From counter clerk to partner: How this longtime employee worked her way up at a local Vancouver food staple

No one can deny the benefits of eating locally sourced foods, from providing support to our communities and reducing our carbon footprint to the products being fresher and, honestly, tasting a lot better.

That’s why Vancouver food business, Windsor Meats, has earned such a great reputation — with a dedication to quality products and top-notch service, the boutique-style butcher has become a staple to locals.

It’s also why Devon Kirchner recently bought into the business as a partner and owner. Twelve years ago, 17-year-old Kirchner started stocking shelves at Windsor Meats and ended up loving it so much that she stayed — all throughout her full-time university years — and worked her way up from counter clerk to general manager to where she sits now as one of the business’s three partners along with Brett Porta and Matt Miller.

Devon Kirchner (Windsor Meats)

As an avid home cook and also a young woman considering culinary school, gaining experience at a high-quality meats and dry goods retailer couldn’t have been a more perfect opportunity for Kirchner. “It seemed like a natural transition of skills,” Kirchner tells Daily Hive. “I loved that Windsor Meats was a family-owned business that cared about creating a very fun, creative, and tight-knit working environment.”

Since starting, Kirchner has applied her skills and training to help expand the offerings and programs at Windsor Meats, such as adding vegan offerings, helping to launch the Chef-Made Meals, and expanding the selection of local and imported dry goods.

Windsor Meats

“I am very passionate about encouraging people to cook at home with high-quality, sustainably sourced ingredients,” says Kirchner. “Getting back into the kitchen and really connecting with where your food comes from and how it is prepared is incredibly important in maintaining community, food culture, and overall health.”

That’s what Windsor Meats is all about, and what the company’s new leading trio, Kirchner, Bett Porta, and Matt Miller are on the journey to maintain while also growing the butcher shop that’s been in business since 1946. Accompanied by the talents of Chef Poyan Danesh — former captain of the Olympic Culinary Team of BC — they’ve been busy innovating the Windsor Meats product offerings, stores, and online experience.

While many of us would love to cook hearty meals each night, the time isn’t always allotted for it. That’s where the butcher’s new prepared meal program comes in.

Windsor Meats

“One thing we kept noticing was that our customers were too busy to make a full meal during the week, meal prep kits took too much time, and eating out was too expensive,” says Kirchner. The solution was a line of heat-and-serve meals that are convenient and healthy dinner options that don’t break the bank.

Developed by Chef Danesh, the lineup of delicious meal options includes cottage pies, lasagnas, soups, curries, and stews. “We make all our meals in-house at our Edgemont location with locally sourced ingredients,” says Kirchner.

Windsor Meats is getting some other refreshers as well, including renovations to create an even more pleasant shopping experience and an updated website.

Windsor Meats

But even with these welcome additions to Windsor Meats certain things that have kept this shop in business for nearly 76 years will remain the same — like their unique-to-each community aesthetic and competitive product offerings.

“Windsor [Meats] has spent decades perfecting our unique recipes, from our marinades and sausages to our heat and serve meals, to create a line of products that customers can’t get anywhere else,” says Kirchner. “Our stores are also located in very different areas of the lower mainland and are influenced by their community’s unique tastes and preferences, so no matter what Windsor [Meats] store you shop at, you’ll always find both the familiar and the different.”

What also sets these stores apart is their willingness to accommodate. Kirchner claims that Windsor Meats’ is prepared to “move mountains” to get customers what they want, “no matter how obscure the request.”

Windsor Meats

“Our shops are a safe, inclusive, judgement-free environment where people can feel welcome to ask questions, feel confident in the quality of the meat they are buying, and maybe even try something they haven’t before,” says Kirchner. “As a queer woman, I care a lot about inclusivity and creating opportunities for people of all backgrounds to work in an industry that historically has been very homogenous.”

With the future of Windsor Meats being brighter and undoubtedly tastier than ever, it’s safe to say that we have an appetite for all that’s to come with this local business.

You can try Windsor Meats for yourself by visiting a location near you. For store updates and more information, follow them on Instagram.