Meat-lovers rejoice, the owners of the immensely popular Marble restaurant in Rosebank are opening a stunning butchery downstairs from the restaurant.
There might be a global trend towards plant-based eating, but Marble’s co-owner and chef, David Higgs, says this certainly hasn’t applied considering the popularity of their live-fire cooking restaurant in Rosebank. “Sixty to 70% of what we sell in Marble is red meat, and 50% of the meat we sell is rib-eye steak,” says David.
Higgs says that they use between two to four tons of meat in their restaurant per month, and the tricky part is ensuring a consistent supply. With the opening of The Butchery, Marble will offer a variety of sourced meat, so customers can choose from free range, grass fed or feed lot cuts.
A signature dish at the Marble restaurant: Green mango atcha, carrots & poppadoms.
But who is eating all this meat? David reveals that it’s not just men who enjoy a juicy steak. “Traditional ‘steakhouses’ have historically catered to a more masculine audience but we wanted Marble to appeal to both genders because it became clear to us that women were equally as fond of red meat as their male counterparts,” says David.
Lamb dishes also sell very well in their restaurant, as do game dishes. “Our blesbok, kudu and springbok dishes are popular with international visitors, but I wish more locals would give venison a try too. I think it has a bad reputation simply because people have been cooking it badly for years”, comments David. 15 to 20% of Marble’s clientele are international visitors who are mostly in Johannesburg for business; David describes them as “very well-educated eaters”.
David Higgs & Gary Kyriacou
The ambitious duo’s “in-house” butchery, The Butchery by Marble, due to open to the public from 3 August downstairs from the restaurant. “The idea was always to open this space as a butchery, as my business partner Gary Kyriacou has extensive experience in retail,” says David. They had visited boutique butcher shop Victor Churchill in Sydney and were hugely inspired. David says The Butchery will be a “meat boutique” with a wine bar, retail component, eye-catching décor and closed fridges, “so there won’t be that smell of meat you may have come to associate with butcheries,” he adds.
Eye-catching décor at the Marble restaurant.
“It’s all about strengthening the brand and allowing our customers to experience more of the Marble brand,” ends David. The Butchery will also employ two trained chefs who will be able to suggest ways of preparing meat or recommending recipes, which he hopes will add to the overall retail experience.
Experience for yourself:
- The Butchery by Marble | 010 594 5550 | facebook.com/butcherybymarble
This article originally appeared in Neighbourhood, Sunday Times.
View more of the neighbourhood here:
