A History of Quality Since 1868

High on the columns of Boston's historic Faneuil Hall, you can still read the Dole & Bailey name - a reminder of  Cyrus Dole, a homesteader from Acton Massachusetts, and Frank Bailey, a farmer from  Burke Vermont, who formed a  partnership in the Boston Farmers' Market inside  historic Faneuil Hall.  Their specialty was farm-raised Vermont lamb.  These sheep were driven to Boston, slaughtered and dressed in Brighton, and then distributed by horse and wagon.  They also featured fancy maple syrup, fine creamery butter and artisan farmhouse cheeses; they eventually added farm raised beef, pork, veal, locally grown poultry, eggs,  fresh-caught seafood from the Boston Pier. and as members of the Boston Fruit and Produce Exchange they had access to the freshest fruits and vegetables the market had to offer.

Dole & Bailey
Family Owned and Operated Since 1868
Three generations are represented in the image above.
On the far right in the dark coat is Frank Bailey.
His newphew Clyde Smith is the first gentleman to left of the beef display, and the first gentleman to the right is Frank's grandson Charles Hancock.

The company grew under Mr. Bailey's nephew, Clyde Smith and it was under his tutelage that Bud Matheson became a Master Butcher. As years went on, Bud would trade his meat-cutter's apron for a suit and strike out mid-mornings to call on Boston's culinary community creating Dole & Bailey's first commercial customers. The growth of this business meant moving into and outgrowing three facilities within three years.

Today D&B is an ISO 9001:2008 registered plant and operates under USDA ORGANIC/ FDA/ supervised HACCP plan. All of our beef, lamb, pork, and veal is carefully selected and sorted for uniform weight, muscle size, trim and quality. USDA grades and Natural/Sustainable programs are segregated and enter a special aging rotation. Specialty meats, game, and poultry are of the highest quality and packed with care. The same philosophy holds true in our seafood division. Sourcing the finest seafood available, then hand selecting, skinning, filleting, portioning, and packing to customer specifications. The specialty foods and produce teams selectively pack each order, breaking cases whenever needed and repacking with extra care. Quality is a trademark in every line. Our specialists take pride in adding their expertise in product knowledge, processing, and packaging. The result is consistency in every D&B box. Orders are delivered by our own privately owned fleet of refrigerated vehicles, driven by courteous well-trained drivers.

We are a family owned business providing superior quality and unmatched service... making a difference to all the lives our business touches.   This commitment is the foundation on which Dole & Bailey has built its family business since 1868 and continues to be our path to an exciting future. Our talented team is passionate about this industry and dedicated to keeping you on the cutting edge. We listen carefully to our clients, and the result is a list of the finest foods available from our region and around the world!