Thomas Foods International USA (TFI USA) announced it will launch a partnership with internationally known chef, restaurateur, TV personality, and New York Times bestselling author, Chef Curtis Stone, at the 2017 National Restaurant Association (NRA) show in Chicago.
Thomas Foods International USA, a leading provider of high-quality imported meat products to some of the largest retailers and foodservice companies in the USA, aims to enhance their reach by engaging Stone’s global culinary, trade, and business expertise within both the commercial and foodservice markets.
In addition to meat supply chain consulting through his business Stone’s Food Inc., chef Curtis Stone has recently made a name for himself in the meat category. With his brother, and business partner, Luke Stone, Curtis opened Gwen Butcher Shop and Restaurant in Hollywood in mid-2016. Their dedication to curating a rotating offer of best-in-class meat and poultry products through the butcher shop, and as the core of the menu at Gwen, has landed them national and international acclaim.
The first importer of chilled Australian lamb and beef products in the US and a leading supplier of grass fed beef and lamb, Thomas Foods International USA chairman, Greg Bourke sees the partnership as a natural fit.
“As industry leaders, we must continue to push ourselves and through working with Curtis, we will be able to combine our supply and distribution with his culinary, meat advocacy, and consumer market acumen,” says Bourke.
Chef Curtis Stone sees the partnership as a way to work with a supplier who is equally passionate about quality, fresh, and ethically produced products.
“Luke and I first gained our appreciation for meat from the namesake of our restaurant: Gwen, our grandmother who grew up on a farm in Australia, and we both worked in butcher shops as our first jobs. Throughout my career as a chef, consultant, and now as a butcher shop owner, I’ve been inspired to find the best meat products and in order to do so, you really have to understand your suppliers and distributors,” says Stone. “Especially now that consumer demand is increasing for quality, ethical, natural meats, I’m so excited to have the chance to work with TFI USA, including their grass-fed, no antibiotics and no added hormone products.”
The launch of the partnership is timed to the upcoming National Restaurant Association (NRA) show in Chicago, at which Curtis and Luke Stone will be presenting a special pop-up experience of Gwen, their award-winning restaurant and butcher shop at TFI USA’s booth 7434 in the North Hall on Saturday, May 20, 2017. The Gwen team will be preparing TFI USA’s lamb and Angus Pure Grass Fed Beef from Australia, and their new premium milk-fed veal from the Netherlands, Royal Dutch Veal. Curtis will also present a larger demo at booth 7434 at 1:00 PM on the Saturday.
