Taryn has a lot on her plate. Not only is she the butcher and owner of The Little Butcher in Port Moody’s trendy Newport Village, but she also happens to be part of a dedicated team planning the first ever BC’s Best Butcher Competition. Modeled after the World’s Butcher Challenge, the upcoming competition is where the province’s top butchers will put their skills to the test. As a member of Team Canada, Taryn herself has competed on the world stage—demonstrating her talent and witnessing the best in the business while trying to inspire the next generation by bringing a spotlight to her craft.

Although she’s now fully immersed in the industry, owning a butcher shop was never a dream of Taryn’s, but rather something she grew into. Growing up, her family was always cooking, giving her an early appreciation for food. Then as a teenager, she worked at a butcher shop in her hometown of Langley, where she learned about meat, butchery, and farming. After working there for seven years, her boss approached her about partnering for a new shop in Port Moody and Taryn, at the young age of 22, just went for it. Crediting him for her start, she says, “He helped me through it because he gave me this opportunity as a business partner and never really squashed my dreams as a female butcher. He just told me I could do it.” Five years later, Taryn took over the shop, transforming it into The Little Butcher.

Her passion for what she does is undeniable. And that’s largely because of Taryn’s hard work to make the shop her own. She practices whole-animal butchery—which means they use all the parts of the animal. A choice that provides varied and unique cuts while limiting waste and providing her customers with creative new ways to cook. “I wanted to get away from what we were doing for products because it was the same as every grocery store,” she says. “Sometimes it’s not the best business choice for me to be doing this and I could probably make more money selling the prime cuts. But that’s not what I believe in and I feel very strongly about trying to use the whole animal.” She also has chosen to get meat as close to home as she can and why 95% of her meats are sourced from BC-based farms. Doing it this way means Taryn can understand where her animals came from, talk to the farmers, and confidently tell her customers where the chicken or beef on their table is coming from. When speaking about her suppliers she says, “There’s nothing to hide. They’re just proud of what they’re doing and happy to share. It makes it easier for us to feel confident that we’re telling our customers the truth.”

As for the future, her shop will continue on its locally focused and sustainable path while she continues to advocate for her craft. “There’s not very many proper butchers anymore,” she says. “I want to create exposure and show the next generation that it’s a fun and very rewarding career.” Because for Taryn, it has been all of that and more.