Wilmington restaurant group expanding to include butchery/bakery in Hampstead

Brett Levane trims a beef tenderloin at True Blue Butcher and Table in this file photo. STAR NEWS FILE PHOTO
Brett Levane trims a beef tenderloin at True Blue Butcher and Table in this file photo. STAR NEWS FILE PHOTO

The popular Wilmington-based True Blue restaurant group is expanding to a fourth location in Hampstead.

Bobby Zimmerman owns True Blue Butcher and Table in The Forum in Wilmington and True Blue Butcher and Barrel and Mariposa Tapas Bar in the South Front district near downtown. He is now close to opening a bakery and butcher shop in the former location of The Pretzel Man at 13865 U.S. 17.

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It will be a place where people can shop for a True Blue experience at home, said Tori Gatanis, spokesperson for the restaurant group.

You can shop for bread, pastries, meats, wine, beer, and specialty retail. They also plan to offer pretzels in homage to Markus Schmid, owner of The Pretzel Man.

Mackenzie Clements, executive pastry chef, will be leading the department. Before working with True Blue, she gained experience at an Italian bakery in upstate New York, worked as a chocolatier, made vegan and allergen-free desserts, and was a pastry chef at Osteria Cicchetti.

True Blue Butcher & Baker is set to open summer 2022 in Hampstead, N.C.
True Blue Butcher & Baker is set to open summer 2022 in Hampstead, N.C.

They hope to open later this summer. If you want to know what to expect on opening day, look for challah burger buns, focaccia, baguettes, sourdough loaves, cinnamon rolls, and chocolate chunk cookies.

"Customers can expect the same great butcher shop options offered at the other True Blue locations such as fresh cuts, DIY kits, and butcher boxes along with retail items like OMed olive oil, Lady Edison Ham, and Spicewalla spices," according to the release.

The shop will also have a collection of wine and beer curated by True Blue’s wine director, Georges Courgnaud.

Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Bobby Zimmerman of True Blue restaurant group adding Hampstead location