Product Launch Ups & Downs

Ever wonder what it takes to get a new meat product to market? The answer is patience and persistance! This week Firsthand Foods is launching our very own black pepper and fennel dry-cured salami! The journey from inception has had its ups and downs, but we're thrilled to share the final product. Read on for the challenges we encountered along the way.?

Our first step was to come up with a short list of potential co-packers. The key was finding a salami manufacturer that can make small quantities. That ruled out a convenient option just a few hours away that required an excessively large (2,000 pound) minimum. So we had to look pretty far afield but finally found four small batch options and requested samples. That’s when the fun began! Let’s just say that the Firsthand Foods' team has eaten a lot of salami this past year.

We wanted to find a salami that was pleasing to eat and that would be a bit different from what is available locally so we chose the full, robust flavor of dry-cured salami. From there we were looking for a mild, balanced flavor profile that would showcase the naturally delicious qualities of heritage breed, pasture-raised pork.

Once we identified the winner, we ran a test batch, with high hopes that we'd be in the salami business within a matter of eight weeks. Unfortunately, our first co-packing experience ended up being a bust due to the presence of inedible bits of collagen inside. So it was back to the drawing board. That's when we turned to North Country Charcuterie in Ohio and we’re happy to say they’ve done a great job for us.

Not that we didn’t have a few hiccups along the way. For example, we chose a low-waste (paper only) option for packaging only to find out that this would require refrigerated storage. Obviously, this is not the goal for a non-perishable product. So our next batch will also come with a plastic liner.

We've learned a lot during this 12-month long process about the patience and persistence involved in launching a new product. We're excited its finally here and can't wait to share it.