Rutter's Adds Seasonal Local Produce to Offerings

YORK, Pa. — Rutter's is expanding its Fresh & Local initiatives with the addition of seasonal fruits and vegetables to its grab-and-go cold cases and fresh restaurant menu offerings.

The convenience store retailer added an assortment of watermelon, blueberries, heirloom cherry tomatoes, sweet corn and yellow and green squash to its grab-and-go case located at the center of the store. The watermelon, blueberries and tomatoes come in ready-to-eat packaging for a quick, healthy snack, while the sweet corn and squash are fresh packed whole and offer customers the convenience of choosing a fresh side for home cooked meals, according to the company.

The new Fresh & Local ingredients used in Rutter's in-store restaurants currently include sliced and chopped sweet onions, sliced green peppers and mushrooms, all of which are grown in Pennsylvania.

Rutter's will change its fresh selection of ingredients as the growing seasons change. Customers can look for the "Local" icon on the build-your-own kiosks to find available offerings. The c-store chain's grab-and-go and restaurant menu produce is sourced by family farms throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia.

"Rutter's has an agricultural, dairy, and foodservice history spanning several hundred years in the central Pennsylvania community and with our fresh and local focus, we are supporting businesses throughout the Mid-Atlantic region while offering our customers healthy, economically sustainable products," said Director of Foodservice Ryan Krebs. "Rutter's operating footprint is one of the most agriculturally rich states in the country, so it's rewarding to fulfill my commitment to offering restaurant quality, fresh food in our convenience stores by partnering with local farmers and food producers."

Rutter's launched its Fresh & Local initiative several years ago and recently hired a sourcing expert dedicated to expanding its local sourcing partners, defining local as a product or manufacturer located in the state of Pennsylvania or within 100 miles of the corporate office in York, the company said. It now works with more than 55 local brands and 12 produce farms for both retail packaged products and ingredients for freshly made restaurant items.

York-based Rutter's is a family-owned and -operated convenience store chain with roots dating back to 1747. The retailer operates 70 stores in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.