us together, we created this whole Midtown Meats,” said Peyrow. “It’s kind of like the chef meets the butcher.”

Peyrow and Castro were thinking of opening a diner at first, but the idea morphed into their shop selling all-natural beef, pork and free-range chicken along with seasoning salts and rubs to accentuate flavours. They haven’t fully stocked their shelves yet, with pickled items and other products from Italy, Spain, Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom on the way.

While they don’t have restaurant-style seating, beginning next week they will offer lunches. Sandwiches, sausage on a bun, soups and stews will be on the menu, said Castro.

Besides his restaurant business, Peyrow owns Wholesome Farms Meat Co., which supplies organic meat to restaurants and other consumers throughout the area.

Peters, who operates as Six on the Block, supplies the cured and smoked meats, which come from Crossfield.

Peyrow said they make their cuts of meat themselves and it’s oven-ready for customers.

They have a large variety of cuts and types of meat available. There are sirloin, rib-eyes, tenderloins, prosciutto, sausages, bacon, pork roasts, cutlets and chops, seasoned chicken and many others. All are free of antibiotics and from animals that were raised without growth hormones.

The 100-Mile Diet popularized the idea of getting your food close to home. Midtown Meats falls neatly into that philosophy.

The pork comes from a farm just east of Red Deer, the chicken is from just south of Calgary and the beef comes from Central Alberta sources.

“The furthest away is south of Calgary. Otherwise, we try to keep it local.”

Word is already getting out. An Alix all-natural meat producer had stopped by on Thursday afternoon to see if Midtown Meats had an appetite for their product.

Castro said the feedback they have gotten so far has been very positive. Customers like being able to speak with the butcher and knowing where the product is from.

pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com