A new family-owned butcher shop offering everything from beef to seafood has opened its doors in Columbia. Tallgrass Meat Company recently opened at 510 N Garden Street, Columbia, and will hold a ribbon cutting on June 15 at 3:30.
We spoke to Dustin Weber about why they call themselves the “everyday farmer’s market” and how Columbia became the home to their first store.
“We are a craft butcher shop that focuses on bringing back the craft of the old world butcher but with all the modern conveniences. We do whole animal butchery and have a hand in crafting every cut of meat that comes into our shop. We try to source as much local product as possible. Our goal is to help bring back both the butcher but also be a place that the family farmer can bring in his/her products. We like to call ourselves the ‘everyday farmer’s market.'”
Weber continued, “We didn’t choose Columbia, Columbia chose us. We looked at a number of different towns and areas. However, the combination of the extreme enthusiasm from everyone we met in Columbia – from a landlord who basically did everything he could to get us up and going, sold us on the City to the average citizen to the Maury Alliance to the City itself. Columbia basically put on a full court press to invite and welcome us in. I must also say, the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce was amazing to work with as well!”
Weber explained how Tallgrass Meat is a complete family affair.
“We are banking off family experience. Casey(Weber) and I are first cousins. His father was a butcher in Kansas for 25 plus years. Casey is also a PhD in nutrition and was a Food Scientist for several large agribusinesses. He knows the industry as well as anyone. I’m a chiropractor by trade and ran my own clinic for a number of years. There are three of us, including Norm the ‘Butcher,’ who worked with the family and is now Uncle Norm!”
Just like most stores today, they also want it to be convenient to shop with them or just hang out and talk.
“We are a one-stop shop basically. You can come in and quickly grab almost anything you need for dinner or a weekend at the lake. Not only that, we craft all our own bacon, sausages, brats, hams, jerkies and deli meats in-house. A mom or dad can quickly come in, have a steak cut to whatever thickness they like. Grab potatoes, brats, local produce and pay and be out the door in 5 minutes. But if you want to stay for a minute and chat we can show how we make bacon or the best way to cook a tri-tip. We are very passionate about our craft and we want each customer to be a part of the story and get a personal experience each time they come in.”
As for a motto for the store, Weber described it as, “Meating” your needs “One steak at a time!” and continued by saying, “We craft EVERYTHING in house! Especially when it comes to local meats. We break down the animal entirely in our store. We don’t just unbox something from some factory. We have a hand in every piece of meat or product that comes through our store and strive to provide as consistent experience from visit to visit as possible. That helps to ensure if you bought one time or a thousand times that when you have a special event and you need to hit a home run with the ribeyes, they will be great each and every time! Under pinning all of that is passion for what we’re doing.”
Follow Tallgrass Meat Company on Facebook for the latest updates. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Friday 10 a – 6:30 p, Saturday 8 a – 3 p.
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