Kamloops charcuterie processing plant dodges supply issues by sourcing meat locally
A charcuterie processing plant that started production in Kamloops last fall is running smoothly despite recent, unforeseen challenges in the food industry.
Supply routes on highways between the Interior and Lower Mainland were severely compromised by extreme flooding and a mudslide, Nov. 15. Co-owner Brody White said having mostly locally sourced products has allowed his company to withstand supply chain problems and continue to expand.
“We are localized as far as meat supply so we didn’t see much of a hiccup there,” White said. “It is commodity-based pricing so we did see price increases. Our only issue is chicken because we get that from the Fraser Valley. Luckily our supplier did not lose too many chickens, though we did have to top up from a supplier in the Okanagan.”
READ MORE: iN VIDEO: Flooding, mudslides cut off B.C. Interior from Lower Mainland
White said he did have issues obtaining packaging and paper products coming from overseas on containers.
“That is always a wild card and we are seeing delays there,” he said. “A piece of equipment just left Germany but the ports are all backed up.”
The processing facility is an extension of the Chop N Block butcher shop and deli and is owned by Brody and Heather White.
The 2,900 square foot plant is tucked away out of view in the Southgate Industrial Park in Kamloops and is composed of brand new pieces of stainless steel equipment, some from Germany, to help them make fine textured meats and smokes and dries product to be sold through the store and other retail outlets in the area.
“We have had a really crazy finish to last year learning how to be in two places at the same time,” he said. “We had to manage two different inventories and go through the Christmas rush.”
White said the pair did a popup market in Vancouver during the holiday season, and got stuck.
“We went to setup in November and then the floods happened and we got stuck there for days,” he said. “The detour home was seven hours long. And the road conditions were dangerous and intense.”
White said having the processing facility ensures the store front at the Chop N Block is always supplied.
READ MORE: Charcuterie processing plant gets smoking in Kamloops
The company is currently expanding their offerings into the Okanagan. This year they will be adding another full time worker to the production team and getting more product into local restaurants.
In the fall they will be processing sausages for local hunters.
“We will be doing custom sausage,” he said. “There is some excitement around that. We have increased our quality with better equipment and have improved the way we process.”
When asked which products were the customer favourites, White said two sell far more than the rest.
“The 18-inch dry pepperoni sticks,” he said. “We crank those out every day. One that has been picking up speed is the Landjaeger sausage.”
The main meats being processed at the facility are beef, pork, bison and a variety of kinds of poultry. The bison is the sourced from Alberta due to a lack of local bison producers.
While many companies in the food industry must navigate unstable meat markets and supply route limitations, White said he is able to maintain a steady supply.
“We keep our supply the entire time because we use local beef and pork from smaller facilities,” he said. “All our beef comes from a ranch in Knouff Lake. Our pork comes from Salmon Arm.”
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