About Us

The Butcher Shoppe is a multi-generation family business. We’re a full-service butcher counter that just so happens to be online; it’s like walking into your favourite butcher without leaving home!

We’re truly passionate about what we do and are committed to artisan butchery:

We have decades of experience in the meat business, starting from our humble beginnings in the meatpacking district of New York, to the day we opened the doors to The Butcher Shoppe in Toronto’s Kensington Market in 1984, to where we are today.

We meticulously choose quality over quantity and cost-effectiveness. 

We cut every order by hand, the way you want it, while always staying true to the traditional methods of butchery (the old-school way of ageing, smoking, pickling, curing, and cutting meat)

We care about the details, which is why we have such high standards about who we buy from and how long we age our meat for

We offer the ease and convenience of online ordering and next-day delivery

You can find us at 121 Shorncliffe Rd, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5K7

Our Product

The vast majority of products that we sell are fresh and have never been frozen. A small selection of our products, like some of our sausages, are frozen to ensure that they remain at their peak freshness. If a product is frozen, this will be specifically stated within the product description.  

We source as much of our meat locally as possible, however we do look to other countries to ensure that we're sourcing the best products available, such as Wagyu Beef from Japan and Australia.

Unless specifically stated (like our range of Organic Chicken), our products are not organic.

We have a wide variety of Halal products, including grass-fed beef, veal, lamb and Australian wagyu beef. Our Halal products can be found here.

Our products are not Kosher.

No, we never needle, inject, or mechanically tenderize our steaks. All of our steaks are cut and prepared by hand with little to no machine processing.

Beef grading is a classification system that assesses the various characteristics of an animal to determine the quality. Early in the process of breaking down cattle, government graders give that animal a grade based on metrics including: marbling (or “frosting” as it is known in Japan), which tends to indicate better flavour, the age of the animal, the size and the shape of each of the muscles, and the amount of fat that covers the muscle. In Canada, the highest grade is Prime, followed by AAA, AA, and A. In the United States, the highest grade is also Prime, followed by Choice and Select.

That instantly recognizable red colour of steak has to do with the amount of blood still left in the cut. If you receive a steak from The Butcher Shoppe that isn’t as red as you expected, it’s likely that the blood hasn’t come to the surface yet. Often, removing your steak from the Cryovac packaging that we send it in can also impact the colour.

Grass-fed and corn-fed refer to the type of food that an animal eats in its lifetime. Generally, an animal that only eats grass is not going to develop as high of a grade as an animal that eats a fattier diet. A very lean diet without corn, grain or wheat will result in a lower grade and very lean meat, which is often not as flavourful. Corn, barley, wheat, and grains tend to be higher in carbohydrates, and as a result, a healthy animal will bulk up and provide more flavourful meat. It’s important to remember that feed is only part of an animal’s upbringing, and that farmers typically feed their animals what is most readily available given the seasons. For example, in Canada, because we grow so much grain and wheat, this is what we tend to feed our animals. In the United States, where they grow a lot of corn, or in Japan, where they grow a lot of rice and sweet potato, this is what they tend to feed their animals, respectively.

Wagyu is simply any of the original breeds of Japanese cattle. Meat cut from these animals is known for its intense marbling, high quality, and rich flavor. Kobe beef is a very particular strain of Wagyu called Tajima-Gyu that is raised to strict standards in the Hyogo Prefecture. Kobe is the capital city of Hyogo, thus the name.

How It Works & Ordering

Placing an order with The Butcher Shoppe only takes a few simple clicks:

1. Head to butchershoppedirect.com to browse our products and add what you’d like to your cart

2. Once all of your desired items are added, click the ‘Cart’ icon in the top right-hand corner 

3. Review your order and follow the on-screen prompts to select either Store Pickup or Refrigerated Delivery and your desired date

4. Click the red ‘Check Out’ button and proceed to enter your contact and payment details 

5. That’s it! You’ll receive an email from us confirming your order 

No, you can order as much or as little as you’d like! However, orders over $250 receive free delivery. 

Yes! If you'd like to receive an exclusive offer on your first order, simply enter your email at the bottom of our website and it’ll arrive in your inbox.

No, we do not offer a subscription service at this time.

Yes, our retail store can be found at 121 Shorncliffe Rd, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5K7. Our store hours are Monday to Friday from 7:00am - 4:00pm. 

Yes, we'd love to work with you! Please feel free to email info@butchershoppe.com and someone from our Sales Team will get back to you.

We're sorry to hear that. If you reach out to info@butchershoppe.com or call 416-234-2290 a member of our team would be happy to help find a solution. We have a 24-Hour return policy, which means that you have 24 hours after receiving your delivery to initiate a claim or return request. 

Delivery

We deliver throughout the Greater Toronto Area and within a 250 to 300 kilometre radius from the city. Our delivery zone is generally from Oshawa to Niagara, west to London and north to Bracebridge. If you’re unsure whether we deliver to you or not, simply send us your postal code and we can let you know. 

Next-day delivery is free for orders over $250! Otherwise, a $25 delivery fee will be added upon checkout. 

Yes, you can set a specific delivery date that suits your schedule. If you need to change your order or delivery date, please call us at (416) 234-2290 or email us at info@butchershoppe.com.

We deliver six days a week, from Monday to Saturday.

We currently don’t accept orders for same day delivery, however if you place your order by 10am, we can deliver the very next day.

Your order is always cut fresh before it is delivered to your door. Our products are vacuum sealed and placed in our cardboard delivery boxes before being brought to you on our own fleet of refrigerated trucks.

Yes, since our products are delivered fresh, we require you to be home for the delivery. If you're not home, our drivers will try to re-deliver at the end of the day or we'll reach out to reschedule your order for the next day instead.

Your order will arrive between 10am and 8pm on your selected delivery date.

Yes, all of our deliveries are completed using our own fleet of refrigerated trucks, meaning all of our products are kept at an optimal temperature before they arrive at your door. 

Of course! Please just ensure that you specify your unit number within your delivery address and provide a buzzer code, if needed.

We use our own fleet of refrigerated trucks to complete your delivery, meaning one of our friendly and reliable Butcher Shoppe drivers will be delivering your order.

Pick Up

Of course, we’d be happy to see you! Just ensure you select “Store Pickup” when placing your order. Online Orders can be picked up from 121 Shorncliffe Rd, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5K7 at the following times: Monday to Friday from 7:00am - 6:00pm and Saturday from 8:00am - 12:00pm.

The pick up process couldn’t be more simple. When it’s your chosen date and time, simply come to our Shoppe (121 Shorncliffe Rd, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5K7) and enter the reception area. You’ll be asked for your order number, which can be found within the confirmation email, and a member of our team will bring out your order. 

If you need to change your pick up date, please call us at (416) 234-2290 or email us at info@butchershoppe.com with as much notice as possible and we’ll do our best to accommodate.  

Sure! It takes us a few hours to process and hand-prepare each order, but if you place an order in the morning, we’re typically able to have it ready for you to pick up that afternoon. 

Cooking & Meat Handling

All orders are hand-cut fresh to order, so we recommend that you cook and consume, or freeze, your meat within five days of receiving it (or within three days, for chicken). Most proteins can be kept frozen for up to a year.

We recommend that you prepare or freeze your Butcher Shoppe order within five days of receiving it. Most meat will hold in a deep freeze for up to a year. For best practices around meat handling, see Safe food handling in the home from Canada.ca.

Absolutely. Most of our cuts of meat can be prepared in a large pan, preferably a cast-iron skillet, on high heat. The trick is to season meat appropriately and use the right temperature to achieve that nice crusty sear on the outside. Some of our product pages include recommendations on preparation, including instructions for preparing meat on the stove.