Tribute To Greg

This week we want to pay tribute to Greg Hardesty who died this week after a year long battle with cancer.  Greg was our first customer in Indianapolis in 2006, and was instrumental in helping us understand what quality meat needed to be.  For the first 5-6 years I did most of the delivering myself and remember so many interactions with Greg when delivering to Elements restaurant.  I also got to meet many of the up & coming chefs working for Greg and they carried our meat to many of their new restaurants.  Greg also went out of his way to recommend us to other chefs across town. 

Then in 2018 I was driving through Indy when I got a text to tell me Greg was shutting down Recess.  Within an hour I was at his door to see if he would be interested in a change of pace to work for Fischer Farms?  It took 6 more weeks but finally Greg was convinced to come work for us as a chef/meat salesman.  Diana and I were then and are still flabbergasted that he agreed.  Greg needed some time away from the restaurant scene and we think he truly enjoyed the year he spent working with us.  He spent the time to really understand the process of raising beef cattle and processing the animals.  Diana always loved her texting interactions with Greg, he was patient with our limited production and very quick witted in his responses to brighten Diana’s days.  Greg’s creativity itch soon gave in to a new restaurant, Studio C, where he sold our meats retail as well as used them in his meals. 

I was always amazed by how humble he was.  Here was a chef with numerous awards, multiple Restauranteur of the Year in Indianapolis… yet he was never boastful, always wanting to learn and teach in a gentle manner. 

Looking back, we are so grateful for his years of support and the one year of working with him daily.  I know there are so many of our current customers who enjoyed and learned so much from their time working beside one of the greats!