A message from Wally Cekala
Welcome to the June issue of Chicken Wire! Now
that school's out, vacation season is officially underway. As well as
cookout, picnic and beach season. And I'm sure you'll get out there and
enjoy every minute of it.
Excitement is building around here as we get set to name our first-ever "How Do You
Willow Tree?" winner. Response to this contest has been healthy indeed.
Contestants are also enthused about HDYWT's charitable component, which
awards our Biggest Winner a cool $1000 for his or her favorite charity.
Keep in mind that this is an ongoing contest, which means there will be
a charity winner every 3 months!
Elsewhere in this issue,
we'll give you "the 411" on some great new products, tell you what
we're doing for the environment, and try to keep up with Willy T.
As always, if you have any suggestions for future issues, feel free to contact me. And remember to join in the fun on our Facebook page. In fact, I invite you to like us on Facebook. There are lots of prizes to win there, too.
Now go out there and have a great summer. I'll see you next issue.
Wally Cekala
How do You Willow Tree?
Only a few days left to win our first monthly contest! First of many winner to be announced soon!
Last month, we kicked off our “How Do You Willow Tree?” contest – and your response has been nothing short of phenomenal! We’ve been floored by the sheer variety of your submissions, from the way you enjoy Willow Tree Chicken Salad… to the ingredients you add… even to the people you eat it with!
At the beginning of next week, we’ll be announcing our first monthly winner. If you’re a Willow Tree Facebook fan, you’ll hear all about it next week. (In fact, we’ll be sending out an e-blast to all of our subscribers announcing the winner.) If you ARE the winner, you get to pick Willow Tree apparel, money-saving coupons or other great prizes.
From there, “HDYWT?” gets even better. The Biggest Winner, drawn every three months and at random, will get his or her choice of a Willow Tree Ensemble (including a beach chair, towel, cooler, thermos, hat, tote bag, etc.), PawSox tickets or VIP coupons – good for a summer supply of Willow Tree Premium Chicken Salad or a winter supply of Willow Tree Premium Chicken Pie.
Above and beyond all these great prizes, Willow Tree will donate $1,000 to the Biggest Winner’s favorite charity anywhere in the United States (as long as it’s a certified 501(c)3 organization). A Biggest Winner will be selected every 3 months, so be sure to specify your favorite charity whenever you enter.
Participation is limited only by your imagination, which means you can enter as often as you like (providing it’s a different suggestion every time). Click HERE to enter. Tell us how YOU Willow Tree! And good luck!
At Willow Tree, it's easy being green
Willow Tree is committed to sustainability in both its business practices and the products it offers. We realize that our true success depends upon sustaining our environment through the responsible use of resources.
Consider our used cooking oil. Or should we say, “Take our used cooking oil. Please!”
At Willow Tree, we’re always looking for ways to protect our environment. With this in mind, we recently entered into an agreement with the Alternative Fuel Foundation to dispose of our used canola oil in an environmentally responsible manner. AFF collects used cooking oil (canola, soybean, olive, peanut, etc.) and ensures that it’s processed into clean burning biofuel. Proceeds from the waste oil donations are also used to provide grant money to local schools and universities to sponsor projects that help promote the concept of sustainability.
These days, we have to make sure that even our waste-oil doesn’t go to waste. We like to think that reducing air pollution through the production of biofuel reinforces Willow Tree’s commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility.
As well as letting Mother Earth breathe a little easier.
Willy T. making the rounds at the NStar Children's Hospital Walk
We're happy to lend a hand - or a mascot, for that matter -- whenever we
can, as we did recently at the NStar Children's Hospital Walk. Take a look...
Willow Tree - and Willy T. - set sail for 30th Annual Boston Harborfest
If you find yourself anywhere near Boston's City Hall Plaza on Saturday, July 2nd - and you find yourself without Willow
Tree Chicken Salad - there's absolutely no need to panic! That's
because you'll be at Harborfest - and so will Willow Tree. It's the
perfect opportunity to send any of your friends who have never tried our
chicken salad (really...such people exist?) over to the Willow Tree
Tent. We'll be sampling our salad all day long for everyone to enjoy.
Talk
about a perfect match. Now in its 30th year, Harborfest is considered
to be the largest patriotic celebration in the nation, and Willow Tree
Chicken Salad is the best chicken salad anywhere! Hope to see you there!
What's in Store
Chris Cekala, the fearless manager of Willow Tree's retail store, is also something of a quote machine. For example, it turns out that his store is not simply a retail store. It is, says Chris, "a culinary powerhouse."
Actually, given all that's going on at the store these days, it would be hard to argue with him.
For all you grillers out
there, beef is on the menu in a big way at Willow Tree. Steak. Steak
tips. And for the first time, hamburgers that are prepared in-store.
Then there are the hot dogs. Three-pound boxes of Kayem skinless hotdogs can be yours for only $9.99.
The
store is also home to Willow Tree's premium sub -- totally Boar's Head -
and delicious lobster salad rolls, two to a package. Oh, and Chris also
wanted us to remind everyone about Willow Tree's fresh homemade salads.
As he puts it, "For the Fourth of July, we're your one-stop picnic
shop."
New pies are coming this fall!
(And now gravy is, too!)
We mentioned a couple of issues ago that two new Willow Tree Chicken Pies will be coming your way this fall. Like the Chicken-Pie-That-Started-It-All, each will be packed with wholesome chicken and homemade gravy, and surrounded by flaky crust made from scratch.
But we’re not about to disclose the other ingredients – not just yet, anyway. Stay tuned.
At the same time – and for the first time – we’ll be offering our delicious chicken and turkey gravy for sale at your favorite supermarket! The same homemade gravy that’s in our chicken and turkey pies!
Our gravy recipe is the original recipe, created decades ago. We’re happy to bring it to you – all by itself – for your family to enjoy.
