Beloved Stratford grocer The Butcher The Baker is getting a makeover and doubling down on its commitment to serving the local community.
The store recently passed hands from long-time owner Rick Frank to Andy Vivian and Bettianne Hedges. It’s a passion project for Vivian and Hedges, who work in unrelated industries – Vivian is an accountant and Hedges is a real estate broker.
“Our day jobs don’t change,” explained Hedges. “We bought it as an investment because we both believe in local producers and local products.”
Hedges, who moved to Stratford two years ago, said she felt the city was missing a store that brings together the best of the region’s local makers.
“I missed that opportunity to buy local and that just felt like it was declining in Stratford, so we see that as an opportunity. We see that as something that people really want,” she said.
“We’re all pressed for time. We need to be able to go into one place and see all this.”
Hedges and Vivian are already partnering with a number of local producers, including Monforte Dairy, Stratford Flower Shoppe and Shakespeare’s Chok. Fine Chocolates.
The Butcher The Baker’s former in-house baker Milo Jones will continue supplying the grocer with bread under his brand, the Painted Baker, and the store will also begin carrying products from Vann's Fine Bakery.
The shop is also carrying frozen soups from Oxford County’s The Raw Carrot Soups, which partners with nonprofits across Ontario to provide employment for individuals on the Ontario Disability Support Program.
While there’s plenty of change coming for The Butcher The Baker, Hedges said Toby Friis-Sheepers, a familiar face in the shop for over a decade, will stay on as the manager.
“He came in here when it was a German shop with his mother. He remembers the butcher giving him a piece of bologna when he was a little kid and that created a culinary interest in him. That's now come full circle and he’s managing the store,” said Hedges.
“He really knows the producers. He knows what the customers want. We’re following his vision based on his everyday conversations with customers coming in the door.”
Hedges said they also plan to continue offering the “international flare” that The Butcher The Baker has become known for.
“Those products from around the world that make your meal a little more fun,” she explained.
According to Hedges, the shop will close for 10 days at the end of March for an interior revamp, reopening on April 4 in time for Easter. During the temporary closure, they hope to open up the space for customers to browse and create room for showcasing more products, in addition to giving the shop an aesthetic refresh with some paint.
“One of the things we really want people to do is come in and tell us what they're looking for: what do you need? What are you buying? What are you buying somewhere else that you want to be able to buy in downtown Stratford?” said Hedges.
Hedges said their goal is to offer the kind of friendly, personalized service that sets neighbourhood grocers apart from the chains and inspires consumers to shop local.
“We've so missed that in our modern day – how we shop going into a big grocery store. We’ve missed that and it makes food more inspiring and fun again.”
Editor's note: A former version of this story stated Milo Jones is the in-house baker. He is not but continues to provide bread for the business.
