Ooltewah’s Cambridge Square has added several new tenants in the past few years, and now a husband-and-wife team plans to add a craft butcher shop to the growing list of retailers at the residential and commercial development.
Spek Artisan Meats, owned by Chris and Sarah Bilbra of Cleveland, Tennessee, is currently under construction and set to open in the fall, according to Cambridge Square officials. The Bilbra’s boutique shop at Cambridge will feature whole animal butchery raised on small animal farms within a 150-mile radius of it.
The couple also operates Neema Farms in Cleveland, Tennessee.
“The only way to ensure that you are getting the best quality meats is to know the source,” said Chris Bilbra. “Fortunately we have long-standing relationships with the farm community here, which will enable us to provide our customers with fresh products on a daily basis. Opening a craft butchery has been a goal of mine throughout my culinary career, and Sarah and I are very excited to be introducing our concept to Ooltewah this fall.”
The new shop won’t just be for take-home meats and artisan goods, though. There will also be a deli menu with eat-in and take-out options that will include sandwiches, salads, sausages, cheeses and assorted vegetables. The shop will mirror the look of traditional butcheries, though.