Heritage Foods USA

What Heritage Foods USA does

Heritage Foods USA is a Brooklyn-based specialty meat e-commerce company founded in 2001 that sources 100% heritage breed livestock exclusively from a closed network of US family farms and sells via a Shopify-powered DTC storefront (heritagefoods.com) and a B2B wholesale division serving hundreds of restaurants and butcher shops coast-to-coast. The company carries Akaushi Wagyu beef from HeartBrand Ranch (Texas), heritage pork across five breeds (Berkshire, Red Wattle, Duroc, Gloucestershire Old Spot, Tamworth), Standardbred poultry from Frank Reese's Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch (the last Standardbred hatchery in the US), heritage lamb from Tamarack Farm (Vermont), heritage goat from Shannon Creek Farm, and artisan charcuterie (Tempesta, Broadbent's est. 1909, Volpi est. 1902, Smoking Goose). The product catalog spans individual cuts, curated packages, breed-tasting kits, six subscription clubs (Steak, Chop, Bacon, Sausage, Poultry, Shaved Deli Ham at $110-$169/month), historically-themed Bicentennial/Semiquincentennial boxes, digital gift cards ($25-$500), and artisan cheeses.

The underlying supply chain technology is a closed-network whole-herd purchasing model: Heritage Foods commits to buying entire flocks and herds from each partner farm, enabling a nose-to-tail program with specialty cuts (pork head, trotters, caul fat, leaf lard, offal) unavailable through commodity channels. Sourcing relationships are anchored by domain experts including David Newman (Ph.D meat science and muscle biology, Berkshire genetics traceable to 17th-18th century English bloodlines), Larry and Madonna Sorell (Red Wattle conservation network across 5 states with 18 Amish families), and Craig Good (Duroc genetics spanning 85 years). Akaushi Wagyu is DNA-verified for breed purity. All animals are pasture-raised and antibiotic-free.

The business model combines three revenue streams: one-time DTC meat sales at premium price points (e.g., $98/14-16oz Wagyu ribeye, $222+ bone-in ribeye roast), recurring subscription clubs across six SKUs ($110-$169/month), and B2B wholesale to restaurants. Pricing is layered with tiered shipping ($28-$46 by order value, +$35 overnight), a $40 gift certificate threshold at $399+ orders, and a multi-tier loyalty program (free pork chops every 5th order, free gift from 6th order, $250 Rare Breed Membership at 25th order). Go-to-market relies on owned digital media (recipe blog, email newsletter, YouTube/Vimeo cooking videos), organic social (Facebook, X, Instagram), and earned media positioning as the leading nonindustrial meat brand per The New York Times. The company operates as private, founder-owned, with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or revenue figures, and runs a single Brooklyn headquarters with fulfillment shipping nationwide Monday-Thursday.

Name

Heritage Foods USA

Legal name

Heritage Foods

Website

https://heritagefoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heritage Foods USA is a Brooklyn-based specialty e-commerce retailer founded in 2001 that sells 100% heritage breed meats — including Akaushi Wagyu beef, five heritage pork breeds, Standardbred poultry, lamb, and goat — sourced exclusively from a curated network of US family farms, serving discerning home cooks via heritagefoods.com and fine-dining restaurants via wholesale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Meat Retail

NAICS

Meat Retailers (44524), Meat Retailers (445240), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Retail-Food Stores (5400), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Exotic Meats Retail (Game, Halal, Kosher) (CRAHAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Regional Processed Meats (Ethnic/Traditional Sausages, Regional Cures) (AFANAEAK)

Keywords

• Heritage breed meats
• Specialty meat ecommerce
• Wagyu beef retail
• Pasture-raised meats
• Artisan charcuterie

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Meat Sales: Heritage Foods generates primary revenue through direct online sales of heritage breed beef, pork, lamb, goat, poultry, and charcuterie. Products are sold as individual cuts, curated packages, breed-tasting kits, and seasonal/specialty boxes. Shipping fees are layered on top, with free gift certificates for orders over $399.
2. Subscription / Meat-of-the-Month Clubs: Multiple subscription options including Steak of the Month Club, Chop of the Month Club, Bacon of the Month Club, Sausage of the Month Club, Poultry of the Month Club, and Monthly Shaved Heritage Deli Ham. These provide recurring monthly revenue.
3. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in preset denominations ($25–$500), delivered as PDFs to recipient inboxes. Drives new customer acquisition and gifting revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heritage Foods USA is an e-commerce platform that sells heritage breed meats directly to consumers and restaurants across the United States. The company sources exclusively from a closed network of partner farms raising 100% heritage breed livestock (Berkshire, Red Wattle, Duroc, Tamworth, Gloucestershire Old Spot, Akaushi Wagyu, Standardbred poultry), and ships pasture-raised, antibiotic-free beef, pork, lamb, goat, turkey, poultry, charcuterie, and artisan cheeses via its online storefront and B2B wholesale channel.

Product overview

Heritage Foods USA is an e-commerce platform specializing in heritage breed meats, operating as a direct-to-consumer online butcher shop. The company offers a single unified platform with integrated product catalog across multiple protein categories: Akaushi Wagyu beef, heritage pork (five breeds), heritage lamb and goat, turkey and poultry from Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch, artisan charcuterie, and artisan cheeses. Products range from individual cuts (steaks, chops, ribs) to curated packages, subscription clubs (Bacon, Sausage, Poultry, Steak, and Chop of the Month), and gift cards. The company operates a nose-to-tail program sourcing exclusively from their partner farm network, with all meats pasture-raised and antibiotic-free. Core offerings include the Signature Akaushi Wagyu line, Porterhouse Pork Chops (top seller), specialty cuts, and Bicentennial/Semiquincentennial Celebration Boxes marking American historical milestones.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Akaushi Wagyu Beef

Quantifiable outcome

• Red Wattle pig upgraded from Critical to Threatened status on The Livestock Conservancy's watch list, thanks to Larry and Madonna Sorell's conservation breeding network
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HeartBrand Ranch / Beeman FamilycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFifth-generation Texas cattle ranchers maintaining Akaushi genetics through DNA verification. Heritage Foods sources its Signature Akaushi Wagyu beef exclusively from this operation. The Beeman family accessed the Akaushi breed via a 1994 Trade Act loophole, importing three bulls and eight cows via a custom-equipped Boeing 747.
• Paradise Locker MeatscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAbattoir/butcher shop located outside Kansas City that processes all Heritage Foods beef. The relationship began in 2001 when Doug Metzger connected Heritage Foods to the facility. The company has grown alongside Paradise Locker for over 20 years.
• Frank Reese / Good Shepherd Poultry RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrank Reese operates the last hatchery in the nation for Standardbred poultry. All Heritage Foods turkey, chicken, duck, and goose products are raised through the Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch Network. He raises Bronze turkeys and New Hampshire chickens that face extinction without consumer support.
• Newman Farm Berkshire Pork (David Newman)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Newman (Ph.D in meat science and muscle biology) operates Newman Farm in Myrtle, Missouri, raising purebred Berkshire pigs traceable to 17th–18th century English bloodlines. Started with a handwritten letter in 2006; now a flagship heritage pork supplier. Sows raise piglets on-pasture in huts across the Ozarks.
• Larry and Madonna Sorell / Lazy Red Wattle RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLarry and Madonna Sorell founded the Red Wattle conservation network spanning 5 states and 18 Amish families. They traveled 18,000 miles to gather viable Red Wattle genetics. Their work upgraded the Red Wattle from Critical to Threatened status on the Livestock Conservancy's watch list. The relationship began in 2002 for turkey production and expanded to Red Wattle pork in 2004.
• Craig and Amy Good / Good FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Farm in Olsburg, Kansas raises Duroc (85-year-old lineage sourced from Sears & Roebucks), Gloucestershire Old Spot, and Tamworth pigs on Flint Hills pasture. Craig Good's herd traces back to original Sears females from the 1940s. As of 2024, operations transitioned to Dustin and Maria Torneden.
• Doug Metzger / Metzger FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDoug Metzger (1938–2023) was a founding partner who connected Heritage Foods to Paradise Locker Meats and helped launch the heritage pork program in 2001. Raised purebred Berkshire and Tamworth pigs on 1,500 acres in Seneca, Kansas. Genetics now managed by Robert Funk. Farm supported by Doug's daughter Marilyn and her family.
• 20/20 Cattle Co (Kentucky)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKentucky-based cattle operation supplying Kentucky F1 Wagyu beef for Heritage Foods brisket and ground beef products.
• Tamarack Farm (Vermont)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVermont farm supplying Heritage Foods' Tunis and Dorset Horn heritage lamb. Provides lamb cuts including rack, leg, loin chops, shanks, shoulder, neck, and offal.
• Shannon Creek FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupplier of heritage goat cuts for Heritage Foods' annual GOATOBER celebration. Provides goat rack, leg, shanks, shoulder, loin chops, ribs with belly, bones, and offal.
• Anne Saxelby Legacy FundminorOthersHeritage Foods partners with dairies connected through the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund, a non-profit supporting artisan cheese and heritage food culture. Cheese suppliers including FireFly Farms Cave Dweller Goat Cheese are sourced through these connections.
• Tempesta ArtisanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago-based artisan curemaster producing Heritage Foods' signature bacon, pancetta, finocchiona salami, nduja, Berkshire guanciale, mortadella, heritage porchetta, and smoked turkey breast. Aged Berkshire bellies for four months. A key artisan partner for charcuterie and prepared meat products.
• Broadbent's (est. 1909)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKentucky institution since 1909 producing dry-cured country ham and applewood smoked bacon for Heritage Foods. Hams aged 18–24 months; offerings include Benton's Extra-Aged Ham (20–27 months) and Broadbent Heritage Dry Cured Country Ham.
• Volpi Foods (est. 1902)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Louis-based artisan producer since 1902 supplying Heritage Foods with heritage prosciutto (aged 18 months) and other charcuterie products.
• Smoking Goose (Denver)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver-based artisan curing house producing Wagyu Big Red Salame (with porcini mushrooms, garlic, and black pepper) for Heritage Foods' charcuterie program.
• Pepe Giocoli (NYC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew York City artisan sausage maker crafting Heritage Foods' Sweet Italian Sausage, Garlic and Broccoli Rabe Sausage, and Maple Breakfast Sausage using heritage breed pork. Inspired by Little Italy street festival traditions.
• Kenneth Johnson, Sharon Meyer, and Trent & Troy BakerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional heritage pig producers outside the Kansas City area. Kenneth Johnson started as a 4-H student; Trent and Troy Baker raise some of the nation's largest Berkshire pigs.
• Long Meadow Ranch (Napa Valley)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNapa Valley farm producing hand-picked, unfiltered, stone-milled, cold-pressed organic extra virgin olive oil for Heritage Foods, as well as farmstead bacon and lamb shank tagine kit ingredients.
• Brunson Meat Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduces 35-day dry-aged porterhouse pork chops (Red Wattle) exclusively for Heritage Foods, sold under the $50 and under collection.
• Roberta's PizzaminorOthersHeritage Foods partners with Roberta's Pizza for pizza kit offerings that can be topped with optional heritage meat toppings (prosciutto and other charcuterie).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HeritageFoodUSA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HeritageFoods
• Facebookfacebook.com/heritagefoodusa
• Instagraminstagram.com/heritagefoodusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heritage-foods-usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heritage Foods USA