Hatfield, Pennsylvania-based global pork producer Clemens Food Group and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, which specializes in affordable natural and organic offerings, have announced a collaboration.
This new collaboration will allow Fresh Thyme to offer the Clemens’ pork brand, Farm Promise NAE (no antibiotics ever) across 11 Midwest states.
The distribution deal replaces Fresh Thyme’s conventional offerings with the Farm Promise NAE brand. A combination of bacon, sausage and ground pork, as well as traditional fresh pork tenderloins and chops, will be available to shoppers starting the week of July 6.
As consumers become more mindful of where their food comes from, they are demanding transparency and removal of antibiotics from their purchases.
Farm Promise is a true farm-to-table brand, benefiting from Clemens Food Group’s vertically-integrated network that distributes supply from American farms throughout the nation. The pigs are not given antibiotics, are 100-percent gestation crate-free and fed a vegetarian diet.
Since its founding, Fresh Thyme’s homegrown atmosphere and all-natural and organic products has allowed it to grow rapidly with 74 locations throughout the Midwest.
“Fresh Thyme’s mission aligns perfectly with ours,” said Sandra Sage, VP of market solutions at Clemens. “And as we continue to grow the Farm Promise name, we look for top-quality retailers with a sizeable market footprint. Fresh Thyme’s rapid expansion naturally puts us in the perfect position to capitalize on the ‘accountable food’ market. In short, it was the perfect fit.”
“We always put our shoppers’ best interests first and are looking to find those strategic supplier partners who align with our brand promise,” said Jason Resner, Fresh Thyme’s VP of meat and seafood. “The Farm Promise pork offering really stood out because it addresses several of the benefits consumers are looking for today in pork proteins: source verified, gestation crate-free, hormone and antibiotic-free and vegetarian-fed.
“Their brand’s no-antibiotics-ever claim is also validated through the USDA Process Verified Shield, which is recognized and appreciated by consumers.”
Clemens Food Group works with retail, foodservice and manufacturing customers around the globe, providing major brands like Hatfield, Farm Promise, Butcher Wagon and Red’s Legendary.
