Written by: Lorry Mulhern
AJ Nowell has worked “in meat” for 20 years. And for nearly 15 of those 20 years he has dreamed of owning his own butcher shop. And in early July, AJ, and his wife and business partner, Ashley, will realize their dream, when Mortimer’s Craft Butchery opens in the former Papa Joe’s pizza restaurant on Valley Blvd, in Blowing Rock.
AJ began his journey in the field working as what is known in the industry as a “meat cutter”, which most consumers might recognize as those folks one sometimes gets a peak of through the glass windows of many grocery store meat departments. These meat cutters typically work with what are already somewhat processed cuts of meat. These large pieces of the animal may arrive as partial muscles or “quarters” of the animal and have generally already had the organs removed and been skinned along with having had other processing such as removal of hoofs, legs, and the like. The meat cutter then breaks down the remaining animal muscles into the individual cuts of meat that we all love to roast or bar-b-que, such as, in the case of a beef, for example, flank steaks, rib eye steaks, briskets, etc.
Over the years AJ had the opportunity to work in some other, more detailed cutting environments wherein the butcher would perform the actual breaking down of the animal and removal of the skin, the hoofs, etc. It was through these exposures to whole animals that AJ came to believe that way too much of these animals were being wasted; sent to factories that processed the extra parts of the animal into ground beef, animal feed and pet food. Additionally, the animal’s bones are sometimes pulverized for use in fertilizer. This vast knowledge of the entire “nose to tail” of the animal only strengthened his determination to own his own butchery.
AJ, Ashley and their four children live in Newland, and had been looking at various potential shop locations in Newland, as well as all of the far western High Country, including Tynecastle. When their home was compromised in Hurricane Helene the couple temporarily moved in with AJ’s parents who have a home in Blowing Rock and it was during that stay that they came to believe that Blowing Rock was the perfect location for a quality, nose to tail butcher shop. Helene also showed the couple that life is very unpredictable and that the time had come to stop thinking about opening a butchery, but to go ahead and take the plunge. So, passing by the empty former Papa Joe’s building one day they decided to inquire about leasing the store, feeling that it was the perfect location. They toured the shop and realized that some significant renovations would be required. However, some of the needed repairs revealed themselves to be more challenging than expected, so what they had hoped would be a December, 2024 opening, in time for Christmas, was delayed, and then delayed again.
And through all of the permitting (which AJ notes has been a smooth process with the Town of Blowing Rock), and the leases, and the architects, and the vendors, and all of the trades persons who’ve been involved, what AJ wants more than anything else is simply to “cut meat” again. And come early July he’ll be doing just that; butchering meat, and using every piece from the nose to the tail of the animals who will soon arrive on his butcher block, including, eventually, charcuteries, pates, and custom “designs”.
And Ashley Newell is not simply AJ’s business partner. She is also a devoted hospice Registered Nurse, here, in the High Country. And while she is dedicated to that mission, she also knows that she has room in her life to explore her own dream of offering the community the benefit of her baking prowess, and of charming the community with her very own baked goods creations. And come December 2025, Ashley will be designing and offering creative baked goods of her own at “Mortimer’s Craft Bakery”, which will be located adjacent to the butcher shop. She hopes that the public will take pleasure in the assortment of holiday baked goods she will offer at the opening, from traditional holiday items, to Ashley’s own original creations.
AJ, Ashley and their family are anxious to get to know their newest High Country neighbors, and for the community to begin to enjoy the freshest of fresh food, from prime ribs to prime pork to prime scones and more! The couple plan to open the doors of Mortimers Craft Butchery at the beginning of July. Follow High Country Press for updates on the exact date of opening.
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