Quality Products & Exceptional Service

Here you will find important news and events related to Native Maine Produce and the food industry, both locally and in general. Be sure to also check out the Chef's Report for more information.

NMPSF Advisory Board Solicitation April 17, 2007

NMPSF Advisory Board Solicitation April 17, 2007   TO: All Customers:   The Native Maine Produce & Specialty Food, LLC Advisory Board is now accepting applications for prospective members to fill several anticipated vacancies. For more information or to be considered, please contact Troy Andrews directly at 207- 415-6876.   Click here to download an application. (PDF)   The History of the Board The Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods, LLC Advisory Board (NMPAB) was chartered to provide Native Maine Produce, LLC with timely, balanced, external advice on issues of importance to Maine's chef's and Maine-based restaurant and food service industries.   The mission of the NMPAB is to provide impartial advice, information and recommendations to the owners and management of Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods, LLC on new products, changing food fashions, trends and creative methods to better serve customers of "Native Maine." The members of the board offer a diverse and extensive reservoir of independent technical and practical culinary knowledge, formal hospitality education and hands on food service expertise.   The Board is focused on new product development and growth management. Much of its work is conducted through quarterly meetings held in Westbrook, ME.   The term of the board is for one year with the possibility of reappointment. Future and replacement members are chosen and approved by the current board with final approval required by a majority of the NMPAB members. NMPAB members report directly to the owners of Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods, LLC. Service is on a pro-bono basis.

Congratulations & Farewell August 28, 2006

CONGRATULATIONS! Congratulations to Seth Wilson, produce buyer and his new wife Kim. They tied the knot last weekend. Cheers! Also tying the knot earlier this month was April Parise from Customer Service. She and her new husband Bill will reside in Albany, NY.   GOOD LUCK! After 8 years of dedicated service, April Parise has left NMPSF to be with her new husband, Bill who resides in Albany, NY. April has accepted a position as a customer service specialist with a NY based insurance company. We will all miss April but wish her the best of luck as a New Yorker! "April, I'll miss you sooooo much! Where am I going to get all my gossip or discuss BB? You've been an incredible co-worker and will always be a great friend. Keep in touch!" ~Mike

Portland's own Taste Of The Nation Jun 13, 2006

Join NMP as Share Our Strength Portland, Maine embarks on its inaugural Taste of the Nation Benefit to Fight Childhood Hunger!   Share Our Strength has helped guarantee that anyone hungry in America today has a place to go and get something to eat! Since 1984, Share Our Strength® has led the fight against hunger and poverty by inspiring and organizing individuals and businesses to share their strengths. They have raised over $200 million to fight hunger around the globe. Today’s priority is to end childhood hunger in America ensuring that the nearly 14 million American children facing hunger have access to the nutritious food they need to learn, grow and thrive.   The Taste of the Nation fundraising event is the primary benefit for Share our Strength. Located on Great Diamond Island in Casco Bay. This culinary event will feature Portland's top chefs including Larry Matthews, Jr. of Back Bay Grill, Rob Evans of Hugo's, Jeff Landry of Eve's at the Garden, Joseph Boudreau of Mims, Lee Skawinski of Cinque Terre, and chefs from Fore Street and Oolong, are producing the finest food and wine event ever hosted in Portland. More importantly, these community leaders are coming together to fight childhood hunger!   From the moment you arrive at the dock, until the return cruise later in the day, the cuisine of Fore Street, Eve's, Back Bay Grill and other members of Portland fine-dining scene, will be on display. The talents of SOS Portland's chefs will be complimented with fine wines and spirits and amazing entertainment. 100% of the money raised goes toward the fight to end childhood hunger – here in Maine and across the nation.   Guests of the Taste of the Nation are invited to attend a chef and volunteer celebration, free of charge, immediately following the Taste event, at the Mariner's Church. VIP Admission: $175.00 General Admission: $125.00. The event is being held Sunday, June 25. Tickets are available by calling 207-450-1385.

Help Us Serve You Better! May 30, 2006

Same day deliveries are very inefficient. Whenever possible, PLEASE have all orders in by 8:00PM (or earlier), the day before your delivery. Placing your order earlier greatly reduces the amount of backorders and allows us to more efficiently stock our warehouse and load our delivery trucks. We greatly appreciate your help.

Native Maine and AJ Kennedy's Merge May 20, 2006

May 16, 2006 TO: Our valued customers FR: All of us at Native Maine RE: Exciting News!   A.J. KENNEDY TO MERGE WITH   NATIVE MAINE PRODUCE!   We are pleased to announce that A.J. Kennedy’s pending merger with Native Maine Produce will be completed on Saturday May 20th. At that time we will both start to operate under the name: Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods, LLC. You can expect very little change. Our contact information including address and telephone numbers remain the same. While we are all pleased to welcome some new team members in our office, sales and delivery departments, April and Caryn will continue the outstanding customer service you have come to expect when you call us. A different driver may deliver your order from time to time, as we work to identify necessary route changes and delivery options to best serve your needs. The newly expanded Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods will be a much stronger, more diverse company with the buying power required to continually offer you the highest quality products at consistently competitive prices. Please call us anytime with any questions you may have. At your service, J.J., Sean & The Native Maine Team 75 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103 Tel: 207-878-2400 • Toll Free: 877-343-7848 • Fax: 207-878-9953 www.nativemaineproduce.com

Lettuce Alert, Crisis In California Apr 26, 2006 Updated

By Seth Wilson, NMP Buyer April 26, 2006 - Update! Our west coast produce brokers tell us at NMP that "Many CA lettuce fields that should be in harvest mode are covered with acres of mud puddles large enough to produce ocean size waves!" The lettuce crisis may last through June as the harvest location moves! Please know that we are working constantly to bring product in house that exceeds what is being offered by most CA farms. However you will need to plan on product that is not perfect and will result in a lower yield than normal. April 19, 2006 - Update! All lettuce products will still be very wet and quality will be lower than normal. This includes Baby Spinach, Baby Arrugula, Iceberg, Green/Red Leaf, Romaine, Mesculin, etc. Prices will be unsteady for awhile. Please know that some rusting around the edges and at the core of product will be normal. Product will not store well as it is being shipped across the country wet! April 11, 2006 All California products will have quality and availability problems due to excessive rains and cold weather. As always, when crop quality is bad, supplies are low and prices go up!

Join Us For Maine Restaurant Expo 2006 Mar 20, 2006

It's time for Expo 2006! Join Native Maine Produce for Maine's only full-service trade show serving the business needs of the restaurant and lodging industries. More than 150 booths offering products and services to help you perfect your business! Be sure to ask us for a free gift ($10 value) at the show. March 29th, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at the Cumberland County Civic Center. We'll be at booths 600-602. Visit the Maine Restaurant Association for more information.

2006 Open House Prize Winners Feb 7, 2006

Thanks to everyone for making our 2nd Annual Open House & Customer Appreciation Day a huge success! A great time was had by all!   Our Top Prize Winners Include: Catered Private Yacht Cruise on Casco Bay - Summer '06 JR from Parkview Medical Center Andy from Harraseeket Inn Leslie from Aurora Provisions Leah from Akari Bistro Jess from Chili's Mexican Grill Mark from Mark Antony's   Golfing at the Woodlands with Sean Ryan, Co-Owner NMP Dirk from the Blue House Cafe Kevin from Amato's Catering Ed from Chili's Mexican Grill   20" Color Television Sets Marion from Aurora Provisions David from Cedars Health Care Dan from Amato's Sandwich Shops   Many of our raffle winners received NMP clothing, Mag-Lite Flashlights, Portable CD Players, Cooking Equipment and Apparel, Cordless Telephones, Video Games, Timex Clock Radios and lots of other great gifts. All of our guests enjoyed a huge selection of food and drink, NMP Travel Mugs and much more.   If you had fun at our Open House, just wait til next year!

2006 NMP Advisory Board Member Request Jan 10, 2006

The Native Maine Produce Advisory Board (NMPAB) is currently being chartered to provide Native Maine Produce, LLC with timely, balanced, external advice on issues of importance to Maine’s chefs and Maine-based restaurant and food service industries. The mission of the NMPAB is to provide impartial advice, information and recommendations to the owners and management of Native Maine Produce on new products, changing fashions, food trends and creative methods to better serve customers of Native Maine Produce, LLC. The members of the Board offer a diverse and extensive reservoir of independent technical and practical culinary knowledge, formal hospitality education and hands on food service expertise. The board is focused on new product development and growth management. Much of its work is conducted through quarterly meetings. If you would like to be involved, WE WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP!!!!! Please contact Troy Andrews at troy@nativemaineproduce.com or via his cell phone; 415-6876.

Improved, Fresher Fresh Herbs from Infinite Herbs Jan 7, 2006

Infinite Herbs, now at NMP! These jet-fresh herbs are protectively packaged in plastic clamshell containers and always have a consistent 4oz weight. Because they are jet-fresh and not transported by truck, Infinite Herbs will arrive to you at optimum freshness and will last an average of 4 days longer than traditional bunched herbs. For more information please see our Product Overview section or Contact Sales.

Expanding Again! More Gourmet Cheeses In Stock Now! Jan 3, 2006

Look for even more gourmet cheeses at Native Maine! Now over 150 varieties and pack sizes available, in stock and ready to ship. Login to Entree now to browse our inventory, check prices and pack sizes.

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