Last updated on February 24th, 2022
Claremont, New Hampshire-based North Country Smokehouse has introduced two new organic hams to its retail lineup: Applewood Smoked Ham Steak and Petit Ham.
“Consumers want convenient, modestly portioned pack sizes and that’s hard to find in the ham category,” said Mike Kelly, VP of business development and national sales at North Country. “Couple that with the limited options available in the non-GMO organic and certified humane protein category and it was clear to us, we had a winner.”
The new organic Applewood Smoked Ham Steak launched in six regions of Whole Foods Market in September, and the Petit Ham was featured as a limited time holiday offering; both products performed well. The company says the results are in: Shoppers want more organic options to choose from without having to bite off more than they can chew.
The ham steak is sold in a 6-oz. pack and serves two. The Petit Ham is a little over a pound and serves four. The pork is maple cured using syrup from a nearby sugar maker. The hams are smoked low and slow over embers of choice hardwoods.
“People often say our ham is the best they’ve ever eaten, and they want to enjoy it year-round but find purchasing a whole or half ham to be too much. They might have a small family, or adult children, and they don’t want to be wasteful, especially organic shoppers who tend to be more conscious about their impact on the land and environment when making buying decisions,” Kelly said.
All North Country’s certified humane and organic offerings are free from antibiotics, added growth hormones, chemical nitrates and nitrites. The pork is sourced from vertically integrated farms where the animals are vegetarian fed with no animal byproducts. The organic recipes go a step further and are produced using 100 percent non-GMO ingredients.
The expansion of the company’s organic lineup marks yet another milestone in the strategic mission to be recognized as the North American leader for certified humane and organic smoked meats.
The products are offered through distributors nationwide and can be found in upscale retailers like Whole Foods Market, Hannaford, Stop & Shop, Shaw’s, Market Basket, Big Y, Target, Save Mart, Harris Teeter, Earthfare, Gelson’s and Bristol Farms.
As one of America’s few remaining, family-owned smokehouses, North Country’s mission is to hand craft premium, artisanal smoked meats through culinary excellence, exceptional animal care standards and respect for the land.
North Country says that its authentic charcuterie features only the best hand-selected, natural ingredients, and its small batch smoking process takes place over embers of local hardwoods. The NCS product line features smoked bacon, ham, sausages and deli meats, as well as unique offerings like smoked chicken and Cajun Pork Tasso.
For more information, visit ncsmokehouse.com.
