August 19, 2021

Certified Hereford Beef (CHB®) sampled ribeye steaks to customers on July 15 at Gary and Leo’s Fresh Food’s Vendor Day in Conrad, MT.

The first annual Vendor Day, organized by Jamey and Jennifer Byrnes, managers at Gary and Leo’s Fresh Food’s Conrad location, showcased CHB and other popular food brands carried in-store to hundreds of customers.

“Through the Vendor Day event, I wanted the opportunity to invite our vendors to come out and sample their products to our customers and talk about their company,” said Jamey.

Ribeye steaks were cooked and served by Ty Ragsdale, CHB Brand Manager, and Brenyn Burkholder, CHB Marketing Coordinator. Jack Holden, owner of Holden Herefords in the neighboring town of Valier, MT, joined the CHB team to educate consumers on the producer side of the CHB brand.

“At Gary and Leo’s, we really like to support local producers because we are a farming community,” said Jennifer. “We have a local Hereford rancher, Jack Holden, so we have that special connection to the product.”

Supporting local producers was one of the main reasons Gary and Leo’s Fresh Foods decided to carry CHB years ago.

“There are several Montana ranchers in the area whose cattle go into the Certified Hereford Beef program,” said Jamey. “We like to support local producers, so that’s ultimately why we chose to go with the program.”

Further, Gary and Leo’s Fresh Foods team was impressed by the quality of CHB products and the service behind the brand.

“We chose to switch over to Certified Hereford Beef because, after sampling the beef, we found it was more tender and flavorful,” said Jennifer. “It also came with better packaging and customer service.”

After years of carrying CHB products, Gary and Leo’s Fresh Foods is proud of their decision to carry a high-quality product that sets themselves apart from their competitors.

“We are glad that we can differentiate ourselves from other big stores and chains that carry black Angus beef,” said Jamey.