Meat & Poultry -- December 2013 - 59

Natale Grande takes Italian comfort
food from the menu to the retail stage
by steve krut

meatpoultry@sosland.com

Through the years, Grande's cook-

helped write my HACCP plans, gave

ing and exuberant personality won

me assistance in labeling, quality con-

him the hearts of many of his cus-

trol, monitoring systems, formulations

tomers. Some were executives in such

and so much more. Without their help,

fine retailers as King's Food Market,

the paperwork alone would have been

whose corporate offices are not far

overwhelming and we needed to be

from the restaurant. After 25 years

under USDA inspection.

of dining at Il Capriccio, they knew

"Then I discovered that so much

Grande's passion was real and this

more guidance was available from

would give him the opportunity of a

equipment companies like Risco USA,

lifetime: to pitch his outstanding prod-

Multivac, Sealed Air/Cryovac, and

uct and get them a place in their mar-

RockTenn, to name a few," he adds.

kets for the world to taste and enjoy.

They provided equipment and design,

With this exposure, the demand for

research and development help and

his food soared.

helped Grande customize his production space to fit in the 30,000-sq.-ft.

Quiet start

plant in Bridgeton, NJ.

The Flying Meatballs started small

"The facility I wanted was a new

as a specialty item in the refrigerated

concept. We did not just want a pro-

section of the family's gourmet shop,

duction plant...we wanted one that was

La Famiglia Gourmet, in Mendham,

only semi-automated. In other words, I

NJ. But keeping those meatballs in

needed to have the chefs involved to re-

stock would become a whole other

tain the artisanal and traditional char-

challenge, as they flew off the shelves.

acter of the product," he says.

"We were going from making 50 lbs.

equipment from Risco was a major

300," he recalls. "Other stores were
Grande) in the family's fine-dining

Grande says custom-designed

of meatballs a week, to 150 and then

factor in allowing the firm to offer his

asking for the product."

meatballs in various sizes and varia-

restaurant, Il Capriccio, in Whippa-

Recognizing that the demand and

tions. The plant is capable of produc-

ny. Initially, Natale was studying en-

exposure for his product was rising,

ing the product in 3 and 3.5 oz., as

gineering at the Univ. of Florida when

he approached Rutgers Univ.'s Food

well as cocktail and mini sizes, too.

his father suffered an incapacitating

Innovation Center, which helps small

shoulder injury. Without being asked,

businesses grow.

Run by eight employees, t he
Bridgeton operation has been so suc-

he returned to run the operation and

"With my background in engi-

cessful that the product line is now

parlayed his on-the-job kitchen expe-

neering and food, I could visualize the

able to be offered in the family's

rience and some additional culinary

plant I needed and knew what I wanted

marketplaces, as well as in other lo-

studies to help propel the 180-seat res-

to do," Grande explains. "But there

cal gourmet shops and have recently

taurant into one of the top 100 Italian

were so many things that present-

joined the Fairway family in their New

restaurants in the nation.

ed challenges. The team at Rutgers

York, New Jersey and Connecticut

www.MeatPoultry.com * December 2013 * Meat&Poultry *

59
http://www.MeatPoultry.com
Meat & Poultry -- December 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat & Poultry -- December 2013
