Not many people would risk opening an upscale craft butcher's shop in Dublin's south inner city, but when Derek Bolger set up his business in Rialto, a traditionally working-class area of the capital, he was confident he would succeed. Ennis Butchers now draws in meat lovers from across the city, thanks to its wide array of high-quality specialist cuts.
Over the years, it has become a favourite haunt of foodies who flock to the shop to get their hands on great slabs of meat and other carefully sourced produce from small suppliers throughout Ireland.
The store describes itself as a traditional butchers with a contemporary outlook. Whether it is wild venison, organic salmon, 28-day dry-aged beef, organic vegetables or gran reserva wines you’re looking for, you’ll find it at Ennis Butchers, but usually not for long as customers tend to clear the shelves quickly.
As Bolger is the first to admit, however, tackling ill-conceived perceptions about the kind of butcher shop that should operate in Rialto has been a primary driver behind the shop’s development over the years.
Ennis Butchers has been going since 1946. Bolger, who is from Rathfarnham, acquired it when the previous owner Billy Ennis died in 1997. At that time, Rialto was dominated by two large flat complexes – Fatima Mansions and Dolphin House. The area had seen more than its fair share of problems, with high unemployment and drug addiction leaving scars. He believed, however, that there was a place for an upmarket butchers store there and set about building up his business.
“My father was a butcher and I became one too. When I first come across Ennis Butchers, it was actually in the building next door where the post office is now. In fact, if you look at the ceiling in there, you can still see the hooks there where the meat used to hang from.
“At the time I was looking for premises in which to start up my own business and found one there. Obviously, Rialto had seen its fair share of deprivation at that point, although it has improved dramatically since. I was aware though back then that at the other end of the South Circular Road was Portobello and other areas, which had more than their fair share of discerning meat eaters. I figured I could probably lure them up the road if I focused on selling good quality products that weren’t available elsewhere,” he adds.
While Bolger was looking to attract those with money to his shop, he was adamant he also wanted it to be a local butchers. “People want nice food no matter what their circumstances. Whether it’s a guy working on a building site or a barrister at the Four Courts, they both want a good sirloin steak and both should have the right to buy one,” he says.
Within a short space of time of opening the store and with business already booming, Ennis Butchers moved into the premises next door, where it has remained ever since.
As something of an advocate for good quality food, it is not surprising that the business expanded beyond meat but, as Bolger admits, it was as much due to circumstance as anything else. “I moved in and had no plans to do the food, wine and so on. It was simply that the shop was so big and needed filling and as I liked food, I started looking around at what other produce was available.
"I took my cue from what the likes of Avoca were doing and figured we could do something similar in Rialto as well, so that's what we did."
While the shop did well while the economy was booming in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Bolger admits times got tough with the recession. He says that expanding the range of produce it offers – such as organic vegetables and fresh fish – was one way of keeping the business afloat, as was its continued focus on quality food items.
“You can’t do good meat cheaply even if that means that we lose business to the likes of Aldi and Lidl. As I say to customers, the quality of the produce isn’t necessarily as good and when you break it down, we’re not as expensive as you might think.”
Bolger is happy to see that more customers are taking an interest in where their food comes from. While he is keen to encourage people to try unusual cuts, he is something of a traditionalist when it comes to cooking. “My favourite dinner is a Sunday roast. I love them so much that I usually have Wednesday off and will make a roast then as well as on the Sunday,” he says.
His daughters, Sarah and Emma, both of whom appeared in the Oscar-nominated Jim Sheridan film In America as children in 2002, are continuing to work as actors. Bolger laughs at the suggestion that they might one day follow him into the trade.
“There’s not a chance of them going into the business and I’m glad of this. Butchering is something I love, but it is long hours and hard graft. It’s hard enough trying to get my daughters to put things in the dishwasher so I don’t see them out the back cutting up pigs any time soon.”
