One Sydney-based butcher is taking the thinking out of the kitchen to make dinner preparations easier, supplying personalised cooking instructions with every purchase.

Tender Gourmet Butchery, which opened its fourth store in the newly opened Fresh Food Market at Sydney’s Macquarie Centre, also has stores in Hornsby, Bondi Junction, and Warringah Mall.

Paul Brady, director of Tender Gourmet Butchery, told Inside Retail PREMIUM the business objective is about giving people more gourmet products, and emphasising meal solutions, rather than just selling cheap meat.

“We pride ourselves on doing that little bit extra for our customers and giving better quality that you can’t get from the supermarket,” said Brady.

And it will soon become even more convenient for customers to shop at Tender Gourmet Butchery, with plans to launch a click and collect service through its website.

“Service is our number one thing, we’re there for the customer with advice, cooking tips, and giving them meal solutions, like our little value added products and time saving meals.”

All products are made instore and staff members are trained to know how to determine cooking times based on weight. These times are written on item packaging and receipts.

“That’s a big part of the succession plan, to teach everybody everything that you know. They are more valuable to you then, and themselves.”

The stores have become somewhat of a destination, as Brady boasts people are known to travel from all over Sydney to visit.

“People are coming back just because we tell them the cooking times – they love it,” he said.

The 120sqm fitout was designed by Studio MKZ with an open plan featuring a work bench in the centre so customers can see products freshly made and cut in front of them.

A large window displays a selection of dry aged meats, sold through the day or reserved by customers who would like it aged longer.

“We’re actually aging cuts for customers in our dry aging room where people are coming in and reserving their cut saying, ‘look can you hang that for an extra couple of weeks for us’,” he said.

Since the introduction of cooking shows like Masterchef, Brady says people are experimenting more and are looking for the best quality products.

“So we’re just going that extra bit further, and making it as simple as possible.”