Hatfield, Pennsylvania-based Clemens Food Group classifies four of its meat brands as “premium,” says Kiersten Hafer, the company’s vice president of marketing.

They include:

  • Farm Promise® – No Antibiotics Ever
  • Hatfield® Premium Reserve Pork®  - Elevated eating experience
  • Hatfield® Dry Rubbed Marinated Pork – All Natural
  • Hatfield® Uncured bacon and  ham – All Natural, right sized for today’s consumer

“Farm Promise® provides quality pork backed by the values and transparency we know are important to consumers,” Hafer says. “Our full portfolio of fresh and value added pork is raised by local, American and often multi-generational family farmers.”

That farm to fork story, combined with Clemens’ platform of stewardship, delivers a feel-good experience and ensures there is goodness consumers can taste in every bite, Hafer adds.

Hatfield® Premium Reserve Pork®, meanwhile, delivers a cooking and eating experience that Hafer says is unrivaled.

“Using authentic culinary techniques known as brining and larding, we achieve a higher level of tenderness that creates rich, melt-in-your-mouth, steakhouse-quality pork.”

Clemens classifies its Hatfield® Dry Rubbed Marinated Pork as premium because it’s all-natural and backed by the company’s Pork with a Pledge.

“Shoppers can have confidence that Hatfield® pork is raised by American family farmers, raised without growth promotants and are free from hormones or steroids,” Hafer says. “Pre-seasoned cuts with a variety of delicious and on trend flavor profiles, our dry rubbed marinated pork is easy and takes a step out of the cooking stage so consumers can spend less time in the kitchen.”

The Hatfield Uncured line offers a dinner ham and thick cut bacon that’s all natural with no nitrates or nitrites added. 

“Shoppers, especially millennials, are looking for less processed and cleaner labels,” Hafer says. “We continue to see shoppers place a higher value on all-natural attribution. The next generation shopper is also looking to minimize food waste, leading the industry to innovate in smaller sized offerings.”

Premium has always been central to Clemens’ mission, Hafer says. What’s changed is that now the company is bringing premium to its customers in different formats.

“We’re offering case ready premium items that enable the retailer to surround the consumer and allow them to make their own decisions,” she says. “Service case items allow the retailer to aid in the purchase decision with the interaction with the butcher, and through hot bar and prepared foods formats, premium pork meets the shopper when and how they determine.”

Clemens also has gained distribution throughout the entire store, not just the meat case, she adds.

Size, format, flavor, nutrition and animal welfare attributions are driving the increased demand for premium meats, Hafer says.

“Making the set easier to shop, integrating use and consumption into labels, inspiration into the labels and all the POS that surrounds the product are keys to successfully merchandising premium meats at retail,” she adds.

Instore demos have also been a major part of the merchandising strategy for Hatfield® Premium Reserve Pork, Hafer says.