When I was seventeen, my family moved to Hong Kong. For the months that I lived there, I didn’t have to go to school. I found this to be quite liberating, but my parents thought it might be beneficial for me to occupy myself. “Idle hands, yadda, yadda, yadda…” So occupy myself I did. With food. I discovered I had a love of food previously unbeknownst to me. I would cook everything in sight, and explore the food markets, filled with wonder. I brought this enthusiasm back to Canada, where I finished high school and plunged into restaurant life.

I spent the next 15 years in some of Toronto’s best kitchens, predominantly Mistura, where I learned how to appreciate simple ingredients in their prime. And then I went north. In 2008, I moved to Grey County to be the chef at The Falls Inn in Walter’s Falls. It was an easy cooking job, as the bounty of the region needed little help to reveal its beauty. I realized here that Toronto needed to discover the remarkable quality and variety of food produced by the small farmers who rarely have the means to get their goods into big city shops. Especially the meat. That winter, I returned to Toronto to teach at George Brown College, while pondering how to express my love of the farmland in the city.

At the end of the summer of 2009, I figured it out. Walking through Kensington Market one day, I noticed a “For Sale” sign on a historical butcher shop. Max and Son had been serving the community for over fifty years. Solly Stern was ready for a break. And I was ready for mine. Within a week the decision was made. I would open a small butcher shop in the heart of one of the world’s greatest markets.

Little did I know that decision would lead to more big decisions. Three years after opening the door to my wee butcher shop, I jumped into the deep end and took over the space that housed the iconic European Meats in Kensington. This allowed me to introduce artisanal deli and charcuterie products, locally-sourced groceries and unique dairy items, as well as a killer lunch counter with hot sandwiches, soups, and salads. But our focus continues to be showcasing the exceptional Ontario meat and poultry I had been fortunate enough to work with as a chef. 

When I first opened the shop, I was lucky to have a lot of people come and support what we do, enough to keep us going year in and year out. To all of my customers, I give my deepest thanks. To my staff, you are some of the hardest working people I have had the pleasure to share laughter and (some) bloodshed. Thank you for everything.

Most of all, I would like to thank my parents for getting me to put my idle hands to use. 

Peter Sanagan