Paramount Butcher Shop
Paramount Butcher Shop on Heritage Hills Boulevard in Mississauga is a step above your average meat purveyor. If the name sounds familiar, it's because it is - the shop works in conjunction with the popular Middle Eastern restaurant chain Paramount Fine Foods .
The butcher shop serves up a smorgasbord of halal chicken, lamb, veal, beef and goat and other grocery items like cheese, sauces, marinades, pickled peppers and olives.
Prices vary from one meat section to the next. Chicken legs start from $1.99/lb and goes up to $5.99/lb for Boneless Chicken Breast. The Beef Soujok Sausage costs $5.99/lb while their famous Dry Aged Rib Steaks start at $12.99/lb.
Paramount Butcher Shop opened its doors to the public in 2012. Manager, Ahmad Alameddine says the owner "decided he needed to open an all halal butcher shop in Mississauga to accommodate the people and their needs."
For those running low on time, there is a special section of prepared marinated dishes ready to pop in the oven. The restaurant's popular dishes like Beef Shawarma for $7.99/lb, Marinated Lamb Chops for $9.99/lb and Beef Back Ribs at $5.99/lb are ready for pick up at the shop (made in-house by Paramount's team of butchers).
The Tandoori Legs, a highlight for Ahmad, caught my attention with its vibrant colour of red and yellow spices. It's the type of presentation that makes your mouth start to water.
The black board above the meats list all of the items below including Beef Pepperoni, Chicken Pepperoni, Smoked Turkey, Roast Beef, Veal Ham, Salami, Beef/Chicken Bacon, Roast Chicken, Sausage of All Varieties and more.
A special section of the shop is dedicated to educating customers about all there is to know about authentic halal meat. As a customer, it's comforting to know where the meat comes from, how the animal is treated and how it can benefit you in the long run.
The staple of any butcher shop is their deli section and Paramount's is definitely a sight to see. The display windows are stacked high with salami, bologna, turkey, chicken and sausages (prepared and packaged at Paramount). An immaculate wall of spices and special sauces peak out from behind the deli section.
The fresh olive bar in the center of the shop pulls everything together with a pop of colour showcasing a display of olives, turnips, mushrooms, peppers and dried tomatoes.
If you don't mind making a trip outside of Toronto, you should definitely check out Paramount Butcher Shop. The quality of their meat (especially the pre-marinated dishes) makes it definitely worth the trip.
Writing by Aileen Ormoc