HVADC Client: The Meat Hook

The Meat Hook has been a beloved Brooklyn-based whole animal butcher shop for 15 years, cultivating strong connections with the regional farms they source from. This spring, founder Brent Young, opened a new full service Meat Hook outpost, on Warren Street in Hudson to strengthen his bond with local suppliers like Kinderhook Farm.

HVADC was pleased to be able to assist Young in his expansion with a business loan from the HVADC Agribusiness Loan Fund, supported by funds from the US Department of Commerce – Economic Development Agency. Young, who is also well known for hosting the popular Prime Time video series on Eater, has been able to grow his business by being as smart and meticulous about his logistics as he is about cutting perfect steaks. 

“As a business owner, you always have your eye on everything going on around you,” Young said. “Because you have a responsibility to a lot of people - clients, sure - but also you have employees and subcontractors and farmers who do a lot of their business for you."

During the Pandemic Young says he watched as city neighbors, with concern about the stability of conventional grocery supply infrastructure, flocked to The Meat Hook for high quality provisions provided by a local, ethical supply chain. Young and his team rose to the challenge of the increased demand and exponentially grew their business overnight, offering delivery and an expanded grocery selection including regionally grown produce and pantry goods. It was this systems management approach that put Young in the position to expand from one location to two in Brooklyn, and now a third in Hudson.

“We learned everything on the fly,” Young said. “We were able to rise to the demand, meet it and exceed it.” 

The experience also emboldened Young’s resolve to have a positive impact on the regional food system. The Meat Hook has always sourced from northeast farms, most notably getting their sides of beef from Kinderhook Farm in Valatie New York, since the shop first opened its doors in 2009. Young and Kinderhook Farm owner Lee Ranney have built a strong partnership based on a shared commitment to sustainable farming and quality meat production. Along with being a major booster for the culture and craft of small farms, small scale butchery is also important to Young.  Other Hudson Valley farms sourced from include Gibson Family Farm in Valley Falls, New York for pork and lamb and Snowdance Farm in Livingston Manor for poultry.

"There are certainly less and less people getting into this,” Young said, “You need skilled people (as butchers), like carpenters and plumbers and HVAC people, right on down the line.” 

“The Meat Hook is an amazing new place for folks living in or visiting Hudson to get the best cut of local meat for fancy dinners or just slapping on the grill,” said HVADC Executive Director Todd Erling. “But, their presence in Hudson is also a major win for the regional agribusiness food system. The way Brent Young thoughtfully runs his business and promotes the work of our farmers is easy to appreciate. We are thrilled that HVADC was able to help The Meat Hook meet its financing goals.”

Known for offering perfectly prepared, pasture raised beef, pork, lamb and chicken and making some of the best sausage anywhere, The Meat Hook’s butchers can produce unique and rare cuts with exacting precision. They can also tell the story of why their meat tastes so good - because it came from natural animals raised here, in our climate, on our grass, by our farmers. Operating a shop in his meat’s agricultural community of origin allows Young to deepen his commitment to the process he believes in.

To learn more about the HVADC Agriculture Loan Fund, visit https://www.hvadc.org/loans-and-grants-english