I like to call them the “Fabulous Butcher Girls.” When Barbara Lynch put Victoria Kelly and Jericha Strickland on the chopping block at her South End butcher shop and restaurant, she was definitely casting against type. The classic artisanal butcher wears a button-down shirt, a bow tie, and a straw boater — not these babes. But don’t underestimate their skills with a cleaver or a boning knife just because they are adorable. I watched as the duo neatly reduced a robust duck to a neat little edible package in 10 seconds flat.
How did you end up as a butcher?
Strickland: I came here right from New England Culinary Institute about a year ago. I had an aptitude for butchering in culinary school in my meat fab course — meat fabrication — and I loved it. Wanted to do extra credit in butchering. I tried to get my own pig just so I could teach myself to break it down. Plus, I was dedicated to sustainability, knowing where my food comes from. I came to The Butcher Shop as an intern, worked with the head butcher. The butcher was fired, and I was in.
Were you ever “yucked out” by the job?
Kelly: I was never yucked out. I’d learned how to butcher a whole fish at No. 9 Park. That’s much harder than trimming a tenderloin. Butchering, “being on the block,” is a kind of meditation for me.
Strickland: Never! We are up to our arms in sausage half the day. It’s down and dirty, and it’s fun.
What is most challenging about the job?
Kelly: The butchering is easy and rewarding. The hardest part is dealing with the customers and explaining to them why they are paying so much for meat. I have to explain that we source respectfully, that we can tell them which farm it came from, how to cook it, and if they aren’t happy, they can bring it back and get a refund or a new piece of meat. And where else can you go and get a glass of wine while the butcher gets your dinner ready? Value isn’t just about getting things cheap.
Does your being a woman ever surprise the customer?
Kelly: Oh yeah. Lots of times I answer the phone, and the customer wants to “speak to the butcher,” and they go kind of silent. They can’t fathom that I can help them. Maybe we need some kind of uniform — a sort of sexy butcher’s outfit?
How does it affect your social life?
Kelly: If I meet a guy and I tell him I’m a butcher, and he’s into that, I’m into him. Plus, I love it when guys tell me I have a strong handshake. I say, “Yup. I’m a butcher. I’m holding on to a knife all day.” Strickland: It takes a special kind of guy to love a girl who cuts up dead animals all day long…
