Meet the butcher: Gary McBean

Caption: Ashleigh and Gary McBean in the shop at Prahran Market, Melbourne.

Gary’s Quality Meats, Prahran Market, Melbourne

Gary is a fourth-generation butcher and has been practicing the trade for most of his life. His daughter, Ashleigh, is carrying on the family business, and is now in the third year of her apprenticeship. Red Meat Round-Up talks to Gary about his approach to operating one of Melbourne’s busiest butcher shops.

Q: You’ve operated your own butcher shop for 35 years. What’s the key to ongoing success in the industry?

A: The key to success I’ve found is constantly re-inventing ourselves. When we first opened in 1984, we were among the first to do value-add, ready-to-take-home-and-cook dishes such as curries, stroganoffs and stir fry. We’re always trying to push the boundaries and do the next ‘on trend’ product or environmentally-friendly option. We supply 30 cafes and restaurants, but we continue to really concentrate on over-the-counter customers.

Q: What are your points of difference that set you apart from your peers?

A: We’re in the Prahran Market with five other butcher shops, so it’s essential we have a point of difference.

Dry-aged beef is one of our best sellers. People come from all over Melbourne to purchase one of our delicious dry aged rib eyes with some beautiful marbling.

Another key aspect of our business that we’ve changed over the last 15 years is to source our lamb, beef and pork directly from producers. Most of my beef now comes from Cape Grim, Tasmania, and we’ve moved towards beef that’s more mature. We previously stocked yearling beef but now we have beef that is 3 to 3.5 years old with a more mature flavour.

All of our lamb is Saltbush Lamb from the Flinders Ranges in South Australia, which has been very popular.

We produce all our own smallgoods, prosciutto and we’re always creating new sausages. We make nine different sausages and don’t use premixes. Customers particularly want to know the sausages we make don’t contain preservatives.

Q: What are some of the new cuts or emerging trends customers are asking for?

A: The biggest trend we’ve noticed in the last few years would definitely be a change in attitude towards fat content. The first 10 years I was in business, we had to buy the leanest meat possible and trim all the fat off it, because people were scared of animal fat. But now, there has been a complete turnaround. People are more educated and know that intramuscular fat or marbling, isn’t bad for you, it’s a natural occurrence and the real meat eaters know that’s where the flavour is.

I try to buy Cape Grim beef with marble score 4 to 6, so it’s highly marbled. I can put a piece of sirloin in the window that’s marble score 4 to 6, and the second I put it there, it flies out.

I’ve got five different suppliers of Wagyu with a marble score 7 to 9, and we’re known for stocking that highly marbled beef.

When it comes to new cuts, we’re selling so much flat iron steak now, as well as hanger steaks, which, 10 or 15 years ago, used to go in the mince. People come looking for all the new cuts, like the rump cap. We dry-age tomahawk steaks, and they range anywhere from 1kg to 1.8kg, and they’re popular as well. 

Q: What is your bestselling beef and lamb product?

A: Our biggest selling beef cut is marble score 4 scotch fillet steak, and for lamb, it’s Frenched racks of lamb. 

Q: Is provenance and animal welfare and issue for customers?

A: Yes, it’s one of the big changes I’ve seen in the industry. All our cashiers and butchers frequently get asked about provenance and animal welfare.

Customers want to know where their meat comes from, and we can back-up our product with information about what farm it comes from, how it was raised and how old it is.

Q: How many staff do you have?

A: We have six butchers and four cashiers, but on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we have up to 12 staff here. My father, Ken, who’s 83, still comes in every day for three or four hours – he doesn’t have to, but he wakes up early and loves being a butcher.

More information:

Gary McBean
garysqualitymeats.com.au