The Evolution of Dinner

How Our Meals Have Changed Over 70 Years

Since our doors opened in 1955, there has been a dramatic transformation in the ways families prepare and serve meals, especially the iconic American dinner. From the classic meat and potatoes meals of the 1950s to today’s globally-inspired dishes, rich with flavors and spices sourced from around the world, we’ve come a long way. In some ways, though, meal preparation is going back to its roots as we rediscover the art of cooking with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.

In the 1950s, homemakers shopped more frequently and often spent all day preparing the evening meal, typically served at the same time each day with families seated around the dining room table. Today, by contrast, it is estimated that as few as 25% of homes have a separate, dedicated dining room. With today’s more active lifestyles and activities, we are more likely to casually eat at the kitchen counter or in a smaller eating area.

70 years ago, “hanging beef” or full sides would be delivered to butcher stores on specialized rails. Households would often invest in very large cuts of meat and freeze them in large chest freezers to feed their families for months.

The smaller refrigerators of that day often limited the amount of meat that could be prepared and served at one time. Also, because of these smaller refrigerators, typically about half the size of today’s models, the larger families of that time needed to shop for groceries at least several times a week.

Today, advancements in meat processing technology allow for packaging and shipping meat in smaller quantities, giving us more options to choose the specific cuts of meat we want. And, given that a side of beef can weigh 300 pounds or more, we think you’ll agree those smaller selections are much more convenient. The 1950s homemaker would certainly be impressed with the selection of cuts we offer today.

Speaking of selection, a typical 1950s dinner likely featured what we now describe as “comfort” foods. Examples are meatloaf, casseroles, baked ham, pot roast and creamed vegetables. Dessert might have been a layered gelatin creation or a fruit-topped angel food cake. Pineapple was often introduced as the lone exotic element in ham entrees or the classic pineapple upside down cake.

Today, families are smaller, and with advancements in transportation and delivery coupled with the expansion of world travel and knowledge, our palates have broadened as well. We now have access to once unattainable ingredients and recipes. Today’s cook is just as likely to serve an Asian or Mediterranean dish as they might an all-American meat loaf. And, while meal preparation was once confined to the stove top and oven, today’s cooks can choose from a variety of preparation tools including slow cookers, pressure cookers, air fryers, and smokers.

Butcher Boy has evolved with today’s customers while staying true to our roots of providing the freshest and highest quality meats and foods. Today we meet busy families half way with freshly prepared products like stuffed chicken breasts, marinated meats, and delicious entrees including garlic pepper pork roast and stuffed pork chops. We’ve added delicious prepared appetizers, side dishes, desserts, bakery goods, and so much more.

We’ve come a long way from the time of all-day dinner preparation. Whether you want just the right ingredients to cook a special weekend meal or the convenience of picking up a quick prepared dinner to bring home on a busy weekday, we’ve got you covered.