People want to know where their produce comes from, their milk, even their clothing. So why not their meat? As concerns rise about factory farming and the treatment of animals, a new breed of local butcher shops have flourished using the “farm-to-table” model. They partner directly with small-scale Wisconsin farmers so they can tell their customers exactly where that ribeye steak comes from.
On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to Meat People Butcher co-owner Pip Freeman about the shop’s commitment to sourcing their meat from Wisconsin farms that treat their animals humanely and provide responsible land stewardship. (Warning: Today’s episode will make you hungry.)
Here are some butcher shops around Madison where you can stock up for your Memorial Day cookout and beyond.
This shop on Monona Drive sells pasture-raised beef, pork, lamb and chicken, as well as a curated grocery section and wine, beer and spirits. Also make sure to follow them on Instagram or sign up for their newsletter to learn about their Thursday sandwich specials – they’re worth planning lunch around.
Started as a retail outlet for the organic food producer Black Earth Meats, this whole animal butcher shop on University Avenue in Shorewood Hills sells a dizzying array of meats, including handmade sausages every Thursday.
As the name suggests, this butcher shop is located on the UW-Madison campus, inside the Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery Building. The show sources its products from 2,000 acres of farmland that the university owns for agriculture research in Arlington, as well as other local producers.
While Underground Butcher on Williamson Street closed in 2019, its sausage-making business lives on at a facility on East Wilson Street. Its handmade sausages, including soppressata and black garlic salami, are made from humanely-raised high-quality pork.
This Monona Drive institution has been in existence since 1964, and is as much of a deli and a grocery store as it is a butcher shop. Not only can you get a top-quality cut of meat like Ken’s signature burgundy pepper sirloin, you can pick up a seven-layer salad, a loaf of Stella’s cheese bread, and a fresh-baked apple pie as well.
While UW Provision is one of the largest retail and wholesale producers in the Midwest, locals in Middleton flock to its specialty grocery store known as “The Meat Market.” It sells everything you need for a holiday cookout, including UW Provision meat, salads, desserts, beverages, and even grilling tools.
While this Madison OG butcher’s 84-year-old shop on Old Middleton Road closed in 2022, it lives on in Waunakee as a wholesaler and an online retailer. See what’s for sale, place your order, and pick it up at the Athens Grill in Westport.
