THE TALENT TO CHARM MEAT-LOVERS

Ten years ago an architect and a philosopher embraced an exotic idea. As a result, a special shop appeared in the centre of Sofia, offering to its customers excellent beef from local producers cut at the spot. This is how the story began for Meral and Faruk Luleci, the owners of the specialised meat shops Butcher 1 (for lamb and beef) and Butcher 2 (for pork and chicken) where every single steak you buy is a piece of craftsmanship, attention to detail, and special vibes. Meral Luleci explains why.

Is it challenging to run a boutique family business in Bulgaria? Except for high-quality meat, what else stands behind the success of Butcher?

It can be easy, and it can be hard. When you work for yourself and the business is small, it’s easier to control what goes in and out, and the accounts are clear. But free time is never enough and work sometimes is the only thing to talk about at breakfast and dinner. In fact, we had nothing to do with the meat business before we started. It happened by chance. We saw a niche and decided to try. I think that an architect and a philosopher have a totally different approach to meat. We made some serious mistakes in the beginning, having in mind the fact that in Bulgaria beef is not quite popular. The first shop we opened was selling only beef and lamb, but everyone kept coming and asking for pork. Ten years ago people in Bulgaria knew little of beef. But things have changed.

The hardest thing now is to find employees. People don’t like to work with their hands, especially the younger ones. They prefer to go abroad and become drivers rather than learn the butcher’s profession. I think, however, that there will always be opportunities for those who work in the food industry and young people should be stimulated.

Which feminine qualities do help in the management of a specialised meat shop?

Unlike men, women have great attention to detail. We can notice every little spot or thing that is not in its place. I like symmetry and harmony around. I believe the way the products are handed to the customers in the shop is also important, and attitude does matter. As women, we are more democratic and patient, somehow softer with people, which makes them feel good, no matter if they are customers or employees. Men are stricter and more goal-oriented. But you should definitely have strong nerves to be in business.

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How did the current situation with Covid-19 and the high energy prices affect your business?

It is quite hard, and sad in a way. The pandemic made us reduce contact with customers to a minimum. Before that we used to chat with everyone, we offered tiny bites for degustation, and we communicated in a quite friendly manner. At the start of the pandemic, some customers were afraid to touch anything at the shop, so we were focused on keeping distance and cleaning all the time. We didn’t know where things were heading to. We had work, people ordered, and we made deliveries. When they came to the shop, they bought in bulk, because they didn’t go out often. Now people have become calmer, they buy less at a time but come more often. However, we still clean and disinfect every second. At present, the price of electricity affects the prices of everything else and it is even harder. We are not a corporation and it’s difficult to compensate for higher expenses. I guess it is a difficult period for any small business. But I am an optimist and we are still working.

You opened Butcher 2 to offer chicken and pork. What made you diversify your product range?

People loved the way we offered them beef but wanted other types of meat as well. At a certain point the nearby premise was vacated. And things just happened naturally. It was the right time to go on and take another step. We decided to keep the two shops separate and offer different products in each of them. At first, I was skeptical and customers were a little surprised. Over time they got used to the two shops and now they know where to call. We have regular customers who know the butchers by name, some boys have been working for us for more than 5 years now. I think it is important to know your butcher, bread maker, or greengrocer. It is an important connection, which is impossible to build at a large supermarket. The human touch, the energy – that is what makes food different. People want not only products but an attitude.

What are the three things by which we can distinguish good meat?

Appearance, texture, smell. Meat should be fresh but it is, in fact, quite hard to find a place where it is cut in front of your eyes. More often it comes already cut which is not good for the taste of meat. It is important how the meat has been transported. Young people are not very informed on meat and trust us with their choice, the older ones know what to look for and always choose the right piece. That’s when we talk about pork and chicken. It’s not the same with beef. For instance, if they see the slice has become brownish, they think it is old. But beef needs aging and can’t be eaten right away. People still don’t know how to prepare it and think that it takes more time to cook it. That is not true, it usually takes the same time as when you cook pork. Each part of the beef is prepared in a different way, but the key thing is to seal it before cooking. I notice, however, that in the past five years interest has risen, especially in steaks. Burgers also became popular, because they are nutritious and easy to prepare. People are now ready to try different recipes.

Butcher 1: Sofia, 27A Gen. Yosif V. Gurko St, phones: +359 2 954 54 57, +359 899 787 844

Butcher 2: Sofia, 27B Gen. Yosif V. Gurko St, phone: + 359 892 322 642

shop@butcher.bg 

www.butcher.bg