At the foot of Mount Ascutney sits a sturdy, red clapboard building with a wide porch, a welcome haven in the center of a rural community. In 2018, Peter Varkonyi and his wife, Lauren Stevens, revived Brownsville General Store, which had shuttered in 2016. Brownsville Butcher & Pantry (BBP) quickly developed a loyal following of folks who swing by the café for from-scratch hearty meals that include sandwiches made with chopped smoked beef, pastrami, buttermilk fried chicken, and the popular Burger Wednesdays. Hungry visitors can also pick up world-class, buttery laminated pastries from the bakery; shop for pantry staples and fresh produce in the well-stocked market (they even have a bulk section!); find a special bottle of wine; and grab prepared meals from the refrigerated case (think loaded lasagna, sweet and savory pies, rich soups and seafood chowders, poke bowls, and egg rolls).
“We wanted to be a diverse shop with a broad inventory that provides something for everyone,” Peter explains. “We work closely with local farms in Vermont and New Hampshire from whom we source our meat, produce, and some dairy. We’re really proud that we directly invest more than $1 million a year in our farmers. Our goal is to feed people efficiently with as much locally produced food as possible.” Thanks to this cohesive and sustainable vision, BBP is a zero-waste operation. Meat bones go into stock, and the deep fryer uses rendered beef fat from the butchery, the heart of this thriving business.
How an animal is raised directly impacts the quality of the meat. Peter sources his beef, pork, and lamb from Boyden Valley Farm, Spring Brook Farm, Eastman Farm, Chickering Farm, Yates Family Farm, and Archway Farm. “These farmers do things the hard way but the right way, which is why their meat is exceptional and clean,” he confirms. Deep Meadow Farm and Edgewater Farm provide much of the produce.
The butcher’s glass display case is loaded with cabernet-hued, richly marbled, dry-aged meat. Some cuts are familiar, others less so. Peter’s goal is to introduce people to flavorful and tender cuts that include the bavette, picanha, Denver, flat iron, and hanger steaks. “I wish we had enough New York strips to meet demand, but a cow only provides a certain volume of those types of steaks. Our butchers are eager to educate you about a world of even more delicious cuts and to offer specific guidance how to cook them.” Peter notes that his lamb—raised at Yates Farm within a few miles of the shop—is extraordinary. “It’s a passion project to get more people to enjoy lamb. To entice them, we make amazing lamb sausage and offer a lamb shawarma sandwich in the café.”
Trained as a chef who became a self-taught butcher, Peter waxes rhapsodic about how careful butchering and dry aging the meat in his walk-in cooler intensifies the flavor and yields a remarkably tender texture. He also understands the moral importance of using every morsel of what he brings into the shop. “We make all our charcuterie in-house, and we cure, brine, and smoke many of our meats.” His talented team is particularly proud of their bacon, hams, pastrami, brisket, and a range of sausages.
Adjacent to the meat counter is a new deli case. All the deli meats are made in-house and sliced to order. Peter works with Provisions International from whom he sources whole wheels of cheese from New England and European artisanal producers. “The deli case has been a real success and allows folks to stop by for a pound of meat and some cut-to-order cheese,” he notes.
Eight years in, Peter is justifiably proud of what he and his team have created. “Learning and collaboration are our hallmarks, whether it’s supporting a staff member to expand his or her skills in butchery or pastry making or guiding a customer about a less familiar cut of meat to try at home. We have an obligation as an independent business, especially in a rural area, to be successful for the vitality of our community and staff.
