pioneering!kettle!cuisine!founder!transitionstochairmanoftheboard ! michelin… ·  ·...

   FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  May  15,  2013    Contact:   Alicia  DeMartini             PMG  Public  Relations       Phone:  (802)  863-­‐3929  ext.  102       Email:  alicia@peoplemakinggood.com        

Pioneering  Kettle  Cuisine  founder  transitions  to  Chairman  of  the  Board  Michelin  Chef  and  fresh  food  industry  veteran,  Joe  Rainert,  appointed  as  new  CEO    CHELSEA,  MA  –  Kettle  Cuisine,  a  market  leader  in  premium  quality,  all  natural  soups  for  foodservice  and  

grocery  operators,  announced  that  Joe  Rainert  will  take  on  the  role  of  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  the  

Massachusetts-­‐based  company.  Jerry  Shafir,  who  founded  Kettle  Cuisine  27  years  ago,  will  transition  

from  CEO  to  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors  and  continue  to  help  the  company  navigate  future  

opportunities.  

  Rainert  first  joined  Kettle  Cuisine  in  January  2013  as  Executive  Vice  President  of  Sales,  Marketing  

and  Innovation.  Before  joining  Kettle  Cuisine,  he  served  as  Managing  Director  of  a  $200  million  fresh,  

chilled  foods  company  in  London.  Rainert  also  led  an  impressive  18-­‐year  career  at  Bakkavor  in  the  U.K.,  

where  he  ran  soup,  sauce  and  ready-­‐meal  businesses  serving  leading  retailers  such  as  Marks  and  Spencer,  

Waitrose,  Sainsbury  and  Asda.  Prior  to  his  career  in  chilled  foods,  Rainert  was  an  accomplished  chef  and  

restaurateur,  running  a  highly  successful  Michelin-­‐rated  restaurant  in  England.    

  Shafir  expressed  his  confidence  that  Rainert  will  bring  outstanding  leadership  to  Kettle  Cuisine  

and  carry  the  company  on  to  much  success  while  staying  true  to  the  core  food  values  on  which  the  

company  was  built.  “I  look  forward  to  seeing  Joe  lead  Kettle  Cuisine  into  the  future,”  Shafir  began.  “Joe  

has  an  extraordinary  background,  combined  with  a  passion  and  commitment  to  food  quality  and  

innovation.  He  is  customer  focused,  results-­‐oriented,  and  has  a  fantastic  track  record  of  developing  high  

performance  senior  teams.  I  am  supremely  confident  in  Joe  and  the  excellent  management  team  at  Kettle  

Cuisine.”  

  Shafir  will  continue  to  stay  active  with  the  company  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Directors.  He  also  

plans  on  taking  some  more  time  for  personal  pursuits  including  travel  and  philanthropy.  Both  Shafir  and  

Rainert  will  be  in  attendance  at  the  upcoming  National  Restaurant  Association  (NRA)  Show  in  Chicago  in  

May,  as  well  as  the  International  Dairy-­‐Deli-­‐Bakery  Association  (IDDBA)  Seminar  and  Expo  in  Orlando  

this  June.  Attendees  are  encouraged  to  stop  by  the  NRA  show  at  Booth  #3663  or  the  IDDBA  Seminar  and  

Expo  at  Booth  #3811  to  say  hello  to  Jerry,  Joe  and  the  rest  of  the  Kettle  Cuisine  team.    

###    About  Kettle  Cuisine  Founded  in  1986,  Chelsea,  Mass.  based  Kettle  Cuisine  is  at  the  forefront  of  helping  foodservice  operators  and  grocery  retailers  successfully  capitalize  on  a  growing  demand  for  exceptional  tasting  real  food  that  satisfies  everyday  wellness  lifestyles.  By  using  the  finest  quality  natural  ingredients,  classical  artisan  cooking  techniques  and  by  treating  food  the  way  it  should  be  treated  from  the  source  to  their  kitchens  to  you,  Kettle  Cuisine  consistently  delivers  premium  quality  soups  with  no  artificial  ingredients  or  flavors.  Please  visit  www.kettlecuisine.com  for  additional  information.