A steak dinner is easier than ever to procure thanks to Georgetown’s newest grocers.
South Asian family-run EcoFresh Mart has been serving local residents since its soft launch last fall.
The family proprietors of Pakistani origin have ensured the shelves at their 140 Guelph St. location is filled with goods from the subcontinent.
The business is also unique: it's the only halal meat shop in Halton Hills.
Though not strictly required by the faith as opinions on doctrine differ, hand slaughtering the meat is a feature of halal preparation. This may be enticing to the non-Muslim population of the municipality as well.
“Seeing is believing,” Khurram Danyal, the patriarch of the clan, said when asked why he believes hand-cut meat is better. “[Customers] just want to see and be satisfied that everything is being cut and packed in front of their eyes.”
His son Shaaf Khurram echoed this sentiment, adding that “customers can pretty much trim the meat to their taste and they can make steaks the way they like.”
“Some people prefer thin steaks. Other’s like thicker and chunkier steaks with more or less fat,” he said.
Cuts of meat line the display case at EcoFresh Mart. In it, tenderloins, rib-eye (both AAA), chicken (whole or cuts), ground beef and some pre-marinated meats are ready to be prepped to order by the shop’s butcher, Asad Farooq.
“Most of the people come here to see the ground beef getting ground in front of them. Most of the shops are not selling like that,” Shaaf’s mother Ayesha Khurram said.
Those with other religious dietary restrictions can rest assured as the family has instituted practices to ensure ritual purity.
“The knife we used to cut the beef is never used to cut other meats just to respect the practices of others. Whether it is personal beliefs or preferences, the utmost care is in place,” Shaaf said.
Much the same way the eating of pork is forbidden in Islam, Hinduism does not permit the consumption of beef. As Halton Hills' Hindu population grows, so will demand for what EcoFresh Mart offers.
“We are also trying to keep our prices at a reasonable level," Danyal noted.
With such a formula, locals of diverse backgrounds have fallen in love with the meat they provide, even buying bones or liver for their dogs.
Though the family is keen to talk about the butcher shop, plenty of accompanying grocery items are available at EcoFresh Mart to help round out meals. Spices, both ground and whole, make the shelves a rainbow of sights and smells.
The store also has ready-made foods available to serve up hot for take out.
More information can be found on EcoFresh Mart's Instagram and Facebook pages.
