Mission of Chef Pure Foods
To produce high quality, great classic tasting, and healthy, non-chemicals vegetarian jerky/snacks called Pure Plant Jerky – “Pure Foods, Pure Ingredients, Pure Intentions.©" Focusing on both the traditional vegetarian consumer, plant-based or flexitarian plant-based lifestyles.
Value Propositions
Chef Pure Foods uses natural, raw ingredients, dehydrated to save the vegetable nutritional ingredients, using a scientifically-based, culinology method for making plant’s-based veggie jerky to mirror animal proteins, fruit leathers, and salad toppings. Culinology is characterized by the blending of food science & culinary arts. Chef Pure Foods will make its products utilizing seasonal local ingredients, resulting in higher nutritional value and strong taste factors while eliminating the middleman, decreasing CO2 footprint and by using seconds reducing food waste.
Kurt's Story
In 2008, Kurt experienced a life-altering stroke that necessitated a complete personal and professional transformation. Facing the challenge of adapting to limited physical mobility and partial paralysis, he embarked on a journey to overhaul his lifestyle with minimal resources and physical strain. Understanding that meaningful lifestyle changes require time and support, Kurt engaged with local farmers at nearby markets. Despite his impaired speech, he communicated through written notes and pictures, gradually forming strong partnerships by purchasing their produce.
As Kurt's relationships with these farmers strengthened, he became a go-to source for advice on selecting produce and meats, and how to incorporate less familiar items like Swiss chard, butternut squash, and turnips into diets. Leveraging his culinary expertise, Kurt wrote and self-published "Cooking to Save Your Life," a cookbook offering adaptations of classic recipes to meet various health needs, such as low glycemic and gluten-free diets. He also conducted culinary classes at Lund’s & Byerly’s gourmet supermarkets and served as a regional speaker for the American Heart Association, emphasizing the philosophy of using food as medicine through lectures at various institutions.
Kurt's influence extended into local grocery stores and businesses, where he taught classes on adopting healthy diets by focusing on diverse, colorful, and fresh foods, rather than strict calorie counting or portion control. His contributions to the food industry include activism and facilitating collaborations among key stakeholders. He served on the Board of Directors for Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and Southwest State University's Culinology program, and actively participated in the Research Chef Association, spearheading educational programs on national agricultural priorities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt innovated by creating "Pure Plant Jerky," a vegetable-based snack designed to mimic the taste and texture of meat jerky using ingredients like kelp seaweed, sunflower flour, pea protein, zucchini, and mushrooms. This product reflects his commitment to offering consumers healthy, organic, and minimally processed options that align with modern dietary preferences for vegan, non-GMO, and allergen-free foods.
