Amy's Kitchen is a family-operated business dedicated to producing nutritious, delicious frozen foods made with natural and organic ingredients. The story behind the company is printed on several of the products' packaging and is provided in detail on their website (http://www.amyskitchen.com/). Rachel and Andy Berliner started their business in 1987, the year that their daughter Amy was born. Their mission was to create vegetarian meals that offered convenience to people who were too busy to cook from scratch but who valued nutrition and wanted the taste and health benefits often derived from cooking whole foods oneself.

The people at Amy's Kitchen (many of whom are relatives of the Berliners) have produced several products that cater to people with special dietary needs: some are gluten-free, others are lactose-free or completely dairy-free, and some contain no dairy or honey so that they are suitable for people following a vegan diet. Amy's kitchen does not use GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in any of their products. Their food is either "organic" (containing at least 95% certified organic ingredients or "made with organic ingredients" (containing 70-95% organic ingredients).

Their full line of products includes burritos; enchiladas; pizza; a few "bowls" that combine brown rice, tofu, and vegetables; pot pies; and whole meals unlike any other tv dinner on the market. Many of the more popular products are available at traditional supermarkets, but some can only be found at health food stores and markets.

But how does it taste?

We've been enjoying Amy's products for a couple of years, and we haven't come across anything that we didn't like. We have their pizza almost weekly (theirs is probably the best frozen pizza out there - our favorite is the Spinach Pizza, but we love them all), and their burritos, pocket sandwiches, and Veggie Loaf make up the bulk of what I eat for lunch at work. We just recently found their pasta sauce, and it's one of the best sauces in a jar we've come across (the only one that's better, in my opinion, is Rao's).

Amy's Kitchen simplifies our lives tremendously: there have been numerous occasions when I had intended to cook a whole meal but was held up at work; in the time that it takes to heat up the oven and bake a couple of pizzas, I can make a big salad and we can enjoy a healthful, delicious meal that we can feel good about eating. Yum!

Company Profile

Amy's Kitchen is a privately-held corporation which began operation in 1987, with the purpose of making healthly, organic, and easy-to-prepare frozen food. Owned and run by Andy and Rachel Berliner, Amy's Kitchen took its name from their then-newborn daughter, Amy Berliner. The corporation's farms and processing plants are located in Petaluma, California.

Both proprietors had been long involved in the organic food business; Rachel's family had been growing and selling organic vegetables and fruits since the 1950s, while Andy was formerly the president and majority shareholder of the Magic Mountain Herb Tea company.

Food

While the majority of Amy's food products are aimed at vegetarians and vegans, a small but determined focus is also given to people on kosher diets, as well as those who are unable to tolerate ingredients such as wheat gluten, soy, lactose, and corn derivatives. Additionally, some of Amy's wares aren't frozen (though most are), such as their line of pasta sauces and canned soups. Frozen or not, however, all their products are marketed to people with specialized diets and anyone who considers themselves health-conscious. The organic compound of their product line ranges from 70-95%. None of Amy's products contain actual meat in them (i.e., chicken or beef), though some contain animal-borne elements.

Because most of their products qualify as frozen food, they compete directly with similar companies, such as Stouffer's, Uncle Ben's, and Healthy Choice. Most mainstream supermarkets in the USA sell Amy's products right alongside the others, though some sequester them into "organic food" sections along with the likes of less traditional frozen fare.

Finance

Because Amy's Kitchen is a private entity, reports of its annual earnings are not public knowledge.

Selected Catalog

Amy's offers a wide variety of products. Here is a selection of some of them.

• Asian (frozen): Asian Noodle Stir-Fry (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher); Thai Stir-Fry (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher).
• Beans/Chili (canned): Organic Black Bean Chili (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher); Organic Refried Beans with Green Chiles (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher).
• Bowls (frozen): Country Cheddar Bowl (kosher; no corn); Brown Rice, Black-Eyed Peas & Veggies Bowl (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher).
• Burritos (frozen): Bean & Cheese Burrito (kosher; no corn; no soy); Black Bean Vegetable Burrito (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher).
• Desserts (frozen): Apple Pie (kosher; no corn; no soy).
• Entrées (frozen): Tofu Scramble (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher); Macaroni & Soy Cheeze (no cholesterol, lactose, or corn; kosher).
• Indian (frozen): Indian Mattar Paneer (no gluten or soy; kosher); Indian Samosa Wraps (no cholesterol, dairy or lactose; vegan; kosher).
• Pasta Sauce (jarred): Organic Garlic Mushroom Pasta Sauce (no corn, gluten or soy; kosher); Organic Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher).
• Pizza (frozen): Roasted Vegetable Pizza (no cholesterol, dairy (including cheese), lactose or corn; vegan; kosher); Soy Cheeze Pizza (no cholesterol or corn; kosher).
• Pockets (frozen): Roasted Vegetables in a Pocket Sandwich (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher); Broccoli and Cheese in a Pocket Sandwich (kosher).
• Pot Pies (frozen): Broccoli Pot Pie (no corn or soy; kosher); Mexican Tamalé Pie (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher).
• Salsa (jarred): Organic Spicy Chipotle Salsa (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher); Fire Roasted Vegetable Salsa (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher).
• Snacks (frozen): Spinach Feta Snacks (kosher); Cheese Pizza Snacks (kosher, similar to pizza rolls).
• Soups (canned): Organic Lentil Soup (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher); Organic Cream of Mushroom Soup (no corn or soy; kosher).
• Toaster Pops (frozen): Apple Toaster Pops (no cholesterol, dairy, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher); Strawberry Toaster Pops (no cholesterol, dairy, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher).
• Veggie Burgers (frozen): California Veggie Burger (no cholesterol, dairy, gluten, lactose or corn; vegan; kosher); Chicago Veggie Burger (no corn; kosher).
• Whole Meals (frozen; akin to TV dinners): Black Bean Enchilada Whole Meal (no cholesterol, dairy, lactose; vegan; kosher); Chili & Cornbread Whole Meal (no soy; kosher).

Availability

Most mainstream supermarkets now carry many of the vegetarian offerings, though as of 2005, more often than not one must venture into a health food store to find the vegan products.

 

Source: http://www.amyskitchen.com/

Note: Portions of this writeup also appear at Wikipedia; the article on this subject I wrote there, in particular. As of this writing there have been no extra-user modifications to it.