Trotters Butcher and Charcuterie: Revival of the Local Butcher

As a community, Guelph places a high value on all things “local”. With new restaurants opening regularly dedicated to serving dishes made with local ingredients, it looks like this trend is here to stay (especially when it comes to food). It’s this local approach that makes Trotters Butcher Shop and Charcuterie a great fit for the community.

Brett MacDonald, owner of Trotters, has been a fixture of the Guelph community as a chef at popular restaurants in town, including Baker Street Station and Aberfoyle Mill. However, since opening Trotters in February of 2015, Brett’s role has shifted from chef to butcher.

His goal is to bring back something that has been lost with modern society. The relationships between the local butcher and residents began to fade as large, commercial grocery chains moved in. Historically, the local butcher was your go-to source for meats, not only because of quality, but because they knew you and your family by name. They knew what types of meats and cuts you liked, and weren’t satisfied until you were satisfied. It’s this personal touch that Brett wants to bring back with Trotters.

For those who haven’t visited the shop yet, you’ll be pleased to know that Trotters is one of few local butcher shops of its kind in Wellington County. All of the meats sold at Trotters are locally sourced within 100 km and are cut, cured, and smoked right in-store. Working with these local farmers gives Brett the unique ability to be able to answer tough customer questions, like what the animal ate and how it was raised. They’re also waste adverse, focusing on a “nose-to-tail” approach by using the whole animal. By doing this, they’re able to feed more families with a single animal.

It’s this community orientation that makes the relationship between The Ostic Group and Trotters work so well. Both businesses are committed to providing their beloved community with products and services with a local orientation. We believe that Trotters will grow to become a fixture in the Guelph community. The team at The Ostic Group is proud to be able to develop an insurance policy customized to meet the needs of this great local business.