“The range is expanding, but meat still plays the leading role in our business”
"If you don't hit the brakes in time, you're already through," jokes butcher Gerk Biesma about the picturesque Frisian village of Opeinde, with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. Yet he doesn't have to complain about the lack of activity around Kommisjewei 113. Butcher shop Biesma is a well-known name in the region. "So that name will stay," says colleague Josja Haagsma, who will take over the shop in the future.
Professional
As a young woman, Josja stands out in the butchery world. She's talented—European Young Butcher Champion in 2019—and one of the few women in the profession. Although that's slowly changing. "More and more butcher shops are run by women. That's because the butcher's profession is slowly evolving into a fresh produce specialist. The job is becoming physically more demanding. Creativity plays a more important role than strength." The fact that it's a man's world doesn't bother Josja. In fact: "Many people find a female butcher special. That way, they remember me, and therefore Slagerij Biesma, even more."
Physiotherapy
At fifteen, Josja started working at Gerk's butcher shop. "Honestly, it was just the closest part-time job I could find. When you're young, you want to get started, especially not cycle too far." Fourteen years later, she's co-owner and will take over the business entirely when Gerk retires. "At eighteen, I chose butchery school because I loved it there so much. It was only there that my true passion for the trade blossomed. A butcher does so much more than just roll slavinken and make sausages. The anatomy of the pig is incredibly fascinating. It's actually like studying physiotherapy, but instead of Latin words for the human body, you're talking about meat parts."
“Then you're fifteen and suddenly you're running a butcher's shop with your mother."
Purveyor to the Royal Household
The Biesma family business was founded in 1901. Gerk is the fourth generation to run the butcher shop. His father died at 43, leaving him with the difficult decision of continuing the business or closing it down at a young age. Gerk chose the former. "You're fifteen and suddenly you're running a butcher shop with your mother.
Yet I don't regret a single moment. I'm proud of what we've accomplished here. In 2001, we received the title of Purveyor to the Royal Household. That's a crowning achievement for our work. With the emphasis on us. Because we built this business together with all the generations." Since none of Gerk's three children has any ambition to take over the business, Josja cautiously asked him the question after years of working together:
"Would you be interested in me taking over the butcher shop?" He didn't think long about the answer. "It's a real collaboration between us. We complement each other perfectly."
Caterer
"The audience is getting younger," Gerk notes. "That's because of the expansion of our product range," Josja believes. "Lately, we've been focusing much more on fresh sandwiches,
Meals and soups. It's all about convenience. Busy dual-income families and parents with young children have little time, but still want tasty, fresh, and healthy food. Some people actually take home three days' worth of meals." Gerk: "That's how you go from butcher to caterer, and from butcher to culinary consultant. Just the other day, Mrs. Janssen was standing at the counter: 'I love steak, but my husband can't cook it.' So I explained it step by step and promised to cook the steak at home if it didn't work out." Josja laughs: "Well, Mr. Janssen now cooks excellent steaks. Mrs. Janssen comes here every day for new ones!"
“This is how you change from a butcher to a caterer and from a butcher to a culinary advisor.”
OUR WEEK
Monday: Home slaughter for the farmer
Tuesday: preparing meals, salads, hamburgers and slavinken
Wednesday: Making smoked sausage, dried sausages and hams in the sausage factory
Thursday: preparing for the catering this weekend
Friday: busy in the shop, final preparations for the weekend
Saturday: buffets and barbecues delivered, cooking on location
Sunday: rest day if possible
Conscience
"The selection is expanding, but meat still plays a leading role in our business," says Gerk. "That doesn't mean vegetarians and vegans aren't welcome here. On the contrary, the customer is king, and we're happy to think along with them. Our slogan isn't for nothing: 'Biesma is the place to be.' I don't want to lose customers just because there happens to be a vegetarian in the group." Josja: "Every now and then, during barbecues, we'll serve veggie burgers for the vegetarians in the group.
Still, I see meat substitutes primarily as a compromise for people who don't know what to cook for a vegetarian. I believe that 'true' vegetarians have long since found a different path. I'm happy with the growing awareness surrounding meat consumption. The more consciously people eat meat, the more likely they are to choose the butcher over the supermarket. Gerk: "It's only getting busier here."
A butcher shop without herbs?
"That would be a very one-sided affair," says Josja. "Then we wouldn't be able to make sausages or hamburgers. Can you picture it? A sparse counter with only unmarinated steaks and unseasoned ground meat." Gerk adds: "Without spices, no challenge. If I'm not allowed to use spices anymore, I don't want to."
Centipede
"So we're not involved in online sales, pickup, or delivery," Josja winks. "It's busy enough here, we can't do that now. Maybe in the future. We're in Friesland and are about two years behind the Randstad in terms of trends. I can definitely see us scaling up, but that does require space. And staff..." Gerk: "There's
A vacancy is open. Yet, it often takes four months to find a suitable colleague. We ask a lot of our staff here. You have to be a jack-of-all-trades. Running the shop, catering, and you have to know about meat. Fortunately, there are still some passionate young people available. But not for full-time positions. While keeping a business running is all about putting in the hours.” In unison: “You just have to be there.” Gerk: “So that's what Josja and I do. And everyone else here works part-time. That makes the team big and strong.” Josja: “And we're not the ones who get the short end of the stick if someone drops out.”