Over the past 13 years we have opened three restaurants in Brooklyn: The Diner, Marlow & Sons and Roman's, as well as an all grass-fed butcher shop called Marlow & Daughters. Our commitment to serving only 100% grass-fed meat at the restaurants pushed us to make direct connections with farmers and slaughterhouses in the N.E., and to develop a whole animal program. Each week we receive grass-fed cows, pigs, goats, lambs, chickens, ducks, geese and rabbits from allover New England, upstate NY and Pennsylvania. Everything is broken down and portioned out to the restaurants at our butcher shop. The only part of the animal that we were not using was the hide in 2007. So, after 10 years of dreaming together of a simple leather goods brand, we found a tannery in upstate NY who would custom tan the cow and pig hides of the animals that we serve in the restaurants, and our new company was born. Since that time, we began to purchase the wool from some of the lambs and ewes that we serve in the restaurant and turn it into yarn, sweaters, blankets, and rugs - with shearling vests to come this Spring! We have enjoyed being a part of each step in the process from raw material all the way to the finished product. If you would like to find out more about the mills, tanners, bag makers, weavers, and spinners who help us to bring these finished products to you, we would love to tell you about them! Everything is processed within 3 hours drive of NYC and sold in a small general store that is situated in the front part of our restaurant Marlow & Sons. Since reading The Ox Cart Man by Donald Hall as kids, and rediscovering it with our children we have been inspired to recreate the simplicity and wholesomeness of making something from scratch and connecting with local artisans in the North East who are still mastering these traditional crafts.
