“Southern Specialties is growing and shipping fabulous specialty tomatoes that are perfect for all summer tomato recipes,” said Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for the Pompano Beach, FL-based grower, importer and shipper of high-quality specialty produce. “Chefs can create unsurpassed dishes with a selection of our heirloom, baby heirloom, teardrops and yellow beef tomatoes.”

Eagle explained that Southern Specialties started supplying white tablecloth restaurants with unique specialty items when the company was originally founded by Robert Colescott in 1990, and chefs quickly clamored for them. Today, the company has expanded its menu of offerings and it works with the best broadline and foodservice distributors in the United States and Canada.

“Our expertise in growing, harvesting, packaging and logistics enables us to provide chefs with the finest possible products,” said Eagle. “In recent years, we have increased value for chefs and foodservice operations alike by offering products that are pre-trimmed and packaged in a variety of ways. This helps to reduce labor, enhances food safety, improves shelf life and eases handling for customers.”

Today, Southern Specialties products continue to find their way to white tablecloth restaurants as well as chain restaurants, institutions, cruise lines, corporate feeders, caterers and more.

“We continue to be a top-tier provider of fresh asparagus to the foodservice industry, and to cater to the needs of our customers by offering a variety within each of our categories,” Eagle noted. “For example, our popular green, white and purple asparagus are available in value-added options and in a number of presentations. Our French bean program has become a mainstay in the foodservice arena. We offer the finest quality, hand-selected and trimmed product in the marketplace. Customers can enjoy our haricot vert beans as well as our French hybrid yellow beans.”

In addition to Eagle, Southern Specialties will be represented at the PMA Foodservice Conference & Expo in Monterey, CA, July 25-27 by Geno Valdes, vice president of sales, and Susana Troop, senior account manager for the company.

Eagle said the event provides a great opportunity for Southern Specialties to meet with many of its customers in a casual atmosphere. The company representatives who attend also find the seminars informative and learn about exciting new recipes in the beautiful Monterey area.

“We look forward to meeting with customers, suppliers and potential customers at the event, and we invite anyone who is interested in connecting with us during the show to contact us,” Eagle added.

Southern Specialties enjoys a widely diversified customer base, which has evolved strongly since its founding.

“Our foodservice category grows year after year,” said Eagle. “Southern Specialties experience, combined with our category expertise in the foodservice arena, enables us to work with customers and to provide successful year-round programs, the highest possible level of quality assurance and informed insights to those we serve and service.”