In 2020, serial entrepreneur, Dave Dreiling, attended a Wagyu beef auction and was introduced to the industry. Seeing potential in Wagyu beef as a viable product, Dave purchased a processing plant and started selling Wagyu beef at local farmers markets, and then in December of 2021, opened Booth Creek Wagyu on McCall Road in Manhattan, Kansas.
While Wagyu beef and Kobe beef are often used interchangably, their site educates consumers on the differences. “Kobe isn’t a breed; it’s a region in Japan where some Wagyu are raised. Only cattle that come from Kobe are allowed to be labeled as such. But since Americans are more familiar with the word ‘Kobe’, many restaurants use that term to describe any Wagyu beef, no matter where it came from. All Kobe is Wagyu, but not all Wagyu is Kobe.” According to their site, “The Wagyu we raise in Kansas are descendants from the small herds that were exported to the United States in the 1970’s and 80’s. They still have the Japanese genetics, but are born and raised in America.”
When starting a new business, it’s essential to take the market into account, and the Booth Creek Wagyu team found the Manhattan region friendly to both agriculture and new business. According to Kylie Rupe, Sales and Marketing Manager with Booth Creek Wagyu, they couldn’t have chosen a better location to raise their beef or a better market to sell it to. “The Manhattan community is so focused on agriculture, and that makes our operation a lot of fun. We’re in the best place in the world to raise cattle and really enjoy introducing beef lovers to the rich, buttery flavor that Wagyu brings to the table.”
Manhattan also serves as an ideal hub to bring their products to all corners of the United States. “We’ve shipped our product to all corners of the continental U.S.” Kylie went on to share that their online store offers both fresh and frozen products, but they hopy hope to supply burgers to restaurants in several different states.
Find the retail location for Booth Creek Wagyu on McCall Road in Manhattan, Kansas.
Beef lovers don’t have to wait for Booth Creek Wagyu to show up in their favorite restaurant, though. They encourage locals to stop by their retail space on McCall Road, where they offer steak samples, served hot and fresh via their sampling kitchen. Kylie states that their space also provides “a great opportunity to educate customers about our products.” In the future, they hope to open more retail stores with a focus on their genetics program, “Our genetics program is quite advanced and we can’t wait to take our products to the next level as our herd grows.”
Shopping local never tasted so good! You can experience the Booth Creek Wagyu products in person at 519 McCall Road, Suite 500 in Manhattan, Kansas, or you can visit their online shop here.
