Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Bolyard.
Hi Chris, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have been in the service industry my whole life. I attend the Culinary Institute of America right out of high school in 1998. After graduating i returned to St. Louis to work for Bill Cardwell in Frontenac. After 4 years at Cardwell’s i went to work for James Beard awarded Kevin Nashan at Sidney Street Cafe. During my 10 plus years there as the Chef de Cuisine i developed a love for all things whole animal, butchering, charcuterie, sausage making , and total utilazation of the animals we worked with. During my time at Sidney i met my wife who also has an extensive background in the St. louis restaurant scene including Gerard Craft’s original restaurant, Niche (also a James Beard awarded chef). We knew that we wanted to create something of our own and that evolved into a whole animal butcher shop which we opened in late November of 2014.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Opening a small business in general comes with risks, struggles, and being forced to pivot and be resourceful.
Some of the challenges in the beginning were educating people on how to shop at a place like ours. We offer a variety of cuts that you cant get at your local grocery store. We had to develop a trust with our customers through conversation. There were inevitably slow periods which meant we had a surplus of perishable inventory. This forced us to create more added value items like deli meats, prepared meats, a vast selection of charcuterie, pet products and eventually a sandwich program.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions?
We are St. Louis’s first and only whole animal butcher shop. We source whole animals from local farms and utilize all parts of those animals. Everything we sellout of our cases we make in house. In 2021 we moved across the street from our original location to our currant. We tripled the size of our operation and now have a dining area which serves a full lunch menu and brunch on the weekends. We have an extensive selection of house made items that make us special.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My biggest mentor to this day is Kevin Nashan. I feel that is important in life to have one of those no matter how old you are. There is so much to learn and you can never know it all but having a growth and thirst for knowledge mind set you will set yourself up for success. In addition to gaining so much knowledge and experience at Sidney street i traveled to other restaurants and butcher shops around the country to “stage” . This is short for the french term stagiaire. This simply means intern or trainee. This is a common practice in the restaurant industry. These experiences can be invaluable to a young culinarian looking to gain knowledge and experience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bolyardsmeat.com
- Instagram: bolyardsmeat
