Our Story
Generations of Good Taste
From a butcher shop in small-town Ontario to kitchens and cottages across Canada, the Leadbetter story is one of family, craft, and a genuine love of good food.
It started with two brothers and a boat ticket. In 1905, Charles Leadbetter, a young butcher from Staffordshire, England, set sail for Toronto in search of a better life. The following year, his brother John and the rest of the family joined him. The Leadbetters had arrived.
The family settled to farm north of the city, and in 1926 that spirit found its home when Leadbetter’s Butcher Store opened on Main Street in Markham, Ontario.
Decades later, Bill Leadbetter moved his young family to Washago, Ontario and opened Leadbetter’s Market. By 1981 he had a full butchering and meat products operation running, building a loyal following across central Ontario.
It was during the 1980s that Bill created the Cowboy Steak, a boldly marinated cross rib cut built for the BBQ. It became a cottage country staple and put the Leadbetter name on the map in a whole new way.
In 1990, Philip Leadbetter, the fourth generation, became general manager and expanded operations to include a processing plant and distribution warehouse. A larger facility in Orillia followed in 2001, earning Canadian Food Inspection Agency certification in 2005, with a second production plant opening in 2012.
A Legacy Worth Passing On
Today Leadbetters is proudly family-run from our facilities in Orillia, Ontario. We’ve grown and evolved, but the standard has never changed. Every product that leaves our facility is held to the same measure of quality, flavour, and honesty that has defined this family for generations.
Because at Leadbetters, good taste isn’t just something we make. It’s something we’ve always stood for.
The Leadbetters Standard
Every product we make, every partnership we build, and every community we serve reflects what we believe about food, family, and doing things the right way.
Always Improving
We never stop refining our products, our partnerships, and our service for the people who count on us.
Rooted in Craft
A century of butchery heritage raises the bar on every product that leaves our facility.
Made for Gathering
From local communities to cottage country, we're proud to be part of what brings people together.
Inspiring Excitement
Delivering mouthwatering meats that spark joy and turn every meal into a moment worth celebrating.
Taste What Four Generations Built
Whether you’re stocking a cottage fridge or running a full kitchen, Leadbetters has the products you can count on.