CHELSEA, MA — Kettle Cuisine, artisan maker of refrigerated and frozen premium quality, all natural soups, will celebrate their 25th anniversary in business on October 6 of this year.
Kettle Cuisine was founded in 1986 by Jerry Shafir in Revere, Mass., with the idea that even demanding chefs would feature fully prepared soups if they could be sure those soups were made with the same “real-food” ingredients and time-tested cooking techniques they would use if they were doing the cooking themselves. The company started with just seven core soups and distribution to only the New England foodservice market. Today, Kettle Cuisine employs nearly 200 people, produces more than 50 varieties that are distributed throughout the United States, and has averaged more than nine percent annual revenue growth in the last seven years.
But through all the growth, the company is unwilling to deviate from its artisan principles. That means sticking with small batches and minimal processing. “As we grow,” Shafir says, “we understand what was behind that growth, and we stick to that path to keep on growing. While we have learned to be artisan cooks at a significant scale, at the core, it continues to be about product integrity and consistently making great products that our customers enjoy and can proudly serve.”
From early on, Kettle Cuisine has been at the forefront of incorporating ingredient and flavor trends into new recipes in order to continuously expand their portfolio and be sure they offered something for everyone. In addition to the classics, the Kettle Cuisine lineup now touches down at all the global gastronomic hotspots, bringing in such titles as Thai Chicken with Red Curry, Mediterranean Grilled Eggplant and Portuguese Kale Soup with Linguiça. Their most recent varieties are Steak and Ale Soup and Curried Cauliflower Soup, which were launched this fall.
Kettle Cuisine has also been a leader in meeting the evolving dietary preference and requirements. The company has long offered vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and low fat varieties to its customers and was recently the first soup company to offer an extensive selection of certified gluten free soups.
Kettle Cuisine 25 year timeline:
The Early Years (1986 – 1992)
In the early years, Shafir traveled door-to-door shopping his new concept around to Chefs who had grown skeptical of premade soups. However, once they could taste the difference, restaurants in the Greater Boston area fully embraced Kettle Cuisine.
Expanded Offerings & Formalized Culinary Discipline (1992 – 1998)
As Kettle Cuisine continued to grow so did demand for expanded offerings. Therefore, in 1992, Jerry hired accomplished Chef and Restaurateur Volker Frick to join the team as Executive Chef. Chef Volker's culinary skill and artistry were immediately apparent as he expanded Kettle Cuisine's portfolio to over 50 varieties. To this day, Chef Volker is viewed as the architect and enforcer of Kettle Cuisine's culinary discipline.
A New Channel (1999 – 2005)
During the 1990's, supermarket chains increasingly became interested in offering fresh prepared foods. In 1999, Kettle Cuisine began offering private label refrigerated soups to the supermarket industry and quickly grew its base of customers to more than 20 regional chains. With all this growth, expansion became necessary and in 2000 the company moved into a new 65,000 square foot facility.
Direct to Consumers (2006 – Present)
Upon its 20th anniversary, Kettle Cuisine embarked on a new venture to deliver gluten free soups directly to consumers. In 2006, when the FDA proposed a formal definition for gluten free foods, Kettle Cuisine got the opportunity to serve this community with great tasting, wholesome, real food products. This is something Shafir had wanted to do for a long time, as his daughter suffers from celiac disease. The line of ten single serving, frozen soups are now available in grocery stores in all fifty states and Canada.
As for the future, “we look forward to expanding our products and services on a larger national scale, all while maintaining our commitment to cooking and delivering premium quality, all natural soups,” says Shafir.
About Kettle Cuisine:
Based in Chelsea, Mass., Kettle Cuisine is at the forefront of a growing demand for exceptional tasting real food that satisfies everyday wellness lifestyles. By using the finest quality natural ingredients and classical artisan cooking techniques and by treating food the way it should be treated from the source to their kitchens to you, Kettle Cuisine consistently delivers top quality soups with no artificial ingredients. Visit www.kettlecuisine.com for additional information.
Source: Kettle Cuisine