They have owned their business for less than a year, but Scott and Keira Evans are already making their mark at East Blaxland Butchery.
The husband and wife team took out the gong for best butcher/delicatessen at the Penrith City Local Business Awards on Wednesday, September 21. Mr Evans said he was “pretty chuffed” about the honour.
“I went there with an open mind. I didn’t think we had it in the bag but I thought we were in with a shot… We went up against some pretty well-established businesses [in the Penrith region].”
Mr Evans, 26, began his butchery apprenticeship at Hazelbrook in 2007 before working at East Blaxland for more than two years under the butchery’s previous owner, Lester Sawyer. Since taking over the business in December 2015, he said he has continued the same approach of focusing on ethically-farmed meat.
“We source a lot of our beef and lamb out of Victoria and Tasmania. It’s all pasture-fed and free-range… I just personally feel you get a better flavour. The meat is the way it’s meant to be,” he said.
Mr Evans has also branched into new areas, targeting the growing low and slow cooker food movement.
“It’s grown into a large movement in Australia and we’ve tapped into that,” he said. “That’s been one of our biggest successes in offering those cuts that people can use to do things like pulled pork or big beef briskets.”
With customers coming from all over the Mountains and as far away as North Ryde, Mr Evans is quick to credit them with making the business a success.
“I’ve said to all our customers that we’re only here because of them. That’s one of our main focal points – our customers know they’re important to us, they’re not just another number.”
East Blaxland Butchery is located in Old Bathurst Road.