In Partnership with Tom White
Behind every successful brand are creators who not only understand their product, but also live the essence of their line. Lifelong vegetarians Andy and Rachel Berliner started Amy’s Kitchen in 1987 out of the simple need for convenient, organic, vegetarian, and frozen foods. The couple didn’t just want to make vegetarian fare; they wanted to revolutionize it. And they’re still doing that one dish at a time. Here are five facts about the duo behind Amy’s Kitchen.
- Amy’s Kitchen Co-founder Andy Berliner’s future in food was planted in his family tree.
“Growing up, my dad worked for a department store in Chicago, and he was a grocery buyer,” Andy Berliner said on “The Bite Goes On” podcast. “I said growing up, ‘I never want to be in business.’ But, of course, that’s where I ended up. I guess I had a little bit of that. And then I had [an] herb tea company called Magic Mountain Tea that I was a president of and a partner in the ’70s. And they were little flower boxes. It’s just pretty much disappeared. You can still buy them, I think. We sold that company. That was my experience at grocery stores and natural food stores.”
- Rachel Berliner brings an artistic touch.
“I was an art major,” Rachel Berliner revealed on “The Bite Goes On.”
She’s shared in other interviews that she studied calligraphy and does collage and watercolor painting — a flair that serves her well with package design and photo shoots for Amy’s Kitchen.
And she grew up in a family keenly aware of the value of organic eats.
“My parents were very much into organic food in the ’50s,” Berliner said on “The Bite Goes On.” “I lived in LA, lived in Compton, great neighborhood. So we had a little organic garden in our backyard. And of course, at that point in my life, I didn’t like vegetables, but I had to help with the garden. My parents, I think they were one of the early organic people during that time. And they just taught me the value of organic. My mom is a great cook, so I’ve got a sense of what food should taste like.”
- Rachel Berliner’s mother, Eleanor, is still involved with the brand.
Amy’s Kitchen has long taken a family-centric approach to establishing and maintaining its brand. In the earliest days, it was Mama Eleanor who crafted the initial recipe for the now iconic Amy’s Kitchen potpie. Today, there are more than 250 tantalizing products from which to choose, including familiar comfort noshes like burritos, soups, wraps, and macaroni and cheese, as well as more exotic flavors like Thai Red Curry and Moroccan-inspired Vegetable Tagine bowls.
Additionally, Rachel Berliner shared that Eleanor “wrote all the copy on the original boxes. She still very actively comes up with ideas and things.”
The couple is delighted to have Eleanor involved, adding that she “still cooks for us once a week,” Andy Berliner mentioned on the podcast.
- Andy and Rachel Berliner were friends before falling in love and building their frozen food empire.
“We met in India for the first time,” Andy Berliner shared on “The Bite Goes On.” “We were actually at a spiritual retreat. And it wasn’t romantic. We were friends for years.”
The couple eventually wed in 1985, and much like their food, their love continues to grow organically.
- Andy Berliner was an early adopter in the organic farming space and pushed for a national certification for organic options.
In the late 1980s, when the Berliners were starting out, organic food was still a niche market. By committing to organic ingredients, they not only contributed to the growth of organic farming, but also set a high standard for the food industry. Andy Berliner has made it a point to meet with the farmers growing ingredients for their line. It was a life-changing experience for the progressive food purveyor.
“We started Amy’s Kitchen over 30 years ago to satisfy a need for organic, vegetarian, great-tasting food,” Andy Berliner said in a statement. “Today, more people than ever are seeking the kind of food we’ve been making from the start, so we’re working hard and excited to meet the growing need, all while striving to improve the well-being of people and heal the planet through our business. We have a lot of work to do, but we’re deeply committed.”
In 1990, the Berliners worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to spearhead national guidelines as to what defines a brand as organic. It also established a National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances detailing which synthetic substances are permitted and which are prohibited in organic production.
“For Andy, it was a little more from a social perspective. He went out and met farmers and got to understand the farming side,” Amy’s Kitchen President Paul Schiefer said on the “Responsibly Different” podcast. “And he had heard a few stories back in the late ’80s of just large cancer clusters in some of these farming communities and the impact that all the spraying was having on the people working [on] the farm or for their children. And for him, it just was more of, ‘This doesn’t feel right.’”
Maintaining relationships with local farmers whenever possible continues to be a pillar of Amy’s Kitchen.
“Great flavor is the goal, and it all starts with finding the best-tasting ingredients out there,” states amys.com. “It took us seven years to hunt down the perfect tomatillo with the right flavor for salsa verde. That’s why we work closely with our farmers every step of the way, from choosing the seed to ensuring that we’re growing and harvesting at the right time of year for each ingredient.”
And Amy’s Kitchen doesn’t stop there when it comes to harvesting top-tier organic flavors for its variety of cuisine.
According to Amy’s Kitchen’s website, “If you’re making tomato soup, you have to start with the best tomato you can find.”
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