New craft butcher to specialise in Japanese Wagyu Beef
Meat lovers in Cambridge will soon be able to get their hands on some of the world’s most expensive cuts of beef when a new craft butchers shop opens its doors to the city later this year.
Specialising in Japanese wagyu, one of the world’s rarest and most expensive beef, Malloy’s Craft Butchery is the creation of business partners Mike Malloy and Ginny Thomas. The duo will be launching a bespoke and premium butchers service for customers to help take the hassle out of fine dining, by providing tailored and pre-prepared cuts of artisan meats that are ready to go straight into the oven.
L-R Ginny Thomas, Jeremy Heaven, Mike-Malloy.
Malloy’s Craft Butchery is set to open at Downing Student’s The Railyard development on Station Road – taking a ground floor unit at the complex, which also houses student accommodation on the upper levels.
Mike Malloy boasts 16 years’ experience as a professional butcher, having joined the trade at 14 years old when his father sent him to a local butchers shop as a way to make him work hard at school. He specialises in craft butchery and also farms some of his own beef, including a Jersey-wagyu cross coined ‘Jagyu’.
Mike said: “The first thing many people compromise on when they’re busy is food. My aim is to bring fine dining into people’s homes without them having to do any of the work – all they need to do is buy the meat and put it in the oven. “
He continued: “Cambridge’s foodie scene is massive and we know that people here always get behind their local restaurants and independent food traders. Having the time and opportunity to eat out all of the time is great, but for commuters who are coming back from work late at night and don’t necessarily have the time to prepare and cook a meal from scratch, we can supply them with a fantastic piece of meat that has already been stuffed, rolled and flavoured along with tailored cooking instructions, so that all they need to do is put it straight into the oven when they get home, giving them convenience without compromising on quality.”
Stylish and relaxing space
Ginny and Mike are transforming the ground-floor unit at Downing to create what they describe as a stylish and relaxing space for customers to shop. The unit will be split into three sections, including a fresh meat counter, a cooked meat counter and a butcher’s block, which will be faced outwards so that customers can watch their meat being freshly prepared. Front of house staff will be on hand to greet customers into the welcome area, which has been kitted out with a sofa and a coffee machine for people to wait while their meat is prepared.
“The first thing many people compromise on when they’re busy is food. My aim is to bring fine dining into people’s homes without them having to do any of the work – all they need to do is buy the meat and put it in the oven.”
Ginny Thomas said: “We’ve carefully designed the shop to reflect the learnings that both Mike and I have taken away from previous experiences. In most shops, the butchers will have their backs to the customer and we want to turn this around so that people can see what our butchers are doing and really appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the trade.
“People can often feel rushed in and out of a butchers and we’re very committed to the idea of this being a place where you can come and enjoy exploring ideas without feeling any pressure. Malloy’s Craft Butchery will be a place for learning, where people can come in, grab a coffee and sit down with Mike or one of our experts to discuss ideas for a big dinner party they’re planning or any occasion where they want to impress their guests with a delicious meal.”
Jeremy Heaven, property manager at Downing, said: “It’s incredibly refreshing to see Ginny and Mike bringing their own unique twist to such a traditional trade. Their wealth of experience in the industry has given them a special insight on how their customers shopping habits have changed and this has been carefully reflected in their designs for the shop layout.
“We’re so pleased that they have chosen The Railyard as the home of Malloy’s Craft Butchery, which is ideally situated in the heart of Cambridge’s CB1 district with great footfall from commuters, local businesses and our student residents. Malloy’s Craft Butchery will neighbour artisan bakers Zio Mario, meaning we now have one last unit to let at The Railyard and we’re expecting strong interest for the space.
“We wish Ginny and Mike the best of luck in their new venture and we’re looking forward to the shop’s launch later this year.”
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