All About Nan's Gourmet Foods
Nan’s Gourmet Foods was founded in 2003 in Vallejo, California, by an avid foodie and our namesake, Nancy. Our original gourmet goodies were imported Italian (Modena) balsamic vinegar and California olive oils. Over the years we expanded our line to include pasta, grill sauces, tapenades, mustard blends and more. We also place a special emphasis on producing gluten-free products for those folks with gluten tolerance issues.
In 2012, an amazing hair salon god fortuitously matched Nancy with a fellow foodie, Brad. Brad joined Nan and help her grow the business, create this site and our massive recipe blog. Nan mentored Brad for several years until she retired in 2016 and Brad took over the business.
Today Nan’s is based in Benicia, California, and most of our products are made right in here in the famed North Bay.
Our Founder, Nan
There is no doubt Nan is passionate about food, entertaining and sharing her love of life. Growing up in Northern California not far from the burgeoning food Mecca’s of San Francisco, Sonoma and Napa Valley, she was fortunate to experience firsthand new and exciting California cuisine. Ultimately, she became legendary with family and friends for her celebrated cooking and highly anticipated dining events.
Over time, she cultivated experimentation with new products within her circle of foodies and would happily coach them to become adventurous cooks themselves. It became the norm to seek Nan’s guidance on the best quality ingredients. In due course it became customary for these products to be considered ‘Nan Approved’.
Nan spent a lot of time and dollars evaluating the ever-growing array of ‘hot’ so-called gourmet products. Her disappointment with the quality of many of these drove her to seek and promote her own products. The ‘Nan Approved’ movement was about to begin!
In 2003 Nan left the corporate world to pursue her passion for fine food products full time. She traveled the west with her best wares, offering them at food & wine festivals and farmers markets, developing a cult following of folks who came back to her show after show. In time, it only made sense to offer the world a chance to obtain these amazing products with a web-based gourmet food store.
Nan’s Today & Tomorrow
Today Nan is happily counting wild deer at her home in the California foothills, while Brad continues the tradition of bringing ‘Nan Approved’ products to our great country. You will find Brad with his family or one of his fabulous team at street fairs and festivals up and down the west coast. If you want to know where we will be next, visit this page.
The Nan’s Gourmet Foods mission is to bring ‘Nan Approved’ directly to you and provide you with the finest and highest quality gourmet food products available anywhere. For you, it is the confidence of knowing you have great ingredients - as this is a key to making great food. ‘Nan Approved’ products advocate simplicity in preparing your favorite meals. It is not a surprise to learn Nan’s motto; “Eat well, laugh hard, love and enjoy life”. We think there is nothing better.
In addition to offering the finest in gourmet food products, this site also strives to help you with recipe ideas, food combinations and food news. Please check our Facebook page as well as our blog for news, recipes and input from people like you on the wonderful world of cooking yummy food.
If you have any questions or need recipe ideas or help, please feel free to write to us.
Buon Appetito!