Regina butcher shop celebrates 100 years as meat staple in community

For 100 years, a Regina butcher shop has been a reliable source of meat for generations of families.

Ron Fellinger is the owner of J. Fellinger & Sons Meat, located on 1801 Quebec St. He has been cutting, preparing and serving customers since 1968.

Ron Fellinger, owner of J. Fellinger & Sons Meat, slices head cheese. (Gareth Dillistone / CTV News)“We take a lot of pride in the amount of time we have been here. There’s not a lot of businesses that are in business that long, and especially in a business like this,” he said.

In 1924, Nick Friedrich opened Purity Meats, the first incarnation of the butcher shop on the property.

The Friedrich Family, with Nick Friedrich in the back row on the right. The butcher shop that Nick founded just celebrated 100 years of operation in Regina. (Gareth Dillistone / CTV News) The shop would eventually change ownership in the 1950’s, going under the Fellinger name.

Robert Friedrich, the grandson of the original owner, Nick Friedrich, is happy the shop has continued on, adapting with the changes impacting the meat industry.

“That’s the backbone of the Canadian economy, small businesses and families that work with one another and build something. A legacy for their family and their community,” he said.

German Shepard (and former German Army trained dog) named Hector would fetch parcels of meat from the butcher shop and deliver them home for the Friedrich family. Also pictured is Rudy Friedrich, son of the founder Nick Friedrich. (Gareth Dillistone / CTV News)

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Jeffery Pambrun has been coming to the shop for most of his life. It’s now a place he takes his family for meat.

“We are a regularly in here. We stop in at least once a week, every table weeks at the longest: we do quite a bit of our meat shopping here,” he said.

Celebrating 100 years at the corner of Quebec Street and 11th Ave. (Gareth Dillistone / CTV News) The future for the Fellinger butcher shop is uncertain. Fellinger said the shop has been up for sale for a couple years, but there have no been serious buyers yet.

Delivery boys who delivered meat by bicycle all over Regina. Pictured in the middle is Rudy Friedrich, son of the founder Nick Friedrich, outside the same location the business has had for 100 years. (Gareth Dillistone) Although a new beginning for the shop maybe be near, Fellinger is aware of the special success the shop has had over the years.

“That’s one thing that we have been very lucky. This is a family business, we all work together. Everybody shows up, everybody works hard and that’s a recipe for a very successful and long-serving business,” said Fellinger.