Meat+Poultry - October 2019 - 84

S M A L L B U S I N E S S M AT T E R S

items, the variety at Belmont Butchery's goes
beyond expectations: tomahawk ribeyes,
Serrano Spanish ham, Iberico ham, speck,
linguisa, head cheese, scrapple, pork belly
sausage, chorizo, paté maison, soppressata,
and even duck confit (legs). All of these
are complemented by a few provisions
like crackers, rubs, cheeses and olive oils.
Details on specialty products for the week
and holiday promotions appear on the shop's
website, www.belmontbutchery.com and on
social media.

INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE

Belmont's meat options
include locally sourced beef,
veal, lamb, pork, yak and
chicken, as well as some
exotics such as kangaroo,
ostrich and wild boar.

84

that's what I sell them. I don't try to up-sell
anyone, but rather navigate options with our
customers so that they feel great about their
choices and comfortable with cooking them."
At the end of the day, Belmont Butchery is
about selling meat.
"We don't want customers just browsing
aimlessly or feeling overwhelmed. We want
them informed and making buying judgments
based on what they value and good choices.
That is the same philosophy I have about our
employees (five full-time and two part-time).
They get to go out to our farm-partners and
meet the animals while alive. Seeing how they
are reared and nurtured can't help but give
you a respect for that life. I want them to have
the same respect that I do for that life. If the
animals are going to nourish us, we owe it
to them not to waste anything. The animals
deserve that."
In addition to Belmont Butchery's local
meat options (including beef, veal, lamb,
pork, yak and chicken, among others) they
also procure some more exotic options, like
kangaroo, ostrich or wild boar. Whether
it's fresh meat, charcuterie or hand-worked

MEAT+ POULTRY | 10.19 | www.meatpoultry.com

Cauthen's world travel has influenced what
she makes and sells. Indeed, the flavors of
Europe, Asia and Africa (among others) grace
the diminutive shop. The location offers a
great selection of wines and beers, all chosen
to pair well with Belmont's meats and cheeses.
Cauthen's husband, Henry Reidy, used to
operate a nearby wine shop. One day, Henry
(then a customer) introduced himself. They
have been married for nine years.
"We felt that running two separate small
businesses was too much of a challenge,
so Henry sold his shop and now serves as
Belmont's wine buyer and customer service
manager," Cauthen explains. "He comes in to
the run the shop in the mornings and I come in
for the afternoons and we can still spend time
together and have a life."
They live in Montpelier, Virginia, outside
of Richmond, on Reidy's Pond Farm. There,
Cauthen raises Boer goats, Hog Island sheep,
guinea hens, chickens and geese. Her first farm
animals were gifts from several of her farmpartners. Farming seems to come naturally to
Cauthen. "Working with my animals gives me
such a greater understanding of what farmers
do and the difficulties they face on a daily basis.
I now understand nutrition, genetics, breeding
and all the cycles of life in a way I never truly
knew before," she explains. "Now, I can explain
nuances of rearing methods and nutritional
needs of the animals to my customers in a way
that most butchers can't. I experience all the
ups and downs of rearing livestock without my
livelihood depending on it."

ACCOLADES AND RECOGNITION
Shortly after opening Belmont Butchery in
2006, Cauthen was recognized by Food &
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Meat+Poultry - October 2019

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