Butcher Block Expands to Harmony Hall
In maintaining its mandate of offering “the very best of the Caribbean,” Harmony Hall now boasts an outpost of Butcher Block. The second location of the “family-friendly butcher” is located on the ground floor of the building, flawlessly entwined with a bit of Summerhouse.
For decades, this stretch of St Mary has been a gastronomy zone. So the May 6 arrival of a store selling all manner of products from the best cuts of quality meat to exquisitely packaged goods was a long time coming. Walking into the well-appointed space, you are immediately transported. It’s like a portal. Not to another world, but to a place where there’s a deep understanding of and respect for food. And where customer service is as important as the history of the land and the very walls of the heritage building.
Speaking of history, per Jamaica National Heritage Trust archives, Harmony Hall House was declared a national monument in 2003. In its numerous iterations before becoming a dining destination, Harmony Hall has been a pimento estate, a manse for the local Methodist church, home to two distinguished families, and of course, a celebrated art gallery.
Butcher Block Harmony Hall satisfies a growing need for access to quality food products outside the island’s capital and second city.
The brainchild of Master Meat Crafter Gregory Burrowes gives residents, especially in that northeast section of the island, some respite. Gourmet stores allow one to fantasise, experiment, and broaden horizons. As you hold jars of fancy jellies, inhale the aroma of bags of small-batch Blue Mountain coffee, peer at well-marbled USDA Prime steaks, select locally made cheeses and cured meats with which to assemble an Instagram-worthy charcuterie board, or ask for advice on the best ways to prepare tenderloin, one forgets whatever bugbear one had upon arrival.
Besides exceptional customer service, Burrowes ensures that his Butcher Block associates are keen educators. A simple “what is…” will result in a mini masterclass teeming with enthusiasm. Walk in with a few (or no) ideas and leave with a defined menu, plan of action, and introduction to a new product.
This new Butcher Block location will afford St Mary’s (and nearby) gourmands to pause and have an anxiety-free interaction while the world outside continues to change rapidly.
Thursday Food also anticipates a wider range of menu options at the many villas that dot the coastline.