# Cream Co. Meats

> Cream Co. Meats is an Oakland USDA processor, whole-animal butcher and regional distributor that aggregates meat from sustainable and regenerative ranches, turns whole carcasses into consistent cuts and value-added products, and delivers them to restaurants, retailers, schools, universities and other institutional buyers. Its bet is that the hard, regulated infrastructure between pasture and plate can become both a defensible business and a better deal for independent producers.

- **Founded:** 2016
- **Headquarters:** Oakland, United States
- **Founders:** Clifford Pollard (Founder and CEO)
- **Team size:** Approximately 100 employees across three facilities and two California markets, according to a 2026 founder update; LinkedIn lists the company in the 11-50 employee band.
- **Products:** Wholesale meat distribution, Whole-animal butchery and custom fabrication, Dry-aging, Fresh sausage and value-added meat, Chef-tailored wholesale app
- **Notable:** Bought a 15,000-square-foot USDA cut-and-wrap facility in East Oakland in 2018., Reached profitability within six months of acquiring its first facility, according to Pollard., Began supplying Shake Shack's Northern California grind business in January 2019.

## Products & services

- **Wholesale meat distribution** — A full portfolio of all-natural, sustainable and regenerative beef, pork, lamb, poultry and specialty meats for restaurants, retailers and institutions, with regional delivery.
- **Whole-animal butchery and custom fabrication** — USDA-inspected cutting, catch-weight and net-weight processing, grinding, patties, portioning, marinating, tumbling, seasoning and traceable labeling.
- **Dry-aging** — Whole-carcass and primal dry-aging for culinary and wholesale customers.
- **Fresh sausage and value-added meat** — Fresh sausage plus marinated, brined, seasoned and other chef-ready products; capabilities expanded through Keller Crafted Meats.
- **Chef-tailored wholesale app** — Digital ordering with personalized guides, standing orders, invoice payment, team collaboration and in-app chat.
- **Consumer shipping and pickup** — E-commerce orders, subscriptions, UPS shipping and local Oakland pickup; no longer the company's primary growth engine.

## Achievements

- Bought a 15,000-square-foot USDA cut-and-wrap facility in East Oakland in 2018.
- Reached profitability within six months of acquiring its first facility, according to Pollard.
- Began supplying Shake Shack's Northern California grind business in January 2019.
- Built an emergency direct-to-consumer channel to a reported $300,000 in monthly sales within 90 days during the pandemic.
- Acquired Keller Crafted Meats in 2023.
- Raised $4 million in 2023 and announced an $8 million Series A in 2026.
- Received a USDA meat-processing expansion grant of more than $1.5 million.
- Reported more than 300 customers and more than half of beef supply certified regenerative in 2026.
- Passed a 2026 SQF audit in the highest performance percentile, according to a company update.
- Named to Fitt Insider's 2026 Scouting Report in the Exposures category.

## Latest updates

- **2023-09** — Raised $4 million and acquired Keller Crafted Meats, expanding value-added processing and institutional product capabilities.
- **2025-03** — Berkeley Food Institute published a founder Q&A on Cream Co.'s values-based supply chain.
- **2026-01** — Announced an $8 million Series A led by Soilworks Natural Capital and reported more than 300 customers.
- **2026-01** — Reported a USDA Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion grant of more than $1.5 million.
- **2026-04** — A supplied company record lists a debt-financing event; public amount and lender were not identified.
- **2026-06** — Relaunched Cream Co. beef hot dogs after a co-packer shutdown and a year of recipe redevelopment.
- **2026-06** — Expanded retail and restaurant collaborations including Gott's Roadside, Nugget Markets and Farm Fresh To You.

## Links

- Website: https://creamcomeats.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cream-co./
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creamco_meats/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cream-Co-Meats-111448570480274

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/cream-co-meats
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-22