There’s something wonderful in the air at Collingwood Farmer’s Market. Every Saturday, marketgoers are drawn by the enticing aromas of pea meal bacon, grilled to perfection by Blue Ridge Meats. The craft butcher shop on Hurontario Street has become a Collingwood fixture for in-store shoppers seeking farm to table, premium meats and custom cuts. Now, Blue Ridge Meats has expanded their service area to include the Collingwood Farmer’s Market every Saturday.
In partnership with the Peggy Hill Team, Blue Ridge Meats serves up maple-glazed peameal bacon on fresh Cob’s Bread buns, and customers can purchase a huge variety of shop meats as well as fresh and smoked Kolapore trout.
“It’s been a great way to meet the community”, says Blue Ridge resident butcher Alison Lobb, who attends the grill each Saturday along with the shop owner and Jeff Close, realtor and former Blue Ridge butcher. “In the past, pre-Covid, we were selling at the market on a smaller scale. As things have changed and opened up again we decided to get ourselves out there and re-introduce Blue Ridge Meats to people who may not have checked out the store in the 3 years since we have owned it, or even someone who may have never been into the shop.”
Connecting with the community is a source of great pride for everyone at Blue Ridge Meats. The company enjoys a year-round partnership with the Busby Centre, providing meat to the volunteers who prepare meals for those in need. For the second year, Blue Ridge has also donated burgers to the Georgian Triangle Hospice charity event.
On Saturday July 1st, Blue Ridge will host a fundraising event at the market, offering free sandwiches to Busby Centre volunteers, and accepting donations for the centre. “We will have a box set up and will be accepting donations from the Busby Centre wish list such as socks, underwear, coffee, sleeping bags, granola bars etcetera, along with cash donations.”
Farm to Table Goodness
The Blue Ridge Meats team, led by Master Butcher Trevor Mathers and Executive Chef John Mann, work hard to ensure all of their meats and menu items meet the highest standards. For Junior Butcher Alison Lobb, sourcing local products is always a priority.
“Our chicken is from Newmarket, we offer pasture-raised, heritage pork directly from the farm, in the spring we have lamb coming in from just outside of Thornbury and we offer beef from the Durham Region.” In addition to these Ontario partnerships, the owner of Blue Ridge Meats has bred and raised a herd of Ontario Wagyu beef on his own Silver Creek Farm. “It’s a speciality product only available in our shop”, Lobb explains.
“Along with the primal cuts and roast, we utilize everything from the animals for burgers, meals, stocks, sausages and bones. It is rewarding to the owner and staff to see the beautiful meat that comes from Silver Creek, because the love and care that goes into the farming and feeding is so evident in the final product.”
Now that barbecue season is in full swing, it is the ideal time to visit Blue Ridge Farms for a steak, heritage pork chop or their famous 8-ounce all-meat burgers, or a huge variety of house-made sausages. “It’s been a pleasure getting out into the community at the market. We welcome you to stop in and check us out on Saturdays or any time at our location at 5 Hurontario Street – the shop with the big white bull out front!”
You can also follow Blue Ridge Meats on Facebook and Instagram for special offers and more upcoming events.