Graeter’s Ice Cream Launches Limited Edition Mystery Tasting Pack
Graeter’s Ice Cream, family-owned craft ice cream maker since 1870, has launched its latest creation, the Mystery Tasting Pack. This limited-edition pack invites ice cream lovers to participate in an engaging blind tasting experience with six never-before-seen flavors.
The Mystery Tasting Pack takes Graeter’s Ice Cream’s Bonus Flavor ideation to the next level, combining the craft quality and fan-loved perfection of the handcrafted French Pot ice cream, with a fun and interactive food challenge that brings family and friends together. The highly sought after Mystery Tasting Pack is available exclusively online at www.graeters.com/mystery-tasting, while supplies last.
The online pack offers ice cream lovers across the United States an opportunity to be the first to experience Graeter’s flavor innovations. Consumers are encouraged to peek under the veil of the Graeter’s flavor factory with delivery right to their doorstep.
These indulgent new flavors represent Graeter’s commitment to being the best in the ice cream business, like all of Graeter’s other flavors, these six pints are handcrafted in the brand’s classic French Pots in small 2½ gallon batches.
“We’re excited to offer our fans a chance to experience the thrill of discovering new flavors while adding an element of surprise,” said Bob Graeter, fourth-generation owner of Graeter’s Ice Cream. “It’s a great way to engage with our community and create memorable moments with friends and family. The six pack is sure to delight our loyal fans and show ice cream lovers across the U.S. what Graeter’s Ice Cream is all about.”
Friends, fans, and ice cream enthusiasts across America can get the Mystery Pack online at www.graeters.com/mystery-tasting for a limited time while supplies last.
Graeter’s Ice Cream, celebrating its 154th anniversary, produces craft ice cream using French Pots, a small batch, artisanal method of production dating back over a century. Graeter’s has won the hearts of ice cream enthusiasts across the country as well as the respect of the nation’s most influential foodies. Tasted among 13 national brands, Graeter’s was voted the #1 Vanilla Ice Cream by MyRecipes.com in 2019.
Famous for their signature chocolate chips, the Cincinnati-based company remains family owned and operated and continues to handcraft ice cream 2 1⁄2 gallons at a time. Today, Graeter’s currently has 56 retail stores and ships over 300,000 pints annually for online mail order sales and corporate gifting. Graeter’s can also be found in more than 3,000 grocery stores in 46 states. Visit www.graeters.com for more information.
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Tillamook CEO Criteser to Step Down; Booth Named to Succeed Him
Patrick Criteser
Tillamook County Creamery Association President & CEO Patrick Criteser will step down later this year. The TCCA Board of Directors has selected David Booth, TCCA’s current EVP of brand growth & commercialization, to succeed Criteser as president & CEO, with Criteser’s endorsement, and in alignment with the organization’s long-standing succession plan.
Criteser has led the farmer-owned cooperative since 2012. Under his leadership, the beloved regional heritage brand has been transformed into one of the largest, most respected and fastest-growing dairy companies in the country.
“Our vision of becoming a premium, multi-category, national dairy brand has been realized, and the cooperative is optimally positioned to thrive well into the future,” said Criteser. “I have accomplished what I hoped to achieve for the farmer-owners of this amazing cooperative, so I’ve decided that the time is right for this transition. Serving in this role has been the greatest honor of my professional career, and I am absolutely certain that our board has chosen the right person to succeed me in David.”
David Booth
TCCA Chair of the Board Shannon Lourenzo said, “We are so grateful for Patrick’s incredible leadership these past 12 years. Today, we are a $1.3 billion business, and one in four American households buy Tillamook cheese, ice cream and other dairy products. But we’re just getting started. David is a very talented leader and is someone who is well-equipped to continue the cooperative’s growth, which will further strengthen our farmer-owners, create more jobs and advancement opportunities for our employees, and enable us to continue to positively impact the communities where we live and work.”
Lourenzo said Criteser will remain CEO until later this year, while Booth immediately assumes the role of President. Working closely with the TCCA board and executive leadership team, they will implement a thoughtful transition plan to ensure business continuity and success. Upon Criteser’s departure, Booth will move into the role of President & CEO.
Booth joined TCCA in 2015, and has built top-performing sales, marketing, and category growth teams, forged crucial partnerships with retailers nationwide, and crafted Tillamook’s impressive growth strategy. He has wide experience across the company, including having served as interim CFO on two occasions. He has nearly 30 years of executive experience, including 18 years at ConAgra Foods.
“This is an incredible opportunity to work with our farmer-owners who have built this company with a long-term outlook and a commitment to growing the right way,” said Booth. “We have extremely talented and committed employees in every function and location. Our strong culture and organizational momentum are here to stay, and they will enable us to reach even greater heights in the future.”
Founded in 1909 as a farmer-owned cooperative, Tillamook County Creamery Association is a Certified B Corporation and prides itself on its commitment to bringing to market the most consistent, best tasting, highest quality dairy products possible. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves real food that makes them feel good every day, Tillamook’s internationally recognized, award-winning cheese, as well as exceptional ice cream, butter, cream cheese spreads, yogurt, sour cream, and frozen meals, are made with unwavering values that never sacrifice or compromise quality for profit. TCCA is owned by a group of farming families, primarily based in Tillamook County.
TCCA operates production facilities in Tillamook and Boardman, Ore., and employs more than 1,100. The Tillamook Creamery is the largest tourist attraction on the coast of Oregon and one of the most popular in the state, attracting more than one million visitors each year. For more information on TCCA and Tillamook, visit Tillamook.com.
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Vander Farmers, IGF Expand Distribution of Wagyu Beef Products
Vander Farmers, a family-owned company and farm in Sturgis, Mich., and the leading source of F1 American Wagyu in the Midwest, is substantially expanding distribution of premium Wagyu beef products into new markets across the United States through a partnership with International Gourmet Foods.
IGF is a wholesale distribution company founded in 1987 known for its extensive portfolio of high-quality food with warehouses in Northern Virginia; Charleston, S.C.; Atlanta and Chicago. Through IGF, Vander Farmers’ Wagyu products can now be found in Chicago, Wisconsin and the North/Central Midwest through Viola Imports (IGF’s Midwest branch) as well as the mid-Atlantic.
Prior to this new partnership, Vander Farmers’ Wagyu beef selections have been sought out by some of Chicago’s most prestigious restaurants and acclaimed chefs including Obélix, El Che Steakhouse, Swift & Sons, Frontier by James Beard-nominated Chef Brian Jupiter, Pella Signature, Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings, Bhoomi Modern Indian Grill, Flour Power and Bon Yeon due to the superior quality beef. Vander Farmers prides itself on using best-in-class technology mixed with ethical and sustainable farming practices to make the best Wagyu steaks, burgers, sausages and more on the market—which also means, no hormones, no antibiotics, pasture grazing, and humane living conditions for all their animals. They also supply Wagyu Beef Franks at multiple Chicagoland area Home Depots through a partnership with Fixin’ Franks, which created a highly publicized response at the home improvement store’s traditional hot dog stand.
This year, Vander Farmers, founded by husband-and-wife team Mario and Marjolein vanderHulst, joins IGF to create a full nose-to-tail American Wagyu program comprised of 15 offerings from every major primal such as beef ribeye, strip loin, flat iron, short rib and more (size and amount vary depending on size of the animal). IGF also will sell gourmet ground beef and offer a variety of pack sizes of these products to its customer base of gourmet food retailers, independently owned restaurants, and artisanal butcher shops.
“IGF is excited and proud to partner with Vander Farmers. Not only is their American Wagyu beef line a great addition to our product portfolio, it also fits comfortably within our model of sourcing quality-focused ingredients and prioritizing sustainable farming and production practices. As a family-owned and operated farm in pursuit of becoming the leading source of premium American Wagyu through their ethically raised cattle, Vander also has a great story that resonates with our customers,” said Mike McDowell, director of sales at IGF. “We very much look forward to growing this partnership with Marjolein and Mario as we expand their distribution to artisan butcher shops, restaurants, and gourmet markets through our network east of the Mississippi.”
Vander Farmers is a love story through and through. Partners Marjolein and Mario vanderHulst grew up in neighboring small towns less than 20 minutes outside of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Both fond of country life and the freeing life on a farm, the newlyweds came to the Midwest to realize their American Dream in 2001. In the next few years, they started their very own dairy farm and welcomed their first child, all while building a tight-knit community for themselves in Sturgis, Mich.
Almost two decades later and now a thriving family of four, the love between Marjolein and Mario is still on full display. In 2016, Marjolein set out on a mission to find the best Wagyu beef for Mario as a Christmas gift. After weeks of searching, Marjolein couldn’t locate a source of high-quality local Wagyu beef. She told Mario about her unfulfilled mission and the challenges she faced in the process, to which he replied, “Well, I guess we’ll just have to raise it ourselves,” and the rest is history.
Now, the family-owned and -operated farm provides insanely good F1 Wagyu beef (a crossbreed of full-blooded Japanese Black Cattle and Holstein Dairy Cow) that is raised humanely and with full transparency, perfect for an unforgettable meal shared with your family and friends. With a variety of products ranging from premium steak cuts, ribs, F1 Wagyu ground beef and their gourmet Wagyu Beef Franks, Vander Farmers is positioned to be the leading source of Wagyu in the Midwest.
Vander meats are available for nationwide shipping to all 48 states through their website at https://www.vanderfarmers.com and coming to local retailers soon.
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