Frenchville Quality Meats: New owners Jesse and Paula Elliott

A Rockhampton butcher shop has changed hands and the new owners are switching their focus to smoking meat with everything from meats, rubs, sauces and personal tips and tricks on offer.

Jesse Elliott’s personal mission is for Frenchville Quality Meats to become the best BBQ meat butcher shop in Rockhampton.

Jesse and his wife Paula bought the Dean Street business a few months ago and have big plans.

When Mr Elliot was a kid, he used to visit the butcher shop in his hometown in Parkes, New South Wales, and would tell the butcher he would buy his shop one day.

Mr Elliott moved to Rockhampton 14 years ago, originally to play soccer but some heart issues put an end to that.

After working in retail for some time, he and Paula were looking to go out on their own.

“This popped up and was ready to go,” Mr Elliott said.

“I thought if we were going to do it, this is where we would … we live in Frenchville.”

His first goal for his business is to become known as “the BBQ butcher shop”.

“Even though that sounds silly, a lot of butchers don’t focus on the BBQ side,” he said.

“Around that smoker side, actually talking to customers on how to cook beef ribs, temperature, how long it will take.”

Smoking and BBQ meats fill the cabinets at the Frenchville store with everything from brisket to pork belly, pork belly burnt ends, pulled pork, pulled lamb, burgers and wings.

“We have rubs and sauce that are made in Melbourne, we are the only retailer in town that sells them,” he said.

With a focus on customer service, Mr Elliott loves to have a chat with customers and offer them tips and advice.

“I’ve had customers come in where they’ve talked to me about smoked meats and I’ve sent them over to Barbecues Galore, they’ve bought a smoker, they’ve come here and bought the meat, they’ve got their rubs,” he said.

“They come back and stick their head in as they get a coffee next door and say ‘oh that beef ribs or that steak I got was absolutely amazing’.”

Hearing the positive feedback really puts a spring in his step.

“It’s awesome, it’s such a good feeling,” Mr Elliott said.

“I’ve never been anywhere where the customers are actually like that … we get so many praises from our customers … it’s crazy.”

His top tip for smoking meat is to “actually cook the meat to a temperature”.

“Rather than going rogue, follow the process, don’t have too many beers,” he said.

The new owners also have plans for renovations and want to refit the cabinets and change the signs.

“Everything we make from the shop, we will put back into the shop, we won’t get anything out for quite some time but the customers will and that’s the main thing,” Mr Elliott said.

“We just want to have a really good shop, nice meat, people can come, enjoy, get rid of that old butcher mentality.”

Mr Elliott would like to change the perception of butchers and get more people coming in.

“A lot of people I’ve found over the years won’t come to a butcher shop because they are nervous …. They have no idea what’s what, they have no idea, there are so many things in one spot … Whereas in Woolworths, you walk in and you look at trays on the shelf and no one is there to bug you,” he said.

“Quite often I train the boys to actually have a conversation and quite often people will relax.

“For a lot of young people, Woolies is easier and simpler.”

Butchers are also very competitive these days and sometimes are cheaper than the major supermarkets.

“If you look at the prices, we are actually beating them on quite a lot of meats and the quality is there,” Mr Elliott said.

Frenchville Quality Meats:

Cnr Dean and Kerrigan Streets, Frenchville

New owners Jesse and Paula Elliott

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