Food & Home Entertaining

ALAN PICK
OF THE BUTCHER
SHOP & GRILL
By Lisa van der Knaap
Alan Pick started Late Night Al’s and
Al’s Grillhouse and now owns
The Butcher Shop & Grill.
“Passion is contagious and, in this industry, what you put in is
deinitely what you get out – that will never change,” believes
Alan. His son, Dani, who will soon take over completely, is the
third generation in this family business.
“Interestingly, my mother
was the first female butcher
in South Africa.”
ALAN PICK
“My parents owned two butcheries in Kalk Bay – interestingly,
my mother was the irst female butcher in South Africa − so
I grew up in the meat industry. I learnt about butchery from
my father and about business from my mother,” Alan explains.
The massive black-and-white photograph with the three of
them in it, which hangs in the restaurant, pays homage to this.
At 24, Alan took his irst oficial step into the restaurant
industry – as junior partner at Arizona Spur in Stellenbosch.
From there, he perfected his craft, learning about hamburgers
with Late Night Al’s and steaks with Al’s Grillhouse (now simply
known as The Grillhouse). When Alan found a vacant spot in
Sandton, he knew it would be a great location for The Butcher
Shop & Grill. “Almost 80 per cent of my 300-plus staff members
have worked for me for more than 20 years,” he adds.
Back then, having a butchery in a restaurant where people
could choose the type, cut and size of meat they wanted
had never been done before. Selling meat that’s properly
sourced and aged – “any meat that’s aged for less than
21 days is simply not ready” − has upped their credibility.
Nowadays, Alan has 15 restaurants
overseas and also sells meat to the
public and other retailers. Alan’s early
days in Stellenbosch helped him forge
relationships with winemakers that
go back 30 years; subsequently,
The Butcher Shop & Grill stocks
over 50 types of wine that you
literally won’t ind anywhere else.
“Creeping overheads (particularly
rent and labour) is probably the biggest
change I have seen in the industry,” says Alan. “That’s why
the best advice I can give to people entering this business is
to remember that a restaurant is a massive investment. It’s
imperative that you have your inancial ducks in a row in terms
of percentages (‘x’ for food, ‘y’ for staff) and keep watching
those numbers.”
THE BUTCHER SHOP & GRILL, SHOP 30, NELSON
MANDELA SQUARE, SANDTON, JOBURG; 011-784-8676;
THEBUTCHERSHOP.CO.ZA
foodandhome.co.za JUNE 2016 101