Cooks Venture Review: My Honest Thoughts on This Premium Meat Delivery Service
Hey there, conscious carnivores! If you‘re looking for an honest review of Cooks Venture, the trendy online meat delivery service, you‘ve come to the right place. I‘m a big fan of pasture-raised and ethically sourced meat, so I was excited to put Cooks Venture to the test. In this post, I‘ll be sharing:
- An overview of Cooks Venture and how it works
- My personal experience trying Cooks Venture‘s chicken, pork, and beef
- Thoughts on cost and how Cooks Venture compares to other options
- Info on Cooks Venture‘s animal welfare and sustainability practices
- My verdict on if Cooks Venture is worth the price
I‘ll also be peppering in some drool-worthy photos of the meals I made with my Cooks Venture box, so be warned if you‘re reading this on an empty stomach! Let‘s dive in.
What Is Cooks Venture?
First, a little background for those who aren‘t familiar. Cooks Venture is a direct-to-consumer company that delivers pasture-raised, slow-growth chicken, pork, and grass-fed beef right to your doorstep. The company was founded in 2015 by Matthew Wadiak, the former COO of meal kit service Blue Apron. His mission? To revolutionize the meat industry by supporting independent farmers who use regenerative agriculture practices.
At a time when a lot of us are rethinking our relationship with food and where it comes from, Cooks Venture offers an appealing alternative to mystery meat from the grocery store. All of the animals are raised on independent farms that follow strict protocols for animal welfare and environmental stewardship.
Cooks Venture has some serious street cred in the sustainable food space. In 2021, the company raised $12 million in Series A funding to expand its regenerative agriculture practices. It also earned a coveted designation from the non-profit Global Animal Partnership as one of the first online meat companies to meet its rigorous animal welfare standards.
How Cooks Venture Works
The way Cooks Venture works is pretty simple. Here are the basics:
- Choose your box size (medium or large) and delivery frequency (every 2, 4, or 8 weeks).
- Customize your box with your choice of chicken, pork, and beef. There are usually 10-15 different cuts available at any given time.
- Receive your box shipped to your door. All the meat arrives frozen in an insulated, eco-friendly box with enough dry ice to keep everything solid.
- Defrost, cook, and enjoy some seriously delicious meat!
One thing I appreciate about Cooks Venture is that there‘s no ongoing subscription commitment. You can change your box, skip deliveries, or cancel at any time. As someone who hates getting locked into subscriptions, that flexibility is clutch.
What I Got in My Cooks Venture Box
For this review, I tried out a medium box, which came with 6 different selections totaling about 10 pounds of meat. Here‘s what I got:
- 1 whole pasture-raised chicken (about 3.5 lbs)
- 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 bone-in pork chops (about 1 lb each)
- 1 lb of ground pork
- 2 grass-fed ribeye steaks (about 12 oz each)
- 2 lbs of grass-fed ground beef
The total for my box came to $160, which works out to $16 per pound. More on the cost breakdown in a bit!
Everything arrived rock-solid frozen, which is always a relief with meat delivery. The chicken and pork thawed beautifully in the fridge over a couple days, and the beef was easy to pop in the freezer for later.
The Taste Test: How Does Cooks Venture Meat Stack Up?
Obviously the million dollar question here is, "How does this fancy meat actually taste?" I‘m happy to report that Cooks Venture gets a resounding two thumbs up from this discerning carnivore. I cooked up the meat over the course of about two weeks, and everything was exceptional in terms of flavor and quality.
First up: the whole chicken. It roasted up beautifully and made for a succulent Sunday dinner. The size was generous too—it served 4 people with some left over.
I found the breast meat to be tender and flavorful—not at all dry or bland like some chicken breasts can be. The dark meat was especially rich and juicy. I credit that to Cooks Venture‘s unique slow-growth chickens, which are a proprietary breed that grows more slowly than conventional chickens. That extra time to mature really pays off in terms of flavor.
Next, I tried the pork chops and ground pork. Let me tell you, I went into full-on heart-eye emoji mode when I saw the marbling on these chops. They were thick, juicy, and had a nice layer of fat around the edges. Pan-seared and finished in the oven, they made for a restaurant-quality dinner at home.
The ground pork, which I assume came from the same heritage-breed pigs, was also top-notch. I used it to make meatballs loaded with fresh herbs and ricotta cheese. They were a hit with the whole family.
Finally, the star of the show: Cooks Venture‘s grass-fed beef. I was impressed by the generous size and beautiful marbling of the ribeye steaks. I treated them simply with some salt and pepper and tossed them on a ripping hot cast iron skillet to get a nice crust.
The rich, complex flavor of the grass-fed beef really shone through. No steak sauce needed! I used the ground beef to make loaded burgers, which also ended up being some of the best I‘ve ever made at home.
All in all, I was blown away by the caliber of the meat from Cooks Venture. You can really taste the difference that comes from the slow-growth poultry, the exceptional marbling of the pork, and the 100% grass diet of the cattle.
How Much Does Cooks Venture Cost?
Now, let‘s talk cost. High-quality, pasture-raised meat is never going to be cheap. But I think Cooks Venture‘s prices are very reasonable for the caliber of product you‘re getting. Here‘s a price breakdown:
- Medium box (8-12 lbs of meat): $149
- Large box (16-22 lbs of meat): $239
- Price per pound: $12 to $18 depending on cuts selected
For comparison, at Whole Foods in my area, boneless skinless organic chicken breasts cost about $10 per pound. Grass-fed ribeye steaks are around $25 per pound. So Cooks Venture‘s prices are very much in line with (and in some cases, a few dollars cheaper than) what you‘d pay for comparable products at an upscale grocery store.
Of course, cost is relative, and Cooks Venture won‘t necessarily be in everyone‘s budget. But if you‘ve decided that eating high-quality, ethically raised meat is a priority for you, I think Cooks Venture is one of the best deals out there.
How Cooks Venture Compares to Other Meat Delivery Services
Cooks Venture is far from the only meat delivery game in town these days. From ButcherBox to Crowd Cow to Porter Road, there‘s no shortage of online options for getting your protein fix. So how does Cooks Venture stack up to the competition? Here are a few key differences:
- Cooks Venture‘s primary focus is on pasture-raised chicken, pork, and grass-fed beef, while some other services offer a wider range of proteins like lamb, bison, and seafood.
- Cooks Venture has some of the strictest animal welfare standards in the industry. All of the farms they work with are Global Animal Partnership certified, which requires third-party auditing.
- Cooks Venture chickens are a proprietary slow-growth breed, while some other services use fast-growing industrial breeds or heritage breeds.
- Some other services require a recurring subscription, while Cooks Venture allows you to order at your own pace.
Ultimately, which meat delivery service is best for you will depend on your personal preferences and priorities. But if exceptional quality, pasture-raised meat is your north star, I think Cooks Venture is tough to beat.
Cooks Venture‘s Sustainability Cred
These days, a lot of companies throw around buzzwords like "sustainable," "ethical," and "regenerative." But Cooks Venture seems to be walking the walk, not just talking the talk. A few key things to know:
- Cooks Venture is a certified B corporation, which means it meets rigorous standards for social and environmental impact. Only about 4,000 companies worldwide have earned this designation.
- All of Cooks Venture‘s partner farms follow regenerative agriculture practices, which means they prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
- Cooks Venture has its own 800-acre farm in Arkansas that serves as a model for regenerative poultry farming. The farm is home to Cooks Venture‘s proprietary slow-growth chickens and uses practices like rotational grazing and composting to improve soil health.
In the words of Matthew Wadiak, Cooks Venture‘s founder and CEO, "We‘re not just selling meat. We‘re trying to revolutionize agriculture." As a consumer, it feels good to know that my food dollars are supporting a company that‘s actively working to make the food system more sustainable.
Of course, no company is perfect, and there‘s always room for improvement when it comes to sustainability. But I give Cooks Venture major props for putting its money where its mouth is and working to create real change in the industry.
The Verdict: Is Cooks Venture Worth It?
So, after trying Cooks Venture for myself, what‘s the final verdict? In my opinion, if you‘re someone who cares about eating high-quality, ethically raised meat and supporting sustainable agriculture, Cooks Venture is 100% worth the price.
The flavor and quality of the meat is truly exceptional. I love that I can trust that all of the animals were raised on independent farms with the highest standards for animal welfare. And I feel good knowing that my purchase is supporting regenerative farming practices that are better for the planet.
That said, Cooks Venture may not be for everyone. If you‘re feeding a large family on a tight budget, the costs can definitely add up. And if you prefer other types of protein like lamb or salmon, you won‘t find them in Cooks Venture‘s current offerings.
But if you‘re a discerning omnivore who appreciates the finer things in life (and doesn‘t mind paying a little extra for them), I can‘t recommend Cooks Venture highly enough. In a world where it‘s all too easy to be disconnected from our food sources, Cooks Venture is a breath of fresh, pasture-raised air.
The Final Word
Well folks, that‘s a wrap on my deep dive into Cooks Venture! I hope this review has given you a helpful overview of what this buzzy meat delivery service is all about.
As someone who‘s passionate about supporting ethical and sustainable food systems, I‘m a big fan of what Cooks Venture is doing. The meat is some of the best I‘ve ever tasted, and I love being able to support small independent farmers and regenerative agriculture with my food dollars.
If you‘re interested in trying Cooks Venture for yourself, now is a great time. As of this writing, the company is offering $20 off your first order with the code SUMMER at checkout. Just head to cooksventure.com to build your custom box and take advantage of the discount.
I hope you found this review helpful, and I‘d love to hear about your experience if you decide to try Cooks Venture. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
Until next time, happy cooking (and ethical meat-eating)!
Note: This post is NOT sponsored—I‘m just a genuine fan of Cooks Venture and wanted to share my honest experience with the service. That said, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through one of the links in this post. As always, thank you for supporting my work and trusting my recommendations! You can read more about my affiliate policy here.
