Here’s the thing, I’m somebody who likes to investigate things. I like details and bullet proof information. So, when I started peeling apart the layers of the meat supply chain there was a lot of information that needed to be processed. 

My intention is not to persuade, but to educate ensuring that we all can make more informed decisions around the animals we serve to our families. 

As you all read in my post last time I’m a history buff. In my opinion there’s a lot to be learned from the people who have stood before us, both good and bad. 

I’ve had yet to mention this but Pasquale (AKA, PT), my father and owner of Wayside Market for 21 years, has extensive knowledge in the meat supply chain arena. He’s been involved in meat wholesale industry for over 40 years. He started on the truck delivering meat wholesale when he was 8 years old with my Grandfather. Needless to say, PT has a lot to say where “wholesale” is concerned. 

He’s “been around the block” as you’ll hear him explain in person while he cuts your ribeye on the block. He’s lugged hinds, backs, ribs, chucks, you name it from his truck to the iced walk-ins of butchers and chefs alike from Brooklyn, NYC to Montauk, LI. You can imagine the more I asked about the wholesale market the more I became overwhelmed to be quite honest (he doesn’t shut-up about it-SORRY DAD)!

I’m going to do us all a favor and break the information down into a series so we can all learn together. The stories are fascinating so I’m not going to push out content for the sake of pushing out content. We’re going to dive into it together. 

To start, back in the 70s the meat industry as a whole was more family oriented. From the ranches and processing plants to the slaughterhouses they were small family owned businesses that were bountiful and they flourished greatly. An average processing plant could process up to 500-1,000 heads (animals) a day. Due to high diversification and good (controllable) practices of the plants, herders increased their demand. 

So what changed? 

What drove these small business owners from cities and out of entrepreneurship? 

Great question, I had the same thought.

It was several things but the biggest trajectory alteration was the introduction of boxed beef and the downfall of ACTUAL butchers.  

Let me explain-There’s a difference between butchers and meat cutters. Meat cutters are the people you generally see at your boxcutter/grocery chain stores. Butchers are the guys and gals who can take a look at a whole hind and break it into the steaks that you throw on your grill or roast in your oven. There’s nothing against meat cutters we love them, they put in a killer meat case. The problem is the actual craft is lost this way. These guys and gals couldn’t tell you how long the sausage was sitting before it was delivered-We can. I digress, but it’s important to illustrate the difference because in a world of boxed beef it's important to know your food is being handled appropriately by the appropriate people. 

Anyways, several major events occurred during the 70’s initiated the downfall of butcher culture. 

The first was the 1972 meat shortage. After doing some research on this I found this article from the NYT that illustrated the struggles the meat industry faced in 1972-1973. To summarize, many farmers had bad crops due to terrible weather, affecting their bottom line. Therefore, the price of meat soared due to the increased costs of feeding livestock. 

In 1973 meat boycotts began in major cities nationally organized by the modern housewife and their supportive husbands. The 73 meat boycott is highly regarded as one of the most effective national boycotts to this day, see this article for an interesting #womenempowerment.  It was relatively effective for consumers in the short term, but in the long term it started the downfall of the industry. Many meat wholesalers laid people off because the volume just wasn’t where it needed to be. 

Ultimately, the meat retailers realized they could pay people less to prepare the product and the processing plants realized they could make more money in the handling and the breaking down, so truly it was capitalism. Restaurants, butcher shops, and grocery stores realized the product was more money, but for the ease of time and a decrease in the payroll it evened out, so they thought…

In the 80’s a transformation of the industry began, the wholesale market went from retailing whole carcasses to the packing and shipping of meat in boxes already broken down. Instead of getting a full carcass the market demanded smaller already processed pieces. A retail butcher or a restaurant would buy individually packaged pieces to simply “trim” instead of whole hinds or entire chucks to break down. What was the true cost of their time.  

Most of the mom and pop packing plants in the market were forced to expand or sell. Most of them existed in the cities, so real estate proved to be a larger investment. Due to the cost of expansion most of the plants were acquired. 

Now enter the big shops, the “efficient” processing plants and the “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner” big agg meat movement that removed most of the integrity from our meat products by the 90’s.  

Check back! In part II I’m going to break down why most of the meat you eat from a grocery store is actually sent to Mexico/China for processing then returned to the US as crap. I know-Gross. 

Don’t forget to check our socials for some killer recipes and dinner inspo! As always we would appreciate any comments, sharing, or tagging #northforkbutcher! 

In food and health, 

Isabella