Cristiano Creminelli’s family has been creating artisanal meats and cheeses for generations in Italy, and it didn’t take him long to turn that Old World craftsmanship into a highly successful specialty food business in the U.S.
Starting out in 2007 in the basement of Caputo’s Market & Deli in Salt Lake City, Creminelli used his family’s salami recipe to build a specialty food empire, Creminelli Fine Meats, that has won numerous awards for its premium salami and other products. The growth of the company, which Creminelli founded with partners Chris Bowler and Jared Lynch, has been exponential.
Creminelli recalls attending his first Fancy Food Show in San Diego in 2008, when the Moscone Center in San Francisco was being renovated. Several large retailers and foodservice companies expressed an interest in carrying his salami, but he had to tell them he was too small to meet their demands. He did reach an agreement with Whole Foods, however, to introduce his products one region at a time.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Specialty Food News
