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Union Gospel Thank You

10 years supporting Union Gospel Mission

By | Angus Meats, Buy local, Community, Events, Food Service, News, Spokane news | No Comments

Ten years ago Union Gospel Mission found local sponsors to host their holiday meals. Their chef reached out to Angus Brands to help them secure prime ribs and hams for this yearly event.

We are proud to say this is our 10th year working with the Union Gospel Mission. We look for the best quality beef at the best price, we age it, and we hold it in our inventory until they are ready to cook.

The chefs at Union Gospel Mission have also started in-house training for those looking to get accreditation working outside the mission. Soups from scratch are part of this program. Angus Brands has donated thousands of pounds of bones to make soup stock from scratch.  

We look forward to many more years supporting Union Gospel Mission.

 

 

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2018 Year In Review: What’s Ahead?

By | Angus Meats, Buy local, Community, Dog bones, Food Service, Ground beef, News | No Comments

Recently I was asked how 2018 went for us and our company, and what do I expect for 2019. A mind full of answers came quickly. Each and everyone here at Angus Brands works very hard for our customers, and this past year was exceptionally challenging and progressive with new programs and products. Goals were accomplished and new ones set raising the bar yet again. So what new opportunity surfaced in 2018?

It began with a lot of questions from a retail grocery owner last May – “I have this need for my retail meat case. Is this possible? And, can you even do it?”

“Well,” I said, “Let’s find out!”

For me, in order to make good decisions you need and require reliable information. What was the question again? Oh … “Can Angus Brands create a Restaurant Quality Case-Ready Meat Program for Retail Stores that the average shopper will gravitate too?” The main line of items was initially supposed to be 6, but ended up to be 14 items. With lots of testing, label adjusting, and working out the minor details they received their first orders in November. I’m happy to report the grocer and their customers are very pleased and we are receiving very positive feedback.

How long does it take to measure success with a brand new program? Usually 2-3 years. Seems like a long time, but success does not happen overnight. Mostly it takes word-of-mouth; one pleased customer passing on the good news of a new exciting product to another at the store, at church, over coffee, or at the gym. So then, why did I invest so much time and effort into this new project? Because the market is changing yet again. Not only are consumers looking to buy products for their needs from a local reliable source, they are also changing where they shop and how they choose to shop. If you could choose between a Big Box Store and your own local neighborhood store, which would you prefer to support?

So, the last question: Am I looking forward to 2019? Without a doubt — Absolutely! Our Dog Beef Bone Program is flying off the retail shelf, and this new Restaurant Quality Case-Ready Meat Program is growing in awareness with grocery shoppers as word spreads, especially those who really want to support local.

One of my favorite things is to see another positive outcome for retail and restaurant customers that meets and satisfies the need for high quality easy to prepare products. I love what I do. As a local meat company, we are different. We thrive on new ideas and projects that are a good fit within our capabilities. So yes, I am very excited about what 2019 will be.

A very happy & prosperous New Year,

Tom Stachecki, Owner

 

 

 

 

Tom and Leslie’s Travel Blog Part 1: A Taste of New Orleans

By | Angus Meats, Community, Family, Food Service, News, Retail | No Comments

Recently Tom and I had the pleasure to travel to the colorful and “rowdy” city of New Orleans for a business conference. It was on my ‘bucket list’ to go, so I was very excited. New Orleans is an active 24/7 city of many sights, sounds, and of course the world famous food concocted by world famous chefs. Unusual Creole flavor profiles not to be forgotten.  We thought it would be fun to share our experiences. If you’ve been to New Orleans before, we’d love to hear all about your favorite spots. If you’ve never been, we encourage you to put it on your bucket list.

We’ll dedicate this first post to the food. We had many tasty meals while on our trip. Here are some of the highlights.

Roosevelt Hotel Restaurant

The Roosevelt Hotel is just a short walk from the French Quarter and just about anything and anywhere you want to explore. It’s a beautiful property with an amazing handmade timepiece greeting you at the hotel’s main entrance. “Mystery Lady Timepiece” was made by E. Farcot and displayed at the Paris Exhibitions of 1867 and 1878.

We had many delicious meals at the Roosevelt Hotel Restaurants from crab and crawfish omelets to the best Gumbo I’ve ever tasted, served by the nicest and most fun loving people. We were hugging each other at the end of the week.

For starters, on our 41st wedding anniversary, I thoroughly enjoyed the Braised Beef Short Ribs. The demi glaze was so light and perfectly seasoned, I asked for more! Tom dove into the rich Three Cheese fresh Shrimp and Crawfish dish (loads of creme!). Homemade hot and fluffy rolls were too tempting to turn down.

            

While we ate, we had live music; a pianist and alto singer breaking my heart with all the best. Lots of Cole Porter. When they played “Have I told you lately that I Love You?” that did it! That’s our song. We were celebrating; besides I already had two glasses of excellent robust red. I looked at Tom and said, “You know we gotta do this, right?” Yup, right there with the restaurant packed at every table, we got up and danced; just us. We were dancing by the serving credenza, and Eddie, one of our servers who enjoyed serving us with an exaggerated Fred Astaire style, came behind us. I said, “Sorry Eddie if we’re in your way.” “I’m lovin it up!” he said.

Carousel Bar

As far as drinks were concerned, we were told by every cab driver, guide, and everybody at the hotel that we just had to have a “Pimm’s Cup” at least just once. Thirsty after a walk about, we went to the famous Carousel Bar. Tom ordered one and I took a sip; kinda too sweet and bitter at the same time. Instead I had Rev. Stiggin’s Pineapple Daiquiri. Delicious! The bar itself rotates; yes, the whole bar!

           

Mandina’s Restaurant

Mandina’s is a neighborhood restaurant well acclaimed by the locals. We had to take a cab to get there. And, yes, you take cabs; not Ubers. Much safer. The place is very homey and simple with a combination of Italian and Creole cuisine. It was hard to choose, especially with my milk allergy. In the end, Tom’s choice was a packed fried oyster Po-Boy. He pushed me to take a bite and I wanted to spit it out! It’s the damn texture I can’t deal with. But you gotta try, right?

My meal was eggplant with shrimp, crab, and crusted ham in a roulade sauce. Very good, but so rich I only ate half that little dish. I wasn’t a fan of the pasta. Just the basic southern Italian heavy noodles with the marinara on top.

            

We did have tapas at another restaurant on Frenchman’s Street on the 2nd floor where we first saw the wedding party parade. I had two orders of the fresh crab cakes {ok, I was hungry from all the walking!} while Tom had the fresh crawfish tacos. You could get very fat trying all the dishes. One thing though, our main server at the Roosevelt Hotel, April, said everybody makes Gumbo different, and her momma makes the best. She was going to sneak some in for us, but I didn’t want her to get into any trouble. Yeh, I think all for all for me …. Gumbo is the main go to.

Again, these are just a couple of our most memorable meals and I think we’re still recovering from all the food and drink! Been working it off for weeks now; cardio, cardio, cardio. If you ever find yourself traveling to New Orleans, please let us know if you need any recommendations on where to stay, eat and see. 

Harvest Foods and Angus Brands in front of meat counter

Angus Brands welcomes Walla Walla Harvest Foods!

By | Angus Meats, Announcements, Bold Burger, Buy local, Community, Food Service, Grilling, Ground beef, News, Retail | No Comments

We are thrilled to welcome our newest customer, Harvest Foods, located in Walla Walla wine country.  Nolan and Kathleen Lockwood have been running Harvest Foods in Walla Walla for many years and have over 50 employees. Walla Walla Harvest Foods features locally grown produce, bakers who bake from scratch, and a Deli Department that is happy to prepare special orders upon request.

Nolan has a plethora of experience in the retail food service arena and wanted to upgrade his Meat Department, making it easier to get quality cuts and additional products he knew his customers would love. A couple of weeks ago the Lockwoods traveled to Spokane to tour the Angus Brands plant in order to gain a better understanding of what we produce. Determining it was a good fit, Nolan immediately ordered our patties and beef bones. Last week, Tom and Leslie traveled to Walla Walla to view their store. Before the day was out, Walla Walla Harvest Foods and Angus Brands were officially partners!

Like Angus Brands, Harvest Foods is committed to supporting the local community by offering fresh, quality foods and personalized service. We are excited about the possibilities the future holds in this great relationship.

March Madness Munchies

By | Angus Meats, Bold Burger, Buy local, Community, Events, Ground beef, News, Party food, Pub Patty | No Comments

Angus Brands is your team headquarters for mouthwatering game day food.

Coconut Chicken Skewers:  Quick prep comfort food that doesn’t break the scale or your wallet! No change needed for your favorite sides. With big flavor in a small bite, our skewers are an affordable luxury with endless profit potential.

Natural Ground Chuck Sliders:  Perfect for sit-down or take-out meals, our quick prep sliders pack a juicy punch. Versatile luxury with endless profit potential.

“Did you see the size of that Chicken?”  Why serve a drumette when you can serve the drum?!  Angus Brands Skins and Frenches, a Washington chicken leg leaving you with the largest chicken wing in town. Now that says “game day” grub.

To order, give us a call: 509-482-7033.

p.s. Go ‘Zags!

Chef to Chef

By | Angus Meats, Buy local, Community, Food Service, News, Spokane news | No Comments

So have you had time to breathe after this busy holiday season? I bet you are just like us at Angus Brands — a couple of quick breaths and off and running. Here we go!

As I started looking at the 2018 calendar year, I realized that running is an understatement. We all started the year off with the minimum wage increase. Have you increased your menu prices to reflect the new wage? If you haven’t, that should be your first priority.

February starts out with a roar. First we’ve got Valentine’s Day. If you’re not interested in the Chateaubriand (see recipe below), try our heart-shaped New York or Ribeye steak cut to your own personal specs. Next comes Restaurant Week February 22nd-March 3rd. I know many of you will be participating as I have several customers who will be involved in this years’ event. Angus Brands is preparing for Restaurant Week by sourcing products from exotic locations — cutting and portioning to chefs’ specs. Additionally, we are increasing our delivery routes to participating customers since we all know how important space in the walk-in becomes during events like this. We wish everyone a successful Restaurant Week!

February 14th also brings the start of Lent. Don’t forget about those of us that don’t eat meat on Fridays, thus your Friday fresh sheets need to be heavy on seafood the last half of February and all of March.

Speaking of March, St. Patrick’s Day is next on deck. Be sure to look at last years’ corned beef usage and preorder. If you haven’t tried Angus Brands’ Corned Beef, give me a call and I can take care of that. 😉 Which brings us to Easter (did somebody say “brunch?!”). Seems far away but it will be here before you know it. We have a variety of absolutely delicious sausages, including our our Apple Cran Sausage, that your customers will love.

After reading this article, did a black cloud of doom fall over you, or are you looking forward to the challenge? This chef is looking forward to the next few months. Whether it’s new menu ideas or specialty products, challenge accepted! If I can help you with any of these upcoming events and holidays, please contact me: Corporate Chef, Jeff Curry, at Angus Brands (509) 482-7033.

Reflecting back on 45 years of innovation

By | Angus Meats, Buy local, Community, Family, Food Service, Holidays, News, Recipes | No Comments

Am I the same person as I was 45 years ago? Just the other day, I found a simple note that I wrote back in 1988. The note was all about creating a new kind of sliced ham with my Dad; a spiral sliced ham. Reflecting upon this, I came to realize that, in this regard, I haven’t changed all that much in over 45 years. I still love creating and working closely with those that share the same passion for food and flavor profile combinations as I do. This inner excitement comes from working with top chefs and other foodies in our area, and collaborating on new approaches to how we prepare, taste, and jazz up their daily menus.

Our Angus Brands team was constantly innovating in 2017. They developed fantastic new sausage flavors such as Blueberry Peach Sausage Links, which complement our Apple Cranberry Sausage, and Roulade with Milano Sausage rolled within a pork loin. Delicious! Along with our line of full-flavored ground beef offerings, we’ve also created a Stuffed Chicken Breast with Asparagus and Provolone cheese.

Our Recipe for 2018: Partners, Knowledge, Experience, Focus, Understanding, Know-How, and a Lot of Passion. These are the necessary ingredients that create the best possible options for everyone. How exciting! Let us know what’s on your wish list.

Happy Holidays and here’s to a fantastic 2018,

Tom Stachecki

*Pictured above: Leslie Stachecki and Jeff Curry, all ready for the holidays!

Corporate holiday gift idea

By | Angus Meats, Buy local, Community, Events, Food Service, Holidays | No Comments

Are you still looking for ideas on what to give your clients for a holiday gift? Want to support local business and skip unnecessary shipping costs?

Just in time for the holiday season, you can buy local with Spokane’s own Angus Brands “Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner” gift basket.

Our tasty “Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner locally hand-crafted basket includes

Breakfast
Angus Meats’Apple Cranberry Sausage with a spectacular arrangement of apples, cranberries and maple syrup.

Lunch
Angus Meats’ Jalapeno Beer Brats are made with Steam Plant Brewing Company’s Whitman’s Wheat Ale, fire roasted peppers and stacked full of creamy cheddar cheese. Yum!

Dinner
Two juicy 10oz PRIME NY Steaks! Bring that high-end expensive dinner night out to your own kitchen.

We are offering these popular gift baskets at fantastic price. Please call us at (509) 482-7033 to order today.

Count your blessings

By | Community, Events, Family, Holidays | No Comments

Chilling down right? Yard art is put away, you’ve been raking leaves and pine needles for days. Heat is on (did you remember to change your furnace filter from all the smoke we had?), and the fireplace is crackling.

I’m more of a fan of Thanksgiving than Halloween. Thanksgiving is all about family, blessings to be grateful for, and remembering those we love who cannot be at the table.

I absolutely love the smell of our Angus Brands turkey slow cooking in the oven mixed with the pumpkin perfume of nutmeg and cinnamon spices. I don’t think there’s another holiday that measures up to the level of what our senses enjoy more. Talk about a real “foodie” day!

And isn’t it cool when the first snowflakes fall on that night? The kids get so excited! November is cozy, warm, with quiet days and nights. This is the time of year I really have a hard time getting out of my warm and perfect pillowed bed in the dark morning; especially for 7:00 am workouts at the gym (gotta work off that bird!).

Since our girls’ families are 3000 miles away, I find it funny when some of my friends are complaining they’re going to have 10 to 20 people for dinner. I’m thinking how lucky they are! It’s just the two of us. If I could say anything to all of you, it would be this: Embrace the ones you love; hold them close in person, on the phone, or FaceTime/Skype and overlook the minor stuff – it doesn’t matter anyway; say a prayer for those who’ve passed on that they are not forgotten. Sounds corny, but truly be grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving & bless you and your families, 

Leslie Stachecki