Certain societies throughout history have used drunkenness as a tool for decision-making. “In wine there is truth” goes the proverb, and so these societies would make brave plans for new ventures (plundering a rival village, for example) while under the influence of alcohol. Nobody was allowed to back down when they woke up hung-over and regretful the next day.

The decision of Joelle Brittain and Tonya Prendiville to start a business called The Butcher didn’t happen exactly like that. But there was, at least, a glass or two of booze involved. More importantly, the two Australian women also stuck to their idea in the morning. Five years on, The Butcher continues to thrive.

Expat Living spoke with Joelle Brittain about the pitfalls and the proud moments of taking a business idea and seeing it through to a retail reality in Singapore.

Tell us about your “lightbulb moment”.

My husband and I were having a casual barbeque in 2003 with a good friend of ours (now also a partner in the business). We were chatting about how hard it was to find quality meat in Singapore. Soon the conversation turned to setting up an Australian-styled butchery so that we would always have a great supply for future barbeques. The idea was purely selfish at first!

Did you have any experience in the industry?

No, but we did have some relevant background. Tonya and I are both from rural areas in Australia. Tonya’s family is from a sheep-and-wheat property in Western Australia. I grew up on a cattle property in southeast Queensland. My father is a qualified butcher, and I grew up eating beef sausages that my dad made by hand. My parents still run the property.

Having said that, we had never set up our own business before – let alone in another country. I think it was the red wine that convinced us this was the best idea ever.

What were some of the steps in setting up the business?

It was about nine months from the initial idea to the opening of our retail store. During that time we worked extensively on our business plan, sourced a retail location, hired a head butcher from Australia to lead a team and offer expert advice, found a contractor to fit out the retail space, sourced equipment from Asia, Australia and Europe, and sourced suppliers from Australia.

We thought briefly about starting small and offering our products to friends only. But then we decided to do it properly from the get-go. We found a great space at Chip Bee Gardens in Holland Village, and opened our store in October 2003 with a free-flow barbeque, wine and beers. Our first sale was made 15 minutes after the doors officially opened. We had five employees back then. Now we have 16.

How long before you made the jump to online?

We opened a basic online store six months after the Chip Bee Gardens store. We’ve continued to modify and upgrade our website over the years and our online store is now an integral part of our business. We currently operate three fulltime delivery vans to meet demand.

What’s been the key factor in the growth of the business?

We’ve always run the business as though we are the customers. If the products aren’t good enough for us to purchase and cook for our family and friends, we don’t want to sell them in our store. If the service given is not in line with how we would want to be treated, we fix the problem.

Has anyone raised eyebrows along the way about your being women in what some might consider a male-dominated industry?

Lots of raised eyebrows! Most people assume it’s our husbands who started the business, but actually they have very little to do with the day-to-day running of things.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 is “unfazed” and 10 is “petrified”), how concerned are you about the economic crisis affecting your business?

Probably a 3. We’re very aware that customers are watching the amount they spend on weekly groceries. So, we’ve introduced value packs and we’re promoting products that still offer excellent eating quality, but are an affordable alternative to some of our high-end products. Instead of cooking a steak, for example, a cheaper alternative would be a beef stir-fry. Customers can speak with our butchers about some of our more affordable cuts and how they can be prepared at home.

What’s new for 2009?

The launch of our wholesale division. Over the past five years we’ve had a lot of interest from the restaurant trade about purchasing our products. We’ve now opened a factory in Woodlands to make this happen more easily. We’re looking forward to customers enjoying our products when they dine out.

In January, we also launched our sister company, The Fishmonger. It’s an online-only store selling Australian and New Zealand seafood sourced from areas with established sustainability programmes and health and regulatory practices. We buy seafood from Sydney’s fish markets – baby barramundi, Sydney rock oysters, New Zealand king salmon, red snapper and Tasmanian mussels, for example – and have it flown chilled to Singapore. We then deliver the products to customers the same day it arrives.

What’s your goal for the next five years?

We’re keen to control the source of our products. So, in the next five years we’d like to develop The Butcher’s own brand across a range of products including a paddock-to-plate concept that would allow us to source and breed our own cattle and control every stage of the cycle.

What’s your favourite product?

I’ve always loved our BBQ Greek lamb but lately I’ve been enjoying the pork tenderloins wrapped in pancetta. They’re so easy to cook: you just pop them in the oven then serve them with a salad or some roast vegetables.

As for The Fishmonger, my husband recently cooked me a barramundi fillet coated in a macadamia nut crust – I’m still dreaming about that meal.

How do you like your steak?

Medium-rare. When I was younger I ate my steak well-done – much to my father’s disgust, and now my own.

Got any vegetarian friends?

Yes! We also have customers who are vegetarians and come to us to shop for the meat-eating members of their family. We’re currently working on producing a line of vegetarian products including veggie burgers, veggie kebabs and a vegetarian sausage.

What makes you most proud about the business?

That we have built it from the ground up. Everything from the logo to the shop design to the product range was developed by us.

The Butcher is at 44 Jalan Merah Saga.

Call (+65) 6472 0073, or visit www.thebutcher.com.sg.

For home-delivery seafood, visit www.thefishmonger.com.sg.