Photo © Adam Bird

ZingTrain Speaker Series: How Zingerman’s went after Diversity & Inclusion

It’s taken society a while to get here, but most of us would now agree that organizational diversity is a good thing. At Zingerman’s, when we began the work to create an intentionally diverse workplace, we realized we first needed to answer some pretty big questions :

• Why are we seeking diversity?
• What do we mean by diversity?
• And of course, how are we going to get there?

We also realized that we needed the help of an expert in the field and in Skot Welch, principal at Global Bridgebuilders, we found both the expertise we were looking for and an understanding of Zingerman’s culture.

Please join us for a conversation on Wednesday, September 9th, 8-930am, with Global Bridgebuilders and Zingerman’s Robby Griswold, a key champion of our diversity work. Robby and Skot will take you through a practical case study of the work we have done here at Zingerman’s.

Reserve your seat here

Celebrating Beef at Zingerman’s Deli

We’re very excited to welcome author Nicolette Hahn Niman to Zingerman’s Deli on Sunday, September 13th, 6pm, for an exciting night of dinner, drinks, and a discussion of sustainable agricultural practices. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Slow Food Huron Valley.

In her book Defending Beef, Nicolette Hahn Niman, an environmental lawyer-turned-rancher, does exactly as the title suggests by proclaiming everything that can be great about beef if it’s managed properly. Her book discusses sustainability (with a focus on soil health, carbon sequestration, and water conservation), as well as the nutritional benefits of beef, and the positive impacts of biodiversity, managed grazing techniques, and animal health.

For this event, Chef Rodger Bowser and his team have created a unique menu that celebrates American beef and dairy cattle. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour that includes a diverse selection of cheese pairings from a small number of U.S. pasture-based dairies. We’ve hand-picked some of the best, including a soft, luscious spreadable young cheese, a fine blue cheese, and some well-matured aged hard cheese.

The main course will feature perfectly cooked, pasture-grazed and -finished beef, as well as side dishes and salads that highlight the best of the season’s offerings. Some of the menu highlights include:

• Bone Marrow with grilled garlic crostini and a parsley, caper, red onion and frisée lemon salad
• Gaucho-Style Beef BBQ shoulder and tri-tip, grilled sweet corn with Calabrian chili butter, pecorino and chives
• Bean ragout made with Rancho Gordo cranberry beans, green beans, wax beans, tomatoes and basil, and Zingerman’s Bakehouse Westwind bread served with butter from Vermont Creamery
• Individual-sized Concord grape pies with Roadhouse Vanilla gelato from Zingerman’s Creamery

Courses will be served with tasting-sized beverage pairings (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) as well as water. Additional beverages will be available for purchase.

Reserve your seat here

Cheese 101 at Zingerman’s Creamery

On Thursday, September 17th, 6pm, we’re joining in the back-to-school spirit with the basics of cheese! We will taste cheeses that represent each of the seven major styles of cheese – hand selected by our shop cheesemongers – and talk about what makes each style unique. This tasting will also include a behind-the-scenes tour of our production facility as we explain the basics of cheese making. One of our expert cheesemakers will join our tasting to help answer any questions you have as we explore the variety of cheeses!

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Cornman Farms Cocktail Class: Better With Brandy

Sweet and subtle, this distilled liquor made from fruit (most often grapes) has been on the alcoholic beverage scene for over 500 years. Prescribed medicinally throughout the ages in Europe, brandy really became popular in the United States during the cocktail heyday of the late 1800s-early 1900s. Join us this evening at Cornman Farms as we celebrate both American brandy and its French counterpart, cognac. On Thursday, September 17th, 7pm, we’ll be mixing up three classic cocktails to showcase brandy’s broad cocktail appeal: The Sidecar, the Metropolitan, and the 1940’s version of a Brandy Daisy. We’ll discuss brandy and the regional differences that define the spirit, as well as the stories behind the cocktails themselves. Guests will savor delightful light fare prepared on-site in the farmhouse kitchen and leave with recipes for all the cocktails made during the class.

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Brewing Methods at Zingerman’s Coffee Company

Learn the keys to successful coffee brewing using a wide variety of brewing methods from filter drip to syphon pot. We’ll take a single coffee and brew it 6 to 8 different ways, each producing a unique taste. We’ll learn the proper proportions and technique for each and discuss the merits and differences of each style. Sunday, September 20th, 1pm.

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See you soon!