# Clifford Pollard

> Clifford "Cliff" Pollard is the Oakland-based founder and CEO of Cream Co. Meats, a whole-animal processor and distributor designed to connect independent sustainable and regenerative ranches with restaurants, schools, universities and other large buyers. A culinary-school graduate and former professional cook, Pollard moved from farmers' markets into supply-chain roles at Prather Ranch Meat Company and Mindful Meats before starting Cream Co. in 2016. He built the business from ten cattle, borrowed coolers and personal deliveries into a multi-facility operation focused on the difficult infrastructure between ranch and kitchen.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Cream Co. Meats
- **Organizations:** Cream Co. Meats, Mindful Meats, Pasture Braised, Prather Ranch Meat Company
- **Education:** Culinary education, Le Cordon Bleu
- **Known for:** Built Cream Co. Meats from personal deliveries into a multi-facility USDA processing and distribution operation., Created market access for independent sustainable and regenerative ranchers by aggregating, processing and selling whole animals., Purchased and developed a 15,000-square-foot USDA cut-and-wrap facility in East Oakland in 2018.

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Attended culinary school at 18 and worked as a professional cook in Bay Area restaurants.
- **c. 2008-2013** — Spent roughly five years at Prather Ranch Meat Company, moving through farmers' market, wholesale, supply-chain and operations work.
- **c. 2013-2014** — Traveled for about two years through more than 20 countries to document food systems and food culture, including a short stint as a CNN International Food Guide in Lebanon.
- **2014-2016** — Served as COO and partner at Mindful Meats, an early Non-GMO Project Verified beef company.
- **2016** — Founded Cream Co. Meats in Oakland and launched with ten cattle purchased from an organic dairy.
- **2018** — Acquired a 15,000-square-foot USDA cut-and-wrap facility near the Oakland Coliseum.
- **2019** — Made Cream Co.'s first delivery to Shake Shack's Palo Alto location after building the required processing capacity.
- **2023** — Cream Co. acquired Keller Crafted Meats and Pollard spoke at UC Berkeley's regenerative agriculture salon.
- **2025** — Closed Cream Co.'s first institutional financing round and described a multi-facility operation with about 90 employees.
- **2026** — Cream Co. announced an $8 million Series A and later a senior credit facility to support West Coast expansion.

## Achievements

- Built Cream Co. Meats from personal deliveries into a multi-facility USDA processing and distribution operation.
- Created market access for independent sustainable and regenerative ranchers by aggregating, processing and selling whole animals.
- Purchased and developed a 15,000-square-foot USDA cut-and-wrap facility in East Oakland in 2018.
- Established commercial relationships serving restaurants, public schools, the University of California system and buyers including Shake Shack.
- Led Cream Co.'s acquisition of Keller Crafted Meats in 2023.
- Closed an $8 million Series A led by Soilworks Natural Capital, announced in January 2026.
- Built a sourcing network in which more than half of Cream Co.'s beef supply was reported as certified regenerative in 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Cream Co. secured a senior credit facility from Assembled Brands to provide non-dilutive working capital for its regenerative wholesale supply chain.
- **2026-01** — Cream Co. announced an $8 million Series A led by Soilworks Natural Capital, with participation from Builders Vision, Desert Bloom and the Schmidt Family Foundation.
- **2025-12** — In a long-form founder interview, Pollard described Cream Co. as a roughly 90-person, multi-USDA-facility operation and said he wanted the company to become capable of outlasting him.
- **2025-03** — The Berkeley Food Institute published a Q&A with Pollard about values-based supply chains, certification fatigue and the need to own processing infrastructure.

## Links

- Website: https://creamcomeats.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clifford-pollard-2b408b73

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/clifford-pollard
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-25