Montreal-based Northfork Bison Distributions Inc., founded by Rocco Verelli in 1997, operates one of Canada’s largest bison meat processing plants. In addition to its flagship bison meat, Northfork Bison also sells game meat products, including elk, venison, ostrich and wild boar.
In the beginning, Verelli saw huge potential in alternative meat sources. After gaining several years of experience in the restaurant and food business, he decided to pursue his passion for farming and began raising a couple of head of bison in Montreal. His first customers include Dutchess Diner and Alexis Diner in New York.
Today, Northfork Bison serves the entire North-American market. Its processing plant spans more than 10,000 sq. ft. and employs more than 40 people. Most recently, the company entered an agreement to supply its bison burgers to Energy Fuel, a restaurant chain located in the New York City area.
“There has been steady growth over the years in the demand for bison, wild boar, elk and ostrich,” says Verelli. “In the last year or so, there has been a significant jump in sales for these products across Canada. [Although] the plant-based market has grown over the years, it doesn’t seem to have impacted the demand for wild game meats. What this tells us is that the consumer is more proactive than ever in searching out healthier eating alternatives.”
Additionally, the company’s bison are now raised throughout Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. “Unlike most other traditional meats, there are no growth hormones or antibiotics used in the raising of bison, which is a very good thing for the consumer,” says Verelli. “In addition, bison is a leaner protein than beef, which is great if [a customer] is trying to maximize nutritional benefit while reducing calorie or fat intake.”
Over the course of the pandemic, Northfork Bison’s e-commerce sales, which offers more than 40 products, surged. And, while foodservice sales took a hit, retail sales were up and provided a financial cushion.
“The pandemic led to the temporary, and sometimes permanent, shutdown of many restaurants throughout North America,” says Verelli. “As a result, the foodservice side of our business shrank significantly. Thankfully, we already had a presence on the retail side, allowing us to shift our focus there while waiting for the foodservice side to come back. In so far as the supply chain, we have managed to hold our own. We attribute this to the strong relationships we have established with our network of bison ranchers throughout Canada. The other big advantage that we have is our well-developed distribution network. We have our own fleet of refrigerated trucks along with strategically-located storage warehouses.”
Northfork Bison is now prioritizing its restaurant partners, working diligently to help them recover from the devastating impacts of the pandemic.
“We are working with [our restaurant partners] on menus, special promotions [and more] to help them get back on their feet,” says Verelli. “In addition, to help soften the blow from inflation, we are doing everything within our power to try and control our costs by optimizing our procurement, processing and distribution procedures.”
By Nicole Di Tomasso
