North Country Smokehouse’s Fruitwood Smoked bacon has a big following. For some, it is the bold flavor, while others lean towards the antibiotic-free, no added growth hormones, and humanely raised attributes. Any way you slice it, one thing is certain. It’s GREAT bacon. So why then is North Country Smokehouse making a change to a product that has so clearly won the hearts of many? That’s a good question and one the company has asked itself numerous times over the years.
The product launched as better-for-you food trends began to emerge and shoppers started opting for all-natural, preservative-free meats. The company named their new certified humane offering Fruitwood Smoked Bacon to differentiate it from the traditional recipe. “We wanted to make it easy for people in search of natural and humanely raised bacon to find what they were looking for. The name made it easier to identify when customers called looking for clean-label products,” says Aaron Corbett, North Country Smokehouse CEO. “With growing trends towards sustainability and our commitment to humanely raised and organic farming practices, there’s less of a disparity because humanely raised and organic products are the bulk of our business.”
What does this mean to the company’s Fruitwood Smoked bacon fans? Probably not much since nothing changes but the name. The sweet, smoky flavor and meatiness the product is known for will stay the same. “We are not changing the recipe – it’s exceptional,” says Mike Kelly, Vice President of National Sales and Business Development. “The packaging is identical so the shoppers who are faithfully adding the product to their cart each week, won’t even notice, and new to brand shoppers might give it a try because they’re familiar with the applewood smoke flavor profile.” Kelly concludes. North Country smokes all of their bacon over authentic Applewood embers, which is essentially, a Fruitwood – so the change just makes sense.
Fruitwood bacon fans take note, the name change will take effect beginning this fall.
