Leaning casually against a refrigerator as customers place orders and butchers bustle behind the counter, it’s easy to see that Ryan Fibiger, CEO of Fleishers Craft Butchery, is in his element. And that element is meat.
After years in the butcher business (nearly five of which have been spent here in Westport), Fibiger says, “It’s amazing how little Americans know about where their food comes from. They’re used to neat little packages from the grocery store and don’t even give it a second thought. That’s not what we’re about.”
Fleishers goes beyond packaging to educate their customers about what goes into the meat they consume and how it’s handled. To that end, they offer classes in cooking and butchery to the public and for a variety of skill levels.
They’ve been offering classes since 2011, when they opened in Saugatuck. For the uninitiated, attending a class can be eye-opening. “The first few classes we offered were about that wow factor of seeing the meat in person.” However, Fibiger says, his regular customers overcame that quickly and began to focus on learning.
“The information you pick up in a class is definitely applicable in real-life cooking,” he says. It can also influence how you shop. “Even if you can’t always buy your meat from Fleishers, these classes can teach you what you need to ask for at another butcher.”
Whether you are ready to get really real about where your food comes from, intrigued by the art of butchery, or enthusiastic about cooking your meals at home, you’re likely to find a class that will teach you something new. See the upcoming class schedule »
Or you could just pick up prepared food at their market, too.
Fleishers Craft Butchery
580 Riverside Ave., Westport; fleishers.com