Claims about the benefits of bone broth have been cropping up everywhere lately. Celebrities are extolling its virtues, people are lining up in New York City to get their daily cup and Eater says that this is one food trend that “isn’t going anywhere.”
So what is bone broth? We sat down with Dan Boxler of Country Butcher Fine Foods Market in Kennett Square to find out more. He also took us behind the scenes to show us how he makes his trademarked Butcher’s Bone Broth, which is currently flying out the shop by the cup and by the quart.
Kennett Square Dish: Tell us a bit about bone broth and its benefits.
Dan Boxler: The popularity of bone broth comes from the amount of nutrition that you get from the marrow when you cook the bone for a long period of time. Bone broth is rich in collagen and minerals, which can be helpful in digestion and in lessening the symptoms of leaky gut syndrome. It also helps to protect your joints and bones because of the collagen and calcium you get from the marrow. It supports your immune system. We have a printout that outlines the benefits of bone broth, which customers can pick up at our register and take with them to learn more.
How do you make your Butcher’s Bone Broth here at Country Butcher?
We use fresh, roasted bones from locally raised Lancaster beef, with no antibiotics or hormones. The same with the poultry; we use the same products that we sell in the store. We add no salt at all—just vegetables and an herb pack that we make ourselves, and let it simmer with the bone. We use 10 pounds of bones every time we make a pot, so there’s a lot of bone, which means you get a lot of nutrients. With the different vegetables that we add—carrots, celery, onion, tomato paste—you get some different flavors that enhance it and make it a very drinkable broth.
We cook our bone broth right here on the premises for 12 hours. After the broth is cooked, we strain it three times through cheesecloth, then cool it and skim it, so you’re really getting an undiluted, rich product. Some of it is from a family recipe, but we tweaked it here at the store in order to make it in larger volumes. We do 20 quarts at a time because of the popularity and the demand for it. We can’t keep up with it, to be honest with you! We do it continuously, all week long—there’s chicken or beef being made each day. And we also do lamb and fish, but the most popular right now are the chicken and the beef.
You’re selling out as soon as you make it?
Pretty much so, yes! It took off really quickly for us this winter. We serve it daily in our cafe hot out of carafes. We have chicken and beef available at all times hot to go, since those are the most popular. We also sell it in quarts in the freezer if you want to take it home and warm it up and use it at a different time, and you can order those ahead of time. You can use it for soup starter, you can use it in roasts, as a starter for gravy if you’d like … but the main benefit and what we’re promoting is the ability to drink it as you would do with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Why bone broth? Is this a product you’ve always wanted to sell?
You know, we’re very food-oriented. We come from an Italian family background where cooking was essential, and we grew up on broth. Whenever you were sick, what did you want to have? A little bit of chicken broth. Grandmom’s recipe was the cure-all. When our kids were growing up, we always made our own broth and served it to them when they were sick. And we knew the benefits of it, and it became something we thought we should share with the public. It’s been very well received! I don’t think it’s a craze or a phase. We have people coming from the Y and from different athletic clubs who are drinking it every day, and they really are excited about it because it has no salt, sugar or additives and it’s all-natural.
Tell us why people should come to Country Butcher to get a taste of your bone broth.
Once you get used to the idea of it, you really become glued to it, and it’s something that you miss if you don’t have it daily or every other day. Most people drink it as a snack—it’s like a “get me through the afternoon” kind of thing—or a late morning drink. The flavors really make you feel like you’re eating a meal, so it’s very satisfying. The drinkability of it is what we’re trying to tell people about. It’s not just a wintertime drink; we’ll be serving it year-round. Have this in place of your afternoon cup of coffee! Don’t be afraid to try it. We give samples if you want to have a sip to get started.
Country Butcher Fine Foods Market is located at 145 South Walnut St. in Kennett Square; phone: (610) 444-5980.
Photo credits: Michele Kornegay
