10 June 2020

Jordo’s Chop Shop: A cut above the rest

| Sophia Brady
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Aaron Fenning

Aaron Fenning is at the helm, purchasing the shop in 2013 from the original owner Jordo McHugh. Photos: Supplied.

Jordo’s Chop Shop is a very traditional Australian butcher that’s connecting with their customers beyond the very traditional bricks and mortar (and sawdust).

They share their product knowledge, inspiration and advice not only through their Wanniassa shopfront but also their online presence including an e-store, website, and social media channels.

Regardless of whether you go instore or order online, the service is seamless, and all feels personal and authentic.

Aaron Fenning is at the helm, purchasing the shop in 2013 from the original owner Jordo McHugh. He decided to keep the name ‘Jordo’s Chop Shop’, the logo, the online shop and the ethos.

“Jordo’s has always been synonymous with quality and value. Our meat is sourced from the South East Coast of NSW, from the fine pastures of Bergalia Farm and the green Cowra surrounds of the Breakout River farms,” Aaron explains.

“All of our tender, three-week dry-aged beef, succulent lamb and juicy pork are free-range, have low mileage to the abattoirs and gentle handling. This ensures prime quality from the paddock to your plate. Our meat is cut fresh when you order, and with special attention to dietary requirements, we can create any special request you want. We smoke everything in house, so we know exactly what goes into our hams, pork hocks, pancetta and bacon. We also do house-made cabana, jerky and bacon chops!”

House-made smoked bacon

House-made smoked bacon.

In the time of big-name retailers offering convenience and deep price discounts to shoppers, Aaron credits the success of their small suburban shop to the team, which is made up of long-standing employees. They are all proud of what they do, the quality of the goods and offer a money-back guarantee on everything they sell.

Being locals, the team also understands the demands, tastes, and budget constraints of their customers offering up weekly specials and homely achievable recipes.

“We have got online and over-the-counter specials advertised every Monday and each week we put up an easy to follow recipe on social media to showcase those specials. Think roasted chicken maryland’s with bacon and mushrooms, veal parmigiana, and curried sausages, an all-time classic. All recipes are designed as midweek meals prepared in a flash,” Aaron says.

Curried sausages

Each week they put up an easy to follow recipe on social media. Curried sausages, is an all-time favourite classic.

Luckily the well-oiled team and online shop were established and equipped as they received a workout during the COVID-19 panic buying.

“COVID sent people into an online meat buying frenzy, it sent meat prices through the roof and we ran out of beef, then chicken. The suppliers and producers could not keep up with demand and our prices suffered as a result. Our online deliveries doubled overnight, and we had about two weeks where we could barely catch our breath. While good for business, it was not great for our stress levels.

“Thankfully, things calmed down around three weeks ago, and we are almost back to normal! Our online ordering system is pretty unique and has increased our customer base substantially over the years. People know and trust us to provide great quality meat and we pride ourselves on our excellent customer service, which is why people keep coming back.”

I admit to being one of those panic buyers drawn to Jordo’s Chop Shop e-store during the start of COVID-19. My intent wasn’t to stock my freezer with a year’s worth of mince, but I was eager to get my hands on some quality meat, avoid the supermarket, and support a local business. Since that first purchase, I am a convert and have purchased numerous times since. Returning to buy ingredients for many a hearty winter meal and the convenience of online shopping with the personal customisation Jordo’s offers, it is all cut to my specification, I just type in the requirements and wait for it to be delivered.

Find Jordo’s Chop Shop at the Wanniassa Shops, Sangster Pl, Wanniassa ACT, or head to the website or Facebook page.

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I still drive from Deakin to Jordo’s to get the best quality meat in Canberra. I know a few fancy head chefs who secretly use this butchery.

The chicken snitzel is excellent as well as the red meats.

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