Meat+Poultry - January 2024 - 42

SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS
" I think people walk
away from it having
a greater respect for
the complexity of
the food chain, the
supply chain. "
- MCCULLOUGH KELLY-WILLIS
more in touch with where their food comes
from, " she explained. " I've found that there's
a lot of different reasons that people come
to our classes. But across the board, I think
the experience that's valuable about doing
hands-on butchery classes is that when people
really have that physical experience of seeing
the whole animal and working with it with
their hands, something just clicks and it's a
little bit different for everyone. "
model in more cities. Kelly-Willis launched the
Chicago Meat Collective with help from the
Good Meat Project, and today, the program is
its own business entity that offers hands-on
butchery and cooking classes in addition to
lessons in charcuterie production.
Kelly-Willis began her journey in butchery
at Reed College, a private liberal arts school
in Portland, where she was exposed to
sustainable meat production concepts. Later,
she signed up for a pig butchery class with
the Portland Meat Collective and found her
calling. She would continue her education at
Local Foods and Butcher & Larder, a Chicagobased
whole animal butcher shop and retail
market that sources pasture raised, antibiotic
and GMO-free meats sourced from farms
across Illinois. The retail business closed
after eight years in operation; the wholesale
business continues.
CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
Kelly-Willis said it's a pleasure working with
home cooks and consumers because they
represent the end of the farm-to-fork chain.
" The wonderful thing about the Chicago
Meat Collective clientele is that they're a
little bit self-selecting - it's an intensive
class that I teach. It's a whole afternoon; it's
hands on; it's over $200, so people participate
because something in them wants to get
42 MEAT+POULTRY | 01.24 | www.meatpoultry.com
But what consumers at the Meat Collective
classes share, she said, is a desire to
understand more about the sources of their
meat. Industry research into consumer meat
buying trends echoes this observation.
" Personal health, animal welfare, concern
for the planet and social responsibility affect
the food and meat/poultry choices of many
Americans who eat meat, fueling an interest
in transparency, " according to the 2023
Power of Meat report. " When buying meat/
poultry, 62% are looking for products that
are better for their health, and about onethird
consider animal welfare, the planet and
social responsibility. "
And research from Midan Marketing
indicates the trend will persist into the new
year. In its 2024 Top Trends To Watch blog,
Midan said, " Sustainability is a multilayered
initiative whose definition will continue to
evolve; right now, regenerative agriculture is
what's getting a lot of buzz within the meat
space. For some consumers, simply doing
what's right for the earth, for the animals and
for people is the essence of sustainability -
and younger consumers like Gen Zs and some
Millennials now expect those values to be
foundational to a brand. "
The Chicago Meat Collective serves
as a resource connecting consumers with
local ranchers and farmers that utilize
humane animal husbandry and sustainable
farming practices.
" I think people walk away from it having a
greater respect for the complexity of the food
chain, the supply chain, " Kelly-Willis said of the
program's impact. " I think it also gets people
excited about sourcing better meat. "
LIVE DEMO SHOW
Kelly-Willis worked closely with Process Expo
show organizers to determine what would
give attendees the best experience. For her
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Meat+Poultry - January 2024

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