Simcoe Sabres & VG MeatsIn the fall of 2009, as a pilot project, VG Meats' was in the classroom at Simcoe Composite School (SCS) working on developing a new product that might make it into our meat counter for sale. We're really happy that Mrs. Van Schyndel has taken the time to allow us to work with the students in the grade 12 Food and Nutrition class and hope that everybody learns something interesting this semester. If the product developed in this class makes it into the counter, a portion of the proceeds will be used to support the SCS Breakfast Program. OCTOBER 2009:Hi! Natasha Grincevicius here, one of VG's nutrition experts and liaison for SCS and VG Meats. I will happily be keeping you all apprised of our Sabres Sausage semester project! The grade 12's were introduced to the procedures involved in Product Development; specifically, how to make sausage! Our food science professional here at VG's, a VG himself, presented the information and the "how to" to the class, providing an outline, guidance and demonstrations to keep the class on track and in sync with VG values and procedures. Back to the grade 12's!! There are 4 groups in the class with 3 or 4 people per group and ideas were written down and a lot of brainstorming happened, as well as surveys administered to gather ideas for potential Sabres Sausage! The next step was settling on the top three ideas for each group to be tried and tested. NOVEMBER 2009:Our first in-school taste test happened!! What a success! The 4 groups made their 3 top picks to be tested. Lucky staff and students who participated got the opportunity to try 12 new flavours of sausage and give their 2-cents worth! We asked for their rating for mouthfeel, juiciness and taste as well as provide any comments they felt necessary. We figure that if the label boasts Sabres, then these tasty morsels need to be Sabre approved!! The four sausages that made it through to the next round to be further tweaked and tested are:
Please keep in mind that the names of these sausages may also be tweaked! One of our top priorities for Sabres Sausage is to make sure that most or all ingredients are from local sources. So, even though some of them may have an international flare, rest assured we are supporting our local farmers! Also, a big thank you goes out to Mr. Pelland, a fellow teacher and son of a butcher, who graciously loaned his manual meat grinder to the class - as well as his time and talent to train us on this fabulous machine! DECEMBER 2009:We are all humming holiday tunes as we move closer to the new year! Kevin Van Groningen was back in the class to check up on our students and give advice and information on further product development procedures. It was a great Q & A session and reinspired our students to really create a great product! The next day the meat came in and the students set to work! Each group sectioned thier meat into 4 equal portions and tweaked away... a little more garlic, a little less sesame and maybe a pinch more pepper. All information was recorded and the final recipe took shape! Work is being done on the marketing and advertisments and as next week nears, excitement mounts as the students get ready to present thier final products to the VG's! DECEMBER 11, 2009 -- PRESENTATION DAY!!All four groups were dressed and ready to go for presentations! Power point programs, websites, posters and brochures were made to impress Kevin and to convince him that their sausage was the one to pick! Hearty Breakfast Sausage with a hint of aromatic coffee left a unique impression, Wasabi Sausage and its smooth Asian flavour might be hard to beat, the Holiday Sausage is in perfect timing for our holiday season and uses a succulant turkey and stuffing mixture and the Chili Sausage boasts all that Chili goodness without the big mess to clean up at the end! Cross your fingers Simcoe, these students are going head-to-head to make Sabres Sausage happen!......but, which will it be?? DECEMBER 16, 2009 -- DAY OF REVEAL!The halls are being decked at Simcoe Composite this week, and the grade 12 foods and nutrition students are more excited and nervous than the average student -- today is the day they find out if it is their sausage that will be gracing the shelves at VG Meats! Kevin came in as toes tapped with anticipation with the question on everyone's mind.......WHO WON? Well, as it turns out, these Simcoe Sabres made such great products, Kevin didn't want to be the one to make that choice -- he and the other VG's agreed that it should be the customer, YOU, to make that choice! In mid-January we need you to come on in to try the four sausage creations and vote for your fav!! The best news is how you get to vote -- your vote will be counted by which sausage creation you take home for FREE! Stay tuned for specific details for this Sabres Sausage taste test! HAPPY NEW YEAR! IT'S JANUARY OF 2010.... AND WE ARE READY TO GO!Well, everyone is back to work, including our students! Keep Saturday January 16th, 2010 open for SABRE DAY here at VG Meats on Woollen Mill Rd! Our Sabres will be here in the store between 9am and 3pm trying to convince YOU that thier sausage is the BEST CHOICE! You will be tasting the sweet and unique Hearty Breakfast Sausge, the mild and smooth Wasabi Sausage, the festive Holiday Sausage and the no-muss, no-fuss Hot Chili Sausage! Get ready for fabulous flavours, mouthwatering textures and aroma's that you can float home on! JANUARY 2010:Well, many thanks need to be sent out on behalf of VG Meats and Simcoe Composite School!! Sabres Day was a ROARING success!! and it couldn't have happened without YOU!!! So, again -- THANKS! It was such a successful day that we had TWO winners instead of one! The first winner, declared because we ran out of samples and packages by 1:30, is the Holiday Sausage and the second place spot is the Hot Chili Sausage -- also declared as the winner because shortly after the Holiday Sausage ran out, so did the Chili!! The Holiday and Chili Sausage ran neck to neck throughout the day, and it seemed fitting that because they both ran out with still an hour to go, that they both deserved a winning spot on our shelves!! Congratulations Sabres!!! Very well done! You'll be able to find these Sabres Sausages for sale on Friday January 22, 2010 -- Just in time to rekindle that comforting Turkey and Stuffing meal or to keep you toasty warm with a Hot Chili Sausage! And don't forget the most important part -- when you purchase these Sabres Sausages, part of the proceeds go directly back to the school's Breakfast Program! So overall, IT'S A GREAT DAY TO GET AN "A"!!! Our Sabres gave an "A" performance which will help our student body be well nourished to get that "A"!!! Keep it up Sabres! SUMMER 2010!!Welcome to BBQ season! The grills are fired up and ready to go -- don't forget that you can still support the Simcoe Sabres Breakfast Program throughout the summer by eating up our Sabres Sausage! The two current flavours are Holiday Sausage (Turkey and stuffing) and Hot Chili Sausage! (Soon to be challenged by the next Sabre Sausage coompetition starting in September 2010!) Part of the proceeds from every package sold will go to the Simcoe Composite's Breakfast Program. Our program is ready to grow and we have some great ideas to feed our students more efficiently and just to feed more students! Donations directly to SCS are also accepted, but what better way to make a donation than to give you and your family a tasty treat for the summer grill!
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