Meat supply should be steady as long as people don't panic buy, local butcher says

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- As long as people looking for meat do not panic buy, there should be a consistent supply of it for some time, according to one Wake County butcher.

Craig Wilkins owns the Butcher's Market. They have three locations in Wake County and are set to open on June 4.

He said since the pandemic started, they've had to shift some of their buying habits. But they've done so in a way to keep the meat fresh and coming.

Wilkins also moved his entire business to curbside pickup to keep his staff and customers as safe as possible.

"It definitely takes a lot more resources to deliver a really good service with the curbside model we have today," Wilkins said.

In the first few weeks of the pandemic, pictures poured in showing supermarket shelves emptied of meat. Even as processing plants struggle with outbreaks, Wilkins isn't concerned about the long haul.

"We've been able to manage the supply chain such that we don't run out," he said. "Sometimes people have to make different decisions on what product they choose but we've been constantly able to deliver a good mix of product. If there is an outage, people shouldn't panic because there's more product coming. The facilities are all producing just at a lower capacity."

RELATED: Local restaurants brace for looming meat shortage

Craig, who started the store 10 years ago with his son in Cary, said he plans let some customers in after Memorial Day.

All proper health guidelines will be in place for that next step.

"I'm a firm believer in the power of positive thinking," he said. "You gotta feed that, believe in it and you gotta live it and transmit it to your staff and employees."