Kamsack has a new business in town and it鈥檚 already very busy.
Lorne鈥檚 Butcher Block opened up on Main Street right across the street from the Affinity Credit Union on September 30, in the building formerly occupied by the Flower Mill and Home D茅cor Store and Xcessories by Kerry, and so far there has been a steady stream of customers.
The store is a full service meat market, which includes homemade smoked sausage, fresh sausage, jerky and processing wild game.
The jerky has names such as wild country, pepper, cowboy, teriyaki, honey garlic, and barbecue.
The staff have been kept busy processing wild game as the early draw elk hunting season has been in full swing in the area. The first elk was processed at the shop on September 15.
鈥淚t felt good to be processing meat in the new shop,鈥� said Lorne Woytkiw.
Lorne has lived in the Kamsack area for the past six years, is the co-manager of the facility, and the prime butcher.
鈥淚 developed my skills as a butcher while working at Benito Meats for 19 years,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 started as part-time and became full-time, learning on-site as I went and working for two different owners through the years.
鈥淚 love all aspects of this job. Cutting meat requires 鈥榟ands on鈥� skills. I also enjoy working with the public, and getting to know what products my customers want. I just made a new habanero and garlic sausage that I think will be received well. It will be a process to determine what the community wants.
鈥淚 enjoy trying new recipes, tweaking them and making them better and inventing my own recipes. I hope to keep a good stock of smoked and fresh sausage on hand as well as homemade sandwich meats, bacon smoked on-site and stuffed roasts.鈥�
Colin Woytkiw is Lorne鈥檚 brother and the other trained butcher in the shop. He commutes to Kamsack from his home at Thunder Hill in Manitoba. In the past Colin and Lorne worked together at Benito meats for six years. 鈥淲e鈥檝e done it all, cutting, processing and wrapping, making everything from sausages to packaged roasts and hamburger,鈥� Lorne said. 鈥淥ne of Colin鈥檚 strengths is his fastidious eye for cleanliness with which he oversees the work area.鈥�
Jessi Woytkiw is the store鈥檚 co-manager, and front-counter staff. 鈥淭his is a very much family-run business, she said. Our niece, Natassia Adams, also working the front counter, rounds out our current staff complement, but that may expand as business picks up.
鈥淭he decision to open the Butcher Block at this location happened very quickly once this building became available. Lorne had always wanted to open his own shop, and it all fell into place very well.
鈥淭he layout of the building is good so it didn鈥檛 require major renovations to get all the new equipment set up,鈥� she said.
That equipment included a walk-in freezer, two coolers, a stand-up freezer (with a second on the way), display cases, a smoker, a stuffer and bandsaw, everything a full-service meat shop requires.
Lorne鈥檚 will be carrying frozen beef and pork meat packs and will customize orders.
In addition to custom cutting and wrapping of domestic and wild meat, the shop carries a good selection, including gluten free products, sausages (smoked and fresh), beef, pork, chicken, homemade sandwich meat, bacon, meat and cheese trays to order, stuffed roasts and Churchill River pickerel and pike.
鈥淲e are stocking products made by In Good Taste Food Service of Togo, including cabbage rolls, perogies, cookies, lamb shishliki and Nanaimo slices,鈥� Jessi continued. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also stocking products from the Roblin Bakery, including cookies, and are carrying Saskatchewan made honey and jams from different crafters.
鈥淚n the future we鈥檒l be bringing in a product line supplied by the Boreal Heartland Indigenous group of northern Saskatchewan that will include all-organic hand-picked dried mushrooms and teas.
鈥淲e haven鈥檛 forgotten about the pets and we carry boxes of dog scraps and bones, as well as smoked bones and 鈥榩et patties.鈥�
听鈥淲e are looking forward to serving our customers needs, and growing our product line to meet those needs,鈥� she concluded.
Customer service is an important part of the Butcher Block. A box on the front counter, placed in a prominent spot, invites people to write down a 鈥減roduct idea鈥� and put it in the box.
For now the store will be open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. but those hours may change.
Lorne鈥檚 Butcher Block has a slogan on their business card that sums up the new business and it reads: 鈥淧leased to meet you鈥eat to please you.鈥�
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