We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert Grant and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
Legacy is a concept that has been at the forefront of my mind throughout my career. When you are introduced to the art and craft of cooking in the way that I was, you begin by studying the life and works of the greats. August Escoffier, Paul Bocuse, Fernand Point and the like. Years of practicing fundamental skills mixed with a voracious consumption of culinary knowledge and literature implanted a strong desire to achieve. For a long time I wanted to be remembered for my achievements in the kitchen, my prestigious rise to the top and front edge of culinary excellence and innovation. Over time though life has a unique and infinite way of teaching us what is truly important. These days I would be honored to be remembered as a loving husband and father and for my kind and compassionate service as well as my contributions to strengthening our local food systems.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Greener Pasture is a state licensed custom exempt mobile livestock processor. The factors that set my business apart are the mobile nature of the MSU and the fully customized experience. In the entire State of Colorado, I am not aware of any other licensed custom exempt processors that are exclusively mobile. I am beaming with pride and gratitude everyday while I am doing this important work. Figuratively speaking, we have built this business up one brick at a time for the past two years. It is because of the generosity and support of the local farming community that Greener Pasture exists. As I mentioned, I had been a chef for about 20 years when in March 2020 I was laid off from my job as Executive Chef for a local catering company. Chefs and indeed most food service workers had become virtually unemployable overnight. With a young family to support, I didn’t put much faith in unemployment payments taking care of us if they came through at all. I started putting feelers out to see what work I could find. I was able to do a small consulting project in early April but that was about it until I got a call from a cousin who was working on a farm in Boulder. Their predominate product is meat raised on their farm and they were running out thanks to pandemic fueled panic buying. Years ago on a food and agriculturally immersive trip through Europe I had learned how to slaughter and butcher farm animals. I went down to the farm and helped butcher a few sheep for the freezers. They asked if I’d be interested in continuing to butcher for them and for what they paid per sheep, I was much obliged to continue to help, Once I learned how desperate the need was for small farm livestock processing, I decided I would do my best to help. My services have been very well received and I am consistantly booked 6-8 weeks out. The biggest challenges we face are securing funding to grow and scale up. The competition for grant money is epic and loans are for the most part impractical. The next step for us is to build out a brick and mortar facility so we can expand our capacity and help promote and spread this style of meat processing. The demand for this is staggering and a symptom of our very broken regional/national food systems.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
These days I am a big homebody and I love being at home with my family. If we had friends or family visiting, we would most likely cook most of the meals at home. I was a world class chef for 20 years before I pivoted into this business, so the best food and beverages in town are definitely served at my house! The one place in town that we adore and frequent for takeout is Gurkhas Restaurant.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife and business partner Stephanie gets a lot of credit for Greener Pasture being a reality. She has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and jump in with faith, love and kindness.

The farmers and ranchers also deserve a huge shoutout. The people that I service are toiling every day of the year to produce healthful, delicious food for their communities while also stewarding the land and animals in a way that helps heal the soil.

Instagram: @greener_pasture.co

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