Herb’s Meats prides itself on service, products

BOULDER – Whether you plan to grill it, bake it or broil it, family-owned Herb’s Meats and Specialty Foods stocks quality cuts for Boulder meat lovers.

“We are a full-on butcher shop,´ said Richard Grass, who owns and runs Herb’s Meats with his wife, Kristine.

The shop stocks everything from fresh beef, chicken and ground-in-the-store ground beef to frozen rabbit. It includes a deli offering made-to-order sandwiches, side dishes and burritos.

Grass started working at Herb’s in 1995 under its original owner, Herb Dillard, who founded the store in 1975. After 20 years, Dillard decided to pass the torch to a new family.

“I came in here, and (Dillard) hired me on. Seven months later we owned it,” Richard Grass said, recounting how his father purchased Herb’s Meats in 1996. At the time, Grass was a recent Fairview High School graduate, and his father – who had worked at Herb’s for years – was retired. Grass then worked at the store, later managed it, and two years ago took ownership of the shop from his father.

Kristine Grass joined the Herb’s Meats’ full-time crew in July after leaving her previous job.

“It seemed like he needed me more and more,” Kristine Grass said. She left her manufacturing job and started working at the store. “It’s neat to see new people. I like interacting with the customers.”

High-quality, health-conscious meats and solid customer service is the store’s goal.

“Everything that I’ve been carrying is all natural, antibiotic, hormone and steroid free,” Richard Grass said. He carries both meats never given antibiotics or steroids, as well as meats free of antibiotics and hormones for 120 days prior to slaughter. The 120-day drug-free system allows ranchers to treat animals with medicine if needed.

“That way their system has time to work it all out,” Grass said, and it increases the animals’ quality of life. “Animals that are better cared for are happier, really, and I’d rather eat a happy cow than a sad cow.”

The butcher shop also sports a kitchen, where members of the Grass family cook homemade dishes ready to pop in the oven, such as chicken and pork green chile, chicken entr?es and Spanish rice.

“We also cook stuff for people if they are having a large party,” Richard Grass said. Customers can call ahead to ask for meat to be cut and wrapped to order.

There’s even something for Fido at Herb’s.

“People go crazy for dog bones and raw pet food items,” Richard Grass said. He stocks a selection of bones, chicken necks and backs, and ground chicken and beef livers for dogs and cats.

Solid customer service is part of the Herb’s tradition.

“We’ve got all these customers who enjoy shopping here because they like the personal service they get,” Richard Grass said, as he rattles off several regular customers’ names. The smaller setting allows employees to provide more attention to each customer, he said.

When Whole Foods opened in Boulder, Herb’s saw a drop in customer traffic. The shop cut staff from 16 people at the time to four employees currently. Grass changed the look of the store, opening it up and increasing the light, and he now stocks a wider variety of specialty items in an effort to compete.

Another advantage to Herb’s is its ability to special order.

“If somebody wants something, I’ll get it for them because I’m not bound by some company doctrine,” Grass said. He points to Italian meats, such as prosciutto, no longer carried by some natural grocers because of company regulations about organics.

The Grass family also increased advertising and coupons to compete with local grocery giants. But it’s the customer service, quality products and family feel of the store that brings people back again and again, said longtime customer and Boulder resident Linda Ramstead.

“I’ve shopped at Herb’s for 20 years,” Ramstead said. “Their meat is fantastic.” She drops by once a week and appreciates the relationship she’s built with the butchers. She’s ordered holiday items from Herb’s, such as fresh turkeys, too.

She also likes the pre-made dinners, which offered a healthy and tasty option for her family when she worked full time and was too busy to cook every night.

“It’s most like a home-cooked meal,” Ramstead said.

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