Meat and Greet

The oldest butcher shop in Saint-Étienne was also the first to offer organic products

Boucherie historiqueFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

Over 100 years of activity and three generations: Le Boucher Bio is one of the oldest butcher's shops in the region of Saint-Étienne. Denis Mosnier grew up in his father's shop. From his childhood, he has kept a taste for manual tasks. Today, human values and respect for animals are also at the core of his work. A passion he wishes to pass on, without overlooking innovation: he was one of the first in the region to offer organic products. 

Boucherie historiqueFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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Butcher from father to son

"When you grow up in a store... the passion builds up over the years". Denis Mosnier took over the family butcher store that his grandfather had founded in the 1915s. He trained with his father after an apprenticeship in butchery.

Le Boucher Bio Marchés de Vienne et de LyonFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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Today, he works with his wife in the same premises as his father, in the district of Monthieu, in Saint-Étienne. This former miners' district used to have about thirty shops. 

Le Boucher Bio Marchés de Vienne et de LyonFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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Qualitative products

At his workshop, the animals arrive whole before being worked and transformed into raw, cooked and dried sausages.

Le Boucher Bio Marchés de Vienne et de LyonFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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Denis doesn't limit himself to meat and likes to create atypical combinations, such as pieces of beef with spices, pork skewers with dried fruit or lamb kefta skewers with nettles "a bit spicy, but that's okay! »

Le Boucher Bio Marchés de Vienne et de LyonFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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The Organic Agriculture label

Since the year 2000, all his products are labelled Organic Agriculture and come from local farms. At the time, he wanted to secure his supplies with a verified state label. 

Organic butcher - MarketsFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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This approach allows him to be selective: Denis only works with local organic farmers who are passionate about their work. 

Organic butcher - MarketsFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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The farmer markets

In addition to his deli, Denis Mosnier sells his products on farmer markets in Vienne, Saint-Genis-Laval and Lyon. 

Organic butcher - MarketsFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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For more than three years, he has also been the president of the association “M ton marché”, which helps the communes of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region to build up consumer loyalty. He also encourages traders to buy from local producers to focus on quality. 

Organic butcher - MarketsFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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The markets allow him to build connections with the locals, "from the 80-year-old grandpa who comes at 10 am. to the 2-year-old kid asking to get his slice of ham". For him, these exchanges give all its meaning to his job.

Organic butcher - MarketsFédération Française des Associations de Commerçants

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A joint effort

Denis Mosnier is also sensitive to the issue of packaging "which goes hand in hand with the Organic Agriculture label". On the markets, plastic is now banned. And even though he always offers a bag at the checkout, more and more customers are now used to bringing their own.

Credits: All media
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