There’s a new space on the island to score all your favourite cuts of meat.
Miller’s Meatcraft opened in Snug Cove this fall, with a steady stream of customers passing through its Village Square doors since. Inside visitors are welcomed by a familiar face on the Bowen food scene, butcher and chef Erik Miller.
“People had no idea what we could do in here,” says Miller of the butcher shop’s location between the Ruddy Potato and Moss Hair Studio. Previously the Ruddy Emporium, Erik – along with some helping hands – spent several weeks completely revitalizing the storefront before opening it to the public. New freezers, sinks, lighting, food preparation areas, and of course decorations brought the new business to life – one Miller had long dreamed of for the small town.
“Planning a butcher shop actually started when I first came to Bowen Island,” explains Erik. “I started putting those manifestations out to be like, how can I make this happen?”
Miller pursued this quest for some time at Meadowbrook Market, located at the Bowen Cider House. The agricultural land provided a pipeline for the farm-to-table products which stocked the market’s freezers. But the dream of his own butcher shop in Bowen’s commercial core persisted.
“Everybody has to come through here. Whether you’re out in Hood Point, you’re out in Bluewater, if you’re coming off the ferry, you’re shopping here,” says Erik of the Miller’s Meatcraft setting. The arrangement to use the Ruddy’s space came about through discussions with the grocery store’s owner, who was excited at the prospect of a butcher shop as a new neighbour.
“The exposure here is infinite, you’ll always have foot traffic,” adds Miller on the reality of being next door to one of the island’s grocery stores. Their agreement also sees Miller’s Meatcraft providing stock for the Ruddy meats section, another method of expanding the new butcher’s reach.
If you’ve dropped into the new location you’ve likely also met James Pelletier busy at work behind the counter. Pelletier had worked with Miller at Meadowbrook Market, and as the new shop came to life he was eager to come along for the ride.
“I’ve always loved food my whole life… Growing up my Mom used to take me to really cool restaurants and it really expanded my palette,” says James on his entry to the culinary world.
Pelletier has been learning from Miller for about two years, and now comes up with his own creations too. At Miller’s Meatcraft this is mostly in the world of sausage, where he’s concocted a range of flavours from Korean Barbecue to Jalapeno Bacon Cheddar. “It allows for a lot of really cool creativity with your flavour profiles,” says James of the freedom to experiment in your own space. “There’s endless possibilities of stuff we could do.”
The product at the butcher is currently sourced from several B.C. locations, including pork from Nanaimo, lamb from Salmon Arm, chicken from the Fraser Valley, and even pâté from Vancouver. Miller speaks highly of all his suppliers, but still envisions a day where more food can be sourced right here on Bowen – including a longer-term dream of an on-island abattoir.
“There’s still a lot of potential for people to raise and have more awareness of a food hub on Bowen Island, especially a closed system that allows us to protect our own local economy,” says Miller. He’d like to see “ways that we can raise food and then a sustainable place to take it, and then absolutely we can put it into the (butcher) shop… I would love people to raise chickens for us, or lamb. It would be incredible.”
“It’s a long way out, we’ll take it step-by-step. I’m a very ambitious person, but I don’t want to overextend at this point,” he says.
That isn’t stopping Erik from doing everything he can in the meantime to teach Islanders about unlocking the full potential of the meat section. This includes a pair of workshops this month dedicated to learning how to process whole pigs and chickens. Participants will go home with a healthy stock of supply from either session.
“I really want people to get excited and to shop more sustainably for themselves. To buy a whole chicken and take the parts, that can be four meals instead of buying just boneless skinless breasts because you don’t have the time,” explains Miller. “The more you can learn now, the more you can save a bit of money.”
Along with the practical side of mealtime, Erik hopes to unlock the creative juices of island diners. “We try to give you unique things to come and specifically buy for a recipe, and then make at home like a Sunday project,” noting a recent effort to introduce shoppers to the Bavette, or flank steak. “That’s a good way for people to get educated on different cuts that aren’t just the ones that everybody knows.”
“We’re all about trying to push people’s boundaries,” says Miller, pointing out that as people’s palettes expand the butcher shop can consistently offer a wider range of meats too. “Let’s challenge people to learn how to do some different cooking.”
As Erik reflects on the whirlwind which has been the past few months, he is incredibly proud of the undertaking - yet always keeping an eye on the future. “I don’t think it’s quite real yet... I have my Grandfather’s name on the logo, it’s an honour and it’s great.”
“But there’s still pieces at play that we want to push for, some bigger things... It’s getting there,” says the butcher.
