If taking the stress out of sourcing truly healthy cuts of meat sounds good to you, Boston entrepreneur Mike Salguero's new venture is worth a look.
After leaving CustomMade – the online marketplace he founded in 2009 for all things custom – in June of this year, Salguero has been busy on a TBA project that until recently remained under wraps.
Now live on Kickstarter, ButcherBox has already generated quite the buzz. The project went live at 8 p.m. Tuesday; it's already drawn nearly half of its $25,000 goal. (Update: You can find ButcherBox on the web, here.)
"We are incredibly excited to bring this project to market," Salguero told me. "We spent a lot of time making sure the products and experience are spot on, and I'm looking forward to feedback from your readers." The crowdfunding platform, for Salguero, offers access to a market of buyers who otherwise might not be paying attention when it comes to their options for beef.
For about $7 per meal (or $129 per month), ButcherBox will deliver 100 percent grass-fed beef directly to your door. And that grass-fed part is important. All too often, Salguero told me over beers one afternoon, what the consumer thinks she's getting and how that cow was actually raised are two different things entirely.
Here's a stat cited from a Consumer Reports piece on the campaign's page: "The majority of beef (about 97 percent) for sale comes from 'conventionally raised' cattle that begin their lives grazing in grassy pastures but are then shipped to and packed into feedlots. That practice is considered to be the most cost-efficient way to fatten up cattle."
The meat from ButcherBox is instead raised locally and entirely from the pasture. No feedlots, no artificial fattening, no funny stuff. That translates to less fat, calories and risk of bacteria than the alternative.
With a successful campaign will come more varieties of meat, including pork and chicken. Right now, each ButcherBox comes stuffed with 15 to 20 meals worth of beef, anything from top sirloin cuts, short ribs, filets, ground beef, sirloin tips and more. Each box will be a surprise. It's like it's your birthday every month, but way more delicious than cake.
What's more, they'll even help you whip up a meal once the box arrives. "We chose popular cuts that we know you'll love cooking, as well as a few of our personal favorites. You'll also enjoy our step-by-step recipe cards that make cooking a perfect meal easier than ever before," the campaign page reports.
In an age of increased health awareness, an emphasis on all things local and on-demand, ButcherBox does seem to be on to something.
"The change in the beef industry to grass-fed is a massive opportunity, and 'direct to your door' services amongst millennials is at an all time high," said Salguero. "ButcherBox stands at the intersection of the two of these trends and is well positioned for rapid growth. That being said, we are very excited to get some market validation via this Kickstarter campaign; you never really know how a product will be received until it is being offered!"
Images provided.
