Gourmet Parlor

Local, Certified Organic Pizza

By Elizabeth Archerd

Look in freezer door #9 for the newest entry into our local organic products, Gourmet Parlor Organic Pizza. Yes, it is finally here and it is about time. A certified organic, frozen pizza (12 inch), locally made by a family business and distributed by Co-op Partners Warehouse (CPW).

Gourmet Parlor's Organic Pizza is owned by Myron Handelhand of Royalton, MN. He has over twenty years in the pizza industry and has operated the plant for twelve years. He started in the restaurant business, opening the small Gourmet Parlor Pizza chain locally in the '80s. From there he went into manufacturing frozen pizzas for bars in Minnesota and Wisconsin so they could offer their customers the same quality pizza they would get at the restaurant.

When Jerry Trutwin, the company sales manager, approached Handelhand with the idea to go organic almost two years ago, Handelhand was very excited about it. Organic certification finalized in February of this year and was overseen by MCIA (in St. Paul). The process took over a year from start to finish. Every ingredient that can be certified organic is certified organic - no compromises for this company.

This line offers a great combination of quality, value and values. The pizzas are heavier and larger than the natural industry standard and priced to compete. You should be able to feed three people with one of these. As Trutwin points out, when producing pizzas there is not much added cost to putting a few more ounces per product. And what ingredients! The Sausage and Mushroom pizza lists maitake, shiitake, portabella and crimini mushrooms.

The company contracts for organic beef and sausage with an organic farmer near Alexandria, MN. The same farmer processes the sausage as well. Pepperoni, cheese and crust are all supplied through organic vendors in Wisconsin. Herbs come from Frontier Herbs in Iowa.

The sauce is the only non-local ingredient, coming from California as there is no suitable local organic vendor. They bought in such quantity, to keep the sauce affordable, that they use it on their conventional pizza line as well.

The plant has eight to twelve employees depending on the time of year, of which half are family members. Handelhand expects to double the size of the workforce within the next six months by adding an evening shift for the organic line.

At the time of this writing The Wedge carries two varieties, but we expect to add the full line of six organic pizzas very soon. Take my advice. Try them all.