Butchers Of Distinction

Located in an historic stretch of Toronto’s Riverside district, Butchers of Distinction showcases the finest meat and poultry that’s grown and raised in Ontario.
Founded by four partners hailing respectively from Scotland, Ireland, the U.S., and Sri Lanka, Butchers of Distinction is a “typical Toronto story,” says co-founder John W. Maxwell.

“All of the partners have come here because they believe that farming in Ontario is amongst the best in the world,” John says. “Our aim is to re-orient the consumer to that which is grown in his or her home, and that which benefits his or her local economy.” One way Butchers of Distinction “re-orients” the customer towards buying local is by being completely transparent about where the meat comes from.

All the meat and poultry in the shop is identified by the farm it was raised at, and the farm's location, as well as the type of feed used and name of farmer. “We want it to be 100 per cent traceable,” John explains. To boot, all meat on offer at Butchers of Distinction is antibiotic and hormone-free, because after all, John notes, whatever the animal eats is ultimately, “what you eat.”