Going all in on all-natural
Midwest meat company Greenridge innovates and expands with new line of clean label, handcrafted deli products.
At a Glance
- Greenridge, formerly Greenridge Farms, is undergoing a major rebranding and expansion of its all-natural deli meat line.
- The company is tripling the size of its facility to enhance R&D efforts and improve product offerings.
- It’s focused on clean, natural ingredients, utilizing a small-batch approach with grass-fed beef and antibiotic-free chicken.
Building on a long-standing reputation for impeccable sourcing and handcrafted production, Greenridge recently launched a major rebranding and expansion of its all-natural deli meat line. In the 15 years since brothers Sebastian and Michael Madej founded what was formerly known as Greenridge Farms, it’s become one of the fastest-growing meat companies in the Midwest. Now, armed with a new name and website and a facility planned to triple in size, Greenridge is well positioned to tap into the insatiable appetite for artisan meats in unique flavors, sizes and formats.
“Our expanded facility will allow us to grow our research and development process, and continually improve our product portfolio by testing new spice blends and cooking techniques,” Sebastian Madej said.
When complete, the facility will include capabilities for drying meats to naturally extend their shelf life, and for offering meats in a pre-sliced format to meet the growing demand for convenient options.
The company’s upcoming introduction of snack sticks in new sizes, including 1-oz. sticks and two- and four-packs, is also intended to adapt to the shift in consumers’ eating habits. “People’s eating patterns have changed over the years from three square meals to multiple micro meals throughout the day, so it made sense to expand our offerings to include on-the-go snack options,” Madej said.
New snack stick flavors of Italian-Style Grass Fed Beef and Buffalo Chicken were inspired by the company’s top sellers and regional influences, according to Madej.
“As a Chicagoland company, we wanted to create something with the locally famed giardiniera, so we stuffed our classic beef stick with it,” he explained. The Buffalo Chicken snack stick was created by infusing Greenridge’s chicken sticks with a favorite hot sauce.