The Nichols Brothers Bring Their Grade A Game
Luke and Zach Nichols behind the storied counter. Photos by The Shootin’ Gallery.
Sometimes good things come to an end, unless someone refuses to let that happen. Enter the Nichols brothers, Luke and Zack. When Redwood Meat Co. suddenly closed, they both recognized that this could be the death blow to Humboldt’s meat industry, aside from leaving Zack unemployed. Luke had worked there until 2012, before he went to work at Chico Locker and Sausage, moving back to Humboldt 10 years later to be near family. The brothers knew the processor’s closure would affect more than just the cattle ranchers.
Timing lent a hand when Curt Terribilini and Pixie Setterlund started talking about retirement. The brother and sister team bought the Ferndale Meat Co. in 2001, and it was time to hang up their aprons. When 376 Main St. was put up for sale in 2020, jeopardizing the butcher shop, Guy Fieri stepped up to buy the building. He knew its long history as a meat market that opened in 1903 as the building’s first occupant, with the Ferndale Meat Co. taking over in 1918. In August of 2024 it was the Nichols brothers’ turn to save the day. They bought the business, continuing its 122-year tradition of feeding Ferndale and Humboldt County.
Good butchers do not spring from the ground wholly trained. Luke and Zack grew up wielding knives under the careful eye of their father, a man who served as a butcher for 45 years. At Eureka High School, they gave up sports in favor of the Future Farmers of America, raising animals for the fair. These third-generation Humboldt men know their business from the hoof up. “It’s the only thing we’ve ever known but it’s the one thing we are really good at,” Luke said. Ferndale’s satisfied appetites can attest to it.
Luke used his time at the locker wisely. He picked up all the tastiest skills as he learned to cure meats — hams, bacon, smoked sausages and pepper sticks, to name a few. He found love amongst the meats with his coworker and eventual wife Amber. Zack used his time at Redwood Meat Co. mastering his trade. He married his high school sweetheart Kaitlyn, and soon a few little Nicholses began to join the burgeoning families. Just in time for the next generation to grow up in the family business.
Luke says the decision to buy the Ferndale Meat Co. was based on family ethics. “It’s how we were raised and taught. Because we are one of the last custom butcher shops in Humboldt to make sure people that raise animals and fair animals have a place to get their animals processed.” The brothers’ concern makes supporting their community their top priority, “so that they can feed their families with the animals they raised.”
It’s not just a mission to save Humboldt’s meat processing industry. “We do like the retail meat counter and deli.” Luke’s pride of product is easy to catch. His bestselling cuts? “Ribeye. Or the seasoned tri-tip.” The sound of a spitting grill immediately comes to mind. The Nicholses process game animals, so having savory venison is just a matter of your aim. Zack’s processing prowess and Luke’s mastery of smoke and spice gives you more time to eat.
The Nicholses keep an eye on their future, too. One of Zack’s three daughters enjoys the deli counter. Luke’s 5-year-old daughter is already handling knives — under the careful guidance of Dad, of course — with his little son waiting his turn. “I hope our family continues so we can leave something for them,” Luke said. That is a real possibility with their children seeing their family business from the inside and the bottom up. Although he acknowledged that the physical labor of being a butcher is hard on the body, he restated their dedication for Ferndale Meat Co. to meet the community’s needs.
The Nicholses are proud of Ferndale Meat Co.’s long history and their roots in FFA. Stop in to see the newly reframed photos of the Humboldt County Fair animals that the shop has purchased annually since 1973. Luke and Zach Nichols went from raising those animals themselves to carrying on the Ferndale tradition of supporting young farmers.
The brothers conferred when asked to finish the sentence, “My Humboldt life is ….” True to their partnership, they answered as a team with a purpose. “Our Humboldt lives are having a living and supportive family, and a community that stands behind us in a dying industry.” They take their mission to save Humboldt’s meat tradition most seriously. Lucky for you and your grill that they do.
Ferndale Meat Co.
376 Main St, Ferndale,
(707) 786-4501
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