Inspiration

Pro to Know: VanMeter James

Local, Quality Boutique Butcher

Former cattle farmer Rudy Leake has taken his passions for the beef industry, farming, and the finer things in life and transformed them into a thriving business in the heart of Lexington. VanMeter James, a newly opened Boutique Butcher shop in Downtown Lexington, provides only the top cuts of Certified Angus Beef® to its customers. In addition to their premium steaks, the business has found a way to take a portion of its profits and give them to charity. A dollar from every sale made goes to the Mick Colvin Scholarship fund, giving students who are pursuing a degree in agricultural studies money toward their education. Rudy says he gets to live out his dream everyday, and hopes this allows someone else to live out theirs.

As Rudy’s children grew, the father of two realized he and his family needed to be closer to the city. He sold his cattle and to continue following his passion, opened a butcher shop. Rudy says what makes his shop special is the unique, personable details and the people that make up the business. VanMeter James is actually named after Leake’s two children, while the company’s logo is written in his own handwriting. The men who work for Leake have experienced the patience and the want for quality products it takes to learn more about the beef industry, and according to Leake, each has done an incredible job even when coming from various backgrounds. Along with those he works with in the shop, Rudy attributes much of the shop’s success to he and his wife’s hard work. He says their both their personal and professional growth together over the past eight years has allowed him to be in the position he is today. Leake says as time goes on he plans to expand upon the cuts he offers at VanMeter James, but wanted to start with basics you typically see on steakhouse menus. Another factor making this butcher shop unique is the aging process of the meat. All of their steaks are wet aged for 28 days and hand cut to specific thickness. All of that is fun for Rudy, but his main goal is to expose Certified Angus Beef® and their brands, like Teakhaus cutting boards and Miyabi Steak Knives, to a wider audience. He enjoys the experience of getting a steak in front of someone, with his favorite cuts being either the Certified Angus Beef® Bone In Filet or the Certified Angus Beef® Brand Prime Kansas City Steak. He claims leaving the bone on the filet takes its tenderness to another level, while leaving the bone in the KC Strip allows for a wellmarbled, tender piece of steak. If your mouth is watering like mine is, you can find VanMeter James at 333 E. Main St. in Suite 160, where Rudy would love to assist you. Stop in to learn more about the top 3% of steak in the U.S. and leave with a delicious steak cut specifically for you. You can also find VanMeter James on Instagram, @_vanmeterjames_ or call (859) 368-8457 to learn more.