Last Updated on December 22, 2020
Click here for the updates at bottom of this post related to COVID-19.
To our ButcherBox community,
Since mid-February, myself and our team have been hard at work preparing for the potential impact that COVID-19 would have on our members, employees, farmers, and animals. There is nothing more important to us than the community we have built with ButcherBox, and maintaining the health and safety of that community is always our top priority.
At ButcherBox, our mission has always been to provide high-quality, humanely raised meat to our members. We have now been called on as a crucial player in the food supply industry to continue to do what we’ve always done: Deliver protein directly to consumers’ homes.
Given how fast the current situation is changing, we’re committed to updating our member community as quickly and efficiently as possible. From service levels, box delivery, and other important information regarding shipments, our team will be updating this channel as frequently and as quickly as possible. Below you will find where we stand with specific areas of our business and hopefully answer any questions you have about what we’re doing in response to the current situation with COVID-19.
The ButcherBox community is strong, and we know that in times like this, community is what brings us together and helps us rise above. I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your patience during this time and for believing in ButcherBox. Stay healthy!
Doing Our Part to Slow the Spread. The food supply industry is critical, perhaps now more than ever. We are dedicated to continuing our normal work during this time. Our fulfillment and delivery partners are taking the proper precautions of advising employees to follow the guidelines set by the CDC when it comes to reporting an illness and practicing good personal hygiene with hand washing and respiratory etiquette in mind.
Our fulfillment partners are committed to the cleanliness of all facilities by practicing the most rigorous cleaning schedule possible. In addition, all ButcherBox employees and partner employees able to work from home are doing so in order to help slow the spread.
Shipping and Delivery. Our fulfillment and delivery partners are working with us closely and are currently operating as usual. In some cases, we may be intentionally delaying new customer orders so that we can prioritize recurring shipments for existing members. Existing members can use their member portal to track the most up-to-date bill, ship, and delivery dates.
Customer Support. Our customer support team is working around the clock to answer all of the phone calls, e-mails, and chats they are receiving. We’re grateful for their hard work during this time! As you can imagine, we’re seeing a higher than normal volume of inquiries and we’ve increased our support team by 50 percent to handle the demand. We appreciate your patience as we get your questions answered.
Food and Package Safety. The Food and Drug Administration has reported there is no evidence of food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of COVID-19. We advise our members to continue to follow good hygiene practices (i.e., wash hands and surfaces often, separate raw meat from other foods, cook to the right temperature, and refrigerate foods promptly) when handling or preparing foods.
The World Health Organization and other government agencies have stated that the likelihood of the COVID-19 virus contaminating cardboard or other shipping packages is low. If you have a concern, we recommend disinfecting the outside of your box before unpacking.
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Updates
Update Thursday, May 21st: Currently, the nation is facing challenges when it comes to its supply of chicken. We’d like our members to know that this issue ultimately comes down to labor, rather than supply shortages.
The challenge we, along with many other retailers, are facing is getting product processed in a timely manner. This is due to the reduced labor capacities as a result of social distancing measures that are in place to ensure the safety of those hard at work in our processing facilities. These dedicated men and women help to make it all possible, and it’s with the utmost gratitude that we recognize their crucial role in the supply chain.
We are making strides to safely increase our inventory levels, but over the next few weeks we expect that we’ll need to make substitutions for members on certain chicken products. For existing members: You may receive an e-mail from our support team or a notification in your account to make an adjustment to your order before your ship date. If no substitution is selected, our team members will choose one for you. For new members just off the waitlist: You may see limited-to-no chicken items available for the time being.
We want all of our members to know that we are doing our best to make changes to our processing procedures to increase inventory as quickly as possible while keeping safety top of mind. This may mean you’ll see more items like whole chickens, bone-in chicken thighs, or bone-in breasts available, as items like these take less labor to process.
Update Wednesday, April 22nd: As of today, we have begun to welcome those from our waitlist to the ButcherBox community. This is a gradual process and we appreciate everyone’s patience. Those who are on the waitlist will receive an email letting them know that it’s their chance to order and officially become a ButcherBox member.
Update Wednesday, April 15th: We have a trusted relationship and open line of communication with all of our partners. While meat processing facility closures have made recent headlines, as of today, ButcherBox’s processing facilities have not been impacted by COVID-19. Our processing facilities are doing everything they can to ensure the wellbeing of all employees. Additional precautions have been taken from a safety and sanitation standpoint for employees, the spaces they work and the products they handle.
Update Thursday, March 26th: At ButcherBox, accountability is one of our core values. The last thing we would ever do is make a promise we can’t keep, so as of 10:15am ET today we’re starting a waitlist for new ButcherBox members. Head to our homepage to join our waitlist, and we’ll let you know when we’ve made more room at our table to take your order.
Update Wednesday, March 25th: In order for our fulfillment centers to meet demand in a safe and reliable way, new orders placed today will not begin shipping until the week of 4/20.
Update Sunday, March 22nd: In order for our fulfillment centers to meet demand in a safe and reliable way, new orders placed today will not begin shipping until the week of 4/13.
Mike Salguero is the CEO and founder of ButcherBox.
