Let’s Eat

Life is good on the farm, but sometimes, we venture out to the city to see our hard work in action.

If you’re a fan of our meat, you know that our quality is a cut above the rest. But did you know that we actually supply one of the most popular delis in Toronto with the key ingredient in their star dish? It’s true – that amazing brisket you’re getting from Caplansky’s on College Street is from our Simcoe farm.

VG Meats has been selling beef brisket to Caplansky’s since January. It’s a great relationship – Zane and his team really know what they’re doing, and we love seeing deli customers bite into their favorite sandwich with so much satisfaction. Tourists and locals flock to Caplansky’s original location as well as the brand new setup in Yorkville. There is even a Caplansky’s restaurant at the airport! We are proud to contribute to their menu and can’t wait to contribute in any other way we can.

Last week, I appeared on Zane Caplansky’s radio show, Let’s Eat, on AM1010. We had a great discussion about food and beef and Ontario and business. I really enjoyed our conversation as always. There is so much more to talk about that I think his listeners would love to hear. I hope to cover more of that in blogs to come. Our conversation led to the topic of quality, of course, with Zane commenting that “it has to taste great” and acknowledging that a high yield is critical to restaurant owners. After all, mass-produced beef is NOT cheaper when in the end, your $13 cut costs you more than your $18 cut! The eating quality has to be there, and the math has to make cents…and sometimes dollars (see what I did there?!). If no one can afford the product, there’s nowhere for us to go – that’s why we work so hard and push ourselves to deliver an exceptional product with great value.

Zane had some great things to say about VG, calling us “the best of the best” and noting, “the quality of what you’re doing is amazing.” (Love to hear that! Thanks Zane!) We recalled our first meeting at a Master Class of Steak event hosted by Jacob’s Steakhouse in Toronto (another client of ours), and discussed the challenges of both the beef industry and the restaurant business. One underlying theme throughout our talk was the challenge of meeting our very high quality standards while keeping our prices competitive, and how yield factors in. (‘The nickels and dimes of the restaurant business’, according to Zane.)

It’s my family’s life’s work to put Ontario on the map as the world’s best beef, and we’re glad that Zane Caplansky understands our vision. Near the end of the show, Zane said, “Nothing makes me happier than watching people enjoy my food.” We understand that, too, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.

Please list to a full audio recording from our interview here.