Chris Fuller is the owner and principle advisor at Fuller Consulting. Through Fuller Consulting, Chris helps small meat businesses achieve their goals by producing high quality meat products and services under USDA or state inspection with a focus on product quality, worker safety, humane handling of livestock, and food safety. Efficiency and ease of operation are always worked into each client’s plan. Each project is analyzed to ensure profitability during the planning phases.
Chris holds an Associates Degree from Johnson and Wales University in Culinary Arts and a BS in Anthropology from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Believing in fostering a strong community of butchers in the US, Chris was an early member of the recently defunct Butcher's Guild and now a member of the Butchers of America. Chris is always striving to becoming a better butcher and meat advocate. He is Lean Six Sigma certified through Villanova University.
His first involvement in meat processing began by working his way up to quickly become the Plant Manager at Sunnyside Meats in Durango, Colorado. Always seeking new challenges, Chris moved on to become the GM of a new small meat processing facility in the rural mountains of Virginia.
Beginning in January of 2012, Chris designed, opened and operated the federally inspected Alleghany Meats plant in Monterey, VA. After the successful launch of Alleghany Meats (which included hiring, training, branding, and establishing the business), and a stint in Los Angeles with renowned chef Christian Page, Chris moved to San Diego County where he worked as Director of Operations for two leading processing facilities, Stock Yards (US Foods) and Hamilton Meats (now Corfini Gourmet).
In 2021, Chris left Hamilton to run Fuller Consulting full time. He now consults on various projects for small processors. As a consultant, he has worked with clients on everything from mobile slaughter units to 100 head per day slaughter and fabrication plants.
Chris and his family moved recently to Central Washington to live and work in Ellensburg. He BBQs regularly on his four (maybe five soon) grills. When he's not cutting, smoking, grilling or otherwise working with meat, he can be found raising animals, gardening, watching sports or adventuring outside with his family and dogs.
Recent projects
Walk-through and review of a plant being considered for purchase.
Redesign and reopening, including securing federal inspection, of a defunct slaughterhouse in Northern CA.
Design of a new slaughter plant in the Pacific Northwest including slaughter, fabrication, and value added production.
Reworking a HACCP plan for a small slaughterhouse and assisting in their first successful federal review.
Designing a multi-species nano-scale plant for on-farm processing and further processing.
Writing HACCP plans for a restaurant program that was breaking down whole animals and making sausage from scratch.
Awards & Memberships
2023 - present member, The Butchers of America
2023 - present member, American Association of Meat Processors, additional membership and sponsor of KY Assoc. of Meat Processors
2011- 2023 - Member, The Butcher's Guild
2012 Community Economic Development Award - Alleghany Meats, Southern Economic Development Council
2010 Small Business of the Year - Sunnyside Meats, Durango Chamber of Commerce
Media
2-25-2022 Chilled to the bone, The National Provisioner
1-22-2021 Committing to improved slaughter standards, The National Provisioner
3-14-2017 Mixers and blenders: Food safety in the mix, The National Provisioner
6-9-2015 The New Livestock Farmer, Contributor of livestock cut sheets for a book written by Rebecca Thistlethwaite and Jim Dunlop
8-19-2013 LA I'm Yours, Blog showing love for Chris and Chef Tione's Tuesday Grill-outs at Short Order LA
4-17-2013 Cochon 555 LAX, LA Magazine pre-event coverage
3-14-2013 Cochon 555 DC eater DC write up on the Cochon event
9-2-2012 Know Your Butcher, an article for Cooking Up a Story featuring Chris Fuller, by Rebecca Thistlethwaite of the blog Honest Meat
7-1-2012 Good Meats, Feature in Edible Blue Ridge (central VA Edible Communities magazine) summer 2012 issue about Alleghany Meats
6-24-2012 Slaughterhouse helps Highland farmers make their living, Front page of the Sunday Staunton Newsleader about opening Alleghany Meats
9-14-2011 Carving for the Carnivorous, Durango Herald article on Camp Carnivore, an introduction to meat cutting class taught by Chris in Durango, CO
12-07-2011 Dishing it Out, Durango Herald article on Links and Drinks, a sausage-making and cocktail pairing class taught by Chris in Durango, CO
3-30-2011 Cochon 555 Butchery Battle, Westword blog's coverage of the Cochon 555 2011 Denver butcher competition
Events
2014 Chef’s Collaborative Breakout, Boulder, CO: Demonstration of innovative approach to fabricating and cooking grass fed middle meats.
2014 Speaker, NV Small Farms Conference, Reno, NV: Presentation on food safety and understanding regulations as an on-farm meat business.
2013 Eat Real Festival, Oakland, CA: Runner up in the Master Case Competition; Demonstrated 6 ways to fabricate whole chickens; Demonstrated how to breakdown a whole hog, head-on.
2013 Guest Chef & Butcher partnering with Chef Christian Page at Cochon 555 Los Angeles, CA.
2013 Planned and executed weekly whole animal roasts on the patio of Short Order featuring California sourced pork, lamb, and beef.
2013Butcher demonstration at Cochon 555 Washington, DC.
2011Finalist in a head to head butcher competition at Cochon 555 Denver.
2010 Guest Lecturer, Fort Lewis College: Lectured on the importance of developing personal relationships in selling.
