Jamestown News

Posted by Sue Jones

COMING TO CANADA TOO!

The Rotary Club of Jamestown recently welcomed Betsy Morando, President of Borsari Food Company, as its speaker.  Morando and her husband, Adolph, own and manage the herbal salts and Bloody Mary mix company they founded in 2001. The company is located on Institute Street in Jamestown, New York, and employs 20 people. Their products are stocked at Whole Foods, Wegman’s, and many other national specialty stores throughout the country.
 
The original company product was a seasoning brought from Emilia, Italy by Adolph’s grandmother. Originally, the business was just a small operation that the Morandos ran from their home, one order at a time. Borsari is Adolph’s mother’s maiden name. The A.A. in the name of the product is for Adolph, Betsy’s husband and Adelasia, his grandmother – thus “A.A.” Borsari.

 
The original seasoning was primarily for beef tenderloin, so the company has been historically busy during the grilling season. However, the company has become remarkably busy during the holidays as well as people are using the seasoning for cooking and for gifts. It takes three full days to make a batch of seasoning, bringing fresh herbs that have been flash frozen, mainly from California to Jamestown where they are dried and blended here in Jamestown. The product is blended again, dried again and re-blended.
 
The product comes in round jars that can be shaken and they also stack on top of each other for convenience. Originally, the spices were presented in a four-ounce pinch pot with a flat top.
 
The Morandos first started selling their salts in Chautauqua County at Brigiotta’s, Farm Fresh Foods, Ecklof Bakery, Gift of Grace, Ryder Cup, Ashville General Store, Litehouse Grocery among a few. They have just made their first shipment to Canada. The Whole Foods Market did a great deal to expand their market with their more than 460 stores nationally.
 
Borsari is continuing to develop products for Wegman’s The Orange Ginger and Everything Bagel were developed specifically for Wegman’s and Chili Lime is the newest product developed for Wegman’s.
 
Mrs. Morando is always interested to hear how people are using the products. One person from the audience offered that she uses the coffee spices on beef, pork, and anything with red sauce. Mrs. Morando also likes to use it lightly as a topping on vanilla ice cream.
 

SURPRISE ROTARY HONORS

Rotarian David Troxell and his wife Marissa were presented with Paul Harris Awards by Rotarian Dan Overcash and his wife Brigetta at a recent ZOOM meeting of the Rotary Club of Jamestown.
 
The regular Rotary meeting was taking place and Dan was asked to make a short presentation on the reason WHY he joined Rotary. His reason why focused on the WHO of Rotary, or the people of Rotary, which he feels is the strength of the organization. He mentioned mentor influences; and how important the Youth Exchange Program is to him and his wife Brigetta, who have welcomed many foreign students into their home and our community.  Dan then asked David to come to his front porch where he and eight other Rotarians were standing to surprise him. Overcash noted that the international star of the Jamestown club is David Troxell who has come to be the club’s international ambassador. Dan considers it to be “Team Troxell” because both David and Marissa are serving communities all over the world through Rotary.