Local Grocer Selects Former Tazo Tea Building; Taps In-House Leader to Head Project
PORTLAND, Ore. – November 27, 2012 – With 12 in-store kitchens and bakeries cooking and baking at full capacity, New Seasons Market today announced plans to expand its renowned culinary program by adding a Central Kitchen. The former headquarters of Tazo Tea, located at 301 SE 2nd Avenue, will be the first off-site kitchen for the locally owned grocer and a playground for new product and recipe development. Construction begins in February 2013, with daily food production beginning in September. When fully functioning, a team of approximately 80 will work on site.
“Great ingredients and a love of cooking from scratch are at the heart of who we are,” said Pat Brown, New Seasons Market’s Chief Operating Officer. “We have limited production space in our stores, so adding a Central Kitchen will allow us to expand the variety of seasonal and homemade foods that we offer our customers, while improving product consistency in all of our stores.”
The 33,000-square-foot former tea warehouse will be transformed into a state-of-the-art, dedicated production facility, including:
- · Hot and refrigerated production areas where scratch made soups, sauces and prepared foods are made fresh daily for the stores’ delis and popular grab-n-go cases
- · An Oregon Tilth– certified organic bread bakery for the production of sandwich breads, buns, rolls and holiday breads
- · A bakery for making homemade breakfast pastries, cookies and bars, as well as classic frosted cakes and tarts
- · A smokehouse for New Seasons Market’s own smoked meats and seafood
- · A test kitchen for recipe development
The Central Kitchen is also being designed to exceed the new Food Safety Modernization Act, strengthening New Seasons’ commitment to food safety.
“We’re excited to be a part of the Central Eastside neighborhood, and this site is less than 30 minutes from all of our stores — even in traffic,” said Brown. “Deliveries to the stores from the Central Kitchen will be made daily.”
All New Seasons Market locations — both current and future — will continue to have on-site store chefs, line and prep cooks who will focus their craft on recipes customized to their customers’ preferences. With the opening of the Central Kitchen, store chefs and bakers will have a greater ability to interact with and educate their customers, and develop and test new and existing recipes in the new test kitchen.
New Seasons Promotes Powell to Foodservice Director
Jamie Powell, New Seasons Market’s Director of Merchandising, will provide leadership for the company’s expanded foodservice program in the newly created position of Foodservice Director. Powell joined New Seasons Market in 2008 to lead the company’s flourishing deli department. Later, in 2010, she was promoted to Director of Merchandising, where she oversaw the management of all grocery, perishable and home goods departments. Powell’s professional background is rooted in 25 years of food experience, including 13 years in retail grocery. She earned a degree from the Culinary Institute of America and spent two years working in European kitchens.
About New Seasons Market
Founded by three Portland families more than 12 years ago, New Seasons Market is proud to be home grown and locally owned and operated. With more than 2,300 employees and 12 stores throughout the Portland-Vancouver area, New Seasons Market is also one of the region’s largest private employers and is among the largest supporters of small, local farmers. Giving back to the community is a core value and part of New Season Market’s culture, demonstrated by the company’s commitment to giving 10 percent of its after-tax profits to hundreds of nonprofit organizations that work to end hunger, educate youth and protect the environment. In 2011 alone, the company donated to over 800 local nonprofits and community organizations. Connect with New Seasons Market at facebook.com/NewSeasonsMarket for the latest news, stories from the farm, special promotions and recipes.