Starring role In commercial

E-ville Egg · April 2016

here is a commercial my midsection starred in 5 years ago.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bmwkKK1aEqI

i got started in the meat business at Schnucks Markets and worked there for 3 years. This must be about two years after I had started. Schnucks is a St Louis based grocery store chain and at that time had over 120 stores throughout the region. I started working there because my wife and I had moved down from Chicago for her to attend law school and I couldn't find a job right when we got down. After searching for 2 weeks with no luck I noticed that our local grocery store was hiring all positions because they were opening a new flagship store. I figured "what the hell," and dropped off an application and was hired on the spot. I began the next day and figured I'd only be there for a few months until I found a job using my degree (Packaging engineering). I've been a meat man ever since.

After working the counter for 3 months I was offered a meat cutting apprenticeship. That was supposed to be a 24 month gig but I was fast tracked and finished up in 6 months. I was placed into a managerial position upon completion which meant little more than being in charge of stock and employees while still cutting meat. We moved from St Louis in late 2012 and since that time I've worked mostly at smaller shops with an occasional gig covering medical leaves at a large grocery chain. My goal is to open a whole animal butcher shop.

I guess the moral of my story is I'm happy my parents raised me with a strong work ethic. Many of my friends from the corporate world I was a part of before my meat expedition couldn't believe I took a job in a grocery store. Truth be told I was kind of ashamed the first couple of months but I really enjoyed what I was doing. I am not the type to sit around and not have a job.

Sorry for for the long post about me.

Here's the link for the commercial again I case you missed it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bmwkKK1aEqI

The Cen-Tex Smoker · April 2016

Love it.

SGH · April 2016

E-ville Egg said:

My goal is to open a whole animal butcher shop.

Sorry for for the long post

I would like, if I may, to comment on the above quotes. First and for the record, no apology necessary my friend. Long posts are one of favorites. I'm a tad guilty of getting long winded from time to time myself. Or so I have been told. Next, I wish you good luck in your endeavor. Being a novice carcass man myself, it's great to see someone wishing to pursue the craft. Good luck my brother.

SGH · April 2016

Oh yeah, I enjoyed the video.

E-ville Egg · April 2016

SGH said:

E-ville Egg said:

My goal is to open a whole animal butcher shop.

Sorry for for the long post

Being a novice carcass man myself, it's great to see someone wishing to pursue the craft. Good luck my brother.

like a lot of skilled trades, fresh blood is needed. Almost all of the butchers I work with are in or near their 60s. For the longest time everyone was saying you have to go to college. No one thought about who would run their electrical or fix their plumbing or build their houses. Skilled trades got a bad rap and now their are shortages all across the country. Butcher shops are facing the same problems. It's hard to find young guys and gals that want to work hard for 60+ hours a week. The first shop I worked in after leaving the cushy grocery store hours, the minimum amount of hours I put in at the store was 72. I averaged over 80 per week in store. There would be days that if the night meat cutter called in I would be at work from 4 am breaking down sides of beef and whole hogs until 11 pm cleaning up the cutting room. We had a serious labor shortage and we paid well. All that was expected was when you were at the shop you worked. There were only 3 butchers employed and 5 people working the service counter. All of us were full time with benefits except for a high school kid who worked 4 days a week. We would hire someone and they'd be gone in a week even though their pay check was more than they'd ever made before. I'm afraid we've raised 2 generations that are generally allergic to hard work. The 3rd generation is well on their way.

RRP · April 2016

Thanks for posting. Schnucks has been in Peoria for several years now plus they just broke ground for a new huge store less than 3 miles from us. The IA based Hy-Vee chain just opened a massive all purpose food mart in addition to their first one here. Word is the new Schnucks will put the new Hy-Vee to shame so that will be interesting to see.