One of the most enjoyable aspects of reintroducing Buzz Buttered Steaks has been reconnecting with customers from years ago. One of those people, and another person to whom we owe a debt of gratitude, is Don Tate, businessman extraordinaire from here in the Kanawha Valley. Don co-founded, owns and operates most of the Fas-Chek Supermarkets here in the state as well several Save-A-Lot Food Stores. On top of that, he finds time to own two car dealerships and to support his beloved University of Charleston Golden Eagles, among many other good causes.
Don Tate and his stores sold many, many cases of Buzz Buttered Steaks over the years and they were as sad as anyone when they were no longer available. Today, we're very proud to say that with Don's help, Buzz Buttered Steaks are once again available in Fas-Chek stores everywhere. Thanks a million, Don!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Great Steak Caper of '76
"The legend around Buzz Buttered Steaks grew even wider in 1976 when thieves stole a Buzz truck containing more than six tons of the popular product. By the time a multi-state manhunt ended, more thana dozen well-fed accomplices were charged with distributing stolen goods. As publicity around the case grew, Buzz Buttered Steaks experienced record sales and the rest, as they say, is history."
The quick summary above is printed on the back of our brand new retail boxes, and may have as much to do with the popularity of Buzz Buttered Steaks as the quality of the product itself. I get asked about this part of the product's history all the time, by young people who want to know if it's true, or by older folks who swear they remember every detail. I always let people know that it absolutely happened, although if the entire truth were told, the thieves who stole the truck were probably didn't set out to enter the steak business. They were running a stolen car ring and, for whatever reason, were looking for a refrigerated truck. Only after they got the truck all the way to Parkersburg, WV did they realize that the contents of the truck could be awfully valuable. (Sort of like snatching a purse and finding the crown jewels inside. :)) As the story goes, they quickly scrambled to rent some cold storage space and recruited a group of friends to try and sell the product door-to-door. This turned out not to be the smartest plan, but as my Dad used to say, "That's why they were criminals." Anyway, I'll revisit this story another time with more details and perhaps some outside perspective.
The quick summary above is printed on the back of our brand new retail boxes, and may have as much to do with the popularity of Buzz Buttered Steaks as the quality of the product itself. I get asked about this part of the product's history all the time, by young people who want to know if it's true, or by older folks who swear they remember every detail. I always let people know that it absolutely happened, although if the entire truth were told, the thieves who stole the truck were probably didn't set out to enter the steak business. They were running a stolen car ring and, for whatever reason, were looking for a refrigerated truck. Only after they got the truck all the way to Parkersburg, WV did they realize that the contents of the truck could be awfully valuable. (Sort of like snatching a purse and finding the crown jewels inside. :)) As the story goes, they quickly scrambled to rent some cold storage space and recruited a group of friends to try and sell the product door-to-door. This turned out not to be the smartest plan, but as my Dad used to say, "That's why they were criminals." Anyway, I'll revisit this story another time with more details and perhaps some outside perspective.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
May the Forth Be With You.
I couldn't get too far into this story about the revival of Buzz Buttered Steaks without thanking a special group of people who are probably unknown to most grocery shoppers. As interest in Buzz Buttered Steaks grew over the past couple of years, and we became tempted by the idea that there really is still a place for this product in the market, we realized that to bring them back would require a huge investment of resources, time and energy. While we had spent the last six years being literally BEGGED to bring the product back, some of us wondered if that was just a devoted (crazed?) minority or if a significant number of people really did want Buzz Buttered Steaks to be part of their lives again.
We wanted a way to test the market and find out. To our rescue came Charles "Charlie" Forth, owner of Forth's Foods. Mr. Forth owns and operates a number of Food Fair stores around the state and operates a good-sized warehouse in Huntington, WV that services those stores and a number of other independent grocers. Mr. Forth and his staff, including Meat Manager Mike Mazzone, President Tim Forth and Pat Wray, agreed to take our product on without a retail box. We shipped them the product in bulk 'foodservice' boxes (like a restaurant would use) and their deli managers in each store 'tray-packed' them in foam trays with a plastic wrap.
From March to December in 2008, Food Fair stores sold more than 13,000 pounds of Buzz Buttered Steaks and we had all the confidence we needed. Today, Buzz Buttered Steaks are available in every Food Fair in WV and if you find a store that doesn't have them, kindly ask the meat manager and he should be able to get them for your next visit.
We wanted a way to test the market and find out. To our rescue came Charles "Charlie" Forth, owner of Forth's Foods. Mr. Forth owns and operates a number of Food Fair stores around the state and operates a good-sized warehouse in Huntington, WV that services those stores and a number of other independent grocers. Mr. Forth and his staff, including Meat Manager Mike Mazzone, President Tim Forth and Pat Wray, agreed to take our product on without a retail box. We shipped them the product in bulk 'foodservice' boxes (like a restaurant would use) and their deli managers in each store 'tray-packed' them in foam trays with a plastic wrap.
From March to December in 2008, Food Fair stores sold more than 13,000 pounds of Buzz Buttered Steaks and we had all the confidence we needed. Today, Buzz Buttered Steaks are available in every Food Fair in WV and if you find a store that doesn't have them, kindly ask the meat manager and he should be able to get them for your next visit.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Welcome to the Buzz Buttered Blog!
Hello Folks,
Welcome to the first ever blog dedicated exclusively to Buzz Buttered Steaks! If you've found this site while dreaming about and searching for your favorite childhood (or adulthood) snack, then you're in the right place. If you've never heard of a Buzz Buttered Steak, then these pages can help you learn a thing or two about one of Appalachia's favorite meals.
To give you a brief preview, Buzz Buttered Steaks are a West Virginia delicacy made from pure beef and real butter. They've been around for more than 50 years and have quite an interesting history, which can and will be shared, in pieces, here on this blog. The most exciting news of all, is that after six years of being 'off the market', Buzz Buttered Steaks are once again available to the public in retail grocery stores! It's been a fun journey back to the marketplace and I'll use these pages to tell you how and why it happened, as well as, most importantly, Where To Buy Buzz Buttered Steaks. Thanks for visiting.
Welcome to the first ever blog dedicated exclusively to Buzz Buttered Steaks! If you've found this site while dreaming about and searching for your favorite childhood (or adulthood) snack, then you're in the right place. If you've never heard of a Buzz Buttered Steak, then these pages can help you learn a thing or two about one of Appalachia's favorite meals.
To give you a brief preview, Buzz Buttered Steaks are a West Virginia delicacy made from pure beef and real butter. They've been around for more than 50 years and have quite an interesting history, which can and will be shared, in pieces, here on this blog. The most exciting news of all, is that after six years of being 'off the market', Buzz Buttered Steaks are once again available to the public in retail grocery stores! It's been a fun journey back to the marketplace and I'll use these pages to tell you how and why it happened, as well as, most importantly, Where To Buy Buzz Buttered Steaks. Thanks for visiting.
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