Butchery Demonstration

The aim of this master class in whole animal butchery is to help everyone know exactly how and where their food comes from. Butcher and Teacher Ray Bucknell and owner of Two Rivers Specialty Meats, Jason Pleym share their knowledge of ethically raised and harvested animals.

Jay Pleym 

Meat Two Rivers’ founder, Jason Pleym

Jason, who is obsessed with local, sustainable food, started Two Rivers Meats in 2007 with the dream of connecting BC chefs with incredible Canadian farms who share his passion for ethically raised, high-quality meats.

After graduating college, Jason found himself in a food sales role that connected him with chefs. He loved it so much that he even considered returning to school to become a chef himself. Fortunately, opening Two Rivers allowed Jason to combine both career ambitions and support the hospitality industry he admires. Jason’s passion and drive awarded him a place on Business in Vancouver’s Forty under 40 list in 2011, a list highlighting the achievements of BC’s young entrepreneurs. Two Rivers Meats was also recognized as “Supplier of the Year” by Vancouver Magazine Awards in 2011.

Traditions are strong. Especially when it comes to food. Jason has built the company around creating modern traditions with old-school techniques — raising livestock and getting back in touch with the land and the entire food ecosystem.

Valuing quality, transparency and providing an educational/consultative approach to the customer has differentiated Two Rivers, making them one of B.C.’s foremost meat experts, proudly supplying restaurants, retailers, chefs, home cooks and everyone in between.

Jason started Two Rivers Meats with a handful of like-minded people working out of a very tiny space — his office was a card table and he personally had his hands in sales, butchery and even delivery, to get the business off the ground. While the space, team and product line have grown considerably over the years, his purpose remains the same — share his love of outstanding, local food with passionate people.

When you talk to Jason, you’ll learn quickly he is a wealth of knowledge and wears his passion and joy for the industry on his sleeve. You’ll know the conversation went well if it ends with a “Boom”.

Ray Bucknell has worked in the meat industry since he started his apprenticeship at a grocery store in a small town in interior BC, nearly 25 years ago.

The butchering business, along with his passion for the outdoors has taken him around western Canada and overseas working in butcher shops, abattoirs, wholesale packing plants, and two educational facilities.

His formative time entering into the hospitality industry was during his 5 years as the production manager at Two Rivers Specialty Meats, where he oversaw day-to-day production, as well as being on the leadership team during the growth of the company.

His current role is as Instructor of the Butchery and Charcuterie Management program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, where he continues to teach his main discipline, the conscious processing of animals for food.

In addition to teaching butcher and cooking students the art of meat processing at the main campus in Calgary, he works with Indigenous teens and adults in their own communities teaching modern butchering with traditional meats, and runs an ethical, on farm animal harvesting business in central Alberta.