At the doors of a business that begins to glimpse the centenary in the distance, the marriage formed by Juan Carlos Sanz and Marta Sarasate today constitutes the third generation at the head of Sanz butcher shop. Located in the heart of Puente la Reina, on Calle Mayor, the establishment opened its doors in 1933 by Juan Sanz, grandfather of the current owner. Remember how different the business was in those times. “A marble counter was all there was. There was no cold room. Some lamb was sold and little else. They were other timespeople at home had chickens, pigs, the slaughter was done… It was consumed in a totally different way than today,” says Sanz.
At the same time, Juan Carlos Sanzson of the founder and father of the current owner entered the business. These were times of change, pigs began to be removed from homes, which brought with it an increase in the demand for pork consumption and also some pollo. The vealhe points out, would arrive later, starting in the seventies. Juan Carlos Sanz married Charo Azcona and they both began to run the butcher shop with the help of an employee.
“His arrival meant a new change. They began to make sausages“, the showcase was modernized, a cold room was installed, a drying room was invested…”, lists his son. The butcher shop grew and evolved. The third generation arrived with him who entered the business in 2011 and years later his wife would do so, Marta Sarasatewhich came to replace the work that his mother, Charo Azcona, did until her retirement.
“We are dedicated to the direct sale of meat and processed meats. We work with meat from extensive livestock farming, we are passionate about the meat we sell, we like to know the origin. We work with both beef, free-range pork, organic chicken… and also farm-raised meats,” explains this butcher who highlights that “care and pampering” in the origin of the meat of the product they sell and with which they make hamburgers, cachopos, stuffed meats… “We have variety so that the customer has a choice,” he adds in reference to a clientele mostly from Puente la Reina but also from the towns of the valley and a good number also tourists, attracted by the fame of the chistorra.
The client profile is very broad and although middle-aged predominates, Juan Carlos Sanz is very clear that we must diversify to serve everyone and respond to the needs of each person. “There are those who look for meat from extensive free-range livestock and others who come because of the trust generated over years of work,” he maintains. A loyalty carved from a personalized treatment and a closeness that large stores, Sanz believes, cannot offer.
That is why he insists on the importance of taking care of and pampering small businesses, those that are local, those that know the tastes of each client and those that advise. In this sense, regrets the lack of generational change and the difficulties and obstacles encountered by those who want to start a business that end up leading to the closure of many businesses. “I also miss training, especially as far as our sector, the meat sector, is concerned. Other countries have specialized modules around the meat world that facilitate this training. It would help avoid closures like those we have already seen in some butcher shops in Pamplona, for example,” he concludes.
Source: www.diariodenavarra.es
