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ButcherBox - Meat Delivery Review

ButcherBox is a subscription service that delivers humanely-raised, high-quality protein—including beef, chicken, pork, turkey, bison, and fish—to individuals and families living in the continental United States. ButcherBox subscribers can choose to build their own box or receive a curated one, packed with frozen proteins, cooking instructions, and insulation to keep everything fresh. Shipping is always free, and boxes can be shipped out monthly or bi-monthly (your choice). Bonus features such as free shipping make ButcherBox a fantastic choice for meat lovers across the country.

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Highlights

  • Humanely raised beef, chicken, bison, pork, turkey, and seafood
  • Choice of 3 curated protein boxes, or “build your own” box
  • No commitment: cancel at any time

Key Facts

  • Delivery Area: All 48 states in the continental United States
  • Service Type: Monthly subscription
  • Free Shipping? Yes, on every order
  • Products Arrive: Frozen, in insulated, eco-friendly box

About Cooks Venture

Founded in 2015 in Brighton, Massachusetts, ButcherBox has been dedicated to three pillars from the start: quality, sustainability, and affordability.

ButcherBox’s sourcing professionals only work with family farmers and fishermen that conform to the ButcherBox standard of quality. For example, all ButcherBox beef is 100% grass-fed, meaning the animals are pasture raised for the entirety of their lives. The same desire for quality can be found in all ButcherBox proteins, including chicken, pork, bison, turkey, and seafood.

Butcher Box is highly committed to working solely with sustainable farmers and fishermen. All Butcher Box fish are wild-caught, with careful attention paid by the fishermen to the natural health of the ecosystem to avoid overfishing. Similarly, Butcher Box sources most of its beef from Australian ranchers, where cattle are pasture-raised for the entirety of their lives.

ButcherBox professionals work hard to keep their products affordable. Individuals and smaller families can purchase a month’s worth of meat (about 8–11 pounds) for $146. Additionally, Butcher Box proteins arrive frozen, meaning they can be thawed and cooked immediately after delivery, or served up to a year after receiving.

ButcherBox’s Meat Delivery Services

ButcherBox offers four subscription protein boxes, three of which contain pre-selected proteins and the other which is a customizable “build-your-own” box. Regardless of the type of box selected, customers can select either a Small or Large shipment size.

Protein Boxes: Types, Sizes, and Prices

Butcher Box’s Curated protein boxes offer protein essentials at a great bargain. Customers simply select the size of their box and their preferred protein mix; in a matter of days, their first box arrives right at their door.

Curated Box: Beef, Pork, and Chicken

  • Classic Box (8–11 pounds of protein): $146
  • Big Box (16–22 pounds of protein): $269

Curated Box: Beef and Pork

  • Classic Box (8–11 pounds of protein): $146
  • Big Box (16–22 pounds of protein): $269/li>

Curated Box: Beef and Chicken

  • Classic Box (8–11 pounds of protein): $146
  • Big Box (16–22 pounds of protein): $269

Customers who select the Custom Box are in complete control. In addition to selecting box size and protein selection, Custom Box customers can select the specific cuts of meat they’d like included in their shipment.

Custom Box

  • Classic Box (8–11 pounds of protein): $169
  • Big Box (16–22 pounds of protein): $306

How to Order

With no need to create a login and password, you can order your first box from ButcherBox in a matter of minutes.

To start, go to ButcherBox’s website and click “Choose Your Plan” at the top right corner.

Next, you’ll be asked to “Select your plan.” ButcherBox simply wants to know if you’d like a Curated protein box or a Custom protein box . Go ahead and click your desired choice.

Regardless of which plan you select, you’ll next be asked to choose a box size. Box sizes come in “Classic” and “Big.” Classic boxes are designed for individuals or small families, where Big Boxes are better for medium-sized or large families.

Next, you’ll select your proteins. If you choose a Curated protein box, you’ll have three options here: Beef, Pork, and Chicken; Beef and Pork; or Beef and Chicken. If you select a Custom protein box, you’ll be able to choose a select number of proteins (6 for the Classic box, and 12 for the Big box) and their respective cuts.

ButcherBox stands out from other meat delivery companies by also offering seasonal “Member Deals.” These add-ons are typically seasonal and first come, first serve. Examples include Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets, Cold Cracked Lobster Meat, and Charcuterie Variety Pack. After choosing your proteins, you’ll be asked if you’d like to add any of these limited-quantity options to your cart.

ButcherBox will also ask you if you’d like to “Add-On” to your shipment. Unlike Member Deals, Add-Ons are recurring, meaning you can expect to find the same options month after month, including ground beef, apple gouda sausage, tender belly bacon, and boneless chicken breasts.

Lastly, ButcherBox will ask you to enter your billing address, shipping information, and payment.

What’s On The Menu

Customers who select the Curated Box will receive a mixed assortment of the following cuts, in accordance with their selected proteins. Custom Box customers have the choice to pick and choose each of their cuts from the non-exhaustive list below:

  • Beef:
  • Top Sirloin Steaks
  • Beef Brisket
  • Ranch Steaks
  • Burgers
  • Chicken:
  • Boneless Skinless Breasts
  • Whole Chicken
  • Ground Chicken
  • Party Wings
  • Pork:
  • Pork Sirloin Roasts
  • Bacon
  • Bone-In Pork Butt
  • Ground Pork
  • Seafood:
  • Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon
  • Scallopst\
  • Cod
  • Raw Wild-Caught US Gulf Shrimp
  • Misc.:
  • Ground Bison
  • Uncured Beef and Pork Hot Dogs
  • Pot Roast
  • Apple Chicken Sausage
  • Member Deals:
  • Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets
  • Spiral Ham
  • Cold-Cracked Lobster Meat
  • Charcuterie Variety Pack
  • Add-Ons:
  • Ground Beef
  • Apple Gouda Sausage
  • Tender Belly Bacon
  • Boneless Chicken Breasts

Shipping and Delivery

You don’t have to wait long to receive your ButcherBox shipment. After billing is processed, most shipments are completed in 2–5 days.

ButcherBox ships all of the protein frozen, packing each protein item in a vacuum-sealed container. All of the frozen proteins are then encapsulated in insulation and cardboard packaging, the majority of which is recyclable or biodegradable.

Shipping is free on every ButcherBox order.

Bottom Line

ButcherBox offers high-quality, humane proteins at affordable prices for Americans in the 48 continental states. In just a few minutes, customers can select from a variety of cuts of delicious proteins, including chicken, beef, pork, bison, turkey, and fish. If you value quality, value, and sustainable grazing, Butcher Box will deliver along all three of its pillars.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

There are a lot of great new meal delivery options available in the market, with each meal service putting their unique twist on an otherwise tried and true model. If you are looking to maximize convenience, you should consider prepared meal plans such as Freshly or Fresh and Easy, with meals ready to eat in just 3 minutes. If you enjoy cooking but are tired of food waste and grocery shopping, you should consider meal kits such as Home Chef or Hello Fresh, where you can cook recipes from carefully packed, fresh ingredients within 30 minutes. Most services are accommodating, but meal delivery services aren't made equal when it comes to dietary restrictions. Sun Basket, Purple Carrot and Green Chef stand out with the widest range of keto, vegan, and organic options. Every meal from Freshly is 100% certified gluten-free. Other factors you will want to consider include cost per serving, delivery fees, cancellation policy, and menu size and flexibility.
There is a tremendous amount of customization you can make to the meal plans available in the market, which creates an almost endless number of options to choose from. The first decision you will need to make is whether you prefer a meal kit plan, where you cook with fresh ingredients, or a prepared meal plan, where your meal prep starts with a partially or fully cooked meal. The next factor you will want to consider is the diet type, with common options including meat, seafood, vegetarian, keto, gluten-free, and more. After you have chosen your meal plan and diet, your plan will be customized based on the number of mouths to feed, the number of meals you want per week, shipping dates, and more.
Prepared meals come in pre-packaged, individual servings that can be popped into the oven or microwave for a quick meal. Meal kits come with pre-measured ingredients and recipe instructions that are simple to follow. In both cases, your meals will be shipped in a well packaged box with an ice pack to keep ingredients fresh until they make it into your fridge.
Meal kits will provide you with pre-measured ingredients that you can quickly cook into a fresh meal. Ingredients will come in individually packaged bags or containers and a recipe card with detailed cooking instructions. Most meal kit recipes can be cooked from start to finish in 30 minutes. On the other hand, prepared meal delivery services will have done some, or all, of the prep work for you to make your cooking as efficient as possible. Some prepared meals can be cooked in the microwave and some will require a few minutes in the oven or stove. In any case, prepared meals are generally ready to eat in less than 5 minutes. Whether you choose a meal kit or a prepared meal, you can expect chef-inspired dishes made with fresh ingredients.