Hudson Valley Butcher Ends Retail Sales and Groundbreaking Meat Vending Machines

Ok, if you never been to the "Meat Vending Machines" in Stone Ridge, New York (and Hudson)  you have not only missed out on a unique shopping experience, you have also missed out on a foodies' dream and the shop that was recognized by 'Food & Wine Magazine' for their commitment to craft butchering.

In an email sent out to customers, Monday, July 5, 2021, the owners of Applestone Meat, cited this as the reason for closing their three retail locations:

Unfortunately, maintaining our principles regarding supply chain, processing methods, staff pay and benefits, and product pricing has proved to be too challenging.

If you have never visited the Stone Ridge location, you have until the end of July 2021 to use your gift certificates and to place additional online orders until they run out of retail stock. They are only taking online orders.

So if you are a fan of butcher procured meat, where should you go in the Hudson Valley? Well, the pandemic has reduced some previous options, but they have also increased a few others.

I recently noticed better quality of meat, beef, pork, and lamb, at my local grocery store, but then I started thinking, where else will I be able to get butcher cuts? Who else specializes in just meat? While I will continue to mourn the loss of this particular location and one of the few places in the Hudson Valley that I could get Tri-Tip, there are other places to try:

• Barb's Butchery, Beacon
• Marbled Meat Shop, Cold Spring
• Smoke House of the Catskills, Deli & Butcher
• Woodstock Meats, Woodstock
• Prime Meat Rhinebeck, Deli & Butcher

Do you have a butcher locally that you like to frequent? Feel free to share it with us!