A sizzling start to the day

Walking into Amherst Label this morning was as welcoming as walking into a bustling New England diner. The aroma of bacon and sausage and other good things cooking greeted us all at the front door and drew us to the cafeteria. There, three managers, Scott Vander-Heyden, Jim Cutler and Nye Hornor, were doing what they had been doing since 6am—preparing and serving breakfast to Amherst Label employees in celebration of the company’s outstanding performance in the fourth quarter of 2015.

twochefs

Texas-thick French toast and hash browns sizzled on griddles, with authentic sausage gravy warming in the pot in between. We could choose from real maple syrup or the other kind. Or, for those of us trying to increase our protein intake, the boss was whipping together custom omelettes with choices of peppers and onions, sausage and ham, cheese, and the chef’s recommendation—a dollop of sour cream.realsyrup

But wait, we thought there were going to be smoothies at this special breakfast. And yes, there, on a separate table was a do-it-yourself smoothie bar with berries, yogurt, three juices and a snazzy blender. Our talented designer from the art department whipped up a berry concoction that looked amazing.

As if all that wasn’t enough, one of Amherst Label’s newest customer service team members, Jessica Ackerman, baked banana bread: two kinds, labeled “with chocolate chips” and “plain.” Real butter nearby. 170 scrumptious calories. 3g protein.  Recipe here from our friends at King Arthur Flour.  Thank you Jessica.

IMG_1609Most people took their breakfast and headed off to start their day after thanking the cooks. Others lingered to talk about projects, challenges, and goings-on. The chefs took breaks as needed to return phone calls and keep customers served. But by 9am, the entire Amherst Label team had been treated to breakfast fit for kings and queens . . . or hard-working, super-charged workers who devote their energy to producing custom-printed labels, tags, decals, and sticker orders on-time and to exacting customer specifications.

Says Jim Cutler, Amherst Label facilities and purchasing manager, “I like to do it because the employees appreciate it—they’re always really happy when we do it.”

VP Nye Hornor agrees: “I love serving breakfast! Everyone enjoys it, everyone loves it, and the food is good.”

Here’s hoping first quarter 2016 performance earns the company another wonderful breakfast in the near future.

 

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