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Blue Ridge Meats of Front Royal is the dream of Doug Aylestock.
 Doug lives on a sheep farm in Berryville, with his wife Lois, their two sons, and Doug's parents, Harold and Clara, who recently built a new home on the farm. Doug was raised in Loudoun County Virginia where he was surrounded by dairy farms, corner stores, hunting, fishing and relishing in country life.
For years Doug hunted and processed his own game; he learned his trade by working at Tysons Locker Plant in Tysons Corner and Gadell's Gourmet Meats in Chantilly. He was taught by the masters of the old school style of breaking and cutting meat straight off the hoof. Doug began processing the wild game of his hunting buddies and their friends so it wasn't long before word traveled and his business blossomed.
In 1992 Doug brought his future wife Lois into the business and with her management and marketing experience they decided to take it mainstream. Fast forward a few years and Blue Ridge Meats, Inc. in Sterling, VA was doing an excess of 1500 deer per year.
Hunters for the Hungry created a charitable outlet for the needs of others by supplying good nutritious food for those less fortunate, and BRM's customers made every year a record year, a service we continue in Front Royal, today.
Doug offered his culinary skills with such items as jerky, summer sausage, and many varieties of sausage products to his customers, soon the farmers came and the requests began to pour in. The opportunity to expand his dream to a USDA facility to process beef, lamb, pork and a much needed service for area farmers appeared in 2006, when he and Lois bought the old Guard Hill Meats facility. With the addition of state of the art coolers, freezers and machinery, Doug and his crew were ready to go.
(Photo by Debi Fox Photography, Washington DC)
 Our General Manager, Tommy Albright practically grew up at Blue Ridge Meats. His grandfather built the original Guard Hill Meats in the early 1960's, and has worked at the plant on and off his entire life. Tommy manages the slaughter team where he maintains the strict practices that are required in the plant by FSIS and USDA. He is also an accomplished meat cutter. Tommy has been supportive and a great asset to the new face of Blue Ridge Meats, since Doug opened in September of 2006. Tommy and his wife, Tena live in Stephens City with their 3 boys.
 After a successful 18 month apprenticeship, James Taylor is our Assistant Manager and assists Tommy and Doug in day to day activities. James is instrumental on harvesting the animals, with care and concern; within the guidelines of Certified Humane practices. In the processing room, he excels and takes pride and assures accuracy in labeling and product presentation. James and his wife, Jody, live in Front Royal.
 Bruce Allen is our consultant as well as a master butcher with over 40+ years experience in the meat industry. Bruce was taught at Faneuil Hall in Boston where he did wholesale, retail and hotel purveying as the head meat cutter. Bruce came to Northern Virginia where he opened and helped implement
the first Gourmet Giants that set the industry
standards. Bruce and his wife Phyllis have
4 grown children and live in Winchester.
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