Famous in Creston for quality meats: Famous Fritz

In Creston, connoisseurs of fine meat have an excellent shopping option. Famous Fritz Meats and Deli is run by Thomas Fritz, a butcher with an array of background experience. His motto is: “Meat made the way it should be” and it is genuinely practised. Famous Fritz offers a competitive and healthy alternative for your protein fix—I recommend the peppercorn jerky. Fritz, who is also the owner, spoke with me about the business, and about how he got into running the busiest little meat shop in town.

How did you get into the butchering business?

I grew up in it. My dad was a butcher, so I grew up in a meat shop—this was back in Germany. I don’t know if you’ve heard the story of the business name—Famous Fritz—but it was my dad’s name. He always wanted to have a meat shop in Canada. He actually put a bid on one in Regina in 1967, but it was never actually realized, so I’m living the dream out for him.

What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t a butcher?

That’s hard to say. I’ve done a lot of things in my life.

What was your first job and what did you learn from it?

This was my first job; I went through an apprenticeship. In between, I became a financial advisor back in Germany. I was also an insurance agent, but that was not too long-lived before I went back to butchering.

What is it you enjoy most about owning your own business here?

Almost everything—mainly the freedom. You can be in charge and you make the decisions, right? It’s nice dealing directly with the people. I enjoy creating a product which (I can see) people really appreciate. To me, that’s worth more than money. It gives a certain satisfaction compared to just focusing on (financial success).