“My mother only sees through this butcher’s shop, we come there more than once a week. Juliette, in her twenties, is one of the loyal customers of Joel Lombert, the butcher of the Carré à la Flour, on the Place du Marché Notre-Dame, in Versailles. When it comes to meat, he knows what he is talking about: this Friday he just received the Golden Lamb prize, usually awarded at the Agricultural Show and which rewards the best craftsmen in France.
His butcher’s shop, which has 10 employees, is a family affair. “My father and my uncle were butchers, it’s the work of many lifetimes. Meat is in my blood, ”explains Joel Lombert, an enthusiast whose seriousness draws all the way across town. Like Annick, who lives in the Saint-Louis district: “I take the bus to come and buy my meat. Here, it is better than in the butchers downstairs from where I live. Its price is well deserved. “
Juliette came to buy veal paupiettes. “But we buy everything. Everything is good here. The meat is tender and there is a choice, ”she argues. What makes the difference here is the old-fashioned way of working.
“This is what appeals to customers,” notes Joel Lombert. At Versailles, we are lucky to have loyal consumers who love the traditional. Great importance is attached to the preparation and respect for the meat. We grind it, it rests for several days, that’s our core business and you can obviously feel it when tasting. “
Traditional and short circuit
It was this way of working that won over the juries of the competition, in addition to the clients already won over. “Out of around 200 participating butchers, that of Joel Lombert stood out for its know-how, its activity, the volume and the implication of its work”, affirms Jean-Marc Escure, director of Limousin production, the organization who presented him with the award. “This is an opportunity to reward both the breeder and the feller. I care a lot ! »Smiles for his part Joel Lombert.
The other little extra of the Versailles butcher is the short circuit. “What could distinguish me from other butcher shops is the choice of my suppliers,” insists the manager. My meat comes from Limousin, it then goes to the slaughterhouse and then we select the meat that interests us. Then it is delivered to us directly in Versailles, without an intermediary. This is the most direct that we can do. Everything is made on site, the sausages, the stuffing, the merguez, we cut, we debon and we present. “
Shoulders, collar, breast, fillets and ribs are displayed in the window, for an average price of around 23 euros per kilo for lamb. Or 5 euros more per kilo than in the supermarket. “It is true that lamb is quite expensive, but it is a guarantee of quality and that is felt because on market days, the whole window is there,” assumes Joel Lombert. Especially at this time with the grilling season. “
And him, how does he prefer lamb? Leg of lamb, in the traditional way, and especially slightly pinkish with garlic in a shirt around and accompanied by green beans.
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