A local family-run business celebrated a milestone today in Wallaceburg.
“This is where we started 20 years ago,” said Terry Foster, who along with his wife Diane, owns and operates Foster’s Meats at 129 Nelson Street.
“Before that I worked for someone else in the butcher shop on the other side (of the river), it used to be Lauzon’s. I worked for him for 31 years. Before that I worked for Jerry Hayes.”
All-in-all, Terry has 50-plus years in the meat business.
“Since 1957, I started working after school,” he said.
Terry said the portion of Nelson Street where they are located, has not changed too much over the years.
“As far as businesses go, businesses haven’t changed really on this side of Nelson Street,” he said. “Bun’s Barber Shoppe was there… the plumbing place was there, McCarron’s. It is one of the few areas that hasn’t really changed much.”
The business had a bit of a scare a few years ago.
“The front of the building fell at one point,” Terry said. “The corner stone on the building says 1888. The old brick, it looked fine from the outside, but it just toppled off, so we had the front all re-done.”
Currently, there are three generations working at the shop.
“My wife and I started it, then my daughter Dawn, she’s been in the butcher shop since she’s been in a playpen,” he said. “Now her daughter works for us full-time now too.”
Terry says committing to “supporting local” has been something they strive for, and sets them apart from the big-box stores.
“We cut everything ourselves and it is always Canadian beef,” he said.
“We do our best to stay as local as possible. We’re very fussy about Canadian beef, Canadian pork. Canadian beef and pork is the best in the world. It’s the best flavour, there is less chemicals. Even in our chickens, compared to American products, they are injected with so much more stuff over there.”
Terry added: “Sometimes it costs more to buy Canadian, but we do our best to stay with Canadian. We don’t sell what we don’t eat ourselves. We do our best to get what we can for the people… what we figure is the best.”
For more information about Foster’s Meats, visit their website: http://www.fostersmeat.com/
