A New York butcher believes he's found another answer to dealing with rising meat prices.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 4 minutes 34 seconds 4 m 34 s Craft butcher Josh Applestone goes automatic ( Sally Bryant ) Download 2.1 MB

Fourth generation butcher Joshua Applestone's company is rolling out a series of coin-operated automatic vending machines to stock boutique quality grass-fed meats.

With the rising cost of meat taking it off the daily menu for many consumers, the craft butcher believes selling the product in 24 hour automats is the answer.

The vending machines are stocked with beef, lamb and pork, allowing customers to buy what they need, when they need it.

"Everything has gone up in price, it is double and triple the amount that it was when we started," Mr Applestone said.

"And that is a real shame because it's a high-quality item and it shouldn't be so classist".

Mr Applestone and his wife know about being time-poor and hungry for protein.

In 2011, they walked away from their successful craft butchery in Brooklyn to try and get some family life balance.

Now they run a boutique meat processing operation in Accord, New York, breaking up whole carcasses they source from local producers.

They still trade in sustainable grass and legume-fed meat, but don't have the cost or stress of a shop-front with face-to-face retail.

The other advantage, Mr Appleston said, was not having the costs of paying retail staff.

New York craft butcher Joshua Applestone thinks the future of affordable meat lies at the 24 hour automat. ( submitted )

Convenience was another major driver for the Applestones in developing their business model.

Mr Applestone said customers no longer demanded the "face to face" butcher experience.

"They are buying the quality, they are buying our name," he said.

"In fact, in these kiosks it's like we're not so much selling meat, as we are selling trust."

The new retail model is up and running at Accord, with another outlet set to open in New York before the end of the northern hemisphere summer.

"We'll be moving into Manhattan well within a year."