Over the last few years, I received a number of press releases from a California company called Belcampo. They marketed all-natural meat products and seemed to be one of the leaders in combining sustainability and profitability. That’s an important combination, too. It’s great to have grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork that costs 15% to 20% higher than conventional cuts, but if nobody will buy it, you don’t have a successful business model.
Belcampo seemed to have the formula right and kept expanding. It opened new butcher shops and new restaurants. It released new products and business models. Then this week, it all shut down. The company announced that it had closed all its branded operations, including its butcher stores and restaurants. The company is selling out the rest of its stock online. After that, the company may or may not be gone for good. The company’s CEO raised the prospect of a new business model using non-branded products, but Belcampo’s future looks murky at the moment.