Posted by The Thompson Rivers University(TRU) Meat Store is a unique part of the Thompson Rivers University campus in Kamloops, British Columbia. Now it may seem weird to have a butcher shop on a university campus, so allow me to explain a little further….
TRU has many of the traditional post-baccalaureate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs that you would expect to find at a Canadian University. In addition, TRU also offers high quality online/distance programs, trades, apprenticeships, vocational certificates, and diplomas. One of these unique programs is the Retail Meat Processing Program, featuring the Thompson Rivers University Meat Store.
The Thompson Rivers University Meat Store sells the product processed by students in the Retail Meat Processing Program. Operating on very limited hours, the store is usually open 1-2 Thursdays a month, from 11:00 am – 2:30 pm. Located on TRU’s main campus in Kamloops, the Meat Store is perfect for me as I work right on campus. However, if you need some encouragement to make the trip to campus, I present….
The Top 5 Reasons to shop at the Thompson Rivers University Meat Store
- The product quality is excellent. Grass/grain fed, free run, no growth promoting hormones.
- Products farmed by local farmers.
- Sustainably raised.
- As a customer, you are contributing to student development.
- Pricing is competitive with similar high-quality products.
Below is a gallery of some of the items that I purchased from the Meat Store. I’m definitely looking forward to eating all of this stuff up!
TRU Meat Store vs. Costco Comparison
Bacon: Over the weekend I cooked up the TRU bacon and it was simply the best bacon I’ve ever had. Considerably thicker and with far less fat than the typical bacon you buy at a regular supermarket. Cost was $18/kg, compared with Costco’s Kirkland brand bacon selling for $9/kg. Yes, Costco is half the price but the Meat Store dominates this battle of the bacon. It’s true, sometimes you do get what you pay for!(And believe me, I love Costco.)
Striploin Grilling Steak: The steak featured above was also excellent. The meat was tender and having it cooked to medium rare perfection sure didn’t hurt. Cost was $30/kg, while at Costco the price is $23/kg. I haven’t had Costco’s yet but I’ll tell you now, Costco definitely has much to compete with.
Other Products: All of the other meat featured above has also been very good. Prices are higher at the Meat Store than at Costco, but the products are not exactly the same as stated earlier. Value wise, the Meat Store more than holds its own. I like to save money where I can but I’ll continue to go to the Meat Store at every opportunity.