Cover James, Jedd and Jared Yuin, founders and owners of The Fat Butcher (Photo: courtesy of The Fat Butcher)
James, Jedd and Jared Yuin, founders and owners of The Fat Butcher (Photo: courtesy of The Fat Butcher)
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What started as a simple idea during the pandemic became a fast-growing brand, as the Yuin brothers share how discipline, adaptability and relentless execution helped turn The Fat Butcher into a premium meat and seafood business
In 2021, brothers Jedd, James and Jared Yuin founded The Fat Butcher with little more than savings, curiosity and a simple idea. In the midst of the pandemic, Jedd and James had begun working out and bulk-ordering steak to fuel their routines. With more meat than they could possibly consume, they decided to sell the surplus online. What began as a practical solution soon revealed a promising opportunity.
Operating from their family home, the brothers packed orders themselves, wrapping steaks in kraft paper and storing inventory in their personal refrigerator. Every peso earned was reinvested into the business—first into additional stock, then into larger freezers and eventually into walk-in facilities. Over time, their modest steak offering evolved into a premium meat and seafood store, sourcing quality products from trusted international suppliers committed to sustainable practices.
Clear roles helped drive their momentum. James manages operations and finance, Jedd leads marketing, sales and human resources, while Jared joined a year later to optimise growth and systems.
Equally important was their willingness to learn and adapt. By embracing digital advertising, omnichannel marketing and a constantly expanding product range, the brothers steadily built both reach and reputation. Today, with retail stores complementing their e-commerce platform, the Yuin brothers continue to grow The Fat Butcher—proof that humble beginnings, discipline and relentless curiosity can turn a simple idea into a thriving enterprise.
Q&A
What inspired you to start your business?
It all started in 2021, and we didn’t really have a big reason why we started The Fat Butcher. We wanted an unlimited source of protein. It was around one year after the pandemic started, and we were keen on working out. We bulk-ordered some steak and sold the rest so that ours would be free. We started selling and saw the sales picking up. From there, we made a Facebook account, professionalised it and started running ads. Luckily, it picked up.
That’s when we knew this was a good market. From there, we expanded our product line—from steaks to other kinds of meat to eventually seafood. Now we can call The Fat Butcher a premium-quality meat and seafood store rather than just a steak shop.
Everything was bootstrapped. We were the ones running everything, packing the orders. At that time, we didn’t have good packaging. It was just steak wrapped in kraft paper.
People would always say, “Why are you making this business? You should have a good reason for doing it.” We just saw an opportunity. From there, we kept improving, optimising and pivoting, and that’s how it led to what we are today.
Where do your brothers come into the picture?
The way we separated our roles—me and James, my younger brother who is just two years younger than me, were the co-founders. Jared joined us one year later.
James handles operations and finance, while I handle marketing, sales and HR. Jared acts more like a general manager, focusing on growth optimisation.
Once we set the vision, Jared supervises and helps optimise things. That’s our segregation of roles, and he still plays a key role in the business.
One of the biggest challenges we faced was capital. Since everything was bootstrapped, we had no external investments, and everything came from our savings.
We had to be very tight with our money so we could grow faster. From the profits we got, we would buy more stocks and freezers. We started with our home freezer, then expanded to a small freezer, then to chest freezers, until there was a need to build our own walk-in freezers.
At the start, we were just selling from our house. We were lucky to have that option, especially as e-commerce was picking up. All our profits were reinvested into stocks, freezers and more marketing budget, specifically Facebook ads.
What sets your business apart from competitors?
I think what set us apart was that we knew we had to automate the business. Usually, small business owners do everything themselves and keep all the profits.
But we had the vision to automate. We hired more workers so we could focus on bigger things and grow the business.
Another strength we had was knowing how to run ads. Facebook ads were vital for us. Boosting isn’t the best way to do ads because it lets Meta handle everything. With Facebook Ads Manager, you can be more specific, set objectives and target locations and interests.
We didn’t run ads randomly. We were very specific with targeting. We started in Quezon City and targeted customers there first, so logistics would be faster. From there, we expanded.
I guess that’s what set us apart—we had the skills, and we leveraged them.
More from Tatler: From local label to beauty contender: how Jasmine Ang Chua built Issy Cosmetics into a proudly Filipino brand
Above From packing steaks at home to building a premium meat and seafood brand, the Yuin brothers grew The Fat Butcher through discipline, adaptability and constant reinvention
From packing steaks at home to building a premium meat and seafood brand, the Yuin brothers grew The Fat Butcher through discipline, adaptability and constant reinvention
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Can you share a pivotal turning point, such as a major risk, setback or breakthrough that significantly changed your company’s direction or growth trajectory?
One major risk was that it was very easy to start an online business during the pandemic, so competitors were popping up everywhere with low capital.
We knew we couldn’t just be a steak shop, so we expanded to meat and seafood. Once we expanded our assortment, our revenue also grew.
If you only sell steak, you’ll only appear when people search for steak. Having more products improves your SEO and increases the chances of cross-selling.
Another factor was omnichannel marketing and presence. This means using social media, digital ads, influencer marketing, SEO, seeding and PR together.
We also made sure to be present on different platforms. Not everyone buys on a website; some prefer TikTok Shop. Being on their preferred platform makes it easier to convert them.
That, plus having a wide range of products, helped our SEO and conversions. Customers are more likely to buy everything from one store than from multiple shops.
That expansion was a turning point for us.
How do you navigate the changing economic, political and social climate?
No business is smooth sailing all the time—definitely not. You always have to pivot depending on the circumstances.
For example, if there’s a shortage of pork products because of swine flu in a country where we source from, you can’t rely on just one supplier. Having multiple suppliers ensures business continuity.
If your best-selling product suddenly has no supply for one or two months, that could be devastating—especially in the food industry. Customers need food regularly, and they can easily switch to competitors.
So even being out for just one month can change everything.
One reason I think we’re doing well is because we accept change. Businesses that don’t accept change will fall behind. The world keeps evolving, especially now when everything moves fast. We always have to adapt and pivot.
Compared to the giants in the industry, we’re still far from them. But one motto I always tell myself is: Malayo pa, pero malayo na rin kami [We still have a long way to go, but we’ve also come a long way].
As you look toward 2026, what is your long-term vision for The Fat Butcher?
Our vision is to expand more into Visayas and Mindanao. Right now, we mainly serve Metro Manila and some nearby areas like Cavite, Laguna and Bulacan.
Opening stores in Visayas and Mindanao will help expand our e-commerce reach. We’re planning to open maybe two or three stores there, and also more stores within Metro Manila.
We now have stores in Cubao and Parañaque, and another in the Quezon City Sports Club, although that is more exclusive for members of the club. The Cubao and Parañaque stores act as fulfilment centres.
We also realised that many customers—especially older customers—prefer seeing products in person before buying. That’s why we’re expanding into retail and potentially into groceries like Landers or Rustan’s.
Are there any professional or personal milestones over the past 24 months that you’d like to highlight?
One milestone is that we’ve diversified from purely e-commerce to retail stores. Since e-commerce will keep getting more competitors, physical stores give us another advantage because they require more capital to set up. Since we’ve been in the business for almost six years now, we’ve built enough capital to open more stores.
Another milestone is brand recognition. When people ask what business I’m in and I say “The Fat Butcher,” many already recognise the brand from Facebook or Instagram, or they say they’ve been buying from us for years. I’m really proud of the brand equity we’ve built.
We’ve always prioritised customer service and product development. We want our customers to be happy, so we focus on quality products and a team that genuinely cares about our customers.
On a personal note, one milestone for me and my brothers is that in the beginning, we were doubted—by relatives and some friends.
But we proved that we were capable of more. This wasn’t our first business. We tried multiple businesses before—some failed, some are still ongoing.
Defying those doubts helped drive our growth. Now we’ve gained the respect of our family and friends. Some even say they would invest in our future businesses.
Of course, experience matters too. Knowledge without experience is useless. Theory without execution is useless. We constantly test things. If something doesn’t work, we test something else. If it works, we scale it.
I’d say it was luck meeting preparedness. Opportunities came, and we were ready.
Lastly, I’d like to thank God, our team and everyone who helped us along the way. None of this would have been possible without them.
A quote I live by is: “With the courage to begin and the discipline to endure, victory becomes a matter of time.”
Any words of advice for people who are afraid to start a business?
Just start. Execute. You’ll never know what works unless you try.
From our past businesses, we even had an appliance business that did really well—even though we were never actually interested in appliances. It was just an opportunity.
It’s really about doing the work. Otherwise, everything stays in theory or just in your mind.
So just do it—like what Nike says.
Continuing Tatler’s 25th anniversary celebration, we honour 25 entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, resilience and purpose are reshaping the Philippine business landscape. Many started from humble beginnings, yet their determination and innovation have earned them well-deserved acclaim. Driven to make life better for the Filipino people, they are setting new standards for success.
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Credits
Images: Courtesy of The Fat Butcher
About
Jessica grew up writing letters for everyone, on every occasion. Little did she know that her hobby would eventually turn into a true passion. She believes that content should be relatable yet factual, engaging yet straightforward.
Work
A journalism graduate, Jessica never stops learning and honing her craft. She began her career as a Global Content Editor for a travel company, inspiring readers and travellers to explore the world. Currently, she writes on topics ranging from entertainment, health, sports and travel to in-depth stories about influential and impactful personalities.
For any leads, you may reach her through jessica.zapata@tatlerasia.com via email.
