OUR STORY.
Feel good about the meat you eat.
It all started with a girl.
Almost a decade ago Flat Cap’s head butcher and CEO, Chris, was in a long distance relationship with his now wife, Gwen. Gwen was going to school in Vancouver getting her masters degree in opera. Her career meant a lot of travel so Chris needed a career that would allow him to move from place to place and still maintain a decent income. Little did he know where this path was going to lead him.
After completing his certificate in Butchery and Charcuterie management at SAIT, Chris moved to Vancouver. There he worked in the same grocery stores that most meat cutters find themselves in. Which was fine for a time and he was able to learn valuable skills under some great butchers. However, everything changed when they decided to move to Toronto.
Life in The Six
In Toronto, Chris became the manager of an ethical, sustainable butcher shop, something he had never seen before. The shop's goal was to use the whole animal with zero waste. Not just your standard 4 prime cuts. He learned about the farmers, their passions, and the role that sustainable and regenerative farming has to play in creating a healthier planet. It inspired him to dig deeper into the stories of the farms and where our food comes from.
Back to Cowtown
When Covid-19 hit, Chris and Gwen made the difficult decision to move back to Calgary where they had first met. Once they arrived Chris immediately started researching regenerative farms in the Calgary area and was pleased to find a handful but quickly realized there were very few butcher shops supporting them or trying to tell their story. Teaming up with his older brother (Matt) and a family friend (Tory), they set out to create Flat Cap Butchers.
and Flat Cap Butchers was born
Named after Chris’ hat (which if you come to the shop, more than likely you will see proudly upon his head), Flat Cap Butchers is dedicated to the stories of the ranchers, to educating customers on where their food comes from, to understanding the environmental impact and problems of the meat industry and how to help solve them. Flat Cap Butchers is a group of young, passionate people whose goal is to provide the most honest, and best meat purchasing experience in the city. Come on this adventure with us and always feel good about the meat you eat.
Meet our suppliers
Gemstone Grass Fed Beef
Pastured beef raised without antibiotics or added hormones.
From Gemstone Grass Fed Beef:
The Doerksen farm started in 1932 when our great grandparents came to Canada and settled in Gem, AB. We have many great memories growing up and working together on the farm with our parents and grandparents. We are looking forward to giving our own children (the 5th generation) the same experience we had growing up, as we continue the farming/ranching tradition. We appreciate the work that past generations have done to help us be successful on our farm today. We are excited to share our grass fed beef with Alberta families and we appreciate your interest in our farm.
From Fishburn Ranch:
Fishburn Ranch is a family operation in Southwestern Alberta. We are passionate about how working in harmony with nature can maximize the potential of our grasslands, provide nutrient-dense food for our communities, and chart a sustainable path forward for the future of agriculture.
Image © Gemstone Grass Fed Beef
From Peony Farms:
Peony Farms works with nature to produce precision-crafted regenerative Beef. Our focus is on optimizing beef for nutrition and flavor. When our daughter was born with severe disabilities and health issues we wanted to know what would be the best foods to support her in achieving the best health outcomes possible.
We weren’t satisfied with the vague health claims made by most grass finished beef. We wanted to know “What are the specific things that a farmer can do to produce the most nutritious beef?”
Farmer Craig has dug through the research and developed testing processes on our farm to find out how to produce the best beef for our family and our customers. (FYI he’s extremely curious, has lots of farm experience and has a BSc which have all been extremely valuable in this process).
The result is delicious and nutritious: Regenerative Forage Finished Piedmontese beef.
