Saugatuck Provisions Opens From A Local CT Chef (Matt Storch), A Butcher & A Fisherman (Copps Island Oysters)

What happens when a chef, a butcher and a fisherman walk into a bar? Stay tuned and I’ll tell you…

If you’ve noticed some activity behind the brown paper covering the windows of what was once Westport’s Saugatuck Craft Butchery, it’s not just wishful thinking. Big things are happening behind that masked facade …big things that involve a culinary power team including Chef Matt Storch and Susan McConnell (Match Burger Lobster, Match) in partnership with Jimmy Bloom of Copps Island Oysters, and butcher, Paul Nessel, whom you will recognize if you spent any time at the nose to tail butchery, Saugatuck Craft, back in the day. After 5 years of discussion, this group is finally getting ready to open the doors to Saugatuck Provisions, a new concept offering customers a curated selection of the very best ingredients from the land, sea and grocery, enabling guests to create beautiful restaurant quality meals at home.

Saugatuck Provisions is conveniently located next to Match Burger Lobster in Westport, and will be ready for customers in early November, with Thanksgiving pre-ordering already live here.

“It’s finally happening, says Storch, “We are excited to be able to offer our customers the same “best in class” ingredients we cook with at the restaurants… using the best vendors in each culinary space… being able to offer outstanding seafood, the most knowledgeable butcher, who has been expertly and sustainably sourcing meats for years, as well as the finishing sauces and stocks we make and use at the restaurants…all in one place,” says Storch. 

Storch continues, “The concept is 'make at home meals,’ giving customers the freshest tastiest well sourced ingredients, whether it be a great pork chop, oysters and scallops straight out of the sound, pasta from Italy, a house made veal stock, black truffles and caviar for the holidays, or turkeys for Thanksgiving. We will give you the best raw ingredients to create great meals.” 

The concept of “provisions” is not entirely new to Storch. It stemmed from the long days of the pandemic when Match Provisions was born, offering customers wholesale restaurant goods via online ordering. This new iteration of provisions will be blown out x 10, but the idea is the same. 

Now, digging into the details, what can customers expect when they walk into Saugatuck Provisions? 

Let’s start with fresh local oysters, brought in daily from Jimmy Bloom of Copps Island Oysters. Oysters will also be available frozen with toppings, ready to heat up in the oven, as well as pints of shucked clams and oysters just right for pasta and pizza. In addition to oysters and Stonington scallops, the Blooms’ trucks will be picking up fresh fish and shellfish from Fulton Fish Market daily, with simple offerings including tuna, swordfish, clams, mussels, and lobsters (sourced locally and from Maine as needed). Lobsters will be available pre-steamed or raw as desired.

Behind the butcher counter you’ll find Paul Nessel who has been sourcing meat in the region for 11 years. Nessel will be leveraging his relationships from his Craft Butchery days and has already ordered whole animals from CT’s Walden Hill pigs, as well as locally sourced lamb from Sepe Farm in Newtown. 

Nessel will be doing whole animal butchering but will also offer a wider selection of cuts than he was never able to stock with the exclusively “nose to tail” butchery concept at Craft. “We will carry the best and most local meats we can find, but additionally, if somebody wants a Wagyu or Prime Steak, we can reach that market as well, says Nessel.“ 

Nessel with farmer Jennifer Milikowsky of Walden Hill Farm

And you can all breathe a sigh of relief. There will be really beautiful charcuterie, a small cheese program, and Paul will be doing house-made roast beef, fresh ham, as well as rotisserie chickens.

The pasta program will be exclusively sourced from Italy, as Italian flour has a greatly reduced gluten content vs the standard American wheat pasta.  There will be a sourdough program via Flour Water Salt, and additional local vendors coming soon. 

Customers will be able to order online, and either pickup in store or schedule a grocery delivery on certain days of the week. And of course, the team at Saugatuck Provisions would love for customers to come in and discuss their next meal with the team.

What can we look forward to down the road at Saugatuck Provisions? 

For regular buyers, Storch hopes to create  “Butchers Boxes” in the genre of Blue Apron, where customers can order a complete meal, ready to cook at home, recipe included. 

They may also have a sandwich program in the future. Picture Roast beef sandwiches on Flour Water Salt bread, and possibly even grab-n-go stews and chilis.

So, next time you need a beautiful cut of beef, and that perfect veal stock and finishing butter you’re used to having at Match Restaurant, or pasta with fresh clams and a great sauce to-go, check out Saugatuck Provisions. They hope to be YOUR one stop shop for a great at home meal. 

Saugatuck Provisions 575 Riverside Ave Westport, CT 06880