Interview with Nakamura Hiroyuki, Staff of Nakamura's Delicious Food Workshop
We spoke with Hiroyuki Nakamura from Maruyasu Co., Ltd., which operates Nakamura's Delicious Food Workshop, about the history of the store, the commitment to products, and future aspirations.
Established in the mid-1960s. Initially started as a tenant in a supermarket
When did the store start operating?
Nakamura
Initially, we were a butcher shop that operated as a tenant in a supermarket.
We were established in the mid-1960s by my grandparents.
After that, we opened tenant stores in multiple supermarkets.
We also started wholesale meat sales.
Eventually, my father (the current representative), uncle (my father's brother), and aunt (my father's sister) joined my grandparents in the business.
However, in the early 1990s, we stopped all tenant stores.
Then we opened the store "Nakamura's Delicious Food Workshop."
Since then, we have been operating with both retail and wholesale sales.
The second generation learned about ham and sausage in Tokyo
It seems you are also focusing on processed meat products like ham and sausage. When did you start?
Nakamura
My father started it.
We couldn't compete with other stores with just fresh meat, so he trained at a famous store in Tokyo to learn meat processing techniques.
We mainly manufacture ham, sausage, and bacon in-house.
We do not use additives like colorants.
In fact, "Nakamura's Delicious Food Workshop" was the brand name for our homemade ham and sausage during the tenant era.
When we opened our independent store, we kept the brand name as the store name.
The prepared foods like croquettes and minced cutlets started during my grandmother's time, and my aunt (my father's sister) has inherited the techniques.
Actually, at the German Meat Association contest held in 2019 (the first year of Reiwa), our frankfurters and bacon won gold awards!
I believe this is the result of my father's long-term research in meat processing.
I hope you will try them at least once.
Differentiating from other stores with homemade processed foods and premium meat
There are many large supermarkets nearby. What measures do you take?
Nakamura
In the past, we handled a wide range of meats from affordable to premium, but we couldn't compete with supermarkets on affordable meat.
So, we decided to cut and sell good meat according to customer requests to differentiate ourselves.
For wagyu, we handle A4 to A5 rank meat.
I believe that our focus on homemade processed meat products also contributes to our differentiation.
Mainly local customers, but also visitors from afar
What kind of customers do you have?
Nakamura
Basically, we have many local customers.
However, when we say local people, it seems that more fans come from those who have moved here rather than those who have lived here for a long time.
The area around our store has many new residential areas and company housing, with many people who have relocated or moved in.
Word of mouth from these people has helped spread our reputation.
Additionally, there are some customers who come from far away, such as Okayama City and Fukuyama City.
We have received feedback from customers who became fans after trying our ham and sausage, which makes us very happy.
In the future, I want to develop products that become local specialties
How did you come to help at the store, Hiroyuki?
Nakamura
My father, uncle, and aunt helped my grandparents with their work from a young age, but I didn't help my father much.
So, I wasn't particularly interested in the family business, and my father didn't seem to have the intention of passing it on to me either.
I only helped a little before I graduated high school and went on to further education.
Later, when I started job hunting, I thought for the first time about taking over the family business.
Even though it was a family business, it was a completely unfamiliar field for me, so I had a lot to learn, which was tough.
Managing freshness was also a challenge.
What do you want to try in the future?
Nakamura
I want to develop new products like my father, uncle, and aunt.
I am better at improving or combining existing products than creating something from scratch.
So, I want to leverage that to create something new.
I hope that the products I develop will become new local specialties in Kurashiki.
There are currently no meat-related specialties in Kurashiki.
Conclusion
The interview was conducted when the store was closed.
However, even though the store was closed, customers came to shop.
I realized that this store has truly loyal fans.
Additionally, there are many students who eat croquettes and minced cutlets in the eat-in space after school, and many elementary school students who come to buy croquettes and minced cutlets with their pocket money on their days off.
I hope that in the future, those children will become fans of Nakamura's Delicious Food Workshop products.
Data on Nakamura's Delicious Food Workshop
| Name | Nakamura's Delicious Food Workshop |
|---|---|
| Address | 868-6 Higashitomi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-423-0230 |
| Parking | Available |
| Business Hours | 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Wednesday, Sunday Open on public holidays |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservation Availability | Yes Products can be reserved by phone |
| Seating | 8 seats 2 tables for 4 people |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Childcare | Strollers are allowed |
| Barrier-Free | Wheelchair access is possible, but there is a step at the entrance |
| Website | Official Site of Nakamura's Delicious Food Workshop |
