Two Rivers Meats adding retail shop, restaurant at North Vancouver HQ

Chances are, if you’ve had high-quality meat served up at a Vancouver restaurant, you’ve had Two Rivers meat.

The North Vancouver-based supplier has steadily grown their business to work with some of the city’s top chefs and restaurants, and for the first time their products will be available to retail customers at their upcoming butcher-restaurant hybrid.

Founded in 2007 by husband and wife duo Margo and Jason Pleym, Two Rivers has expanded gradually in the last decade from a couple of self-raised animals to a highly-streamlined operation with an expanded real estate footprint.

Beef in the aging room (Lindsay William-Ross/Daily Hive)

Growing their warehouse and meat preparation (smoking, aging) facilities over time, Two Rivers is now in the process of building out an innovative space dedicated to offering clientele artisanal butchery and meat-centric eats at a combo deli/sit-down casual eatery.

Modelled on a business prototype gaining popularity in the US (food fans may have heard of New York’s White Gold Butchers, for example), Two Rivers is hoping to make their new venture a destination for meat lovers from around the region.

The space will feature a glass-encased butchering area, where patrons can watch the skilled experts at work, as well as ample display cases holding their line of charcuterie meats, cheese, and deli-style sides.

Aged beef destined for Vancouver’s Savio Volpe (Lindsay William-Ross/Daily Hive)

An open kitchen area will be where guests can see their meal being prepared–think fresh burgers and similar casual fare–and indoor and patio seating will be available for sinking your teeth into your meaty eats. Plus, the whole storefront will have massive windows, allowing for lots of natural light and a really open feel.

While the business has grown, what has remained firm is Two Rivers’ commitment to ethically- and locally-sourced meats.

Employing a team of passionate butchers and meat lovers, Two Rivers has branched out to offer in-house aging for beef for clients looking to offer a more nuanced and specialty steak experience, as well as to do all manner of sausage-making, smoking, and crafting of meat products like the delicious “meat sticks” popular at local craft brewery tasting rooms or showing up on top-notch charcuterie plates.

Lindsay William-Ross/Daily Hive

With construction and renovation well underway in the butcher shop/restaurant space, the plan is to have the space up and running by late spring or early summer, just in time for bright sunny days on their patio.

Two Rivers Meats

Address: 180 Donaghy Avenue, North Vancouver
Instagram: @tworiversmeats