News
New -Olliffe Wholesale
Welcome to Olliffe Wholesale, We are different from the Big Guys, we do small batches of handcrafted products. We’re small, everyone is not going to deal with us. However, we are unique because we don’t sell cheap commodity food. Like your business, we are also in the retail business of selling food to the public, with locations at Summerhill, St Lawrence Market and Queen East, we know having a unique product offering is really important to your success. Both the quality of our products and our brand can help you stand out. Frank...
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Posted on 5/11/2013
New -Olliffe Wholesale
Welcome to Olliffe Wholesale,
We are different from the Big Guys, we do small batches of handcrafted products. We’re small, everyone is not going to deal with us. However, we are unique because we don’t sell cheap commodity food.
Like your business, we are also in the retail business of selling food to the public, with locations at Summerhill, St Lawrence Market and Queen East, we know having a unique product offering is really important to your success. Both the quality of our products and our brand can help you stand out.
Frankly, our Ontario Free Standing Meat Plant is small, as is our volume, compared to “Big Meat.” Our advantage is not only customized ordering but you will receive the same quality of fresh meat & sausages that are on display in our retail counters.
Simply, we don’t compromise quality for quantity. Our products are recognizably better tasting, something your customers will understand and enjoy.
Why does "Big Meat" add sodium escorbate, carrageenan, phosphates, or other tongue twisting ingredient to fresh sausages & burgers? Of course it is to prolong shelf-life but we are not chemists. Pure protein, salt, pepper and spices are all that is needed, oh yeah some hard fat too! Why add toasted wheat crumbs? Doesn't make sense to us, rationing ended in 1946 and fillers are not needed to bulk up weight.
Fluctuating prices from the commodity meat market hurt your bottom line, cost control is key to maintaining margin. We buy straight from the field gate, abattoir, and cooperatives. This gives you price stability and helps your financial forecasting model.
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Posted on 5/11/2013
New Store in Leslieville
Toronto, April 17, 2013 – Olliffe – one of Toronto’s premier butcher shops-is expanding once again, with the addition a third retail location and wholesale operation in the up-and-coming Leslieville neighbourhood. The new location, which will officially open under the Olliffe banner on Tuesday, April 23 , is located at 1378 Queen Street East , at the former location of Sausage Partners, just east of Greenwood Avenue. It will feature both a retail butcher shop and a wholesale meat plant that w...
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Posted on 5/11/2013
New Store in Leslieville
Toronto, April 17, 2013 – Olliffe – one of Toronto’s premier butcher shops-is expanding once again, with the addition a third retail location and wholesale operation in the up-and-coming Leslieville neighbourhood.
The new location, which will officially open under the Olliffe banner on Tuesday, April 23, is located at 1378 Queen Street East, at the former location of Sausage Partners, just east of Greenwood Avenue. It will feature both a retail butcher shop and a wholesale meat plant that will maintain Olliffe’s steadfast focus of fresh, natural meat.
The expansion into wholesale means Olliffe will now be able service restaurants and other fine food stores across Ontario with its superior-tasting cuts of beef, pork, sausages and deli meats.
"Chefs always come in asking to buy our meats,” said Olliffe’s Sam Gundy. “Previously, I would have to say no because our retail butcher shop is not licensed to sell to them. But with our own licensed plant, we can service a larger market that wants natural fresh meat with provenance."
Sam, who co-owns Olliffe along with his brothers Ben Gundy and James Aitken, also noted that the new wholesale business gives them the flexibility to do custom orders tailored to their customer’s needs.
“‘Big Meat’ will always do better on price, but our advantage is customized quality,” said Ben Gundy. “Our small plant does not have a factory line, so we do small batch cutting, grinding and sausage stuffing. Chefs and small grocers want that flexibility but it is normally not offered."
Olliffe’s customers are focused on the traceability of food provenance more than ever, and the new meat plant means that the home chef, the restaurant and small grocers will be able to buy natural, fresh, high-quality product that they can continue to rely on.
Sam comments, “More people will have access to better meat, with our strict criteria of selecting the best farmers and suppliers around."
A staple among the shops of Summerhill since 1975, Olliffe Butcher has a long reputation as the purveyor of the finest meats. In September 2011, the company widened its footprint in the city with the acquisition of Sausage King at the St. Lawrence Market. The new Leslieville location will showcase a selection of in-house made deli meats, prepared foods, seasonal pantry items, and from time to time, Olliffe regular offerings (as at its other locations.)
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Posted on 5/11/2013
Globe and Mail - Gender Important
Wency Leung discusses whether gender is important in buying meat see more
Posted on 2/23/2012
Globe and Mail - Gender Important
Wency Leung discusses whether gender is important in buying meat see more
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Posted on 2/23/2012
Holiday 2011 Menu & Options
Well Aged Middlesex Co. Prime or PEI Blue Ribbon Beef- Seasoned & Seared, Ready For The Oven or Raw, Tied & Trussed • Beef Tenderloin • Standing Prime Rib Roast • Prime Chuck Pot Roast • Shortribs • Striploin Roast • Top Sirloin Roast Ontario Foraged Pork- Huron Co. Berkshire, Perth Co. Tamshire & Northumberland Co. Whey Fed Pigs Available • Standing Pork Rib Roast • Boneless & Trussed Pork Loin Roast • Shoulder Roast • Whole...
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Posted on 11/23/2011
Holiday 2011 Menu & Options
Well Aged Middlesex Co. Prime or PEI Blue Ribbon Beef- Seasoned & Seared, Ready For The Oven or Raw, Tied & Trussed
• Beef Tenderloin
• Standing Prime Rib Roast
• Prime Chuck Pot Roast
• Shortribs
• Striploin Roast
• Top Sirloin Roast
Ontario Foraged Pork- Huron Co. Berkshire, Perth Co. Tamshire & Northumberland Co. Whey Fed Pigs Available
• Standing Pork Rib Roast
• Boneless & Trussed Pork Loin Roast
• Shoulder Roast
• Whole Leg
White Veal Hand Picked by Gunther and Delivered Daily to Olliffe
• Thick Cut Veal Rib Chops
• Veal Scaloppini
• Veal Shoulder Roast
• One Inch Cubed Veal Stew
• Hand Cut Ossobucco
Lamb from Forsyth Farms Raised & Fed to Olliffe’s Specifications
• Rack of Lamb
• Crown Rack of Lamb
• Leg of Lamb
• Boneless Leg of Lamb
• Lamb Shanks
• Boneless Shoulder Roast
• One Inch Cubed Lamb Stew
Locally Sourced Poultry
• Air Chilled & Steroid/Hormone Free Chicken
• Free Run & Open Air Raised Turkeys
• Heritage Breed Chanteclaire Rouge Chicken
•
Ontario Game
• Fallow Venison
• Partridge
• Quail
• Pheasant
Cooked & Easy To Reheat
• Spiralled Ham with Olliffe’s Ham Glaze
• Boneless Ham with Olliffe’s Ham Glaze
• Bone In Ham with Olliffe’s Ham Glaze
• BBQ Chicken
• Baby Back Ribs –Olliffe BBQ or Teriyaki
• Chicken Wings –Hot, Mild or Honey Garlic
Soups:
• Ravi’s Chicken Noodle Soup
• Olliffe’s Tomato & Porcini Puree
• Leek, Potato & Bacon Chowder
• Lentil & Smoked Ham Hock Soup
Salads:
• Caesar Salad with Olliffe’s Caesar Dressing
• Three Bean Salad
• Deli Style Creamy Coleslaw
• Potato Salad with Bacon & Caramelized Shallots
• DuPuy Lentil Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
• Deli Style Macaroni Salad
• Chicken Salad with Celery and Peaches
Vegetable Side Dishes
• Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Puree
• Potato Gratin
• Roast Potato
• Basmati rice
• Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Cream
• French Beans With Lemon & Almonds
• Beets Roasted With Orange & Shallots
Vegetable, Fruit, Sausage & Bacon Stuffing is Bread Based, Available in All Sizes
Olliffes Pies Sold in a Refundable Ceramic Dish
-Chicken Pot Pie – Olliffe’s Signature Pot Pie made with white meat, hearty vegetables and smothered in a rich chicken gravy
-Steak & Ale Pie – Made from locally sourced prime graded top sirloin and simmered with mushrooms, pearl onions and dark craft brewed ale
-Rabbit Pie – A seasonal favourite made with Ontario raised rabbits and simmered in a rich spiced gravy with onions, mushrooms, carrots and celery
-Shepherds Pie – Ontario lamb simmered with holiday spices and topped with a parmesan & cheddar potato lid
-Cottage Pie – The same as our shepherds pie yet made with fresh ground prime graded Ontario chuck
-Steak & Kidney Pie – prime graded Ontario sirloin steak simmered with Forsyth Farms lambs kidneys makes a hearty traditional pie for the family to enjoy
-Beef Bourguignon – The traditional Burgundy Stew with Ontario Prime Graded Chuck, smoked bacon, pearl onions, carrots and celery cooked slowly with a rich burgundy wine
Olliffe’s Famous Beef Wellington
-Tamshire lard pastry wrapped around prime graded beef tenderloin with Foie gras and truffles
Convenient Breakfast Items
-Jamie’s Famous All-Pork English Breakfast Sausage
-The Same Great Sliced Bacon Olliffes has always carried from North Country
-New To Olliffe – Whey Fed & Tamworth Pork Bellies Cured & Smoked to Our Own Specifications Resulting in a Lower Sodium Bacon
-Peameal Bacon
-Echire Butter From France
-Butter from The Sterling Creamery
Jamies ‘No Filler’ Fresh Made Sausage
-French – all pork, green onion
-Toulouse – all pork, herbes de provence
-Mild Italian – all pork, Jamie’s secret blend of spices
-Spicy Italian – same as the mild but with a kick
-Oktoberfest – all pork with a touch of garlic
-Smokie – cold smoked pork with swiss cheese and spinach
-Chorizo – fresh all pork sausage with prosciutto and Jamie’s secret chorizo spice blend
-Spicy Merguez – all lamb with Olliffe decades old recipe of merguez spice
-Lamb & Fennel – all lamb seasoned with fennel seed and garlic
The Deli Counter
As demand for nitrate and nitrite free deli meats is increasing, the team at Olliffe are constantly updating its deli counter with this option. Not everything we sell is nitrate and nitrite free but just ask and we will gladly point out what is available.
Have A Safe & Happy Holiday
Olliffe – Purveyors of The Finest Meats
1097A Yonge St.
Toronto, On
416.928.0296
www.olliffe.Olliffe Holiday Menu December 2011
Holiday 2011 Menu Options
Well Aged Middlesex Co. Prime or PEI Blue Ribbon Beef- Seasoned & Seared, Ready For The Oven or Raw, Tied & Trussed
- Beef Tenderloin
- Standing Prime Rib Roast
- Prime Chuck Pot Roast
- Shortribs
- Striploin Roast
- Top Sirloin Roast
Ontario Foraged Pork- Huron Co. Berkshire, Perth Co. Tamshire & Northumberland Co. Whey Fed Pigs Available
- Standing Pork Rib Roast
- Boneless & Trussed Pork Loin Roast
- Shoulder Roast
- Whole Leg
White Veal Hand Picked by Gunther and Delivered Daily to Olliffe
- Thick Cut Veal Rib Chops
- Veal Scaloppini
- Veal Shoulder Roast
- One Inch Cubed Veal Stew
- Hand Cut Ossobucco
Lamb from Forsyth Farms Raised & Fed to Olliffe’s Specifications
- Rack of Lamb
- Crown Rack of Lamb
- Leg of Lamb
- Boneless Leg of Lamb
- Lamb Shanks
- Boneless Shoulder Roast
- One Inch Cubed Lamb Stew
Locally Sourced Poultry
- Air Chilled & Steroid/Hormone Free Chicken
- Free Run & Drug Free Heritage Turkeys
- Heritage Breed Chanteclaire Rouge Chicken
- Certified Organic Chickens, Locally Sourced 4lb
Ontario Game
- Fallow Venison
- Partridge
- Quail
- Pheasant
Cooked & Easy To Reheat
- Spiralled Ham with Olliffe’s Ham Glaze
- Boneless Ham with Olliffe’s Ham Glaze
- Bone In Ham with Olliffe’s Ham Glaze
- BBQ Chicken
- Baby Back Ribs –Olliffe BBQ or Teriyaki
- Chicken Wings –Hot, Mild or Honey Garlic
Soups:
- Ravi’s Chicken Noodle Soup
- Olliffe’s Tomato & Porcini Puree
- Leek, Potato & Bacon Chowder
- Lentil & Smoked Ham Hock Soup
Salads:
- Caesar Salad with Olliffe’s Caesar Dressing
- Three Bean Salad
- Deli Style Creamy Coleslaw
- Potato Salad with Bacon & Caramelized Shallots
- DuPuy Lentil Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
- Deli Style Macaroni Salad
- Chicken Salad with Celery and Peaches
Vegetable Side Dishes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Puree
- Potato Gratin
- Roast Potato
- Basmati rice
- Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Cream
- French Beans With Lemon & Almonds
- Beets Roasted With Orange & Shallots
Vegetable, Fruit, Sausage & Bacon Stuffing are Bread Based, Available in Size to feed 3 -4
Olliffes Famous Savoury Pies
Sold in a Refundable Ceramic Dish
-Chicken Pot Pie – Olliffe’s Signature Pot Pie made with white meat, hearty vegetables and smothered in a rich chicken gravy
-Steak & Ale Pie – Made from locally sourced prime graded top sirloin and simmered with mushrooms, pearl onions and dark craft brewed ale
-Rabbit Pie – A seasonal favourite made with Ontario raised rabbits and simmered in a rich spiced gravy with onions, mushrooms, carrots and celery
-Shepherds Pie – Ontario lamb simmered with holiday spices and topped with a parmesan & cheddar potato lid
-Cottage Pie – The same as our shepherds pie yet made with fresh ground prime graded Ontario chuck
-Steak & Kidney Pie – prime graded Ontario sirloin steak simmered with Forsyth Farms lambs kidneys makes a hearty traditional pie for the family to enjoy
-Beef Bourguignon – The traditional Burgundy Stew with Ontario Prime Graded Chuck, smoked bacon, pearl onions, carrots and celery cooked slowly with a rich burgundy wine
Olliffe’s Famous Beef Wellington
-Tamshire lard pastry wrapped around prime graded beef tenderloin with Foie gras and truffles
Convenient Breakfast Items
-Jamie’s Famous All-Pork English Breakfast Sausage
-The Same Great Sliced Bacon Olliffes has always carried from North Country
-New To Olliffe – Whey Fed & Tamworth Pork Bellies Cured & Double Smoked to Our Own Specifications Resulting in a Lower Sodium Bacon
-Peameal Bacon
-Whey Butter From Ontario
-Butter from The Sterling Creamery
Jamies ‘No Filler’ Fresh Made Sausage
-French – all pork, green onion
-Toulouse – all pork, herbes de provence
-Mild Italian – all pork, Jamie’s secret blend of spices
-Spicy Italian – same as the mild but with a kick
-Oktoberfest – all pork with a touch of garlic
-Smokie – cold smoked pork with swiss cheese and spinach
-Chorizo – fresh all pork sausage with prosciutto and Jamie’s secret chorizo spice blend
-Spicy Merguez – all lamb with Olliffe decades old recipe of merguez spice
-Lamb & Fennel – all lamb seasoned with fennel seed and garlic
The Deli Counter
As demand for nitrate and nitrite free deli meats is increasing, the team at Olliffe are constantly updating its deli counter with this option. Not everything we sell is nitrate and nitrite free but just ask and we will gladly point out what is available.
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Posted on 11/23/2011
Blog Post - Matt Kantor's Little Kitchen
Chef Matt Kantor and his Little Kitchen series takes over the butchershop for a three night series of seriously good meat paired with beer. November 14-16, 2011 http://blog.patanderson.net/2011/11/15/another-delicious-matt-kantor-little-kitchen-feast/
Posted on 11/15/2011
Blog Post - Matt Kantor's Little Kitchen
Chef Matt Kantor and his Little Kitchen series takes over the butchershop for a three night series of seriously good meat paired with beer. November 14-16, 2011 http://blog.patanderson.net/2011/11/15/another-delicious-matt-kantor-little-kitchen-feast/
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Posted on 11/15/2011
Nose to Tail November - Free Butchery Classes
Nose to Tail November: Free Butchery Classes Join Master Butchers George & Joe this November for free butchery classes/demonstrations. These short half-hour sessions are complimentary and reservations are not needed. Show up, watch, learn and ask some questions. Each butcher demonstration will focus on 20 minutes of sectioning and provenance explanation of the whole animals we sell. Each cut is identified, expertly trimmed and then displayed in our counters. The classes are then wrapped with 10 minutes of Q & A...
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Posted on 10/27/2011
Nose to Tail November - Free Butchery Classes
Nose to Tail November: Free Butchery Classes
Join Master Butchers George & Joe this November for free butchery classes/demonstrations. These short half-hour sessions are complimentary and reservations are not needed.
Show up, watch, learn and ask some questions. Each butcher demonstration will focus on 20 minutes of sectioning and provenance explanation of the whole animals we sell. Each cut is identified, expertly trimmed and then displayed in our counters. The classes are then wrapped with 10 minutes of Q & A.
As a bonus to our visiting students, during each class your butcher/instructor will ask a meat related trivia question. The person with the first correct answer will win a prize such as an Olliffe t-shirt, gift certificates or store items. Come join us for some fun, fact, and whole animal butchery.
Schedule
Whole Lamb Butchery November 3rd & 24th, 11am. Identify loin parts, shoulder and leg. Trimming and tieing with Butcher George
Whole Hog Butchery November 9th & 23rd, 3pm. Identify loin parts, shoulder and leg, offal. Trimming and tieing with Butcher George
Whole Chicken Butchery November 11th & 25th 11am. breaking into each part. Finding the joints. Making supremes and filets. With Butcher Joe
Good Meat 101 November 18th 11am.nPrime Rib Tieing, Cutting Steaks & Chops. Trimming and tieing technique. With Butcher George
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Posted on 10/27/2011
Olliffe Expands Into St Lawrence Market
OLLIFFE BUTCHER BRINGS GOOD TASTE TO ST. LAWRENCE MARKET WITH THE ACQUISITION OF THE SAUSAGE KING Chef and Head Butcher Ben Gundy to lead the revitalization of the new location Toronto - August 29, 2011 - Established Summerhill-Rosedale butcher shop, Olliffe, is expanding into St. Lawrence Market with the completion of the acquisition of The Sausage King, effective September 2, 2011. Located on the main floor of St. Lawrence Market, Olliffe's new store will be called Sausage King by Olliffe. It will feature a wide range of handma...
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Posted on 8/30/2011
Olliffe Expands Into St Lawrence Market
OLLIFFE BUTCHER BRINGS GOOD TASTE TO ST. LAWRENCE MARKET WITH THE ACQUISITION OF THE SAUSAGE KINGChef and Head Butcher Ben Gundy to lead the revitalization of the new locationToronto - August 29, 2011 - Established Summerhill-Rosedale butcher shop, Olliffe, is expanding into St. Lawrence Market with the completion of the acquisition of The Sausage King, effective September 2, 2011.Located on the main floor of St. Lawrence Market, Olliffe's new store will be called Sausage King by Olliffe. It will feature a wide range of handmade sausages - made without fillers and gluten-free - as well as heritage pork, traditionally-raised beef and naturally-raised poultry and game."Our approach is 'whole animal butchery' which not only involves using all parts of the animal, but also knowing and interacting with the farmer that raised that animal," says Ben Gundy, head butcher and co-owner of Olliffe.Gundy leaves his position as General Manager at the Olliffe Summerhill-Rosedale location to lead the revitalization of the St. Lawrence Market shop, and to ensure it meets the same quality and value standards that Olliffe has become synonymous with over its 35-year history.While Olliffe will begin operations of Sausage King by Olliffe, effective immediately, throughout Fall 2011 customers can expect to see renovations at the St. Lawrence Market location. Olliffe will bring it up to a similar style and layout esthetic as its other shop.The wide product selection The Sausage King has been known to offer will remain in tact. As Gundy points out, in his past Executive Chef roles, he would always turn to The Sausage King for good quality sausage. The revitalized Sausage King by Olliffe will feature numerous types of sausage, steaks and chops, among them, a "best of" selection curated by the butchery team at their Summerhill-Rosedale shop.Market goers can also expect that acclaimed Chef Ben Gundy will be advancing the epicurean levels on the lunch menu front at this new location. As regulars to the Summerhill-Rosedale Olliffe location can attest, every lunch meal - from sandwiches to salads and other prepared foods - meets taste tests of high expectations with chef-quality fare.With co-owner and also brother Sam, Ben Gundy could not find a better location for their first expansion than the venerable St Lawrence Market. The Market attracted the Olliffe owners due not only to its commitment to fresh foods, but also the notion of linking food producers with the retailer and then to the customer."The two locations, both with strong history, will complement each other well," adds Ben Gundy.Visit: http://olliffe.ca and follow @sausagekingslm and @olliffebutcher on Twitter.
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Posted on 8/30/2011
Closed Canada Day
Olliffe will be closed on Canada Day July 1st, 2011 and reopening for regular hours on Saturday July 2nd. For any orders please call 416 928 0296
Posted on 6/27/2011
Closed Canada Day
Olliffe will be closed on Canada Day July 1st, 2011 and reopening for regular hours on Saturday July 2nd. For any orders please call 416 928 0296
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Posted on 6/27/2011
Knife Sharpening Now Available
June 27, 2011
Our Butcher will hand sharpen your knives to perfection. Using two different grades of Japanese stones your knife will be precisely sharp.
One of the truths our butchers often tell customers is that dull knives are quite dangerous as people pull,rip and generally feel too comfortable.
Smaller knives are $10.00 and larger Chef style are $15.00 each. We also do your scissors and shears.
Posted on 6/27/2011
Knife Sharpening Now Available
June 27, 2011
Our Butcher will hand sharpen your knives to perfection. Using two different grades of Japanese stones your knife will be precisely sharp.
One of the truths our butchers often tell customers is that dull knives are quite dangerous as people pull,rip and generally feel too comfortable.
Smaller knives are $10.00 and larger Chef style are $15.00 each. We also do your scissors and shears.
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Posted on 6/27/2011
Organic is Important - But There are Other Factors
National Post September 24, 2010 Sam Gundy is co-owner of Olliffe, Purveyor of the Finest Meats located in Toronto. The Meat Lessons is his occasional series for Th e Appetizer. The organic and drug and hormone free (you can’t say “natural” anymore) meat and poultry market has exploded in recent years and for good reason. People want to eat products that are as unadulterated as possible. However there are two key methods at the processing level that should be considered as well as o...
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Posted on 10/14/2010
Organic is Important - But There are Other Factors
National Post September 24, 2010
Sam Gundy is co-owner of Olliffe, Purveyor of the Finest Meats located in Toronto. The Meat Lessons is his occasional series for The Appetizer.
The organic and drug and hormone free (you can’t say “natural” anymore) meat and poultry market has exploded in recent years and for good reason. People want to eat products that are as unadulterated as possible. However there are two key methods at the processing level that should be considered as well as organic: seasoned meats and poultry and air versus water chilled processing.
Seasoned Meats and Poultry
“Seasoned” meat or poultry refers to the method of immersing chicken, pork or other meats into a salt bath, otherwise known as brine. The effects of seasoning are numerous. Not only will the increased salt content boost perceived flavour but the excess salty water would naturally tenderize the meat. However the consequence of meat and poultry priced as a “weighed good” causes the consumer ending up paying for the excess water soaked into the meat. Furthermore seasoning meat and poultry is an effective way to dramatically increase the shelf life of the product. Reputable retailers always label their products as “Seasoned.” Generally, if your chicken breast or pork tenderloin is extra watery and floppy it could be seasoned.
Air vs Water Chilled Poultry
After evisceration poultry is cooled before processing. Air chilled poultry is the process of rapidly cooling the birds by passing them through several chambers of blasting cold air. Water chilling is the process of immersing the birds into a communal bath of very cold water.
Water chilling is a different process than Seasoning as salt is not included in the water bath. However the 5 to 10 percent of weight gain does occur by the muscle soaking up water therefore water chilling is economically favourable for the packer as 5 to 10 percent of weight is gained. When at your local meat purveyor you want to look for excess moisture in the holding tray. When you feel the chicken it should be firm and dry not sloppy or wet.
Air vs Water Chilled Beef
Many people do not realize that there are two methods of chilling beef. Like chicken, beef needs to be cooled before being cut in half then quarters or parts before market. The difference is that beef takes much longer than chicken to chill and the faster the “processing line” can be moved along, the faster to market and less inventory for the abattoir.
Water Chilled Beef: After evisceration, the carcass is hung to cool and consistently sprinkled with cold water and eventually processed for market. Every night the carcass hangs in the cooler and dehydration occurs losing up to 2% of the original weight. Essentially water is used to subsidize the moisture loss of up to 2% however there are controls in place to add no more than the original weight.
Air Chilled Beef: Like water chilled, air chilled beef is initially washed down but no more. Some abattoirs cover the carcass in a shroud and hang the beef in a cooler to dry chill. Dehydration does occur and up to 2% of the original weight is evaporated. Air chilled beef holds longer in the cooler allowing the old-fashioned method of dry-aging to be more successful.
The end question is which method is better? Both the large and small plants employ these processes. We buy only air chilled chicken as we believe it to be superior in flavour and texture. For beef we believe the answer depends on how it is aged: wet vs dry. Dry aging is the process of allowing the loin to age open-air in a cooler with controlled temperature and humidity. Dry-aged beef has a deep flavour, almost cheese-like. Our experience is that we can dry-age air chilled beef at least 28 days longer than water chilled.
Therefore we believe air chilled beef is better than wet chilled when dry ageing. Wet-aged beef is the process of placing parts, usually the loin, into a vacuum-sealed bag for a period of 4-6 weeks. Therefore,if the intent is to wet-age the beef from the beginning of the processing cycle then the experiential enjoyment of air vs wet chilling is minimal.
Read more: http://life.nationalpost.com/2010/09/24/the-meat-lessons-organic-is-important-but-there-are-other-things-to-consider/#ixzz12N2qosu5
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Posted on 10/14/2010
The Success of PEI Beef
National Post October 13, 2010 Our Meat Lessons expert Sam Gundy and his team from Olliffe recently took a trip out to Prince Edward Island to see how the tiny province has begun producing, in his opinion, some of the best tasting beef in North America. Included on the trip was head butcher George Madill, owners Ben & Sam Gundy and Le Patron of George Restaurant in Toronto. On PEI the most important agricultural employer is the potato industry, and therein lies part of the answer. Unlike in other Canadian provinces and across the U....
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Posted on 10/14/2010
The Success of PEI Beef
National Post October 13, 2010
Our Meat Lessons expert Sam Gundy and his team from Olliffe recently took a trip out to Prince Edward Island to see how the tiny province has begun producing, in his opinion, some of the best tasting beef in North America. Included on the trip was head butcher George Madill, owners Ben & Sam Gundy and Le Patron of George Restaurant in Toronto.
On PEI the most important agricultural employer is the potato industry, and therein lies part of the answer. Unlike in other Canadian provinces and across the U.S., the fields of PEI are lined with potatoes and not ubiquitous stalks of corn.
In essence, the PEI beef industry was designed to enhance the sustainability of both the potato and beef industry, and it all comes down to the three-year crop rotation cycle of the potato.
As the main industry on Prince Edward Island, in order to yield maximum efficiency, a field can only be planted with potatoes once every three years. For the PEI farmer running the family business their land has to be productive when not growing potatoes. In other words, the beef and potato industries are complimentary, as both require pasture/fallow land.
Our first visit on the island was to Tim Dixon who owns a mixed farm producing some organic products. It includes a large Black Angus operation by PEI standards with 150 head of cattle. Tim breeds some of his animals and buys calves from other maritime provinces which he pastures until they reach about 900lbs. From there his animals are “finished” with a diet of silage lots of grass, potatoes, sometimes barley and navy beans. The potatoes are culls or rejects by island processors looking for specific size requirements. In fact, a ton of rejected potatoes delivered to the farm costs about $10 dollars therefore they are inexpensive and enable the PEI industry to compete pricewise.
Another farmer we talked to Dean Baglole, says an important factor accounting for the superior taste of the beef are that the cattle are culled at a minimum of 26 months and quite often over 30 months. This compares to cattle in confined feedlots that can be slaughtered as young as 18 months. Unlike in industrial feedlot operations where animals are processed in batches according to a fixed schedule, PEI animals are sorted individually when a farmer determines if they are ready. The greater maturity of the animals provides superior beefy taste, more fat and better marbling.
Also Mr. Baglole said that taste is affected by the fact that the cattle receive smaller daily doses of grain averaging 5 -8 pounds per day compared to up to 20 pounds for regular North American commodity beef. You cannot call PEI beef Grass-Fed due to inclusion of some grains in the feed with the exception of corn.
Going it Alone
In 2002 the Maple Leaf subsidiary Hub Meat Packers located in Moncton, New Brunswick was shuttered. The farmers of the Maritime Provinces no longer had a local packer who had the certified regulation to be able to ship across provincial lines. Needless to say this was devastating not only for PEI beef farmers but potentially the potato farmers who operate both types of farms.
Beef farmers from PEI were forced to send their live cattle to large meat packers predominately in Quebec and Ontario. These trips are very difficult for the welfare of the animals and consequently the financial returns on each animal, said one farmer we spoke to Dean Baglole. He likens the experience to long-haul flights where passengers are subjected to thorough searches, cramped cabins, and then refused vital services like food and water for two days.
Atlantic Beef Products was established on PEI in 2004 in order to combat the problem. The average farmer who sends his cattle to the federally inspected abattoir currently receives on average 7 cents per pound less than sending down the road to Quebec or Ontario. But the success is clear with a penetration of nearly 90% of PEI’s farmers keeping their cattle in-province to be slaughtered.
The trucking of live cattle is not preferred but even avoided when the farmer is compensated at a lesser level.
The Inadvertent Success Story
According to Atlantic Beef Products (ABP), the sole federal meat packing plant in the Maritimes, the average beef cattle farm on PEI has 40-50 heads generating annual sales of 100 million dollars to the industry. Compared to the beef economy of Alberta and even Ontario, the PEI beef cattle industry is tiny.
The method of raising the animals is far different from conventional confined feedlot operations. The feedlot consists of the family farm, its pasture and barns.
Growth promotants such as hormones or steroids are not administered. As well, preventative antibiotics are never given to the cattle. These are low volume family farms, which supply beef to the Atlantic Provinces and now Ontario. Can the beef be called natural? A debate rages as to what this means. But 35 year old Tim Dixon, the PEI farmer told us “my farm has been in the family since 1916 and we have been raising the animals the same way since then. I would call that natural.” And he has a point.
Our tour of the newly built, and provincially subsidized Atlantic Beef Products meat packing facility was instructive. Modern automated machines are manufactured in Holland and made of stainless steel. One of the interesting achievements of the Atlantic Beef Products operation and its supplying farmers is their ability to send an unusually high level of premium graded beef through the system.
In Canada we have four grades of beef: A, AA, AAA and Prime. Mike Nabuurs, the head of ABP is able to get up to 65% of all beef graded as AAA or higher. This is a formidable achievement as most all other abattoirs in North America cap out AAA or higher at a rate of up to 40%.
Atlantic Beef Products Mike Nabuurs and the farmers we met attribute the exceptional grading to two instances: letting cattle age on farm longer than normal and the unique PEI feeding program.
PEI Beef Tastes Better
All of this serves to explain why the beef tastes differently and, why we think better. With its greater age before kill and unique diet, to us the beef has a more beefy taste– resembling what beef used to taste. With age comes more time for marbling to develop. The marbling produces a smooth richness that is satisfying.
Further, it is the close proximity to the abattoir plus the relatively light-graining of the animal that is a contributor to the success story.
Why should anyone be surprised that a small-scale carefully cultivated agricultural alternative beats an industrially large scaled product? It all makes a good case for supporting the efforts of the farmers and people in PEI who are promoting a product as an important answer to their community.
We returned via Moncton using the new Confederation Bridge which one of our party was stunned to learn was not floating. To catch the flight on time, we had to drive reluctantly by Shediac, New Brunswick where some delicious east coast seafood could have been had. Perhaps next time.
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Posted on 10/14/2010
Small Boxes at Summerhill
An article on the completion of phase one of the revitalization of the Shops at Summerhill.
Posted on 2/4/2010
Small Boxes at Summerhill
An article on the completion of phase one of the revitalization of the Shops at Summerhill.
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Posted on 2/4/2010
Three-wheel delivery vehicle the toast of Rosedale
Nicholas Brown smiles when he hears the little "beep beep" coming down the street."It's hysterical," he says. "You just never see anything like that around Toronto. It gives them pizzazz, a little je ne sais quoi." He's talking about the delivery vehicle for the Olliffe butcher shop on Yonge Street, one of the so-called Five Thieves -- a block of upscale shops along Yonge south of Summerhill subway station. Olliffe came under new management this year, and while co-owner Ben Gundy says the shop has remained true to its roots, they have spiced thin...
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Posted on 12/18/2009
Three-wheel delivery vehicle the toast of Rosedale
Nicholas Brown smiles when he hears the little "beep beep" coming down the street."It's hysterical," he says. "You just never see anything like that around Toronto. It gives them pizzazz, a little je ne sais quoi."
He's talking about the delivery vehicle for the Olliffe butcher shop on Yonge Street, one of the so-called Five Thieves -- a block of upscale shops along Yonge south of Summerhill subway station.
Olliffe came under new management this year, and while co-owner Ben Gundy says the shop has remained true to its roots, they have spiced things up with a cheeky new delivery vehicle that has been drawing stares.
When Mr. Brown, a long-time customer, first saw the odd little three-wheeled Vespacar coming up his driveway, it brought him back to a little Irish village.
"I remember thinking, gosh, what is that? Is that legal?" he says with a laugh. "I spent some time in Ireland, and you could always remember the milk truck coming down the road. It reminds me very much of those little villages."
Mr. Gundy, who acquired Olliffe in March and opened in June, shares the business with his two brothers, Sam Gundy and James Aitken, who also owns the neighbouring Sweetgrass Flowers.
Their family has always been in the food-service industry, says Ben Gundy, a trained chef who designs marinades and stuffings for Olliffe's meat products. When they took over the store from its previous owners, he says, they were careful to orchestrate a smooth transition, ensuring customers that the business they had grown to love would carry on.
One thing that did change, however, was the mode of transport.
Sam Gundy knew of a builder from Bayfield, Ont., named Ken Johnson, who restores Vespacars on the side. Realizing the potential of the cute three-wheeler as an advertising vehicle, the Gundy brothers enlisted his assistance, and he managed to track one down, retool it and paint it with the Olliffe logo.
While there are fewer than five dozen of these cars on Canadian roads, according to Mr. Johnson's best estimate, Sweetgrass Flowers also got its hands on one, and so the two neighbouring stores have matching Vespacars -- though one is white and red, the other a vivid shade of lime.
Mr. Johnson says the Vespacar is a traditional Italian work vehicle, with the surprising capacity to haul 1,000 pounds, designed after the Second World War as "the big brother of the Vespa scooter."
A few hundred were shipped to Canada in 1982, but they are not made here, he said. Just under 100 of that initial shipment have survived; Mr. Johnson says he stumbles across the rusting remains of a Vespacar every now and then in the United States and Canada, which he can use to salvage parts.
"It's called an ape [pronounced ah-pay], which in Italian means bee, which is the sound that they make," Mr. Johnson notes. While the cars can be driven around town and are licensed as motorcycles, he says, "I wouldn't be tearing down a major highway in one."
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/toronto/story.html?id=2174953
motoole@nationalpost.com
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Posted on 12/18/2009
