Top Chef Meals Expands Production Facility

Quadruples capacity for home delivery of quality, affordable gourmet meals. End Quote

New York, NY (1888PressRelease) November 02, 2010 - Top Chef Meals, a producer of high-quality, affordable and nutritious gourmet meals for home delivery throughout Westchester and New York City, recently completed an expansion of its meal production facility in Elmsford. The three-month construction, coordinated by building owner and landlord Mack Cali, more than doubled the company's space and increased its capacity from 1,200 meals per day to 4,800 meals per day.

Paul Ghiron, president of corporate caterer and parent company Crystal Spoon, was inspired to establish Top Chef Meals in January 2010 out of a need to find tasty and nutritious meals for his 80-year-old homebound father. Seeking an alternative to frozen meals available in supermarkets, Ghiron turned to Crystal Spoon, the premier caterer to businesses, corporations, and institutions in Westchester County and surrounding areas and an expert in large scale, high quality food production. Top Chef Meals combines the Crystal Spoon production efficiency with gourmet chef talents for a full menu of easy-to-prepare, nutritious, affordable meals. The company utilizes its central Westchester location to coordinate, prepare, and deliver meals to the doorstep of older adults, disabled individuals, and the homebound, as well as singles, working moms, and others who want the convenience of frozen meals and the variety of a restaurant menu at an affordable price.

Ghiron demonstrated his commitment to the economic growth of Elmsford and central Westchester in deciding to expand his existing location during a tough economy. "We are able to take advantage of the synergies between Crystal Spoon and Top Chef Meals to offer the best possible pricing to our customers," explains Ghiron. "Crystal Spoon chefs prepare Top Chef Meals during the afternoon since most of their corporate catering work takes place in the morning for breakfast and lunch. Likewise, our drivers deliver Top Chef Meals in the afternoon after they finish handling breakfast and lunch catering service."

Top Chef Meals worked with Mack Cali to build out its space from 4,100 sq. ft to 10,900 sq. ft. The expansion enabled Top Chef Meals to install an additional tray sealing machine, a high efficiency 12 x 12 blast freezer and a 19 x 32 x 11 storage freezer. The freezers were custom built by American Refrigeration of Clifton Park, New York, to flash-freeze up to 2,000 meals in two hours, maintain up to 10,000 meals at optimal storage temperature, and comply with new Federal guidelines for energy efficiency in commercial refrigeration. A certified "green" company, Top Chef Meals also added new high efficiency lighting and refrigeration systems and uses biodegradable freezer-to-oven packaging.

Customers select meals from an extensive menu of main and side dishes, soups, desserts, and breakfast items. Combination 7- or 14-day meal packages can be ordered from a preset selection or individually selected and customized by the customer. At a price of $6.85 per meal, comprised of an entrée plus two sides, and with a 20 percent discount for seniors, Top Chef Meals offer a significant savings over other meal options.

"As a working senior, it is nice to be able to come home to a fully prepared meal that is not only good for me, but is delicious and inexpensive as well" said Sue, a customer of Top Chef Meals. "I am so thankful that Paul and Top Chef Meals makes it easy for me to eat balanced meals that taste like they came from a gourmet restaurant."

Recognizing the varied dietary needs of older adults, Top Chef Meals recently launched a therapeutic meals division, which works with the assistance of nutritionist Elizabeth DeRobertis, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, to offer high-quality, gourmet meals for people with dietary restrictions. Meals are available for persons on diets for diabetes, weight loss, chronic kidney disease, and hemodialysis, along with low sodium, low cholesterol, low fat, mechanically separated, and pureed diets. The company plans to introduce a kosher meal plan within a year.

Top Chef Meals is located at 175 Clearbrook Rd, Elmsford, NY 10523, telephone 914.372.7083, www.topchefmeals.com.

About Top Chef Meals
Top Chef Meals, established in January 2010, provides high-quality, affordable and nutritious gourmet meals delivered or shipped overnight to elderly and homebound persons in Westchester County and throughout New York State. Top Chef Meals is affiliated with Crystal Spoon, a leading corporate caterer in Westchester, and was inspired by the efforts of Crystal Spoon President Paul Ghiron to find a healthier and more flavorful alternative to grocery store frozen foods for his homebound 80-year-old father. Crystal Spoon is the premier caterer to businesses, corporations, and institutions in Westchester County and surrounding areas and specializes in large scale, high quality food production.

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