Couple brings meat market to Monroeville

MONROEVILLE — It had been a long time coming. Following a 16-year career of being a butcher, Josh Braucher wanted to bring his talents closer to home. After a year of preparing, him and his wife, Cassandra, recently opened Braucher's Village Meat Market, at 39 S. Main St., in Monroeville, not far from their village home. "It's so important to me because I love what I do," Josh said. "I wanted to bring something like this to our hometown." Village Meat Market serves as a first-of-its-kind business in Monroeville. Previously, anyone who wanted fresh cuts of meat would have to travel out of town to nearby cities or villages. "We're just trying to help out the community so they're not having to travel out to Norwalk or Bellevue," Josh said. The market carries beef, chicken, pork, cheese and deli meats. Everything is sourced from a variety of farmers local to the area, Josh said. Cassandra said their lunch meat and side dishes are sourced from Walnut Creek out of Amish Country. It also carries produce, seasonings and sauces. Opening up a meat market where they live represents a dream fulfilled for Josh. Cassandra said she grew up in Monroeville and the couple met almost 20 years ago in the village, working at the local pizza shop together. They've also raised their three sons — Landon, 12, Milo, 8, and Oliver, 3 — in the village. About a year after initially announcing the new store, they first opened in early June with a grand opening — attended by many people — then occurring. The couple said it took a lot of hands to get the store ready, but now, they're fully stocked. "We try to stay away from boxed meats as much as possible," he said. Added Cassandra: "We hope to eventually branch out and offer baked goods, too. But, for now, we're going to keep it basic." People can Village Meat Market Tuesdays through Sundays. More information can be found by searching "Braucher's Village Meat Market" on Facebook.