The Swinery at 3207 California Ave SW is an artisan butcher and delicatessen that first opened last September but always had plans to make the business bigger and more capable, however, that took time. On Friday, June 25 they held their "Re-opening Party" which officially introduced their newly expanded facilities which include their new kitchen (with an amazing bamboo table) an enclosed courtyard, outdoor seating, a large smoker, and meat curing locker plus the "only meat storage locker with a chandelier."

Head chef and butcher Gabriel Claycamp (NOTE: Claycamp has since this was published, left the business)used to own a cooking school called Culinary Communion but closed it in April of 2009. The school had started a line of meats almost as a byproduct because meat production was a large part of what was taught. When the school closed they chose to continue the line of meats and open a store to provide them.

Claycamp still teaches, but only his interns, and what he teaches is something he "made up." He calls it a "breakdown" of an animal like a cow or pig or lamb into its constituent parts. As he and his staff explain it, "from large chunk to small chunk is 'breakdown' and cutting into steaks and chops or smaller parts is butchering." Claycamp, being self taught in this particular part of his craft said, "maybe I've stumbled upon an inherited knowledge or maybe I made it up."

David Elliott, an intern said, "I came here not understanding how to breakdown meat. I've not only learned pieces of that... but I've learned some of the basics of curing and smoking and making sausage."

Butcher Joey Brewer got involved with the company, "By accident. I came in to talk to the owner and I saw this guy (Claycamp) dressed in ripped jeans and a flannel shirt and I asked him if anybody besides contractors was in the building." Brewer has been involved with restaurants and food preparation for well over twenty years but really learned a lot about butchering there at the shop.

Up in the front, greeting people and making sales, Amie Collier said she spends most of her time doing customer service, and since the shop takes a lot of custom orders for everything from lamb shoulders to entire pigs, she stays busy. Lamb, by the way, is often hard to get, which is an issue for The Swinery.

"When you are dealing with small local farmers (and we're dedicated to what we're doing), it's up and down and it can be frustrating when someone asks, 'You don't have that?' A lady came in looking for Lamb Bacon but I hadn't been able to get a lamb for over a month. We're having fun working with really really good products and great people but it's definitely a labor of love," Claycamp explained.

In the new kitchen, the training process can mean bringing in an entire half a pig and putting it on a huge hardwood table. Claycamp then teaches his interns how a breakdown is done. It varies with animals "They are all mammals so there are a lot of similarities but some parts are tricky," Claycamp said.

The Swinery is a meat specialist shop (though they carry cheeses, dry goods and other deli items) but they don't really try to compete with chain stores. "We are definitely a very small shop, looking to build a very loyal clientel that are dedicated to really enjoying their food. Our customers are people who want quality and accountability."

The shop will take advance orders for turkeys, hams and will supply your party with every kind of meat you can imagine (like the whole pig), but you need to give them time to make sure your special order can be filled if it's unusual. "We can cook or smoke whatever you like, at that point it's just a cooking job, but if you want us to seek out that very special animal or cut or quantity you need to give us time," Claycamp said. It would really help the small farmers they deal with in fact to place orders and deposits for your holiday meats as early as possible. That way both the shop and the farmers can plan.

You can keep up with The Swinery on Facebook or through their blog or their website and reach them by phone at 206.932.4211