by Marc Hamel and Ha Lam, December 22nd, 2011
We love our producers, suppliers and vendors and we think most of them have some pretty interesting stories behind their products too. We’re sharing some of our favorites here in an ongoing series.
With Organicville, no food lover is left behind. Whether your diet is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or you simply prefer to go organic, Rachel Kruse has created something incredibly delicious just for you.
As a lifelong vegetarian with a passion for organics, Rachel saw a need in the marketplace for organic dressings and sauces that add flavor (and fun!) to healthy foods. “I didn’t understand why folks would put non-organic dressings on organic salad,” she says. So, at age 27, Rachel quit her corporate job and developed her first salad dressings.
Organicville has grown to offer a complete line of marinades, BBQ and pasta sauces, ketchup, mayo, hot sauces, hand-churned ice cream and innovations like non-dairy ranch dressing (a vegan blue cheese dressing is also in the works). All are vegetarian, most are vegan, many are gluten free, and all are made with premium ingredients, such as agave nectar instead of refined sugar or tamari instead of soy sauce.
“We don’t source ingredients based on the best price. We source the best ingredients. Whenever possible we source from small family farms,” Rachel says. “And we make small batches. That’s what makes it taste delicious.”
Every product also has to pass the ultimate taste test — Rachel’s four-year-old daughter, Sky. Rachel’s brother, mother, father and husband are also part of the taste-testing panel and help with day-to-day operations. “It’s a team environment,” Rachel says. “We create products that bring the family together.”
Original online post: http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2011/12/organicville-foods/
