Talk about a rare opportunity: shoppers steered their carts to Nisku before dawn Thursday, where a local butcher raised the steaks with a massive beef sale. Buyers began lining up outside Blackjacks Roadhouse around 5 a.m. as Local Meats Leduc offered 30,000 pounds of 89-to-90-per-cent-lean ground beef for $6.10 per pound, roughly two-thirds the price Edmonton-area grocery shoppers typically pay. Colin Gustmann, owner of Local Meats Leduc, said the sale was simply about “giving back to the community that has supported us for over 10 years.” “With the rising prices of ground beef and meat in general, it’s becoming unaffordable for many families,” Gustmann told CTV News Edmonton. “We want to offer a staple product at a price families can afford.” Tannis MacKay, who lined up two hours before the sale started at 10 a.m., said she was buying ground beef on behalf of a Leduc church for meals distributed through several community programs. She praised Gustmann’s efforts. “He’s not making anything from this sale; he’s just blessing the community,” MacKay said, noting the butcher often donates meat to Gateway Church. “He’s got a very big heart, and he’s been doing this for years. It’s just been getting bigger every year.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Darcy Seaton
