True Nature Meats

Client background

True Nature Meats was launched as a new direct to consumer brand supported by a global sourcing group with more than 30 years of experience supplying premium protein to leading restaurants. The company brought culinary expertise, clean ingredient recipes and responsible sourcing to the ready-to-heat category, preparing fully cooked proteins frozen at peak quality for nationwide delivery.

To support a national launch, the business required a cold chain program that protected product integrity and matched the standard set by its sourcing and culinary work. The brand entered the market with strong demand forecasts and a need for a dependable frozen packaging system ready from day one.

This project attracted strong interest from suppliers, but Thermogard was selected to design the full cold chain solution and guide the operational build needed for national scale.

 

Client requirements  

The launch required a complete end-to-end packaging and logistics program capable of maintaining frozen stability through a 48-hour delivery window. Key requirements included:

• Four shipper sizes supporting 8, 12, 16 and 24 pack configurations

• Custom printed corrugate designed for direct-to-consumer brand presentation

• High performance insulation and frozen gel packs suitable for year-round shipping lanes across the United States

• A full pack out standard operating procedure to support fulfilment teams

• Guidance on transit timing, carrier variability and cold chain best practice to accelerate onboarding and reduce operational risk

The program needed to be validated quickly and deployed across multiple fulfilment facilities without delays to the business program launch timeline.

 

Unique project challenges

The operational framework for direct-to-consumer distribution had yet to be built, creating the need for a partner that could design the system, validate performance, and train fulfilment teams simultaneously.  

Timelines were compressed, testing needed to be decisive, and the design needed to enable  clear pack-out training across new fulfilment centers, to support rapid scale once the brand entered the market.

Existing relationships between Thermogard and True Nature Meat’s fulfilment partners created a strong foundation, and Thermogard’s innovative tailored-supply-chain approach allowed an immediate operational start and reduced lead times compared to traditional supply scenarios.

Thermogard solution

Thermogard delivered a complete frozen packaging system built around Papershield Ultra 1.5-inch insulation, supported by a calibrated frozen gel pack program tailored to seasonal conditions and transit performance. The solution included:

• Custom printed corrugate shippers across four configurations

• Papershield Ultra 1.5-inch insulation engineered for frozen stability during the full 48-hour window

• A matched frozen gel pack program aligned to thermal modelling and national shipping lanes

• Detailed pack out procedures designed for consistent execution across multiple fulfilment locations and packing teams

• Operational guidance covering transit expectations, workflow sequencing and risk management

• Integration into the fulfilment network to ensure rapid production and uninterrupted supply
  
  

 

End result

Thermogard’s partnership led approach combined ground-up solution design, technical coaching and validation, and a tailored supply chain – enabling precision deployment of a world class thermal packaging solution that supported rapid implementation and aligned with the client’s national rollout schedule.

The result was a launch ready cold chain program that protected product quality, reinforced customer experience and provided a scalable foundation for the brand’s expansion across the United States.