The Country Butcher

When it comes to the success of his business The Country Butcher, Doug Waller credits his wife Sue's stance of go big or go home. "I give all the credit to my wife," Doug says. "When we sat down a few years ago to have the discussion about moving The Country Butcher to its current location on Murphy Road, I was a little reluctant." Sue persisted in wanting to get the job done, and now the couple enjoys many repeat customers. "It is probably the best move we have ever made."

The Wallers actually run two businesses; The Country Butcher in Sarnia and Lambton Meat Products in Alvinston. Sue manages the Sarnia location and Doug manages the Alvinston location which is a smokehouse. "Smoked meats are our specialty and we also do custom cutting of hogs and beef," Doug says. Doug got his start at Lambton Meat Products in Wyoming, Ont., 38 years ago and with the exception of a four-year stint in the military, has been at it for most of his career. Inspired by old world butchering and featuring antibiotic and hormone-free products, The Country Butcher offers dry-aged beef, beef brisket, pork shoulder, air-chilled poultry and traditional sausages among other things. 

The Wallers are particularly proud of the Meat for a Week program they developed at the start of the COVID pandemic. Another one of Sue's ideas, the Meat for a Week program consists of seven different products designed to get a family through a week of meals. "One of the worst questions a mom can be asked is, 'What's for dinner tonight?' I have been getting feedback from our customers that they love having their meals planned out for them. We always try to include some ready-made meal that they can throw into the frying pan or oven for a quick dinner."

In addition to their high quality meats, Doug and Sue try to educate their customers about the different products that they offer. "We like to introduce people to new products that they might have shied away from," Doug says. "For example we put pork belly into one of the Meat for a Week packs and we provided our customers with a recipe for it. We got a lot of positive feedback from people. Some people said they had never thought to buy pork belly and they were really happy with it."

Another badge of honour for Doug is his work at local fairs and rodeos prior to the pandemic. "I got a lot of flack from some of the other vendors because of my low prices," Doug says. "When I was a kid and taken to the fair by my parents, I thought the prices you had to pay for a sausage on a bun or a hamburger were absolutely ludicrous. I cover my costs and wages and that's all I need to do. I want to please people and give them a good product at a good price. I don't need to get rich overnight."