New England Meat Packing, LLC

New England Meat Packing, LLC, doing business as New England Meat Company, operates at 30 Furnace Hollow Road in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, under establishment numbers M21183, P21183 and V21183. FSIS lists the plant as small, with a grant of inspection dated November 16, 2021, and activities that include meat slaughter, meat processing, poultry processing, food inspection, export certification, voluntary meat processing, voluntary meat slaughter and voluntary rabbit slaughter. The species reported as slaughtered under inspection are cattle, sheep and lamb. The plant reports custom-exempt slaughter, retail-exempt sales, and both halal and kosher slaughter. Its FSIS slaughter volume category is 3.0.

The company website describes an all in one processing facility that handles cattle, goat, lamb and veal, and states the plant works with more than 500 farms in New England and surrounding states to produce retail ready packaging of farm raised livestock. Butchery is described as done by hand in house. Wholesale customers named include restaurants, hotels, markets, institutions, cruise lines and airlines. Work ranges from a single animal brought in by a farmer to full truckload custom meat programs. The website notes that the plant handles everything from full carcasses to portion controlled steaks, with primal and retail cuts vacuum packaged unless otherwise specified. Note that FSIS lists cattle, sheep and lamb as slaughter species while the website also describes goat and veal handling.

Additional services described on the website include co-packing, private label work with logo design in color or black and white, custom reporting on orders, and edible organ processing for hearts, livers and tongues, which the site says is not guaranteed to pass inspection at all times. An About Us page describes a local butcher shop selling farm fresh chicken, beef, lamb and goat, with online ordering through a shopping cart on the site.

The website states the plant serves customers throughout the Northeast, from farmers bringing in a single animal to full truckload custom programs, and that it works with more than 500 farms. Drop-offs are scheduled by calling (860) 684-3505 or emailing nemp2013@gmail.com. Cutting instructions must be received at or before delivery of livestock, and the plant urges at least one week of lead time. A $25 fee is assessed if cut sheets are not provided at drop-off. Cut sheets can be completed on the website, and separate forms are listed for beef and for veal, lamb, goat and mutton, along with a customer agreement form. Animals are tagged and identified at arrival, hand skinned and dressed after slaughter, then weighed and moved to processing. Special orders require 48 hours notice. Fabrication cost is based on carcass hanging weight, excluding organ weights. Animals are held in a separate aging cooler. Stated fees include $100 per week storage for packaged products and $50 per pallet disposal, defined as 1,500 pounds of meat. Frozen products must be picked up within 72 hours of packaging, bulk non-vacuumed products within 24 hours of completion, and finished non-frozen products within one week. Delivery is available with adequate notice. The site states that processing under USDA inspection lets producers package and sell under their own labels, and that package date, farm name, weight, USDA legend, barcode and the USDA establishment number are included at no extra charge, with custom logo or artwork available for a one-time fee. The site also states a guarantee of 65 percent or higher returns for animals processed there.

New England Meat Packing, LLC reports custom-exempt slaughter to FSIS, which means it can process an animal a customer already owns (a whole, half, or share bought before slaughter) and return it in packages marked Not for Sale. Most small farms have one or two plants they book with, and the plant's calendar decides the delivery date.

The About Us page describes the business as a local butcher shop offering farm fresh chicken, beef, lamb and goat from area farms, and says it is bringing that shopping experience online. The website includes a shopping cart and checkout. The site states prices are based on production cost and fluctuate. The processing page notes that meat processed for personal consumption can be custom cut. Retail hours, halves and quarters, bundle pricing and shipping are not stated in the sources on file.

If you are buying a half or quarter animal, the plant is where the animal is processed; the farm sells you the animal. Read how to buy a half cow for the sequence and the math.