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Local Voices

Avon Prime Meats is the new name for The Meat House

Nothing has changed but the name! Premium meats and gourmet food are still the store’s focus, while the ownership, management, staff, products, gift cards and rewards cards all remain the same.

That’s what owners Rich and Janice Gallivan said when they announced The Meat House will be known as Avon Prime Meats. The couple has owned the 395 West Main St. (Rt. 44) store since it opened in May 2010 as a franchise under The Meat House. Four years later, they now own it independently.

“The Meat House franchise, which ran into difficult times, is temporarily out of business and many corporate stores have closed in New Hampshire and Maine,” Rich Gallivan said. “We’re not sure what will come of the franchise, but we’ve ended our relationship.”

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He said that in Avon, they never sourced merchandise through The Meat House, which is why nothing else is changing.

“We’ve always bought from our own local and nationally selected vendors,” he said.

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The majority of their meats, which are the store’s essence, are traceable to the farm of origin. There are various Connecticut farms the store works with that offer grass-fed, all-natural meats. They include Sepe Farms in Sandy Hook, lamb; Blue Slope in Franklin, veal; Laurel Ridge in Litchfield, beef; and Mohawk Bison in Goshen.

“We buy and sell only the best meats money can buy from the top 20 percent of the grading scale,” Gallivan said. “Only the Best of the Best.”

That includes prime, the highest grade of beef, premium choice meats, and chicken that is all-natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free.

Besides its reputation as a neighborhood butcher shop, the store has become known for having skilled chefs who make ready to go, gourmet meals and side dishes.

“I liked the idea of a store where people could stop by on their way home from work or a soccer game and pick up a gourmet meal for dinner in less than 10 minutes,” Gallivan said. “Our focus is to make our guests' lives easier and more enjoyable. We strive to make the guest feel better when the leave the store than when they arrive.”

Gallivan said he picked Avon as the location for his store because he was familiar and bullish on the area. As a real estate consultant for the restaurant industry, he set up Chili’s in Simsbury Commons and Bertucci’s, Dakota and Friendly’s in Avon.

“I got to know Avon and its people,” he said. “It’s an outstanding town with wonderful people.”

His wife noted that their spot on the corner of West Main Street and Dale Road is ideal for this concept of selling high-end products, as guests can easily get in and home within 10 minutes. No lines, just quality products fast.

The Gallivans give kudos to their staff, especially general manager Matt Cormier, Ellen Bellicchi, Diane Gallivan, James Lucas, Matt Tofil, and Rocio Olivares for making their store THE destination place in the Farmington Valley for gourmet foods.

“We have a lively, energetic staff with tremendous personalities and they go the extra mile for our guests,” they said. “Although we are purveyors of fine foods, we are really in the hospitality business. It is important to all that the guests are pampered and entertained.”

“We know our guests by name and we also come to know which cut of meat is their favorite or what their kids like,” Cormier said. “That’s part of what drives us each day to give our best.”

One staff manager, Ellen Bellichi, is a nutritionist who offers advice to customers and counsels those who are on special diets.

The store has a wide selection of gluten-free products along with a variety of grocery lines such as Italian and Mexican. There’s also a frozen exotic meat selection that is quite popular. Choices are bison, ostrich, venison, rabbit, elk, alligator or llama, and others can be ordered.

Sausages and smoked bacon are made in-house, and local offerings include milk from Smyth’s Farm in Enfield, the last in the state to bottle its milk, ice cream from Tulmeadow Farm in Simsbury, and in season, produce from Farmington Valley farms.

Many customers come for the store’s deli department, which carries Boars Head meat and cheese. Sandwiches are made to order, and blackboard specials feature culinary creations concocted by store staff with local names like Country Club of Avon and Rt. 44 Garden Burger as well as catchy titles such as Saucy Little Piggy or Black and Blue Steak Sandwich. Those who call in their sandwich or deli meat order get 5 percent off.

Avon Prime Meats also owns a kitchen in East Hartford that is used for the store’s catering business, which is rapidly growing under the direction of Chef Matt Tofil. A very modest chef, Tofil once cooked for Al Gore and is one of the top chefs in Connecticut.

“Our Avon Prime Meats team is a great blend of talents and creativity,” marketing coordinator Rocio Olivares said. “Our chefs, butchers, nutritionist and many others make us challenge ourselves to be continually innovating. Every department works closely with their vendors to ensure timely deliveries of the best products for our guests. We also try our best to honor special requests.”

The store has been involved with the community since its opening and as Avon Prime Meats, will expand that profile. They are proud sponsors of the community and support numerous charities and area benefits. In addition to membership in the Avon Chamber of Commerce and the Avon BNI networking group, support is given to town charities, schools and sports in Avon, Farmington, Simsbury, Canton and New Hartford.

“We try always to say yes to charities in the area, but our main ones are Gifts of Love, Vie for the Kids, which benefits the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and Dog Star Foundation,” Olivares said.

Food tastings are often hosted at the store, especially prior to a holiday. On a recent weekend before Easter, samples of roast leg of lamb and baked ham were offered along with various side dishes. Recipe cards and cooking instructions are made available.

“We even come up with theme weekends of specialty burger patties, according to the season and to the sports involved,” Olivares said. “It's always fun at Avon Prime Meats.”

A ribbon-cutting event and unveiling of the new store sign is scheduled for Saturday, May 3 from noon to 4 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.

For more information, call 860-676-4444 or visit www.avonprimemeats.com.





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