From just one small, independently owned butchery, has sprung a Southland legacy of local meat and baked goods all found in a neighbourhood grocer.

And today, a new chapter in that legacy launches.

The Grocer is a multi-location business in Southland comprised of three stores in Woodlands, Invercargill and Lorneville, serving up high quality local meat, baked goods, hot food, coffee and homekill services.

While the look is new, customers may remember these quality institutions by their respective previous names – Woodlands Butchery, Big Reds Butchery and Isla Bank Butchery. 

Bringing these butcheries all under one look and identity represents a new chapter in the business, evolving from individual butcheries to a place where customers can pick up several kinds of goods for their pantries and freezers.

The Grocer co-owner Craig Hamilton

Owned by butchers Craig Hamilton and Craig Phillips, The Grocer’s history spans more than 20 years of supplying Southlanders with high quality meats, smallgoods, and homekill services.

Craig Hamilton said the team were stoked with the new look and were looking forward to introducing it to customers.

“It really shows how much we’ve evolved as a business and gives us a flexible brand to work with if we ever want to add on to our offering,” he says.

Back in 1999 when Hamilton first purchased Woodlands Butchery, he knew he wanted to strengthen the community’s awareness of local products and the importance of trades as careers.

As he has brought more butcheries into the fold (Isla Bank and Big Reds), he has also fostered the careers of many butchers through apprenticeships and offering shareholding opportunities in the businesses. 

The Grocer is all about getting back to basics. Meat from your local butcher that was raised down the road, which is used in specialty pies and sausage rolls, alongside other filling and tasty homemade treats from the bakery to get you through your day. It is this commitment to honest food that keeps customers coming back.

“The number of independent butcheries has steadily declined over the past couple of decades, but now I think we’re seeing a sort of renaissance with butchers and bakers because customers really appreciate the honest quality of our products and knowing exactly how their food is made and where it comes from,” Hamilton says.

“It’s really encouraging to see people put into action their desire to buy local. The more we can spend in our local communities, the more we can reinvest back into them.”

The Grocer’s mandate is simple: local and honest food, prepared by southern hands. As the locations and offerings have grown over the years to encompass baked goods such as pies, sandwiches and hot food, plus coffee and other grocery items, Hamilton says it has become clear bringing together all the locations under one umbrella was the next logical step.

“We’re everything you need in an old-fashioned store when it comes to your fridge and pantry – and we’re local, in people’s neighbourhoods,” he says.

“Becoming The Grocer means we’re more accessible for our customers and they can trust they’re going to get the same quality meats, baked goods, hot food and coffee across all of our locations.”

The Grocer officially launches today (June 24).

Its locations can be found in Woodlands, Invercargill and Lorneville (Underwood).