Our Story

Revel Meat Co was founded in 2017 by Jimmy Serlin and Ben Meyer—two Portland-area chefs passionate about local sourcing and responsible farming. 

Jimmy was raising livestock with friends in Canby when he realized that small-scale local farmers like him had almost nowhere to process their meat. Marks Meat, a family-owned slaughterhouse down the road, was planning to close its doors after nearly 50 years—and he saw the opportunity to revitalize the business and offer ongoing support to other ranchers in the region. 

Ben came on board with experience in whole-animal butchery, retailing and processing at his Portland restaurants Grain & Gristle and Old Salt Marketplace. 

Both worked for nearly two years as employees on the kill floor while running their own businesses on the side—which Jimmy admits was “a bit psychotic, but all’s well that ends well.” They were motivated to continue to provide this service to local farmers and ranchers, and ensure that each animal was treated with dignity and respect throughout the process. For Jimmy, doing this work also made him feel connected to his late father, who owned a USDA meat processor in New York. 

In November 2021, Revel Meat Co started wholesaling to local restaurants and opened the butcher shop in Providore Fine Foods. Also in 2021, Revel Meat Co was awarded a Local Food Promotion grant through the USDA to build a comprehensive traceability program, ensuring that every piece of meat sold through Revel Meat Co is traceable down to the farm and farmer who raised it. 

The business has continued to grow and expand since while staying true to its ethos—always growing with supply, rather than chasing demand.