Slow Living celebrates all the small artisanal producers, and those whose story is one of passion and inspiration, who bring us simplicity in it's most beautiful form. In this episode we hear from Ron Tanner, Vice President, Philanthropy, Government and Industry Relations, about the history of the show and some exciting new products. We also travel to New Zealand and Bath, through the stories of our guests, to discover some terrific products from each region that Americans can now enjoy.
Ron Tanner
Ron Tanner is Vice President, Philanthropy, Government and Industry Relations at the Specialty Food Association, owner of the Fancy Food Shows®, and the publisher of Specialty Food Magazine. Ron has worked for the Specialty Food Association, and its 3,000+ members, since 1987. Prior to joining the association, Ron worked for 10 years as an editor with Progressive Grocer Magazine. Ron has appeared on The Today Show, CNN and Food Network, and has been quoted in Newsweek, The New York Times, and Parade Magazine. Ron has an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University in New York City, and a B.A. in English and Communications Studies from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.
Jan Meyer
Rutherford and Meyer
"I first discovered Rutherford and Meyer fruit pastes at my local grocery and marveled at their different flavors, such as pear, fig, plum and the more often seen quince. As soon as I got them home, I found that way more than being great with cheese, these pastes are a perfect chef's companion, as a base for glazing sauces, or just spread over fish or meat while cooking so the delectable and pure fruit melts into the flesh."
Sally James
Like many small New Zealand businesses, this now thriving export
business started as a cottage industry. It began in 1996, with two North
Canterbury farming friends, Gay Rutherford and Alison Meyer, taking old family
recipes which were used for preserving the surplus ripe fruit from the summer
harvest as the basis for their fruit pâté recipes.
Recognizing an exciting opportunity, their vision was simply to take something that had been enjoyed in the farm kitchens of North Canterbury and share it with others, both within New Zealand and other parts of the world.
rutherford & meyer today
Ownership
of the company changed in 2001 when Jan Meyer and Russell Coventry bought the
business. Today Rutherford & Meyer is a small and dedicated team of foodies
who are passionate about creating gourmet products that enhance the lives of
their customers. The product range has grown considerably and now includes Fruit Pastes, Gourmet Wafers, Gluten Free Rice Wafers, Waferbites, Honey Plus and Frubees.
They
are passionate about creating innovative gourmet food products. Today
Rutherford & Meyer are a thriving export company with markets in Australia,
North America, Asia & Europe as well as at home.
For us, the best type of
food is food which is shared with family and friends. We search the world for
great friendship food traditions& exotic tastes and flavours – delights of
the world; unique recipes; fantastic taste experiences – bringing alive food
traditions often long forgotten. In the same way the English took home curry
powder from India to make their famous Colman’s mustard and the tea industry
from Ceylon, each product range we create carries with it an interesting story
of discovery, culture and friendship.
We bring those ideas, and
the finest quality ingredients back to New Zealand to create products for you
to enjoy with friends. When you think about socialising, we want you to think
Rutherford & Meyer — a collection of the world’s great food delights —
unique products that provide a memorable and enjoyable eating experience.
Ann-Marie Dyas
Owner,
The Fine Cheese Co. is a maturer, wholesaler, retailer
and exporter of artisan British cheeses, most of which are unpasteurised and
all of which are traditionally made.
Based in historic Bath, which is set in the heart of the
English West Country and the home of the most famous of British cheeses:
Cheddar.
Cheese specialists for twenty years, from the start nurturing
and supporting the cream of British cheese-makers. The Fine Cheese Company
carries over a hundred hand-made British cheeses: from rediscovered gems such
as Devon Oke, a hard but creamy cows’ milk cheese made to the original
seventeenth century recipe, to Lord of the Hundreds, an unpasteurised mature
sheep’s milk cheese made in the style of an Italian Pecorino.
The Fine Cheese Co. has been owned and run from the
beginning by Ann-Marie Dyas. A judge at both the British and World Cheese
Awards, Ann-Marie is committed to the survival of traditional cheese-making,
and to introducing farmhouse cheeses to as wide a public as possible.
Importing artisan cheeses
also from France, Italy, Spain and Holland, the Fine Cheese Co. has sought,
cared for and loved hand-made cheese.
They have also made it their business to
know what flatters it and makes it a new experience, with a dedicated and unique ranges of
Crackers (made by our sister Company, Artisan Biscuits), Fruits, Whole Fruits, Chutneys, and
English Pickles for Cheese are the result.
Linda Noll
Pacific Resources International
 |
| David and Linda Noll |
Bringing a taste of New Zealand to your door for
the past 25 years.
Pacific Resources International is an exclusive
importer of high quality New Zealand products.
Run by owner David Noll, who lived and worked in
New Zealand for 15 years. After marrying a local Kiwi, Linda, he has brought
the products of New Zealand to US soil. David works closely with a variety of
New Zealand companies to ensure the products pure and natural qualities.
Family owned and run we pride ourselves on great
customer service and our quality products. Pacific Resources is the US store
front for Companies such as Arataki, Nelsons Honey, Mossops Honey, Dominion
Salt and more.
