From the Pacific Business News:
Charles Wakeman, a butcher who has done many stints in renowned Hawaii kitchens, is opening his own specialty meat store and deli in Kakaako. “I was most recently running the meat department at Whole Foods, which was the catalyst for getting my business started because I realized the trade and the craft was not being practiced there, or in Hawaii in general,” Wakeman told Pacific Business News. “I thought having my own venue would not just be good for me, but also to pass on the skill to others.”
This is the first business venture for the Bay Area-native, who has worked as an in-house butcher in such Hawaii kitchens as Vintage Cave, The Pig and the Lady and The Mill House on Maui. His longest stint was as an apprentice butcher for a neighborhood butcher shop in Chicago. Butcher & Bird is slated to open this April at Salt at our Kakaako and will sell all types of cuts from various animals, including pork, beef, lamb and venison, as its own handmade sausages.
“I think it is something the community here will really react to because it is something they are not used to,” Wakeman said. “It will be great to help educate consumers and show them that by using a butcher you are really utilizing the whole animal, and they can find cuts and pieces that you can’t find at a big box retailer.” Wakeman is also building out a separate room to house charcuterie operations, which include Italian, French and Spanish dry-cured meats. The store will also be open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., specializing in sandwiches and salads.
The name of the concept is intended to represent Wakeman, the butcher, and his wife, the bird. “She got that nickname because she does aerial dance, and she is vegetarian for the most part, which shows the dichotomy of the business because I am more meat-centric,” Wakeman said. “We noticed there were very few places that can accommodate both of us, and so I want to offer vegetarian options, such as roasted vegetable plates and fresh salads and use as much fresh, local produce as possible.”
The meat will be sourced from various Hawaii ranches and farms, with pork from Pono Pork; beef from Kunoa Cattle; lamb from Niihau; and venison from Maui. “We are trying to get as much local meat as possible, but we also want to have American Wagyu beef and high-end products like foie gras, quail and pheasant,” Wakeman said.
Wakeman plans on hiring six employees, as well as one-full time apprentice, whom he has already hired: a sous chef at MW Restaurant who was planning on leaving Hawaii to learn about charcuterie in San Francisco. “It worked out great, because here is this local kid who thought he would have to leave to get this education, and now he can stay and get it here,” Wakeman said. Construction on the 900-square-foot space began this week, and it will also include 400 square feet of outdoor seating.