Vander Farmers, a family-owned company and farm in Sturgis, Michigan and a source of F1 American Wagyu, is substantially expanding distribution of their premium Wagyu beef products into new markets across the United States through a partnership with International Gourmet Foods. IGF is a wholesale distribution company founded in 1987, known for its extensive portfolio of unique, high-quality food with warehouses in Northern Virginia, Charleston, S.C., Atlanta, and Chicago. Through IGF, Vander Farmers’ Wagyu products can now be found in Chicago, Wisconsin and the North/Central Midwest through Viola Imports (IGF’s Midwest branch) as well as the mid-Atlantic.
Prior to this new partnership, Vander Farmers’ Wagyu beef selections have been sought out by some of Chicago’s most prestigious restaurants and acclaimed chefs including Obélix, El Che Steakhouse, Swift & Sons, Frontier by James Beard-nominated Chef Brian Jupiter, Pella Signature, Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings, Bhoomi Modern Indian Grill, Flour Power and Bon Yeon. Vander Farmers prides itself on using no hormones, no antibiotics, pasture grazing, and humane living conditions for all their animals. They also supply Wagyu Beef Franks at multiple Chicagoland area Home Depots through their partnership with Fixin’ Franks, which created a highly publicized response at the home-improvement store’s traditional hot dog stand.
This year, Vander Farmers, founded by husband-and-wife team Mario and Marjolein vanderHulst, joins IGF to create a full nose-to-tail American Wagyu program comprised of 15 unique offerings from every major primal such as beef ribeye, strip loin, flat iron, short rib and more (size and amount vary depending on size of the animal). IGF also will sell gourmet ground beef and offer a variety of pack sizes of these products to its customer base of gourmet food retailers, independently owned restaurants and artisanal butcher shops.
“IGF is excited and proud to partner with Vander Farmers. Not only is their American Wagyu beef line a great addition to our product portfolio, it also fits comfortably within our model of sourcing quality-focused ingredients and prioritizing sustainable farming and production practices. As a family-owned and operated farm in pursuit of becoming the leading source of premium American Wagyu through their ethically raised cattle, Vander also has a great story that resonates with our customers,” said Mike McDowell, director of sales at IGF. “We very much look forward to growing this partnership with Marjolein and Mario as we expand their distribution to artisan butcher shops, restaurants, and gourmet markets through our network east of the Mississippi.”
Source: Vander Farmers
