Listen, it’s probably not fair for me to tell you which FFMM shop you should be going to. Especially with a new one opening this week. (What’s that? You didn’t know? WHERE’VE YOU BEEN?) Jokes. We will tell you more about that soon. Like, tomorrow soon. That said, I will always have my favourite shop. The shop which is our basecamp. Our OG. Our home.
That shop is Woodstock.
Below are a few solid reasons why I love our Woodstock facility so much:
Photo: Xand Venturas
1. Rosetta coffee and The General Store.
As a combo, this is close to daily happiness as it gets. A single origin coffee bean, ground and pulled with care. Served how you like it, with a treat from our favourite local deli/restaurant. Espresso and date ball? You bet. Flat white and coconut macaroon? We got you. Cold brew and crunchie? Get in. And then there’s The General Store Brownie. You can eat that shit with anything.
As good as bacon eggs (which we also sell, by the way), these two brands belong together. And we are proud to have them.
2. The process.
Buy the whole animal and take it apart with respect. That has always been our philosophy. Woodstock doesn’t sugarcoat anything. As such, you’ll see carcasses hanging here. We’ve done that on purpose. The entire store has been designed to intentionally get people to make an attachment between meat in the cabinet and the animal it came from. We take huge responsibility in the knowledge that an animal gave its life for our meat. Woodstock showcases the respect we give in our daily process.
Photo: Xand Venturas
3. Fresh cuts daily
Look, technically we do fresh cuts daily at all our stores. With daily dispatches heading out from our Woodstock depot, you can get meat cut on that day from all of our shops. But if you want to swing by, have a chat to our butchery team and get something special prepped just the way you like it, 143 Sir Lowry Road is where you should be heading. You want the fat on your porchetta scored on the diagonal? Sure thing. That beef shin must be frenched, rolled and tied? Of course. We’ll crack lamb shanks so they fit in your pot. We’ll split bone barrow lengthways because that’s how you want to serve it. We’ll grind pork shoulder and mix it with beef for a ragout. We’ll do anything for you, while you wait.
4. Big Green Egg cooking.
If you don’t know about Burger Fridays yet…well…shamesies. The best burger you’ve ever had. Cooked on a Big Green Egg and served every Friday. With cold beer from our friends at Devil’s Peak. But we have also added daily boerie rolls into the mix. And if you’re lucky, you might catch a piece of dry-aged rump being thrown onto the grill and served with potato salad. Check out our Insta feed for specials.
Photo: Xand Venturas
5. Seating.
Seating? Is that really something to get excited about? It is, actually. Pull in here and ask nicely and we’ll give you our WiFi code. Knock out some work while you enjoy a kombucha. Or sit outside and try and wrap your head around why our ham and cheese toastie tastes as good as it does. (Clue: it starts with good ham). Grab a stool for an espresso and contemplate life. This shop has always been dreamt up as the modern day equivalent barber shop. Come here on a Saturday and just…chill.