Inland Foods (Inland) and Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors (PLMP) have announced a strategic partnership to bring a new collection of premium PLMP beef to restaurants, independent markets, butcher shops and specialty food retailers across the Southeast.
The partnership marks PLMP’s first full-scale distribution rollout in the region and brings together two companies with complementary strengths: PLMP’s generations of butcher expertise and Inland’s longstanding relationships, infrastructure and knowledge of the Southeast market.
Following a strategic realignment of its distribution footprint earlier this year, Inland is now concentrating its resources in the Southeast.
“We know this market, and we spend a lot of time listening to what chefs, operators and independent retailers need,” said Chris Rosenberger, President of Inland Foods. “We also pay attention to where there are gaps and which producers are doing something exceptional. Our strength is connecting those dots for our customers. Pat LaFrieda and his company bring a level of expertise, quality and reputation that we believe chefs and culinary professionals across the Southeast should have access to, and this partnership allows us to bring that directly to them.”
PLMP has been in business since 1922. Today, the third-generation company operates two USDA-inspected facilities totaling more than 150,000 square feet and supplies approximately 2,000 restaurants nationwide.
The two companies developed an inaugural assortment for the Southeast market, spanning portion-controlled filets, ribeyes, New York strips, porterhouses and specialty bone-in cuts, along with dry-aged selections and the Original LaFrieda Burger. The 100% Black Angus program includes carefully selected Upper Choice and USDA Prime offerings, as well as a Prime 850 Club Porterhouse. The collection was also intentionally packed in smaller case sizes, giving restaurant kitchens, independent markets and butcher shops greater flexibility to manage storage, inventory and food costs while maintaining access to premium cuts.
“Pat LaFrieda has built a reputation among chefs for a reason,” said Todd Ginsberg, Chef/Partner of Rye Restaurants. “There’s a level of quality and craftsmanship behind the product that you can see in the cuts and, ultimately, taste on the plate. Having access to that kind of program here in the Southeast — through a distributor we already know and trust — is something I think a lot of chefs are going to be excited about.”
