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Worried about meat shortages? Try these Philly-area suppliers.

From restaurant suppliers-turned-retailers to local co-ops and butcher shops, here are some alternatives to your supermarket’s meat aisle.

Empty meat shelves at the Acme in the Haddon Commons on Cuthbert Blvd, in Haddon Township.
Empty meat shelves at the Acme in the Haddon Commons on Cuthbert Blvd, in Haddon Township.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer
    by Jenn Ladd
    Updated 
    Published 

“The food supply chain is breaking,” Tyson Foods’ chairman John Tyson wrote last week in an ad in the Washington Post and the New York Times, warning that “there will be a limited supply of our products in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that our currently closed.”

Around the country, large meat-processing plants — the slaughterhouses where cows, pigs, and chickens are cleaned and broken down into familiar cuts — have been forced to close by coronavirus cases and social distancing measures. That creates the possibility for a bottleneck in the supply chain that moves beef, pork, and chicken from farms to some supermarket shelves.

Small butcher shops and grocers aren’t necessarily immune from the shortage, either: The U.S. livestock industry is so consolidated, the closure of just a dozen plants disrupts production on a national scale.

With demand on the rise and less meat hitting the market, it may be harder to find meat, and it may be more expensive.

However, smaller outfits may have less consumer competition and a more diverse (or more local) set of suppliers, and their employees may steer you to better-priced proteins. From restaurant suppliers-turned-retailers and area farms to local co-ops and butcher shops, here are some alternatives to your supermarket’s meat aisle; for delivery information, check here.

» READ MORE: Why Pa. dairy farmers dumped milk even as Philly buyers couldn’t find enough of it

  1. Ashley Foods: Wholesaler near Kensington offering al la carte and protein package options for beef, poultry, pork, veal, and more. Check daily specials on Facebook. Order: 215-426-4103.

  2. Baldor Grocery: New York-based Mid-Atlantic wholesaler now servicing retail customers; offerings include beef, pork, duck, and lamb. Order: baldorfood.com/baldorhomedelivery.

  1. Birchwood Farms: Bucks County family farm selling pastured chicken, grass-fed beef, and heritage pork. Order: birchwoodfarms.grazecart.com.

  2. Carl Venezia Fresh Meats: A second-generation butcher shop in Plymouth Meeting. Order: 610-239-6750.

  3. Carnicopia Meats: Malvern-based online retailer selling cuts of grass-fed beef and heritage pork. Order: https://www.localline.ca/carnicopia-meats

» READ MORE: Philly’s farmers markets roll with the punches during a pandemic

  1. Ely Farm Products: Bucks County farm selling hickory-smoked bacon and ham, plus beef, pork, and poultry. Order: 215-860-0669.

  2. Exceptional Foods: Pennsauken wholesaler with Philly roots delivering beef, pork, veal, poultry, and lamb via FedEx. Order: exfoods.com/shop.

  3. Foods Galore: Pennsauken wholesaler whose meat selections include beef tenderloin, bacon, chicken breast, pork roll, and kosher items. Order: 1-800-220-0123, then dial 0.

  1. Green Meadow Farm: Lancaster County farm newly selling to the public; meats include whole chicken, bacon, ducks, and beef patties. Order: glennbrendle.com.

  2. Griggstown Farm: South Jersey farm with a Princeton store as well as a presence in Philadelphia, Montgomery, and Bucks County retailers, and the Headhouse and Moorestown farmers markets. Meat offerings include fresh chicken, game, and quail eggs. Order: 908-359-5218, ext. 2.

  3. Haring Brothers Meats: Longtime Doylestown butcher shop with beef, pork, veal, poultry, and more. Order: 215-766-8330.

» READ MORE: Food distributors now sell restaurant-quality meat and produce directly to consumers

  1. Hillacres Pride: Lancaster County farm with a presence at Collingswood and Headhouse Square farmers markets selling its own beef, pork, and chicken. Order: hillacrespride.com/product-ordering.

  2. Italian Market: Shops selling meat include Cannuli’s, Cappuccio’s, Carl’s Farm Eggs, El Pueblo Mini Mart, (recently reopened) Esposito’s. Call individual businesses to place orders; online ordering also available on espositosmeats.com.

  1. Julius Silvert: Fourth-generation distributor in North Philadelphia offering chicken, ham, beef, pork roll, and more for delivery to zip codes in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. Order: wearegourmetfoods.com.

  2. Larry Inver Wholesale Foods: Northern Liberties restaurant supplier-turned-retailer selling boneless pork, grass-fed beef, and chicken. Order: facebook.com/Inverfoods and find the Google form link.

  3. Maximuck’s Farm & Garden: Doylestown farm selling ground beef and pork, steaks, bacon, sausage, and roasts for curbside pickup. Order: 215-297-9894.

» READ MORE: Local Philly stores deliver groceries, meat, dairy, coffee beans and more

  1. The Meat House: Independent grocer in Chadds Ford offering — among other cuts — marinated chicken, boneless pork loin, and steaks, plus alligator sausage and camel burgers. Order: themeathousechaddsford.com.

  2. Merrymead Farms: A field-trip farm in Lansdale that also sells ground beef and turkey, lamb patties, and sausage. Order: 610-584-4410.

  3. Necessity Farm and Dairy: Telford family farm selling grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, pastured pork, and smoked meats. Order: 267-382-0556.

  4. Primal Supply: South Philly and Brewerytown butcher shop with a 100% local and independent supply chain. Order: primalsupplymeats.com/store.

  1. Quarry Hill Farm: A Montgomery County farm with a store selling fresh chicken, beef, pork, and lamb.

  2. Reading Terminal Market: Meat-centric purveyors include Giunta’s Prime Shop, Godshall’s Poultry, L. Halteman, Martin’s Quality Meats. Order: mercato.com/shop/reading-terminal-market.

  3. Samuels & Son: The South Philly-based seafood purveyor also offers boneless, skinless chicken breasts; ground beef; Kurobuta bacon; and Tomahawk pork chops. Order: giuseppesmarket.com.

  4. United By Blue: This Old City boutique/cafe has opened a minimarket of sorts that has meat items like pork roll, ground bison, and bacon. Order: unitedbyblue.com/pages/flagship.

  1. Weavers Way: Co-op with locations in Mount Airy, Chestnut Hill, and Ambler, offering poultry, pork, lamb, beef, and more. Order: weaversway.coop.

  2. Westtown Amish Market: This West Chester market’s protein purveyors include Dutch Family Fresh Meats and Jarlin’s Poultry. Order: 610-492-5700.