IN THE PRESS
Dirt Church MTB Podcast
March 13, 2022
Episode 6, The Butcher
“It was a dark and gloomy night. The street lights flickered. His shadow appeared in the doorway. Was he a killer? There was something in his hand, was it a knife? Are we in danger?
No.
It was the Brownsville Butcher , and he brought beer. We sat down for another episode of the podcast with him, drank a beer and talked about the best way to build a bike scene in a small town.”
The New York Times
February 1, 2022
A Town That Saved a Mountain, and a Mountain That Saved a Town
“After the Ascutney ski resort in Vermont closed because of erratic snowfall and mismanagement, it threatened to take with it the nearby town of West Windsor. The community took the situation into its own hands.”
Vermontrepreneur Podcast
January 29, 2021
Episode 8, Brownsville Butcher and Pantry: Lauren Stevens and Peter Varkonyi
“In Episode 8 we hear the tale of two souls destined to create something uniquely them, and whose paths collide at just the right time. Meanwhile, they're lucky enough to have a town that's looking for a couple of dreamers just like them. But if they're going to build what they have in mind without going broke, there's going to be a lot more demolition and hanging sheet rock in their future before they get to butchering pigs and baking pastries.”
BrewView
August 31, 2020
Brownsville Butcher & Pantry: A Dream Becomes a Reality
“The space has been renovated, a community cornerstone has been restored, the business is autonomous but the relationship with residents and customers solidified. It’s the new establishment of the Brownsville Butcher & Pantry - Brownsville, and it has been welcomed with open arms, according to owners Peter Varkonyi and Lauren Stevens.”
WCAX
December 13, 2019
Brownsville general store reborn
“A Windsor County general store has a new lease on life that some say can be a model for other ailing general stores across the region.
Governor Phil Scott toured the new Brownsville Butcher & Pantry Friday. After the former general store closed in early 2017, a group of residents came together, purchased the store, and helped finance needed upgrades.”
VermontBiz
December 13, 2019
Governor highlights renewal of Brownsville store
“At his weekly press conference Friday, Governor Phil Scott joined the community of West Windsor to celebrate the success of the Brownsville Butcher & Pantry, which opened in November 2018. This collaborative redevelopment project began after the Brownsville General Store went out of business and the property was foreclosed in 2016.”
Valley News
January 22, 2019
New Store Serves Brownsville’s Hungry Customers
“Half country store, half café, the business offers both pantry basics and specialty items, as well as an inventive menu built around local foods. You can pick up a pint of ice cream, a loaf of homemade bread, a whole rabbit or a pound of oysters in the store, or sit down in the café for a stack of pancakes, a bagel with lox, a hot pastrami sandwich or a chickpea avocado wrap.”
Eagle Times
January 19, 2019
Brownsville Butcher and Pantry signs on to internet café service
“People in West Windsor, however, can now take advantage of an important and convenient combination: the municipally owned ECFiber utility, and a new “internet café” service rolled out Friday at the Brownsville Butcher and Pantry on Route 44.”
Seven Days
December 5, 2018
Vermont General Store Owners Innovate to Stay Relevant
“Peter Varkonyi and Lauren Stevens aren't taking over a general store — they're reinventing the entire concept. They're offering some items found at chain grocery stores, along with "the experience and connection to the food you might experience at a farmers market or co-op," said Varkonyi.”
Eagle Times
November 17, 2018
Two young entrepreneurs make an old Brownsville store new again, a community cheers them on
“Coming around the bend on Route 44, no signs announce the Brownsville Butcher & Pantry. But everybody in town knows where it is. It’s the old general store. And so during the new business’s open house on Friday afternoon, no sign was needed. A long line of parked cars stretched down the road in both directions — the sure sign of a great party underway.”
Valley News
October 2, 2018
New Owners Bring Fresh Ideas and Local Food to Brownsville Butcher & Pantry
“Varkonyi and Stevens, who are engaged, are building their business not around the staples of the general store — gas, cigarettes, sandwiches and lottery tickets — but around local food. They’re aiming to serve reasonably priced breakfast and lunch plates, and, eventually, dinners, and to stock groceries, all with a local bent.”
Eagle Times
August 11, 2018
Former Brownsville General Store gets new lease on life and an infusion of ideas
“Several months after the Brownsville General Store closed permanently, a couple with experience in both farming and the culinary arts has stepped forward to breathe new life into the little store on Route 44, with a fresh name and a nod to the store's history.”