​As I write this, the latest entry to Tailor Cut Produce’s blog, I glance at the calendar. Tuesday,
February 14 th . Valentine’s Day.
The Philadelphia Eagles just lost Super Bowl LVII less than 48 hours ago. It was a heart
breaking, gut-wrenching loss. I realize that, at 62 years of age, with a beautiful wife, two
wonderful children and oh-so-many other things to be thankful for, it is a silly and overstated
way to be, but there it is.
What does a football game played many states away have to do with a produce company in
North Brunswick, New Jersey? Not much, really, except most writers will say, “Write what you
know”. And this is what I know:
I grew up in Haddon Heights (Camden County), New Jersey. My family, like many in the area,
bleeds Eagles green. Philadelphia was “our city”. I went away to school, but never lost sight of
my sporting roots.
Many years later I found myself nightly at the old produce market on Galloway Street near the
stadiums. I was reunited with the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of that old building and the
wealth of treasures (and crazy cast of characters that worked there) it contained. The experience
simply solidified my love for the gritty, blue-collar “City of Brotherly Love” and the passion the
inhabitants feel for their sports teams.
Now I feel empty. And hollow. I suppose it will pass. There will be other sports and other
seasons and, hopefully, other championships.
But this, this will always be “the one that got away” and today, of all days, all I can think about
is how much my heart aches.

​“Son of a nutcracker”! Christmas is less than two weeks away! How did that happen (again)?
‘Tis the season to make lists; better get down to business…
Presents to purchase and wrap (lots).
Gifts to receive (since when?).
Things to buy (fire extinguisher, ham, turkey, snacks, cookie dough, alcohol, etc.).
Things to do (bake cookies; use aforementioned fire extinguisher).
Wait. What? The family’s coming over (more alcohol!).
Lastly, my favorite list of all… the holiday music-inspired, produce-centric grocery shopping list
(you may clip and save [you’re welcome]):
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Apples (“Crisp apple strudels” from My Favorite Things)
Bananas (“You’re a bad banana with a greasy black peel” from You’re A Mean One, Mr.
Grinch)
Chestnuts (“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” from The Christmas Song)
Collard greens (“Mom’s cookin’ chicken and collard greens” from Christmas In Hollis)
Corn (“And I’ve brought some corn for poppin’” from Let It Snow!)
Figs (“Oh, bring us a figgy pudding” from We Wish You A Merry Christmas)
Pears (“And a partridge in a pear tree” from The Twelve Days Of Christmas)
Plums (“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker Suite; no words [but there are
some pretty cool dancing mice!])
Pumpkins (“When they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie” from Sleigh Ride)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
From the Tailor Cut Produce family to you and yours… Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year!!!
ps. Speaking of New Year’s, I resolve not to make a list of resolutions this year. Or perhaps I’ll
just recycle last year’s. It was barely used.

​“Testing, One, Two, Three… Testing”

I am involved in many facets of Tailor Cut Produce’s daily operations, but there is
one arena that I have purposely avoided (or perhaps it’s been strongly suggested
that I stay away). Regardless, I recently ventured into parts previously unknown to
me… the Test Kitchen!

As one can imagine, our test kitchen is very well-appointed and looks ironically
like an everyday household kitchen with one striking addition… an (over)
abundance of produce! The masterminds of this domain are forever trying to
devise new and different combinations of items to enhance our already wonderful
array of products. Two areas of concentration at this point:

With school back in full swing, the chefs have recently rolled out 12 new 100/2
ounce school snack ideas. These healthy, colorful treats (with such monikers as
“Green Is Good”, “Citrus Circus” and “Money Money” [by the way… who names
these things?]) have quickly received some very positive and enthusiastic
feedback.

The second focal point of our “culinary mad scientists” is vegetable blends. The
day I stopped by (and was promptly escorted out), the team was busily working on
something called “Wok ‘n Roll” (again, who names…). Although not quite ready
to debut, the finishing touches appear to be close, and the new addition to our
roster should be ready to hit the market very soon.

All in all, a very exciting (albeit short) glimpse behind the curtain of the “Tailor
Cut Produce Test Kitchen”.
Maybe next time I’ll actually make it past the front door…

Tailor Cut Produce privately hosted their Annual Employee Summer Picnic at Eagle’s Landing
in North Brunswick on Saturday, July 30, 2022.
Nearly 100 participants (employees and their families) attended the festive bash on an incredibly
pleasant, breezy day.
Everywhere you looked on the colorful, immaculate grounds, children and their parents were
playing games: miniature golf, basketball, soccer… you name it, it was being played in the
glorious sunshine.
Naturally, food is a big draw at any outdoor celebration, and this event was no exception.
Hungry partygoers munched on hamburgers, hot dogs and barbecued chicken, as well as a vast
assortment of side dishes and salads. Plenty of drinks were to be had for young and old (“adult”
beverages for the senior circuit [“Don’t mind if I do.”]) alike, followed up with ice cream,
cookies and sliced watermelon (c’mon… we had to sneak cut produce in there somewhere!).
The main attraction, though, was the large, pristine pools and the children’s “Splash Garden”, all
of which kept everyone cool and comfortable in the late July sunbeams.
Another highlight included bonus checks given out to select employees who entered winning
suggestions in the “Bright Ideas” contest facilitated by Tailor Cut Produce management.
Workers were encouraged to offer up suggestions on how to make the workplace and the
company more efficient. Many employees participated and we received a host of great thoughts
which are in the process of being implemented.
There was a second trio of bonus checks handed out to employees who were singled out for their
hard work, accountability and dedication to Tailor Cut Produce.
All in all, a sun-soaked, jam-packed, fun-filled afternoon where many, on the short bus ride
home, fell quickly and quietly asleep, undoubtedly dreaming about next year’s gala.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the visionary founder of Tailor Cut Produce, whom we
lost 10 years ago this month. David Young, who proudly hailed from the Buffalo, New York
area, worked his way up professionally through a series of New Brunswick hotel kitchens and
discovered the need for a company to provide said outlets with fresh, processed fruits and
vegetables.

Never one to back down from a challenge (“Jump and a net will appear” would have been his
mantra [if he believed in mantras {which he didn’t}]), David almost single-handedly launched
Tailor Cut Produce and the success story that it became. He worked incredibly hard, fought
many obstacles, and never packed it in when the going got tough.
Because of his leadership, Tailor Cut Produce is a multi-million dollar company that supplies
their products in kitchens up and down the east coast (and, incidentally, hosts a splendid annual
summer picnic for their employees). We all miss him very much, but take comfort in the fact that
he would be very proud of us for successfully continuing his legacy.

​A few months ago, I strolled down “Memory Lane” in a blog about the former
Philadelphia Regional Produce Market on Galloway Street. I wrote longingly about
the bitter cold, the sweltering heat, too many items and / or too small a truck, the
stench of rotting produce on a hot August evening and a colorful cast of characters
who operated under the cover of pitch black nights.
Fast forward to a recent trip to the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market
(PWPM) on Essington Avenue.
The PWPM is truly a marvel to behold with nearly 700,000 square feet of
refrigerated space.
Plenty of bright white lights.
Clean, shiny and safe with an emphasis on cold-chain protection.
Easily accessible, nice signage and a clear, concise floor plan (read: you don’t have
to go across the parking lot while dodging an array of vehicles to get from one
store to another!).
An equally colorful cast of characters as vibrant as the vast selection of product
and as theatrical as a Walnut Street Theatre production.
All in all, a fantastic experience!
Reminiscing fondly about bitter cold, sweltering heat and the stench of rotting
produce? What was I thinking?!!?

What, you may ask, is “prompt”-ing this particular blog? Well, I have a little time on my hands. Actually, a great deal of time. 27 minutes, to be exact. That is when (approximately) my phone call will (may?) be answered. In the meantime, I am on hold…

A robotic voice repeats every few minutes, “Thank you for your patience. The next available representative will be with you shortly. Estimated time of…”. That refrain is interspersed with a somewhat lackluster orchestral version of Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”. At least that’s what it sounds like. Perhaps it’s the original version (is there a difference?). Yet, I digress…

Automation may very well have it’s time and place; however, it does not belong in the realm of customer service where a warm, friendly, knowing voice and tone is paramount. Speaking of personalization (weren’t we?)…

At Tailor Cut Produce, we pride ourselves on cutting fruits and vegetables to your exact specifications (and to those of your customers). A small (but mighty) company, we artfully process the jobs that the assembly line big boys will not. We offer a very wide variety of colorfully layered vegetable blends, not to mention sticks and fries in an assortment of hues and items that goes well beyond carrots, celery and potatoes. Add in healthy, delicious school snacks in two ounce portions and just about anything that can be spiralized (yes, I’m talking to you, beets), and you have an incredibly winning combination.

So, allow us the opportunity to share our customized offerings and personalized (read: un-automated) service with you. Simply call Tailor Cut Produce in North Brunswick, New Jersey at 732-246-2002.

Press “one” to speak with Lola.
Press “two” to speak with Tony.
Press “three” to speak with Rico.

“Hold” on… we’re just kidding!!!

From your friends at TCP. (“TCP!”)

ps. We’ll meet you “at the Copa”!

​

I do not get to the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market very often, but I am going to pay a visit (in all of its shiny chrome and steel glory) next week. It is truly a marvel to behold, but I can’t help but feel nostalgic for the old market down by the stadiums.


Every night for years, whether it was bitterly cold or sweltering hot, I would be armed with a list and tasked with procuring produce to be cut the next day. In the beginning, I was very green. I knew very little about produce (or even about driving a truck for that matter), yet found myself charged with both.


I remember having too many items and pallets to fit on my truck. I recall being finished early, but still waiting around until soft pretzels arrived at the restaurant at 2:00 am. I remember the stench of rotting produce on hot August evenings. Once I accidentally dumped a whole skid of tomatoes down one of the ramps and they rolled throughout the parking lot for what seemed like days (I think some are still making their way down Delaware Avenue). Everyone sped by on their ride-on pallet jacks and laughed. Everyone, that is, except Rob Ranieri of Brandywine Produce who stopped and helped me collect my cargo (thanks, Rob!).


Most of all, I remember how fun and exciting it was to be out and about in the pitch black with a colorful cast of characters. Every night was a new series of adventures. I was on my own and left to my own devices. It was me against the market, and although the market sometimes won, I’d like to think that, with a list completed and a truck full, I had a few wins, too.


I am many years removed from those funny, crazy evenings and yet, sometimes, I can’t help but miss the “the good old nights”.

​

The restaurant down the street cannot seem to hire enough kitchen help, so the owner turns to their food service provider and places a much larger order than usual for cut fruit and vegetables. Likewise, the food service provider hands Tailor Cut Produce the order for his customer. This pattern repeats itself many times over and, although grateful for the increase in business and revenue, we experience some of the same issues as the aforementioned restaurant owner: a lack of employees to process the heightened volume. (Not to mention packaging materials sitting in a container off the coast of California that can't seem to get unloaded [not that it would matter, for there is a shortage of trucks, and truck drivers {yet no shortage of gas prices}].)

These are real issues that have been around for months and do not seem to be going away anytime soon. But it is not all gloom and doom. It can't be. Plusses include: for the most part we have gotten all the produce we need. We are grateful for the increased business (even if it is logistically challenging at times). Lastly, we are all in this together. Every cycle eventually cycles out. This one will, too... hopefully sooner rather than later. In the meantime, hang in there. And if you have any extra packaging materials taking up space, let me know.

Enjoy and happy and healthy holiday season.