The best-tasting chicken is raised with love.

Pasture by Marksbury Farm serves up “the healthiest fried chicken in the world,” according to their slogan, by raising grass-fed animals on green pasture without hormones, steroids or antibiotics.

“I have a direct relationship with the people who are raising our food. I know where it starts and who processes it, so I know at every step of the way that it has been handled pristinely,” said Josiah Correll, managing partner and general manager of Pasture’s location in The Barn at The Summit at Fritz Farms. “The product that we have on the plate at the end is the best product we could possibly have.”

Josiah Correll’s cousin Preston Correll, a local farmer and partner of Marksbury Farm, realized that he had no other option but to send his meat out of state to be processed with the care and patience he required. Marksbury Farm was created from this need for a local, sustainable meat processing facility. The farm raises some of its own animals but also partners with other local farms who raise their animals to the same high standards. Todd Clark from Clark Family Farm, for example, raises some of the chickens served at Pasture.

In the beginning, Marksbury Farm’s product was only offered at higher-end restaurants around Lexington. Pasture was conceived as a solution to offer the “experience of enjoying quality, locally raised, pastured meat traditionally relegated to fine dining experiences in a more casual setting with a more casual price point,” according to their website.

“It’s important to us that we’re creating a food and a market that is not just a place you go out to celebrate your anniversary,” Correll said. “It’s a place you can go out anytime you want, it’s affordable, but still stuff you can feel really great about enjoying.”

The first restaurant was opened in Lancaster, Kentucky, in August 2010. Developers of The Summit approached Marksbury Farm about opening a second location inside The Barn because Pasture’s message of supporting local was the perfect fit for the location. All the businesses inside The Barn are locally owned and Lexington proud.

Benjamin Morse, a visitor of Lexington and customer at Pasture, appreciates the message behind the company and the opportunity to support a local business during his stay.

“Whenever I travel, I always try to find somewhere local to dine, so I can get a feel for the culture of the city and support the community,” Morse said. “You just can’t get this quality of food and experience at a chain restaurant.”

Marksbury Farm distributes food supplies to almost 100 restaurants in Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati and Nashville, but their chicken, beef and chorizo are showcased locally at Pasture. The pasture-raised beef burger is served with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions. Juicy fried chicken comes with dark or white meat and is frequently served with their seasoned to perfection french fries. In addition to the more traditional options, Pasture also serves a chorizo burger, a Southwestern-style salad and a superfood salad.

“When you have specifically chicken or beef that are eating a diet that is more natural for them – what they would eat if you left them to their own devices – it’s healthier, and it tastes better,” Josiah Correll said.

To embrace the foundation behind Marksbury Farm in every plate they serve, Pasture follows the Golden Rule of food: show the same care and respect to the food on the plate as the farmers show to their animals on the land.