Team

Tim Frosina, Head Butcher

Raised in Norwalk and a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, Tim is a local in every sense of the word.  After graduating, Tim decided to focus on what he regarded as important: fixing a broken food system while helping the environment, community, and area farmers.

Tim’s early training occurred in Connecticut, but his passion for the lost art of traditional whole animal butchery took him to Corsica, France, a small French island in the Mediterranean, where he experienced and learned French butchery, farming, and culinary techniques. While in France, Tim and his fiancée used their skills to open L’Americanu BBQ, a whole hog, classic American-style barbecue food truck. They sourced whole pigs from local farmers and smoked them in traditional barbecue fashion. After Tim’s food truck venture, he brought his knowledge of old world butchery, cooking and sustainability techniques back to Fairfield with a desire to share them with his community.

Tim loves cooking any meat with wood-fueled fire and smoke, but he has a special soft spot for all things pork.

Bérénice Angelini, Head of Production

Bérénice hails from Corsica, France.  After studying accounting, the desire to travel and experience American culture brought her to Connecticut where she noticed a sharp contrast between America’s food cultures and Corsica’s, which is notable for its local and sustainable food practices.

When she met Tim, they returned to Corsica where they opened a whole hog American-style barbecue food truck: L’Americanu BBQ. From butchering and curing the pigs, to grilling and working the counter, Bérénice equally shared in every responsibility.  Concerned about the food industry and the ethics of animal welfare and meat consumption, she is excited to be a part of the Custom Meats team where she is responsible for producing all of our house-made products, including roast beef, bacon, pulled pork and our lunch sandwiches.

Given the popularity of wild boar in Corsica, it is no surprise that Bérénice’s favorite dish is pork shoulder, smoked for 16 hours until it pulls easily off the bone.

Mark Castorina

Born and raised in Norwalk, Mark always wanted to have a positive influence on his community.  While attending Keene State in New Hampshire, Mark became aware of how our traditional food production methods impacted our environment.  As a result, an interest developed to find more sustainable practices both at the commercial and micro level.

After Mark returned to Connecticut, Tim introduced him to ethically-raised, grass-fed, and pastured meats and he immediately noticed the difference in taste, appearance, and nutrition.  This further opened his eyes to animal welfare.  With a desire to expand his knowledge and connection to his food, Mark joined the Custom Meats team.

Mark is a huge fan of American barbecue, but if forced to choose a single cut, his favorite is one of our acorn-fed Pork Chops.