4-Bulls returns to Ocean Springs in time to debut during this weekend’s arts festival

A three-day open house will showcase the new 4-Bulls Farm to Table butcher shop in downtown Ocean springs during this weekend’s Peter Anderson Festival.

“We’re kind of artists in our own right,” owner Joseph Mason said, and the community is invited to sample some of the meat products from his 250-acre Mason Hills Farm.

They’ll be cooking outside the shop at 1108 Bienville Blvd. during the open house and handing out samples. Those who like what they sample can go inside and find cases full of fresh and frozen meats to purchase, like steaks, their own brand of hamburgers, beef ox tail, pork chops, chicken and smoked sausage.

Mason said when he purchased the former Shrimp Basket restaurant on U.S. 90 in late September that he wanted to have the butcher shop ready to open in time for the festival.

“In a month we’ve done all this,” he said.

The building was repainted a clean red and white. Inside to the right is the butcher shop and display cases. Coming in about a month on the left side of the building will be the 4-Bulls restaurant.

“We really worked hard to transform this into something that will be community oriented,” he said.

As the business ramps up, the butcher shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to meat, they will feature fresh baked bread and cookies, along with barbecue grills and their line of sauces and logo T-shirts.

They’ll also offer cooking classes, Mason said, and open a weekend farmers market as an extension of what takes place each Saturday at the Ocean Springs depot.

“Our goal is to support local,” he said, and he’s already brought in local suppliers of honey and other farm to table ingredients.

His meat processing facility is the only USDA inspected plant in the area. His plan when the restaurant opens is to serve barbecue, with one or two steak nights a week, he said.