The Applestone Meat Co., the Stone Ridge butcher with vending machines in the Hudson Valley, has closed all of its retail locations as of July 9.
Pickup is still available at the Stone Ridge location until the end of July, with online ordering open until July 26 and the final order pickup day Aug. 2.
“This was not a decision we made lightly,” the company wrote in a social media post announcing the closure. “We love what we do and we feel incredibly lucky to have been part of your lives for the last five years. Unfortunately, maintaining our principles regarding supply chain, processing methods, staff pay and benefits, and product pricing has proved to be too challenging.”
In addition to its Stone Ridge butcher shop, Applestone operated a meat vending machine in Eastchester and one in Hudson, in Columbia County, selling fresh, vacuum-packed cuts of meat and meat products, 24/7.
The Eastchester vending machine location had just opened in March of 2021, but owner Joshua Applestone has been in the business since he and his wife Jessica opened a butcher shop in Stone Ridge about 14 years ago, specializing in sustainably sourced, local, antibiotic-free and hormone-free meats.
Applestone also added in its social media post announcing the closing that it would be setting its sights on new projects in the near future.
“In the immediate future we”™ll be developing and offering products and services to help retailers expand their businesses through innovative technologies,” the post read. “We look forward to sharing more information about this soon.”
