From Farm to Door

Inspired by a stint in Silicon Valley and the lessons of lockdown, SHENG founded online butchery Meat Co.; we chat to him about introducing technology to the business, and what it means for customers.

Why did you start Meat Co.?

We’ve been supplying to top restaurants and retailers in Singapore for more than 20 years, but I’ve always felt there hasn’t been a useful platform for home cooks and chefs to get a good range of quality meats in Singapore.

Last year, we decided to launch Meat Co. as a project to bring unique meat produce to the mass market. Having worked in Silicon Valley back in 2010, I’d always wanted to add a tech element to the traditional meat-packing business. With the growing e-commerce industry, I felt that setting up an online butchery would enable me to reach a larger audience. Now, our customers can take their time to read up and learn about the different meat products that are available, then order them at their convenience for delivery.

It was really last year’s lockdown that spurred us on to set up our online butchery, meat-co.com. Our goal was to continue to provide a great variety of exclusive meat cuts that aren’t commonly found in retailers or supermarkets. We want customers to have access to quality meats, despite any pandemic restrictions.

How do you source your meats?

Merchandising fresh meat is a tremendous responsibility. You’re dealing with years of work by the farmers, all put into your hands. At Meat Co., we see to it that we preserve the freshness and quality of our meats. Our top priority is to work with like-minded producers and farmers whose goals we’re aligned with. That means our products are sourced from small-scale farms that practise ethical farming. Highlights include free-range, barley-fed and hormone-free Wanderer beef from Australia, and organic, free-range chicken from New Zealand farm Bostock Brothers.