Mills Stoval and his wife Kamalei, a local native Hawaiian, opened Waimea Butcher Shop in 2017. Waimea Butcher Shop is a specialty whole animal butcher shop and deli in Waimea, Hawai`i, that specializes in local grass-fed beef, pork, lamb, and house-made charcuterie. They only partner with ranchers and farmers in Hawaii who share their respect for the land and the animals that feed them. In honoring traditional butchery and respect for the animal, they use the whole animal.
After sales started to plunge in March 2020 due to the pandemic, owner Mills had a conversation with Go Farm Hawaii that left a lasting impression. “If you don’t pivot right now, you’re going to be forgotten about and lost,” were the only words Mills needed to hear. Mills quickly took out a loan with FTHF, bought a Southern Pride Smoker, expanded his takeout menu and created Butcher Boxes filled with local meats, produce and products such as eggs, yogurt and butter. His last box even included microgreens, homemade pasta and Bolognese sauce!
Today, because of the increase in business, Mills is more optimistic than ever. He is in the process of expanding and has plans to open a second location in Hilo or Kona. He has since been able to hire more staff and they are moving products at a much higher rate. Mills and his wife love their community and do as much as they can to give back, and provide access to high quality, local meat to everyone. The community, in turn, are big supporters and loyal customers of the Waimea Butcher Shop.
Be sure to catch the story of Waimea Butcher in our #FeedTheHungerFundStories video series on YouTube!
