Amanda Grady grew up in Mantua Township, spending most of her time along the train tracks and riding her bike to Gurk’s Deli.
Back then, Grady could not have imagined being where she is today, opening KP’s Fine Meats butcher shop in Philadelphia on Feb. 5 alongside her partner, Kevin Penney (better known as KP).
The shop’s journey started with COVID, in the middle of the partners’ apartment.
“When COVID began, KP was laid off from his butcher job in Fairmount (a neighborhood in Philadelphia) and he decided to use his industry connections and skills to hand deliver meat to friends and family who needed it,” Grady said.
“Word spread quickly, and we quickly began putting out weekly menus and offering butcher delivery to anyone within 20 miles of Philadelphia.”
This delivery radius was especially important given Grady’s connection to Mantua and KP’s youth in Voorhees. The team comprises a self-described dynamic duo, with KP a trained chef and butcher and Grady the marketing and finance expert.
With the growth of sales and the lack of space where they lived, the couple decided it was time to start thinking about the next step.
“It felt clear that the best way to give people a chance to come see our products, meet our staff, and allow us the space to facilitate a larger volume was to have a proper brick and mortar location,” Grady recalled.
The search for an available space started, and when the pair found the shuttered Jim’s Meat Market in Philadelphia, it was as if they struck gold.
“All the equipment was in the building, with some minor renovations to be done, the neighborhood was already familiar with having a meat market on the corner and, best of all, our neighbors already had such fond feelings for the business on behalf of Jim and Kathy, the previous owners,” Grady noted.
“ It felt natural to occupy this space and start to give the neighborhood what they want: accessible, quality meats with an honest butcher to make the cuts,” the Clearview alum added.
Utilizing her Rowan University degree in marketing and her job at the Pitman Bakery in high school, Grady has been able to manage the business end of the butcher shop while KP acts as head butcher.
While they intend to keep classic components of the shop, like offering chip steak and accepting cash or credit, the owners will have butcher favorites on the menu, including dry-aged beef, house-made salami and Japanese Wagyu.
KP’s Fine Meats is located at 2329 E Clearfield St., Philadelphia. The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit kpsfinemeats.com.
