View source for Belcampo


{{Short description|Defunct food store in California}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Belcampo Meat Co.
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| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
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| predecessor = <!-- or: | predecessors = -->
| founded = {{start date and age|2012}} in Mount Shasta, California
| founder = Todd Robinson and Anya Fernald
| defunct = {{End date|2021|10|18}}
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| hq_location_city =
| hq_location_country = United States
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}}
'''Belcampo Meat Co.''' was an American food company founded in 2012, and situated at [[Mount Shasta]], California. It was a farm to a door butcher shop that included its own farm, slaughterhouse and restaurants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/30/travel/restaurant-report-belcampo-meat-co-in-larkspur-calif.html|title=Restaurant Report: Belcampo Meat Co. in Larkspur, Calif|first=Joshua David|last=Stein|date=2012-12-28|publisher=[[The New York Times Company]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://robbreport.com/muse/thought-leaders/rare-and-well-done-how-anya-fernald-is-revolutionizing-the-way-we-eat-meat-2852342/|title=Rare and Well-Done: How Anya Fernald Is Revolutionizing the Way We Eat Meat|first=Nicole|last=Schnitzler|date=2019-05-28|publisher=[[Robb Report]]}}</ref> although later it expanded sourcing to other farms.
==Background==
Belcampo was led by its co-founder [[Anya Fernald]] from 2012 to 2020, and with Garry Embleton as co-CEO from 2020 until January 2021 when Embleton became the sole CEO. The company struggled during the [[Covid-19 pandemic]] as various locations were closed.<ref name="SF chronicle">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/How-Belcampo-s-sudden-downfall-rippled-through-16614149.php|title=How Belcampo's sudden downfall rippled through the sustainable meat industry|first=Elena|last=Kadvany|date=2021-11-15|publisher=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref> The company had a major issue in 2021 when an employee exposed poorly sourced products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/27/santa-monica-purveyor-admits-mislabeling-meats|title=Belcampo: 'farm to door' butcher admits misrepresenting origins of meat|first=Erin|last=McCormick|date=2021-05-27|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> In late 2021, the company was shut down by the board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2021-10-19/after-a-summer-sourcing-scandal-belcampo-meat-co-abruptly-closes-it|title=After sourcing scandal, Belcampo Meat Co. abruptly closes stores, restaurants|first=Stephanie|last=Breijo|date=2021-10-19|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
== Operations ==
The company operated a 20,000 square foot, [[USDA]]-approved multi-species slaughter facility designed by animal welfare expert [[Temple Grandin]], and a nearby 27,000-acre (11,000 ha) farm, and opened its first store in [[Marin County, California|Marin County]] in 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |last=Goodyear |first=Dana |date=2014-10-27 |title=Élite Meat |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/03/elite-meat |access-date=2024-06-27 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Parsons |first=Russ |date=2014-02-27 |title=Sustainable meat pioneer Belcampo opening at GCM in March |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-calcook-sustainable-meat-pioneer-belcampo-opening-at-gcm-in-march-20140226-story.html |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>  It expanded to also include butcher shops and restaurants in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Francisco, San Mateo, Oakland, and New York, and also sold meat through Erewhon Grocery Stores.<ref name=":0" />
== Controversies ==
The USDA had begun investigations into Belcampo for various violations, including sanitation, safety, and labeling at their [[Siskiyou County, California|Siskiyou County]] plant.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kadvany |first=Elena |date=2022-12-10 |title=The Belcampo scandal widens: Once-popular meat company is being investigated by the feds |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/belcampo-meat-company-17634840.php |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]}}</ref> Inspections revealed poor hygiene, mislabeled meat, and operational failures.
In May 2021, a former employee Evan Reiner alleged that it had fraudulently labeled cuts of meat as produced by Belcampo when they had been sourced from other producers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Breijo |first=Stephanie |date=2021-10-20 |title=After sourcing scandal, Belcampo Meat Co. abruptly closes stores, restaurants |url=https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2021-10-19/after-a-summer-sourcing-scandal-belcampo-meat-co-abruptly-closes-it |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Environmental impact==
Belcampo was the first meat company in the United States to comprehensively audit its carbon sequestration.<reF>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210901005306/en/Belcampo-Farms-Releases-Carbon-Capture-Data-for-Climate-Positive-Burgers|title=Belcampo Farms Releases Carbon Capture Data for Climate-Positive Burgers|date=2021-09-01|publisher=[[Business Wire]]}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Food manufacturers of the United States]]
[[Category:Meat companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Food and drink companies based in California]]
[[Category:Food and drink companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct agriculture companies of the United States]]