Beres Butchery and Catering transitions to new ownership, location

Beres Butchery and Catering, a familiar name in Tillsonburg with a new location, is having an open house on Saturday, May 27.

It’s a grand opening celebration for the business at 510 Broadway, and at the same time a tribute to Dave Beres who with his wife Debbie had bought Goodlett’s Meat and Grocery in 1976, a staple in the community since the 1940s.

Nearly five decades later, Beres decided it was time to enjoy the next chapter in his life, and in 2021 he sold Beres Meat and Grocery and the property at 332 Broadway to Becky Bezpaly and a business partner.

Bezpaly said it was important to her to keep the Beres name for the business, which was known for its tradition of fresh meat, frozen meals and quality catering.

“Dave was in business for over 45 years and it was well established,” said Becky Bezpaly, who moved to Tillsonburg six years ago with her husband Mike.

The beef comes from Norpac Beef, they sell pork and chicken, and there has been growing interest in a broader range of meats.

“I am so grateful, so happy with how things turned out because people come in, they see our meat counter, they know that we serve local meats and they want to buy that and support that,” said Bezpaly.

It has been a successful transition, she said, and they continue to introduce new products and services. The deli lunches have been selling well, as well as the smoked meats and frozen meals.

Beres Catering, an important part of the business, offers a variety of meals for lunches, holiday gatherings and gala weddings, specializing in outdoor events and community fundraisers.

“Business has been great here, we’re constantly introducing new things, seeing what works… and we’ve been lucky, everything that we’ve done has seemed to work. And that’s one reason we had to move, we were outgrowing that space at 332 Broadway.”

They have introduced fresh salads, desserts, cheese, and different culinary sauces.

“It’s more of a specialty grocery. Most of the things on our shelves here you probably won’t find anywhere else in town, which is something that’s important to me. I want it to be more of an experience for people to discover new things, use new things, and be creative in the kitchen – they can find that stuff here.”

They are also looking into some frozen seafood, “specialty stuff,” because people are asking.

“We’re listening to customers. If they are requesting something, we’ll bring it in and try it. If it goes, it goes. If it doesn’t, well, we tried.”

Dave Beres, who is looking forward to seeing friends and sharing memories at the May 27 open house, continued working, assisting and training staff until his official retirement in the summer of 2022.

“We didn’t make a big broadcast of it, we just kind of carried on,” said Bezpaly, who had a five-year plan to find a new location.

She found it one morning while drinking her morning coffee and scrolling through social media. Bezpaly saw a real estate ad for the building next to DNT Variety Store.

“We have to get it!” was her instant reaction. “We came and looked at it that morning.”

They invested in new equipment, including a new meat counter, stove, indoor smoker and walk-in fridge, and the move to 510 Broadway was completed in March 2023.

Beres Butchery and Catering (519-842-3679) is open Monday-Saturday, 9-5. Visit their website at https://beresbutcheryandcatering.com/ for more information.

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