Gourmet News

Southern Recipe Aids Truck Drivers in Annual Campaign

Published August 7, 2023

In Southern Recipe’s Annual Truck Driver Appreciation Week campaign, the brand will once again shine a light on the truck driving industry and support St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund with a $7,500 donation plus an additional $5,000 donation from Rudolph Foods going directly to the wellness programs. Bringing awareness to the truck driving community and Truck Driver Appreciation Week has been a passion of Southern Recipe’s for more than a decade. Throughout August and into Truck Driver Appreciation Week, which is Sept. 10-16, drivers will be encouraged to sign up for free health screenings and services on the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund website.

This year, Southern Recipe will honor truckers by aiding in their overall wellbeing and encouraging sign ups to the free health programs available to them, such as Rigs Without Cigs and the Diabetes Prevention Program. Southern Recipe’s Truck Driver Appreciation Week celebration also invites fans to share the “Tune Up Challenge” with their social media communities to build awareness of the wellness programs offered by the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund. Every share accounts for an entry for free product from Southern Recipe, and every trucker who signs up for a program on the SCF website is entered to win a free case of pork rinds as well.

“Everything we do, and everything we buy, is touched by a truck driver. Every year, we strive to support drivers as best we can,” shared Mark Singleton, vice president of sales and marketing at Southern Recipe and Rudolph Foods. “These men and women help fuel our families with food and comfort. We’ve been celebrating these important road heroes for more than a decade now, with our incredible charity partner, the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund.”

“We want to support our road warriors in their health journey and let them know that they’re not alone,” said Shannon Currier, director of philanthropy at St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund. “Partnering with brands like Southern Recipe helps us educate consumers and helps us share our wellness initiatives.”

Through the charity’s Rigs Without Cigs program, SCF helps drivers reduce their tobacco intake, and through programs that help with common health issues truckers face such as the Diabetes Prevention Program and Driven To Be Healthy, SCF helps drivers stay true to their wellness goals. SCF’s new GPS (Get Preventative Screenings) program gives truckers free cancer screening kits, helping drivers check in on their health from the privacy of their truck, home or at a lab of their choosing. The charity’s overall goal is to continue to build awareness of these programs so that America’s truckers are healthy and happy. Members of the trucking community and consumers across America are encouraged to celebrate Truck Driver Appreciation Week with Southern Recipe and SCF across the social space at SouthernRecipe.com and @SouthernRecipe.

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Midwest Growth Partners Invests in French Gourmet

Published August 2, 2023

Midwest Growth Partners, a West Des Moines- and Omaha-based private equity fund that specializes in succession planning and growth capital investments across the food and agriculture value chain, has invested in French Gourmet, LLC.

Based in Sparks, Nev., French Gourmet was founded by Patrick Novak in 1984 as a manufacturer of artisanal, all-natural, European-style pastries and Danishes. The company manufactures a variety of croissants, Danish pastries, dough shells and puff pastries with laminated dough in frozen and pre-proofed formats. The company services hotels, cafes, independent bakeries, diners, grocery bakeries and other foodservice businesses.

“French Gourmet is well positioned for its next phase of growth, and I’m excited for Midwest Growth Partners to help execute on the vision I’ve had for the company since founding the business,” said Patrick Novak.

Zane Hendricks, vice president of Midwest Growth Partners, said, “French Gourmet has a great product, culture, and impressive manufacturing capabilities. I’ve enjoyed working with the entire management team, and we are excited to be part of the company’s growth for years to come.”

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Tractor Beverage Official Refreshment of Surfing Event

Published July 31, 2023

Tractor Beverage Company, the rapidly expanding North American beverage brand known for its certified organic, non-GMO full-line beverage solutions, announced its partnership as an Official Refreshment of the Wallex US Open of Surfing Presented by Pacifico, the fourth stop on the World Surf League Challenger Series and the first stop on the WSL Longboard Tour.

“Tractor Beverage is thrilled to partner with the World Surf League this summer, introducing flavor-forward beverages that will quench the thirst of a generation craving real, refreshing drinks,” stated Justin Herber, chief brand officer at Tractor Beverage. “Our values align perfectly with the WSL’s focus on bringing the surfing community together through authentic experiences and a shared passion for making a positive impact on the world. Tractor’s dedication to protecting the natural world and waterways through organic farm practices, and our delicious flavor combinations make us a natural fit for supporting the WSL and its events.”

“We are so excited to welcome Tractor Beverage Company to the WSL family. Being able to offer our fans sustainably sourced certified organic beverages is important to the league, and we are very well aligned with this company’s mission. We also have a shared goal of creating memorable experiences that bring people together, and the Wallex US Open of Surfing is the perfect opportunity to do so. This will be an event to remember, and Tractor Beverage Company is a big part of that,” said Cherie Cohen, WSL Chief Revenue Officer.

The Wallex US Open of Surfing presented by Pacifico is the fourth stop on the World Surf League Challenger Series and first stop on the WSL Longboard Tour. During this event, Tractor Beverage will offer samples of its deliciously original organic craft refreshers and organic premium craft sodas in recyclable aluminum cans with BPA-free liners, in line with the WSL’s commitment to sustainability and ocean preservation.

Tractor’s Vendor Village booth will showcase some of the brand’s most popular flavors including Hibiscus, Strawberry Dragonfruit, Mango, Kola Cola, and Cherry Cream. Formulated by Tractor co-founder, organic farmer, and beverage chef Travis Potter, each of these drinks captures the unbounded joy of real whole fruit and perfect organic combinations in every sip, creating a uniquely differentiated choice for Tractor Beverage fans nationwide.

To further mark the festivities, Tractor is encouraging event attendees to capture and share their US Open of Surfing moment from the Tractor booth. One lucky winner will receive two VIP passes to the highly anticipated Malibu Longboard Championship in October.

The Wallex US Open of Surfing is one of Southern California’s best summer traditions. Former CT surfers and elite young talents battle at the Huntington Beach Pier in a crucial Challenger Series event. The top longboarders face off for the first time on the WSL Longboard Tour. And on the beach, there’s everything from live music to food and shopping to Nitro Circus performing live. Be there on the sand, or watch the Wallex US Open of Surfing presented by Pacifico live July 29 to Aug. 6 on worldsurfleague.com.

Tractor Beverage Company is revolutionizing the beverage station as the first and only certified organic, non-GMO beverage solution for foodservice. Farmer-founded and employee-owned, the team is on a mission to create a cleaner, healthier planet, one drink at a time.

Proudly served in over 6,000 locations across all 50 states, Tractor’s handcrafted drinks feature clean ingredients that deliver on taste, functionality and experience, without any of the bad stuff. Tractor is the first beverage brand to track and disclose impact data about its ingredients through the Organic Impact Tracker, quantifying the benefit of sourcing organic versus conventional ingredients.

The company’s goal is to encourage farming practices that prevent synthetic pesticides from entering the food system and contaminating the water and land. Tractor has already eliminated more than 46 tons of synthetic pesticides from the food system since 2020 by sourcing organic ingredients, with a goal to eliminate 1,034 tons by 2033. The company was included on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies and on Fast Company’s 2021 list of the world’s most innovative companies.

The World Surf League is the global home of competitive surfing, crowning the undisputed World Champions since 1976 and showcasing the world’s best surfers on the world’s best waves. WSL is comprised of the Tours and Competition division, which oversees and operates more than 180 global competitions each year; Kelly Slater Wave Company, home of the world’s largest high-performance, human-made wave; and WSL Studios, an independent producer of unscripted and scripted projects.

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