Mail Order Season is upon us. For us that means our volume of shipments goes through the roof. A team of about 2 turns into a team of about 7. A once quiet office turns into a loud machine of box making, choice 90s tunes, taping boxes, carefully hand-packing boxes, labeling boxes, and waving at the FedEx guy as he takes all our boxes into the world. It’s a great time to remind you of some things to think about when placing your Mail Order orders with us this holiday season.
#1. Meats typically ship frozen. When ordering the larger meats, like 7 pound Hams and 4 pound Porkettas, think about the timing of your event. You may need an extra day or two for the meat to thaw before you can lovingly prepare it for your guests.
#2. We do everything we can to get your order to you as quickly as possible, but weather and FedEx operational issues are out of our control. Typically, you can receive orders from us pretty quickly. For orders placed by noon M-W, we ship your order same day (if product is in stock). For those in Minnesota, we also do this on Thursdays. Food is shipped FedEx 2-day so that it arrives cold on your doorstep. From time to time, Mother Nature gets in the way of the 2-day shipping timeline. And every so often FedEx experiences technical issues or trucks break down. It’s so unfortunate when this happens, but we’ll be in touch with you, and happily replace an order if it arrives warm, or extend some other nicety depending on your situation. We’re here to help.
#3. It’s good to know how what to do with the packaging that comes with your product. We’re in the midst of phasing out styrofoam, but we have a little more to go through. Some of you this holiday will receive our styrofoam coolers. The box and styrofoam cooler can be re-used, but if you’re not into that, please recycle the cardboard and throw away the styrofoam. Some of you will receive our new “Jean Jacket” box liners. They’re soft and squishy, and biodegradable! They can be thrown out or you can take the polyfilm off the liner and compost the blue denim fibers inside. As for the ice packs, please reuse if possible. If you need to dispose, they are 100% water soluble.
#4. Give us a call when needed. We’re not robots here. We like to think we’re pretty helpful actually. If you have a question regarding an order, just give us a ring. If you’ve got a question about where your package is, also give us ring, we can easily track your package, where as calling FedEx might not get you anywhere.
#5. Ordering online is the way to go when possible. Our website ordering process is very smooth. And we’re always looking for ways to add new things to the experience. When you order online, you’re more likely to get coupons emailed to you as well! 15% next order? Yes, please!
#6. Use and care of our products is now included in the yellow slip that comes in your box. If you haven’t noticed that bright yellow slip, check it out! Use and care for our products is as follows:
Smoked Fish – Fully cooked and ready to eat. Enjoy or freeze within 3 weeks of date on package.
Smoked Meats – Fully cooked and ready to eat. Enjoy or freeze within 1 week of receiving.
Salumi – Shelf-stable. Best kept in butcher paper, in your cupboard. Discard or eat rind, slice as needed and enjoy within 1 month.
Raw Sausages – Not cooked. Cook as desired, ensuring internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. Use or freeze within 1-2 days.
#7. All of our food is hand-made. We are not a factory. We are a small shop. We hand-make all of our products in small batches. The path of the product from raw meat to fully smoked to being packaged up for nationwide shipping is quite a process. We take pride in this process, and we put love and creativity into every step of it.
#8. Many people love to send our food as gifts during the holidays, but don’t send it as surprise! Since the food must remain cold, it’s good to let the recipient know it’s coming. They’ll want to grab that box as soon as it comes and move the food to their refrigerator. It’s also good to point out here, that we don’t require a signature for delivery. It’s important that the food be dropped off and received as soon as possible after drop off. If we required signatures, it’s more likely the transit time could be extended beyond 2-days, and more likely the food would become spoiled.
#9. We vacuum seal most of our smoked fish and meats. We do this for many reason. It’s a safe way to transport food for shipping and it looks nice too! But if the seal breaks during transport, you mustn’t worry, it’s still safe to eat. Only if the food arrives warm should you throw it out, and call us right away.
#10. Check out some of the newly added items in our Mail Order department! We are now selling the Cajun Finn Sandwich Kit and Northern Bagel Sandwich Kit. Think of these as the perfect addition to a special occasion, or the creative alternative to a birthday cake! Find these in the “Collections” section of our website. Also, coming soon, you’ll also be able to purchase our beloved Crayo, Kimchi and Sauerkraut! And you be able to add Cheese & Crackers as an add-on to your order. Fun stuff, right?
Ok, that’s it for now kind customers. Place those holiday orders soon, and remember we’re always here to help.
