Breaking Down Our Short Supply Chain Strategy
By VP of Operations, Seth Duivenvoorden
Marrow started its journey in 2018 with a butcher shop in the front of its restaurant focused on whole animal butchery and partnerships with small local farms. Our butchers carried eighths of beef, half hogs, and whole lamb into our space to process, breakdown and turn into hand-crafted cuts, sausages and charcuterie. Through this highly laborious process, the talented team researched and developed unique flavor creations, approved of by the discerning palettes of chefs and butchers alike. As the popularity and notoriety of Marrow grew, so did the need for building a supply chain that could support the growth while maintaining the values, and creative freedom that delighted customers frequenting the small butcher shop.
Fast forward to the present day, while some things have changed, most of the processes have stayed the same; our butchers continue to cut and age the steaks you find at our butcher counter and market. The raw cuts you find with our name on it are still created through the hand crafted labor of love that our customers expect and know they can trust.
Recently, Marrow has expanded its meat operations into a standalone entity called Marrow Detroit Provisions (MDP). We’re focused on producing delicious value-added products while pursuing our core values of sourcing from local, independent farmers and making quality food accessible. We aim to grow while building what we call a “short supply chain” that is sustainable for supporting our butcher shop, local food vendors, and regional retail stores.
We call it “short” for a few reasons. It starts with the direct relationships we build with our farmers that go beyond a simple purchase transaction. We only partner with farms that are proud to show us their operations and how they care for their animals' well being. These farms have focused on meat quality, ingenuity, and relationships with their communities for generations. They are mindful about what they feed their animals, procuring feed from their neighboring farms or the by-products from local food businesses. As we out grow micro-farms for our commercial line, we will continue to find ways to support these partners in their growth and innovative farming practices at our restaurant and butcher shop.
Harvesting locally and working with local processors are unique practices in the meat industry, even for the brands who boast a natural USA product. Conventional practices privilege scale and commoditization. We believe that small processors are essential to the successful execution of a short supply chain because they utilize proven practices for production lines, and equipment, but have the flexibility to accommodate unique cuts and rely on eliminating waste with their hands-on approach. For MDP, the hands-on approach at every stage is essential. Our small processors we work with take the utmost care with slaughter to ensure that the animals only have one bad day. They show the same respect to the cuts - as a farmer would to their animals - and that translates into exceptional meat quality.
In our short supply chain model, we work hand in hand with our partners at every step along the way. In addition to in-house production, we utilize the expertise of local USDA certified co-manufacturers for smoked products and sausage production to ensure that our quality recipes are created with the food handling processes required to scale, and help our farm partners grow.
Currently, MDP’s short supply chain from farm to retail encompasses a radius of less than 200 miles. MDP’s dedication to a short supply chain brings you the shortest distance from live animal to finished products available year round. The chain supports consistent income for farmers, processors, distributors, and ultimately benefits you, the consumer, with the best meat products tried and tested by the experts at Marrow.