UFCW 88-represented Kenrick’s Meats & Catering named one of country’s best butcher shops by Food & Wine magazine

By SHERI GASSAWAY
Correspondent

Kenrick’s Meats & Catering, which employs members of UFCW Meat, Deli and Seafood Local 88, has been named one of the best butcher shops in the nation by Food & Wine magazine.

The news came as a surprise to Kenrick’s Steve Weinmann and Local 88 Shop Steward Mike “the Meat Man” Byassee. They didn’t find out Kenrick’s was one of three local meat markets to make the list until a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter called them for an interview on the accomplishment.

‘SUCH AN HONOR’
“We were really excited,” Weinmann said. “It is such an honor to be noted for something you do every day, and we really try hard every day so to see it come to fruition was pretty cool for us.”

Weinmann and Byassee attribute the accolade to the teamwork and compassion of the entire staff.

‘WE’RE A FAMILY
“We’re a family here,” Weinmann said. “It’s not just an employer-employee relationship. We couldn’t do what we do without every person here.”

Byassee explained that the market has an open-door policy and employees are encouraged to share any ideas they have on improvements.

“We welcome them to try out new ideas,” Byassee said. “We’re very fortunate to have people who care so much to make us all successful.”

75 YEARS STRONG
Kenrick’s began in 1945 as a rolling meat market operated by Herb Kenrick that serviced the south St. Louis area with fresh meats. The market still uses Herb’s recipes for some of its original sausages and its landjaeger, a dried, cured smoked sausage similar to a Slim Jim.

In 1975, Joe Weinmann, better known as “Joe the Butcher,” purchased Kenrick’s. Joe is Steve Weinmann’s uncle. At that time, Kenrick’s was a small butcher shop on Gravois Road in Affton that specialized in sides and quarters of beef.

Today, Kenrick’s is a full-service, specialty meat and seafood market and deli featuring 80 varieties of seafood and more than 100 varieties of sausage. It also offers catering services and has a wholesale division, which provides meat and seafood to about 95 local restaurants.

NAVIGATING COVID-19
Kenrick’s catering division accounts for 40 percent of the company’s revenues and that part of the business took a big hit when the coronavirus pandemic began earlier this year, Byassee said.

“But the meat market just thrived,” he said. “We’ve probably picked up thousands of new customers. We were selling meat packages like crazy – like 100-150 packages a day. And it hasn’t slowed down.”

LOCATION, HOURS
Located at 4324 Weber Road in Affton, Kenrick’s is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit its website at kenricks.com or call 314-631-2440.