- surlean -
What started as a modest, vertically integrated company connected to L&H Packing has become a stand-alone powerhouse. Surlean Foods, formerly Surlean Meat Co., started out providing beef to the restaurant industry. That beef was slaughtered by L&H Packing and processed by Surlean Foods. In the 30-plus years since its inception, Surlean has continued to modify and improve their products. Today they manufacture a staggering array of custom food products for a well-known line up of restaurant chains. So, while some beef slaughtered at L&H Packing is sold to Surlean Foods, it’s just a small portion of what Surlean Foods produces. The custom-food manufacturer processes tons, literally tons, of other foods. The company employs a culinary team comprised of food scientists and chefs who follow food trends and create innovative products for the restaurant industry. The company doesn’t limit itself by creating product lists because they’re constantly changing their offerings to accommodate the rapid pace of the American food industry. Furthermore, they can and will create anything clients request. So the next time you dig into that baconavocado-bleu-cheese-grilled onion-and-mushroombuffalo-sauced-burger at your favorite eatery, it just might have been the brainchild of a Surlean employee.
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T ECHSAN
texastechalumni.org
What follows is a brief list of restaurants with which Surlean Foods does business as well as examples of products produced at both locations in San Antonio and Big D.
RESTAURANTS AND FOOD SERVICE COMPANIES Whataburger
Taco Cabana
Taco Bell
Taco Bueno
Wendy’s
Knorr’s
foods Black Beans, BBQ beans, beans and rice, pinto beans, refried beans Queso, dips and gravies Side dishes, including macaroni Salsas Soups Casseroles Custom sauces—chocolate, caramel, etc. Marinated whole muscle —chicken breasts, etc. Burger patties, fresh or frozen Fajitas and custom-shredded meats Taco meat and carnitas Custom-prepared and fully-cooked dishes such as pot roast, beef stew, kabobs and more
An intriguing tidbit about one of Texas’ favorite burger joints: every bit of beef sold in Whataburger restaurants is processed by Surlean Foods. Whataburger was so happy with the beef provided by Surlean, they requested that the company build a plant in Dallas in order to meet their need for fresh ground beef. Surlean rose to the occasion and, in 2011, the 75,000-square foot Dallas Surlean Foods location opened. It’s a fancy, shiny, state-of-theart facility that processes beef for Whataburger, but like the San Antonio locale, it manufactures a variety of food for a number of clients.