Chewing The Fat: Kyle Hobbs, Head Butcher
LITTLE ACRE FOODS – McLAREN VALE, SA
We caught up with our newest recruit here at Little Acre Foods – head butcher Kyle Hobbs! Kyle has come over to Australia from Canada and has a wealth of experience as a chef and a butcher. Apart from being a whiz in the kitchen, his ‘whole animal’ values align with ours perfectly. Kyle is a huge asset to our team and makes a mean Bier Stick… read on for more!
Kyle, you’re a chef by trade, can you tell us a bit about your career to date?
Over the years I have led several restaurants and hotels in Australia and Canada, while always remembering my roots in Banff. I have been cooking in kitchens since 2004. I started chefing full time at the age of 15 and even cooked in a fast food restaurant for a couple of years before that. Things really kicked-off when I finished high school in 2004 and made the move over to the Banff Springs Hotel (an iconic castle in the Canadian Rockies for those playing along at home). I began my apprenticeship here, which was an amazing learning experience. At this Hotel I was able to work in every type of kitchen from a five diamond restaurant (Canadian equivalent of three hats), to a pastry/bake shop, to my first experience training with some amazing butchers.
A highlight of my last five years at the Banff Springs Hotel was taking on the head butcher position. When I started in 2015 I implemented a big upgrade to the butchery program, moving back to how things would have been done over a hundred years ago when the hotel was established. Our butchery focused on zero waste, with nose-to-tail the focus. By 2019 we had an efficient butchery making all our charcuterie in-house while utilising the whole ingredient.
How did you come about working with Little Acre?
I had a couple of weeks to burn in hotel quarantine when we arrived at the end of last year. This gave me plenty of time to really search out the best fit for myself and my family. Luckily, I had some pretty solid experience on my resume, which allowed me to narrow down the offers. My wife and I knew we wanted to settle somewhere along the Fleurieu Peninsula to give the kids room to roam in a country seaside atmosphere. Work-life balance was also a big factor. I want to make sure I see my kids, which is not always easy in the food service game. Lastly, I have some pretty strong values and ethics when it comes to food and when I met with Jim Casey our values aligned and my aspirations to live on the Fleurieu were realised.
What was the first charcuterie that you ever made?
Moving through some fine dining establishments in my younger years I definitely dabbled in some terrine and pâtè making here and there. Although producing ham definitely kickstarted my charcuterie program as Head Butcher in Banff. The local company we were procuring from were growing fast and unfortunately that often means sacrifices in quality. So, we decided to buy whole pigs and make our own products for quality control.
How was the change from living and working in Banff to moving to McLaren Vale?
I am not complaining about trading in my icicle of a country for the beautiful sun and diverse produce here on the Fleurieu Peninsula.