Standard Meat Company website
Standard Meat, a Fort Worth-based protein packaging and portioning company, announced the addition of Zach Calkins to the company’s product development team as executive chef, co-president Ashli Rosenthal Blumenfeld said in a press release.
Calkins has been a consultant to Standard Meat for the past seven years. In that role, he supported product development, performed trend research, and validated recipes for accuracy.
“Having Zach on board as our full-time executive chef will give him an even greater ability to keep Standard Meat as an industry leader, continuing to keep us on the forefront of culinary innovation,” says Blumenfeld. “Zach’s time as a consultant to Standard Meat showed us that he had even more to offer, and we look forward to all he will accomplish in his new role.”
The family-owned Standard Meat has plants in Fort Worth, Dallas, Saginaw, and Ponder.
Zach Calkins
Before serving as a culinary consultant, Calkins was a leader at Quizno’s, first as executive chef, and then as senior vice president of global product innovation.
“We are very lucky to have such a talented culinary leader dedicated to our company and team,” Blumenfeld says.
Calkins will oversee Standard Meat’s entire culinary product development program and innovations. Calkins also will be a key member of the leadership team, helping to develop and refine the company’s short- and long-term strategies.
“Zach fell in love with food as a child, helping his mother in the kitchen,” says Ben Rosenthal, Standard Meat co-president. “He carried this love of food forward into an incredible career. His passion paired with his strategic mind will enable us to provide even greater options to our customers, helping them to continue to excite and delight their patrons.”
Calkins is a alum of the acclaimed New England Culinary Institute. After culinary school, Calkins was sous chef at the world-famous Coyote Café in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He then became executive chef at the renowned Strings Restaurant in Denver.