McPhee's Butcher Block owner James McPhee started the journey of opening a local butcher shop in 2020. When COVID-19 started he came to realize how fragile our food supply is and how easily it can be halted when the supply chain is interrupted. James also owns and operates McPhee Family Farms, a local farm that produces Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Fresh Produce.

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Due to the changing environment of our supply system in 2020 many local families decided to take the leap and start to raise their own livestock which would ultimately end up in their freezer for a year's supply of meat for their own family. With the significant increase in local livestock the stress on the local butcher shops became very clear. James identified the need for more local butcher shops and began his search. There was a lot of researching, planning, and developing involved for the creation of McPhee's Butcher Block. Finally after 3 years he was able to find a convenient location with a building that would accommodate this type of business. In 2022 things were aligning to make McPhee's Butcher Block a reality.

 

James’s great grandfather James Patrick McPhee was a meat cutter in Eastport, Maine. Eleanor Roosevelt would travel from Campobello Island, New Brunswick over to Eastport to buy meat from the butcher shop he worked at. His knife and sharpening steel have been passed down to James and you will find them on display as you check out in the retail section of the butcher shop. The knife and the steel were the main inspiration for the butcher shop's logo.