by Bob Garrison


Side by side, they’re as different as guests on a daytime or late-night talk show.

Then again, Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Ones to Watch honorees do have something in common. These are the companies people are talking about – whether it’s because they’re leading the way in ethnic or healthy product trends or simply because they’re poised to grow even more.

To learn more, click on Refrigerated & Frozen Foods' digital edition or see each company's individual story at "RFF Extra."

Meals & Entrees

San Diego’s Circle Foods has grown from a neighborhood Mexican tortilla company to a national specialty food manufacturer. With new leadership and a new San Diego plant, Circle Foods is producing restaurant-style fresh, refrigerated and frozen foods including Nuevo Grille frozen Mexican entrees.

Snacks, Appetizers & Sides

They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Observers could say that Canada’s Culinary Destinations Ltd. already has come a long way – one appetizer at a time. What started in 1997 as a spring roll business supplying Toronto’s local private label market has grown to company supplying customers across multiple channels throughout Canada and the United States.

Prepared Meat & Poultry

When TGI Friday’s USA named its annual top vendors, the restaurant chain’s “Innovation Award” went to Sunrise Foods, LLC. This Albertville, Ala., poultry processor continues to grow – not only by developing custom foodservice offerings but also addressing wider industry health needs.

Prepared Fruit & Vegetable

Hero Group, Lenzburg, Switzerland, entered a 50-50 joint venture with Dean Foods’ WhiteWave LLC business, Broomfield, Colo., to produce and distribute Fruit2day. Already successful in Europe, this distinctive refrigerated snack combines real fruit bits with a blend of all natural juice and fruit puree.

Bakery

In a short period of time Canada’s Pineridge Foods Inc., Brampton, Ontario, has acquired six companies and grown to over $300 million in sales and 1,200 employees. Positioned for even more growth is the company’s Bakery Group, which already includes frozen specialty bakers Oakrun Farm Bakery and Gourmet Baker.

Dairy

Forget about an “eye-opening” debut. Cloud Top, Pasadena, Calif., had mouths moving at the All Things Organic trade show last summer. Cloud Tops’ premium organic frozen yogurt was voted the best new foodservice product in the show’s first “All Things Organic New Product Awards.”