VG Blog

This Sunday is Father’s Day — a time to celebrate all of the amazing dads, grandfathers, stepdads and other father figures in our lives. A great dad is invaluable and irreplaceable, and we’re happy to honour the best of the best this weekend!

Father’s Day weekend is coming up fast and that means finding an awesome gift for your awesome dad. Our suggestion? Don’t get him another pair of novelty socks or a tie — give the man a beautiful steak! Here are five awesome gift ideas for the dads in your life. Bonus: every order from our Father’s Day collection comes with a reusable VG Meats cooler bag!

If you’ve ever tasted our award-winning cowboy coffee rub bacon, you know how unique and delectable it is. Just the right amount of salty, savoury and aromatic, this VG Meats product has become a customer favourite. It all starts with our delicious pork bacon and is knocked out of the park with our house-made cowboy coffee spice rub. This signature seasoning is made with actual coffee grounds and a secret blend of spices that helps to bring out the flavour of your favourite meats. We’ve been using it on our bacon for years and now, you can enjoy this awesome spice rub at home!

Here are three ways to enjoy VG Meats’ cowboy coffee spice rub — available in stores and online at VGFarmToCity.ca!

On chicken breasts

Whether you’re roasting it in the oven or grilling it on the BBQ, you’ll love our delicious chicken breasts prepared with some cowboy coffee spice rub. Be sure to cook them low and slow for a perfect, tender, juicy chicken breast that’s bursting with flavour. Add your cowboy coffee spiced chicken to a crunchy salad with romaine lettuce and bell peppers, serve it with potato salad and coleslaw, or grill up some local asparagus on the side.

On pork chops

Try a light dusting of cowboy coffee spice rub on your favourite grilled pork chops with some grilled vegetables and a Caesar salad. It doesn’t get much better than that for dinner! Or, use this seasoning on pork kebabs along with red onions, zucchini, peppers and cherry tomatoes. This spice rub is also delicious as a dry rub on your favourite pork ribs! It’s like enjoying the distinct flavour of our cowboy coffee rub bacon, but for dinner.

On your favourite steak

Kick up the seasoning on your favourite VG Meats steak with our cowboy coffee spice rub. Add as little or as much as you want before searing in a pan or on the grill, then enjoy with a hearty salad or some creamy garlic mashed potatoes. Just remember to rest your meat before slicing to get the most out of every tender, delicious bite of that Ontario beef. Yum!

To shop for your favourite beef, chicken, pork, lamb and store-made spice rubs from VG Meats, please visit our online store. We offer FREE home delivery on qualifying orders and contactless pick up in both Simcoe and Stoney Creek. No matter how you shop with us, thanks for supporting local food producers! We hope you have a great meal.

The thing is, everyone makes breakfast sandwiches a little differently — and that’s awesome! You should be making exactly what you crave, not what someone else likes. Here’s how to make the best breakfast sandwich ever in the comfort of your own home.

Did you hear the big news? VG Meats is celebrating the Victoria Day long weekend with an awesome sale on your favourite hamburgers, chicken patties and more. It’s The Great Burger Event and it’s available on Farm To City until 4pm on Friday, May 21st. Shop now and take advantage of great deals on your family’s favourites! You might even want to stock up for the whole summer. We won’t judge. (That’s why deep freezers exist, right?)

Don’t miss out on these great deals

Haven’t had a chance to check out The Great Burger Event yet? No worries. Here are some deals you won’t want to miss.

• Regular ground beef burgers are just $3.49 for a pack of 4
• Ground Chuck Burgers are only $5.99 for a pack of 4
• Chopped Sirloin Burgers are just $7.99 for a pack of 4
• A 4 pack of 6oz Lean Beef Burgers is one sale for $10
• A 3 pack of juicy 5oz chicken burger patties is just $6.49

Want to add bacon on your burger? Great idea...and that’s on sale, too! All you need now is some fresh lettuce, a slice of melty, delicious local cheese (we carry that in Stoney Creek) and maybe some craft beer from a local brewery. Is your mouth watering yet, or is it just us?

Have a safe and happy long weekend

The Van Groningen family and the entire VG Meats team would like to wish you a safe and enjoyable long weekend. Thanks as always for choosing to support local by shopping with us. We appreciate your business and are grateful for the opportunity to feed your family our tenderness tested Ontario beef, chicken and pork!

Cheers to the unofficial start of summer and to Queen Victoria’s birthday — don’t forget to enjoy some delicious BBQ favourites in her honour. Have a great weekend!

We’re about ten days away from the first long weekend of the year, and if you’re anything like us, that’s something to look forward to.There’s nothing like grilling up your favourite foods on a beautiful spring day, enjoying fresh air and feeling the warm sun on your face! (Thank you, Queen Victoria, for giving us this annual tradition in honour of your birthday.)

We hope you have a hammock, a Muskoka chair or another comfortable spot to relax outdoors this weekend (better yet, a backyard pool). Here are a few ideas to help you shop for the long weekend.

Grill up something good

There are a few backyard BBQ classics that never go out of style, and VG Meats has them all. Load up on delicious steaks, pork chops, pork ribs, sausages, hot dogs and chicken breasts (don’t forget your favourite spice rubs). All of these options are perfect with a delicious homemade potato salad, some grilled vegetables or a big scoop of coleslaw. Yum!

If you’ve got a smoker or a rotisserie, consider a beef brisket or a tender whole chicken. It’s all about low and slow, especially on a long weekend! Take your time and reap the tasty rewards.

The Great Burger Event (it’s kind of a big deal)

When you think about a long weekend BBQ in your backyard, burgers immediately come to mind. Knowing this, VG Meats has prepared a special sale for the Victoria Day long weekend. For a limited time starting Monday, May 17th, VG Meats will be hosting The Great Burger Event online. Get ready for amazing deals on your favourite beef burgers, chicken patties and more. Stock up on your favourites for the long weekend, or for the whole summer!

These deals will be available online only through VGfarmtocity.ca. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages for the announcement that it’s gone live!

Happy long weekend

We may not be able to gather this long weekend, but we can cook up something delicious, enjoy the sunshine and have a (well deserved) weekend of rest and relaxation. Here’s to Victoria Day — and The Great Burger Event!

Mother’s Day weekend is almost here and as always, we’re thinking about two very important things: what to eat, and how to properly celebrate the mothers and mother-figures in our lives. Let’s start with the first part: Mother’s Day brunch or dinner!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing you to each of the VG brothers individually by getting them to answer ten questions about life, business and their role at VG Meats. We already introduced Kevin and Chad, and today we’re talking to brother #3, Kyle.

Today, on April 22nd, we celebrate Earth Day — an important reminder to focus on how we can take better care of our lands and waters throughout the year, contributing to a better future for our families, communities and planet. It’s something we’re passionate about, and why regenerative agriculture means so much to the VG Meats team and the Van Groningen family.

Spending time outside in the sunshine on a beautiful day feels good. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures that never gets old, and it’s especially enjoyable in the springtime, when the weather is often hit and miss. Think about it...a warm, sunny day in the summer? Awesome. But a warm, sunny day in the middle of spring? That feels AMAZING. You’ve got to make the most of those days, because the rain could be lurking just behind you in the forecast. So get outside, light up the BBQ and enjoy every second!

If you’re a longtime VG Meats’ customer, you’re probably somewhat familiar with our story. VG Meats is a fourth generation family business that is currently run by four brothers: Cory, Chad, Kyle and Kevin Van Groningen. We learned everything we know from our parents and grandparents, and we love what we do.

Easter weekend is officially here and while we’ve been very busy keeping up with your orders for delicious Ontario turkey, ham, lamb and roast beef, we know there are always some last minute shoppers. (Is that you? It’s okay, we don’t judge.) Thanks as always for your support of our local, family-run business — it truly means the world to us, and we’re grateful!