Ryan Farr

Chef Ryan Farr and his wife, Cesalee, founded 4505 Meats in January of 2009. While working as a classically trained chef and heading a Michelin Star restaurant, Ryan developed his artisan butchery techniques and created unique ways of expressing his love for all things meaty. Ryan's experience and voracious appetite are an ideal complement to Cesalee's creativity, style, and overall vision for the company. The name 4505 is a tribute to a fellow chef and dear family friend, Davin Autrey, who influenced many people with his message to keep it real and always follow your stomach.

Ryan's path to specializing in whole animal butchery came from a necessity to know exactly what he was serving his customers. While working as a chef, there were parts of the animal he specifically wanted but found difficult to source with a clear conscience. Where was it coming from? How was it raised? These questions were answered by developing relationships with local farmers and sourcing whole animals. This process started with lamb and pigs, eventually leading to beef. By approaching the process with a desire to EAT the entire animal, he developed his own style and found his love for sausage making.

After spending over 15 years in the restaurant industry, Ryan's interests began to evolve. It began by leading a group of students from Mission High School in San Francisco. They were tasked with creating a dinner for the Slow Food events happening at the time. They began by taking a trip to the farmers market, selecting seasonal produce to showcase in the dinner. The entire experience reminded Ryan about the importance of sharing and helping others. He left his career as Executive Chef and went to work for a local non-profit organization, SF CHEFS. It was here that he began teaching professional kitchen skills to homeless and ex-convicts for re-integration into society. This experience reaffirmed his appreciation and commitment to food in a community setting.

While leaving the industry to work for a non-profit had left Ryan feeling rejuvenated and joyful, it also left his pockets rather empty! As a chef dealing with whole animals, he always had extra pig skin lying around. He began making Chicharrones from the skin and selling them to local bars. This helped him pay rent and began the foundation for a porky cult following. Around this time people also began to express interest in learning about whole animal butchery, so he began teaching classes at a local community kitchen. Within no time his classes were full and Chicharrones were in delicious demand. The next logical step was 4505 Meats.

Officially beginning in March of 2009, Ryan and Cesalee began their journey into business ownership. Classes and chicharrones continued, but Ryan's mind was focused on something else: the hot dog. Not just any hot dog, but a naturally smoked, bacon-studded hot dog that would fulfill Ryan's wildest hot dog dreams. The task was accomplished and July 2009 was the beginning of their San Francisco Ferry Plaza farmers market presence. Today 4505 Meats has their own certified production kitchen where they create delicious handmade sausages, whole animal CSAs, and various sandwich creations for restaurants and farmers market sales.

Ryan and Cesalee are dedicated to flavor and quality, adding their own unique touches to create exceptional meaty products. Based out of San Francisco, they strongly believe in keeping it local and supporting the growing Bay Area community and food movement.

> Return to Planes, Trains, and Traveling Chefs