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Beetnik Foods serves today's shoppers while maintaining its core identity

Listening to (and staying ahead of) consumer trends

June 19, 2019

Brands like Beetnik, that have experienced exceptional growth within their respective categories, have realized that by being true to their own values, they have been able to build a loyal customer base that not only buys their products but is also a champion of those products.

Darden Restaurants and Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors

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Premium burgers earns Pat LaFrieda award from Darden Restaurants

New Jersey butcher's custom blend of ground beef boosts steakhouse menu.

Sam Gazdziak

June 18, 2019

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The Capital Grille, a high-end steakhouse and a Darden Restaurants concept, recently added a new burger through a partnership with renowned butcher Pat LaFrieda.

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Culver Duck: Shaking up the duck market

Duck user-friendly products and an animal welfare certification make Culver Duck a good fit with today's consumers.

Sam Gazdziak

April 17, 2019

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Duck is a popular choice for restaurant diners who want to try something different. It's one of the few proteins where the most popular usage is in the foodservice sector.

Special Report | Mission to Poland

Mission to Poland: Part One

Independent Processor editor Sam Gazdziak traveled to Poland for a seminar and tour of two leading European meat processors.

Sam Gazdziak

February 22, 2019

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The purpose of this trip was to bring together media and food industry experts from the United States and Canada and processors from Poland.

Lily Rolader, Director of The Common Market Atlanta

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SQFI and Alchemy Systems host a food safety field trip

Two Atlanta SQF-certified companies talk food safety and how they serve their markets.

Sam Gazdziak

November 13, 2018

One Comment

As a part of the 2018 SQF International Conference, SQFI and Alchemy Systems hosted a Food Safety Field Trip, inviting members of the media to visit two Atlanta SQF-certified companies.

Independent Processor Editorial Independent Thoughts

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To the end of comfort zones

Sam Gazdziak

November 13, 2018

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I've written recently about the need to travel outside of your normal area. Recently, thanks to this trip and some other life developments, I'm seeing that you have to be willing to do more things outside your comfort zone as well.

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Biltong breaks through

Stryve hopes to make inroads in the meat snack market with a new (to the U.S.) product.

Sam Gazdziak

October 16, 2018

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In the growing meat snack category, there are easily identifiable categories. A meat stick is different from a meat bar, which is different from jerky. Then, there is biltong.

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Introducing NMPAN – The Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network

NMPAN is a national community that connects members of the meat processing sector.

October 16, 2018

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The Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN) is a national community of practice focused on the long-term viability of the small and mid-sized processors who are essential to the local and regional meat and poultry sectors.

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Certified Angus Beef offers Associate's in Meat program

Class is in session: CAB's Associate's in Meat program provides a one-week, hands-on training session for foodservice distributors.

Sam Gazdziak

September 11, 2018

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Those professionals who attend the Associate's in Meat program at the Certified Angus Beef Culinary Center in Wooster, Ohio received a wide-ranging education in beef over the course of a week.

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Mind your R's and D's

Sam Gazdziak

August 14, 2018

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With a history that dates back almost 250 years, it's hard to say that something is "unprecedented" in America. However, this feeling of political turmoil and anger is as close to unprecedented as we can get, in my opinion.