Jeff Bauman and his brother, Marc, have closed Pig & Block Charcuterie, their small but mighty cured meat and butcher shop, directly next door to Old Major, that opened in October of 2011 in Highland. Jeff, who also pimped wine, dried pastas, a collection of salts, salumi and fresh meat, including steaks, sausages and bacon, says that he and his brother were given an offer they couldn't refuse.

See also: - Pig & Block Charcuterie opens in Highland - Exclusive first look: Old Major, Justin Brunson's "elevated farmhouse cuisine" restaurant, is now open in Highland - Exclusive: Il Mondo Vecchio will close at the end of the month, ceasing its salumi and sausage production

"We were given a really decent offer to sell, and while things had been going very, very well for us -- we were even preparing to step it up another notch -- it was an offer that was definitely worth taking," says Jeff, who notes that he and brother will continue perusing other ventures in the food industry. "We have other things that we want to concentrate on, and it was a pretty simple deal that allows us to walk away with a profit, which is great."

A couple who trained under rock-star butcher Joshua Applestone, an author and former vegan who now owns Fleisher's Meats, an old-fashioned, world-renowned butcher shop with locations in upstate New York and Brooklyn that's a coveted training mecca and school for those aspiring to learn Applestone's revered tricks of the trade, have bought the space and will begin turning it into their own sometime within the next month, reveals Jeff. "I'm not entirely sure what their plans are, but I do know that they plan to run a full-scale butcher shop that will likely sell a lot of raw meat products," he adds.

And Jeff notes that he's happy with the sale -- and with what's coming. "With Old Major right next door, this makes sense, and we're excited about what Marc and I have planned for the future."

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