Coast Packing Insights

Lard is being smeared on sourdough, draped over scallops and boiled up for triple-cooked chips – and it might even be good for us. Are you a fan of pig fat?

You think you’ve got marketing challenges? Think what it’s been like for Coast Packing, a top supplier of lard and beef tallow, two products dietitians scorn as cholesterol producers of the first order.

Lard and schmaltz are being smeared on bread, plopped on pizza, ladled on mash potatoes — and experts say this “animal fat craze” may even be healthier for us.

Up until the 20th century, Americans commonly used lard as a cooking fat, shortening or just a spread to be enjoyed with a slice of bread Then, as NPR pointed out, the public came to regard pig fat as exceptionally unhealthy.

Clean-food trend and new regulations converge to rehabilitate animal fats

Consumption of animal fats is on the rise, and the trend is led by millennials, according to a new survey from Coast Packing Company and Ipsos Research.

Before the trend toward plant-based oils gained traction, us Brits would consume good old-fashioned lard without fear.

The Italian fatback finds its way onto salumi plates, burgers and tacos across the US

Flavor inspiration from the Pacific Rim (think Asia, Oceania and the western coasts of North and South America) are popping up in grocery stores and restaurants as people continue to explore more of the world through their palates.

CHICAGO — Without fat, many foods lack substance. Fat dissolves and concentrates flavors and aromas, and depending on the source, may bring its own flavors to a recipe. Think: buttery croissant, coconut cream curry and sesame oil stir fry.

Depending on your age, you may or may not be familiar with lard. The cooking fat was once a staple ingredient in home kitchens, though over the years, it has become something of a mysterious one.

When it comes to baking, everyone has their choice of “fat” or oil that they prefer to use. For some, it’s butter; for others, it’s a vegetable shortening like Crisco.

Recently, I won third place in a beef tallow French fry contest. The annual contest, hosted by California-based Coast Packing Company, invited home cooks, restaurants, and food enthusiasts from around the country to submit their favorite beef tallow fries from a local restaurant or their own kitchen. Coast Packing Company is a 104-year-old, fourth-generation family-owned business that produces traditional cooking fats and oils, including lard and beef tallow.

Beef tallow is turning up everywhere, from fast food fryers to home kitchens, and plenty of cooks are wondering how to actually use it. Here are the beef tallow questions people are asking most, with straight answers you can take to the stove. What is beef tallow and why is it making a comeback?

The fat your grandmother fried chicken in is having a moment. Beef tallow, once pushed out of American kitchens by cheaper seed oils, is back on grocery shelves, fast-food menus and wellness influencer feeds, and the comeback has as much to do with culture as it does with cooking.

After more than a century in business, Coast Packing is finding that what’s old is new again. On a recent episode of The Food Institute Podcast, guest host Justin D’Affronte of City National Bank spoke with Coast Packing chairman and CEO Eric Gustafson about the company’s 104 year family legacy, renewed consumer interest in lard and beef tallow, and the economic pressures facing food manufacturers in California.

Trends tend to come full circle, and that could not be more true for Coast Packing, which has recently seen renewed demand for its lard and tallow products amid rising consumer interest in natural ingredients. City National Bank’s Justin D’Affronte steps in as guest host to talk with Coast Packing CEO Eric Gustafson about his company’s family legacy and the business climate in California.

Coast Packing Company, a leading supplier of beef tallow in the United States, is kicking off its 9th annual #BeefTallowFrenchFries Contest, one of several ways it’s marking National Beef Tallow Day and National French Fry Day this July, alongside its 13 Days of Tallow series and a collection of Beef Tallow recipes and cooking tips.

Coast Packing Company, a leading supplier of beef tallow in the United States, is kicking off its 9th annual #BeefTallowFrenchFries Contest, one of several ways it’s marking National Beef Tallow Day and National French Fry Day this July, alongside its 13 Days of Tallow series and a collection of Beef Tallow recipes and cooking tips.

Beef tallow is having a moment—and Coast Packing Company is turning that momentum into an annual celebration. On July 13, 2026 (National Beef Tallow Day), the Vernon, California-based supplier kicked off its 9th Annual #BeefTallowFrenchFries Contest, a social-first campaign that runs through Friday, July 31, and rewards nothing more complicated than one great photo of crispy, golden fries fried the natural way.

On National Beef Tallow Day, Coast Packing Company, a leading U.S. supplier of beef tallow, kicked off its 9th Annual #BeefTallowFrenchFries Contest, a social-media celebration of crispy, golden fries cooked the traditional way.

Vernon, Calif.-based animal fat shortening supplier Coast Packing Company is trumpeting the celebration of National Beef Tallow Day on July 13 to invite consumers, chefs and restaurants to discover the flavor and versatility of a “time-tested” cooking fat.

Coast Packing and the Healthy Fats Coalition celebrate National Beef Tallow Day on July 13, promoting the traditional cooking fat’s flavor, sustainability, and performance in commercial and home kitchens.

Chavis Ferguson of Coast Packing Company centers safety and superior leadership in his management of operations.