Nolan Ryan Brands announced an exclusive agreement to provide all-natural, Nolan Ryan Texas Angus Beef brisket to all 19 North and East Texas locations of family-owned and operated Soulman’s Bar-B-Que.

“This is a homegrown partnership between Soulman’s and Nolan Ryan Beef—a match made in barbeque Heaven,” said Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Texas rancher Nolan Ryan, founder of Nolan Ryan Brands. “Both of our companies are firmly rooted in Texas culture, we care deeply about animal welfare, and we share a passion for great food, Texas hospitality and fellowship. That adds up to a richly satisfying eating experience for our customers.”

A tradition for more than 45 years, Soulman’s Bar-B-Que is the latest in a series of established, Texas-original restaurant operators to partner with Nolan Ryan Brands to ensure they are serving their customers the finest quality Texas beef. Using timeless BBQ techniques and old family recipes, Soulman’s has been a popular destination for locals and out-of-towners for decades, and a welcomed departure from “run of the mill” bar-b-que.

“Nolan Ryan Brands shares our long-standing commitment not only to quality, freshness and flavor, but also to the ethical fundamentals that guide us in serving our communities, our families and our customers,” said Brett Randle, CEO of Soulman’s Bar-B-Que.

Nolan Ryan Brands is the only beef company in Texas offering USDA-Certified Tender beef and USDA Choice beef, aged to perfection for 14 days or custom-aged at the customer’s request. Its operations are closely monitored at every stage to ensure humane treatment of the animals. Ryan said it is his company’s ethical responsibility to work only with partners who provide proper animal care.

Nolan Ryan Brands was the first beef company in the U.S. to invest in and utilize the Temple Grandin Responsible Cattle Care Program to continually assess the well-being of its animals. The cattle selected for the Nolan Ryan Beef program spends most of their lives grazing on grass pastures in a stress-free environment and are finished on a high-quality grain diet. They are then hand-picked by a Nolan Ryan Beef expert to ensure the highest degree of marbling and tenderness. As a result, Nolan Ryan Beef reliably exceeds normal selection criteria to provide a consistently better beef-eating experience.

“Being a successful restauranteur is hard work, especially in the barbeque business,” said Ryan. “You’re on your feet all day, nights and weekends, working long hours in a high-stress environment that requires a lot of coordination. And it’s a highly competitive industry. In the barbeque business, especially, the focus is largely on the quality and flavor of the meat. Treasured recipes and tried-and-true techniques are very important, but it’s not enough if you’re not using the highest-quality beef.”

The benefits to restauranteurs of partnering with Nolan Ryan Brands are numerous, the company said:

• Customer Service. Nolan Ryan Beef employs a top-rated customer experience team that truly partners with customers, and is available 24/7 to help with orders and fulfillment needs.
• Logistics. Nolan Ryan Beef’s robust distribution network assures orders get filled, regardless of circumstances.
• Supply Chain. NRB is unparalleled in supply chain management, having spent 20 years fine-tuning its network and working closely with multiple suppliers to ensure seamless integration.
• Food Safety. NRB exceeds industry standards in food safety. In addition to annual third-party food safety audits, the company employs an in-house director of food safety and product development who conducts regular, in-person screenings. Dr. Sharen Nowak holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science, as well as a doctorate in food science from Texas A&M University.
• Product Development. NRB stays abreast of the must current health and wellness trends in product development, working with Beef Loving Texans® and world-renowned professors at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to create Beef Education Camps to help educate its partners on the pasture-to-plate process.
• Direct Owner Involvement. Nolan Ryan is personally invested and directly involved in the animal welfare side of the business.

Nolan Ryan has loved cattle since he was a child and, at age 10, used his paper route money to buy his first calf, which he raised from a bottle. Texas-born and raised, he is one of the most decorated pitchers in Major League Baseball history, having served stints with four teams—the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers—during his illustrious career spanning four decades. Away from the game of baseball, Ryan has found major success in the business world—not surprisingly, including owning a successful cattle ranching operation for more than 40 years.

Widely known for the strength of his character and steadfast ethics, Ryan is a shareholder and director of R Bank in Round Rock, serves on the boards of the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund and the Nolan Ryan Foundation, and served six years as a commissioner with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, originally appointed by then-Governor George W. Bush. Ryan has also served as president of two cattle organizations—Beefmaster Breeders United and American Breeds Coalition—and has been a member of the board of the Texas Beef Council.

“We firmly believe a happy cow equals meet packed with flavor,” said Ryan. “We are proud to partner with Soulman’s Bar-B-Que restaurants to serve Nolan Ryan Angus Beef Brisket, enhancing its current menu options and barbeque classics with our high quality, tenderness and unbeatable flavor.”

Source: Nolan Ryan Beef