Home Delivery Is Changing How Ontarians Buy Meat

Home Delivery Is Changing How Ontarians Buy Meat

There was a time when most Canadians who wanted to pick up some fresh steaks or chicken breasts would simply head down to the nearest supermarket and see what was available. But in recent years to major trends have been completely reshaping the retail market for meat in the country’s largest province: Ontario. In greater and greater numbers, shoppers are choosing to have groceries delivered directly to their homes. If you want to get groceries delivered to your door there are more possibilities than ever before, which is opening a market for more bespoke types of delivery. For example, it is now possible to set recurring orders that will be delivered regularly and charged automatically, and delivery is no longer limited to a shopper’s house — some services now deliver to offices, cottages, and gyms as well.  

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At the same time, trends in consumption are intersecting with trends in conscience, and many Canadians now want to make sure that the food they eat is sustainable, and where possible, locally-sourced. According to a recent article in the Toronto Star, half of the beef consumed in Ontario is raised in-province, which reflects a growing desire on the part of consumers for local meat produced in healthy and sustainable ways, without the use of antibiotics or added hormones. 

This has opened up an expanding new market for Ontarians who want fresh meat delivery that brings together the most efficient service with the best quality local food. Companies like truLOCAL, which delivers locally-raised beef and pork, free-run chicken, and even wild-caught fish anywhere in Ontario, have carved out a niche for themselves by allowing shoppers to build meal boxes filled with a range of products, from steaks to sausages to pork chops and more. These boxes are delivered frozen every month, and shoppers can change their orders month each month, or choose to skip a month if they so desire. Because the boxes are specially designed to keep the contents refrigerated, shoppers don’t need to worry about being home when the boxes arrive.

Services like this have become especially popular among younger customers who may be extremely passionate about sustainable meat, but not necessarily have the time to visit speciality butchers or local food stores. Likewise, they appeal to shoppers who are committed to cooking at home with the best ingredients, but find it difficult to make time for regular shopping trips.

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They are also tapping into a growing market for local meat outside of the province’s largest urban centres. While cities like Toronto, Ottawa, and Kingston have populations sufficiently large enough to attract custom butchers dedicated to providing high quality local meats, shoppers in smaller towns and villages may be limited to what the local supermarket provides. Because meat delivery services are increasingly able to bring local meat to every postal code in the province, artisanal quality meat isn’t just for urbanites anymore. 

As more and more Ontarians become aware of the importance of eating sustainably raised meat, services that are able to capitalize on people’s desire for convenient, affordable fresh meat delivery are only likely to become more popular.