CHELSEA, MA – Kettle Cuisine, a market leader in premium quality, all natural soups for foodservice and grocery operators, announced that Joe Rainert will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts-based company. Jerry Shafir, who founded Kettle Cuisine 27 years ago, will transition from CEO to Chairman of the Board of Directors and continue to help the company navigate future opportunities.
Rainert first joined Kettle Cuisine in January 2013 as Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Innovation. Before joining Kettle Cuisine, he served as Managing Director of a $200 million fresh, chilled foods company in London. Rainert also led an impressive 18-year career at Bakkavor in the U.K., where he ran soup, sauce and ready-meal businesses serving leading retailers such as Marks and Spencer, Waitrose, Sainsbury and Asda. Prior to his career in chilled foods, Rainert was an accomplished chef and restaurateur, running a highly successful Michelin-rated restaurant in England.
Shafir expressed his confidence that Rainert will bring outstanding leadership to Kettle Cuisine and carry the company on to much success while staying true to the core food values on which the company was built. “I look forward to seeing Joe lead Kettle Cuisine into the future,” Shafir began. “Joe has an extraordinary background, combined with a passion and commitment to food quality and innovation. He is customer focused, results-oriented, and has a fantastic track record of developing high performance senior teams. I am supremely confident in Joe and the excellent management team at Kettle Cuisine.”
Shafir will continue to stay active with the company as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He also plans on taking some more time for personal pursuits including travel and philanthropy. Both Shafir and Rainert will be in attendance at the upcoming National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago in May, as well as the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association (IDDBA) Seminar and Expo in Orlando this June. Attendees are encouraged to stop by the NRA show at Booth #3663 or the IDDBA Seminar and Expo at Booth #3811 to say hello to Jerry, Joe and the rest of the Kettle Cuisine team.
About Kettle Cuisine
Founded in 1986, Chelsea, Mass. based Kettle Cuisine is at the forefront of helping foodservice operators and grocery retailers successfully capitalize on a growing demand for exceptional tasting real food that satisfies everyday wellness lifestyles. By using the finest quality natural ingredients, 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 premium quality soups with no artificial ingredients or flavors. Please visit www.kettlecuisine.com for additional information.
Source: Kettle Cuisine