Snagging a family trade

Uniting his twin loves - Coopers beer and sausages - BJ Waller is helping the family butcher win fresh fans

Kingswood Park Butchery owner Brenton Waller is famous for his sausages, but is also keen to embrace his family’s traditions. THE year Brenton “BJ” Waller’s parents welcomed him into the world happens to be the same one they began their Palm Beach meat empire.

“They opened our old butcher shop in 1971, the year I was born,” BJ says.

“I have photos of me being weighed on the scales in the old shop in the early days. Feather and Docks (cafe) is now where our original premises was.”

When BJ finished high school, he got a job working for his parents. A cut above the rest, BJ was soon offered a partnership in the family business. Fast-forward 40 odd years and a new generation of babies have done their rounds on the butchery’s scales.

Now BJ has taken over the reigns at Kingswood Park Butchery, which is on Palm Beach Ave, around the corner from the original store.

“I grew up in that area of Seventh Ave and I gravitated back to where I started,” he says.

“I love Palm Beach. I’ve been here all my life.”

BJ has been in control of the family-run business for the past 15 years.

While he values traditions and the methods that his parents used, the local foodie isn’t afraid to try new things.

“I keep everything they had going — the business was good then and I don’t want to muck around with it too much,” he says.

“But I do want to add some young ideas.”

Those fresh touches include BJ’s take on sausage making.

Combining flavours such as lamb, pumpkin, fetta and shallots or sweet chilli, spinach and capsicum, BJ’s combinations have not only won interest from locals, but they’ve also snagged several awards over the years.

“We’ve had a lot of success with our sausage making,” he says.

“About three years ago we went from making 25kg to 125kg a week. It’s a huge part of our business — eight out of 10 people who walk in here buy some form of sausage.”

A dedicated Coopers Pale Ale drinker, BJ says he combined his favourite beer with caramelised onions to come up with one of the most popular sausage flavours at Kingswood.

“I dreamt it up because I love Coopers,” he says.

“I have combined two of South Australia’s iconic family businesses — Coopers and Beerenberg.”

Originally developed as a way to preserve and transport meat, sausage making has been around for hundreds of years.

“It’s so traditional, I don’t think it will ever die,” BJ says.

“We just have to come up with different recipes that fit what our clientele want.”

While he comes from a family of meat lovers, BJ says it’s important to find balance in your diet.

“I try not to overdo it,” he says.

“It’s interesting that the industry itself has gone back to the old cuts — brisket, ox cheek, slow-cooked lamb, pulled pork.

“All the really original and traditional cuts are coming back which is awesome, and they are affordable.”

Kingswood Park Butchery isn’t just known for their snags.

Making ham and bacon from

PHOTO: JOHN GASS scratch, BJ says ham’s the single biggest seller in the business.

“Curing is a four day process and you have to touch it 10 times before it gets to the end product,” he says.

“We have a smokehouse and source our hardwood from Uki. We’re smoking all the time and at Christmas we do around 380 to 400 units (leg hams).”

When it comes to where you shop for your meat, BJ says there’s a big difference in not only quality but service.

“Here you get that one-onone direct service, but at a supermarket you are picking up a foam thing and you don’t know the origin of the meat or anything about it. We don’t buy any boxed products. We get the carcass from scratch like the old days. That’s why our quality is so high.”

BJ believes it’s important people get to know their local butchers.

“For 44 year that’s what we’ve relied on,” he says

“Our clientele has been so loyal to us. They have been great supporters of our massive journey so far.”