Butcher , Macknade Faversham
FOOD + DRINK
MEET THE BUTCHER :
SIMON MAYNARD
Butcher , Macknade Faversham
STARTING OUT AS A CHEF , SIMON MAYNARD TURNED HIS HAND TO BUTCHERY AND HAS NEVER LOOKED BACK . WITH A FOCUS ON PROVENANCE , ETHICAL TRADING AND SHOWCASING KENT ’ S FARMERS , SIMON ’ S EXPERTISE AND PASSION FOR HIS CRAFT HAS HELPED EARN MACKNADE PLENTY OF PRAISE AND GLORY FOR ITS ACCLAIMED BUTCHERS .
Simon , tell us a little bit about what led you to becoming a butcher .
I didn ’ t set out to become a butcher at first , instead I almost ‘ fell into ’ butchery after a long career as a chef . Although I had the opportunity to work in many great places , eventually I got to the stage where the long hours were not giving me the work / life balance I wanted . There happened to be a position at a local butchers , so I applied for it and to my surprise I got the job . I didn ’ t do a great deal of butchery here , but it was a great starting point for me to really get into the trade . I ’ ve never looked back .
After a good stint in butchery , I joined Macknade . At first , I was ‘ just a butcher ’. I was lucky to work with an incredible manager and colleagues who taught me so so much . The opportunity then arose to manage the butchery myself and now six years in I ’ m hopefully putting my own stamp on it . I keep true to my beliefs in ethics and true butchery , making everything from scratch , which aligns with Macknade ’ s ethos .
Butchery has given me the opportunity to work with incredible produce and showcase our local farmers . I see myself as just a spotlight for our farmers really ; it ’ s my job to give them the limelight .
What does a typical day at Macknade for you consist of ?
Starting with a cup of tea and creating a list of jobs for the day ! Every day is different . They consist of everything from deliveries , customer orders and deep cleans to ‘ bacon prep ’, sausage making and beef prep ( this can be a side to a whole body of beef ). Wednesday is for chicken and our famous sausage rolls . Thursday is a crazy day with our pork and lamb coming in , plus a final push for the weekend ! These are all about serving and ensuring all our customers have everything they need .
What sets your work and Macknade apart from other butchers or supermarkets ?
We work directly with our farmers , ensuring ethics from pasture-fed to slow-grown and a full understanding of breed and up-brining is always in place . We make it our mission to know our farmers personally and many of them have become great friends ! I can therefore assure customers that our meat has 100 % provenance .
We also take great pride in our personal service . By doing the whole body butchery ourselves , we have the ability to offer any cut our customers want . This extends to me personally and I offer my chef ’ s expertise to customers to help with cooking techniques and ideas .
I am extremely proud of keeping our trade alive - utilising the entirety of the animal and showing respect to our farmers and their livestock .
What do you like about Kent and how does it affect your trade ?
I am Kent born and bred . It will always be home . We are very lucky to have so much on our doorstep , from incredible produce and farmers to a diversity of landscapes . Both Kent ’ s sea and land makes my trade very interesting when sourcing or exploring different ideas .
butcher _ simon _ macknade
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