WHOM YOU KNOW SAYS FRESH ORIGINS AND D'ARTAGNAN ARE BEST IN SHOW AT THE INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANT & FOODSERVICE SHOW, ESPECIALLY FOR NEW YORK'S RESTAURANT INDUSTRY MARCH 8-10, 2015
It's not who you know, it's WHOM YOU KNOW, and we are fortunate that the restaurant industry of Manhattan and beyond as well as the culinary community in general has been so good to us over the years, thank you! A restaurant would be nothing without a brilliant owner behind it that chooses the right ingredients to make their business a success.
Peachy Deegan was at the New York International Restaurant and Foodservice Show, and we thought the best two brands at the show were Fresh Origins and D'Artagnan. They are described in detail below.
We published on this show initially here, and we hope to tell you about some fantastic new brands we met via the review process.
Peachy and David, King of the Show to us
(Peachy is working on the art of the fine selfie)
Peachy and Ariane, Queen of the Show to us
Fresh Origins display:
Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga:
For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at
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Co-founded by Ariane Daguin in 1985, D’Artagnan is the premier manufacturer of handmade, fresh and naturally-prepared pâtés, sausages and smoked delicacies, and is the nation’s leading purveyor of all-natural and organic poultry and game, free-range meat, foie gras, smoked & cured charcuterie, wild mushrooms and truffles.
From the beginning, D’Artagnan has been committed to procuring and providing the freshest, and most consistent all-natural and organic poultry, meat and game available. D’Artagnan actively partners with farmers dedicated to excellent animal husbandry, sustainable and humane farming practices, and is a leader in the free-range, preservative-free, no growth hormone movement.
D’Artagnan’s inception greatly influenced the culinary landscape in America, since it coincided with America’s growing interest in gourmet food. Before D’Artagnan, four-star chefs had absolutely no resource for beautiful, fresh ingredients such as foie gras, duck, squab, and quail. But once D’Artagnan made these and other previously difficult-to-find products readily available, a whole new era in American cooking was born.
As the restaurant revolution took off, home cooks demanded access to the delicious food they had tasted and experienced while eating out. D’Artagnan answered the public’s demand by creating an ever-expanding line of retail products. Pâtés, terrines, sausages, bacons and other delicious prepared and fresh products are now available for every home gourmand to enjoy, in retail stores and also at www.dartagnan.com.
D’Artagnan continues to be a leading proponent of the sustainable movement in agriculture, educating consumers about the importance of understanding and appreciating how food is raised and harvested. At the same time, the company continually challenges itself and its suppliers to seek and develop new products for both its restaurant and retail customers. As Ariane Daguin, co-founder and now sole owner of D’Artagnan says, “Our success has always been due to our passion for quality and our commitment to procuring both the best and most unique products we can find.”
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KEY MILESTONES
3000 BC Egyptians feed figs and grains to their geese to create foie gras
476 AD Beginning of the Dark Ages
1985 D’Artagnan is born in Jersey City, NJ with two employees: Ariane and George. They lease a second hand orange juice truck
1989 Tired of clogging the kitchen sink with duck fat, D’Artagnan opens a USDA inspected commercial kitchen. D’Artagnan now has 31 employees and its own truck. The famous Mousse of 100% Foie Gras is born
April 1993 The first organic chicken in the USA is bred by Mennonite farmers in Pennsylvania, organized by D’Artagnan. The USDA refuses to allow the word “organic” on the label
June 1996 D’Artagnan opens first major supermarket chain account
Sept. 1997 D’Artagnan moves from Jersey City to the Ironbound in Newark, NJ with 57 employees & 4 trucks
Dec. 1998 D’Artagnan is the first to import fresh foie gras from France into the US. They are still the only ones importing it
Sept. 1999 D’Artagnan creates mushroom and truffle division, and gains vegetarian friends
June 2000 1st Prize NASFT – Mousse of Foie Gras. D’Artagnan has 75 employees and 11 trucks
Oct. 2000 D’Artagnan launches website and starts selling direct to consumers
Feb. 2002 Opening of D’Artagnan, The Rotisserie, which receives two stars from the New York Times. William Grimes writes: “D’Artagnan has the real thing. In fact it has so much personality, it can sell it by the pound. The food is authentic, robust, earthy and powerfully flavored.”
Oct. 2002 The USDA finally allows D’Artagnan to label its chickens “Certified Organic”
June 2003 D’Artagnan introduces duck bacon
Feb. 2004 D’Artagnan introduces humanely raised veal, and redefines politically correct meat
June 2004 1st Prize NASFT - Medallion of Foie Gras with Truffles
Dec. 2004 D’Artagnan has 115 employees and 23 trucks
Feb. 2005 D’Artagnan celebrates its 20th birthday
Aug. 2005 Ariane becomes sole owner and CEO of D’Artagnan
Dec. 2005 First $5 million sales month
Jan. 2006 D’Artagnan introduces certified humanely raised Berkshire pork – another symbol of D’Artagnan’s commitment to superior animal husbandry practices and sustainable farming
April 2006 City of Chicago bans the sale of foie gras. Predictions of a return to the Dark Ages
July 2006 NASFT Best Hors d’Oeuvres Award – French Kisses
Dec. 2006 D’Artagnan hits biggest sales month ever
Jan. 2007 D’Artagnan has 133 employees and 23 trucks
May 2008 Chicago repeals foie gras ban!
July 2008 D’Artagnan hits $50 million in sales
Aug. 2009 Bring on the [good] beef, never ever program (no hormones, no antibiotics from birth)
Feb. 2010 Celebrating a quarter century birthday. Big party, T Colicchio and M Tivy lead the rock band
June 2011 The first Rohan duck is born.
June 2012 Opening of the warehouse and operations in Chicago, the Mid-West opens up.
Sept 2013 Green Circle chicken makes the first page of the New York Times
