Noah and Lacey Hester Buy Hamm’s Meat and Market in McKinney | Eater Dallas

"A McKinney butcher shop that's been serving the community for 69 years, Hamm’s Meat + Market recently got new owners: Noah Hester and his wife Lacey. Noah—who had been buying meat from them for a nearby restaurant and even had some of his sauces carried there—says they were drawn to the shop's atmosphere and community roots and decided it would be a place their family could grow with. They plan to make it more than a butcher with pop-up dinners, meet-and-sips, butcher classes, and a “conversation table” where guests put phones away to tell stories. They emphasize locally sourced, sustainable meat—Lacey has researched how animals are raised and fed, and they want customers to know the difference between meat from small farms and big-box stores. José Facundo, the head butcher of 40 years, will remain to help return the shop to whole-animal butchery; they aim to revive his traditional honey‑glazed hams the store was known for, offer holiday turkeys (fried, Cajun, and organic), sell beef Wellington made with Lacey’s dough, and teach butchery skills to the community." - Courtney E. Smith