In the heart of St. Catharines, Goemans Lakeshore Meats is more than your average butcher shop.
“This is an absolute institution in St. Catharines,” said customer-turned-employee Sarah Di Teodoro. She grew up coming to the shop with her grandparents and parents. Now she works on the other side of the counter.
“We’ve been at this location for over 40 years, and the business has been operating for over 60 years,” said owner Darwin Brenneman.
Proudly serving high-quality meat products, Goeman Lakeshore Meats has built up a great reputation and a loyal customer base.
“I love Lakeshore Meats,” said Stephanie Johnston, a long-time customer. “I’ve been coming here since I was 12.”
“We have a lot of regulars and first-time customers asking for different types of cuts,” says Brenneman.
Owner Darwin Brenneman credits the shop’s success to customer service and a broad selection of locally sourced meats, including Ontario-raised pork.
“Pork has really gained a lot of strength. I guess it’s the price, a little better price point. We have 14 varieties of sausage, and we make them all here.”
They also offer cuts other shops don’t carry. “We have stuffed pork tenderloins, stuffed pork roasts, stuffed pork chops. We have something called a ‘pork-sicle,’ which uses bacon and pork tenderloin.”
Brenneman shares cooking tips to help customers get the most out of their purchases. “We were always told to cook our pork until it’s dry, but you don’t have to. Cook to an internal temperature of 150 to 155 and that keeps it moist.”
According to Brenneman, recent trade talks between the U.S. and Canada have sparked renewed interest in sourcing local options.
“Is this local? Is this from Ontario? That’s probably the number one question,” Brenneman said. “Especially with talk of tariffs, people are choosing to shop local, to shop Ontario, which is a great thing to do.”
That commitment to Canadian farmers is central to the shop’s philosophy, and customers notice.
“Really, you could go somewhere else,” said Stephanie Johnston. “But if you want the quality, you go local.”
Di Teodoro said what separates Lakeshore Meats from its competition is that customers trust the quality of their products. “Our customers really respect and value the fact that we serve meats from Southwestern Ontario.”
According to Brennaman serving high-quality local products has certainly helped build the customer loyalty.
“Everything we sell here in the shop is local, is Ontario, or is Canadian, and it’s fresh, sometimes too fresh… I get a lot of pride from that.”
Source : Ontario Pork