Tony Madrigale

To All of Our Friends and Customers,

We at Triple Fresh are very sad to learn of the passing of our former butcher, Tony Madrigale. Tony worked at this location for the Websters for 20 years. When we bought the store in 1987, Tony continued to work as the full-time butcher. In 1989, he became our part-time butcher until his retirement in 2015. He worked every Sunday and Monday, never missing a day of work.

He was beloved by his coworkers and his customers. Most loved to get "special cuts" from Tony as only he could do them. He would carefully merchandise every package that he processed always explaining to us that "you have to show them the meat."

Tony was an old school butcher that taught us how to cut and sell fresh meat. He was very instrumental in our success and we are forever grateful.

Sincerely,

Jim Petro
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"Like many people in the East Fallowfield area, I grew up with Tony as a fixture in the meat department at Triple Fresh.  I had the opportunity to work with him on and off for the last 25 years.  The “on and off” part was because of me, not Tony.  Tony knew my brothers, sister and I since we were the kids that would run around Hershey’s and (I’m sure – though they wouldn’t tell us) just get in everyone’s way.  I was the one over the last 25 years that has come and gone – school, other jobs, different departments in different places – meanwhile, Tony has soldiered on behind the wall in the Meat Department for over 40 years. 

Tony always has a smile ready for me when I venture behind that wall.  Growing up, he would always ask how I was, how school or work was going and, with a slightly mischievous smile and that Tony chuckle, what my brothers were up to these days.  Today he asks how my wife and son are, and listens to my mundane stories of life outside Triple Fresh with a knowing look and 84 years of experience in his eyes.

Tony has retired many times over the years, each of which amounted to a reduction in hours, the sort of “retirement” that one would expect of a worker like Tony.  Every Sunday and Monday (and sometimes other days as well) Tony arrives at Triple Fresh.  He pulls in the lot regardless of circumstance or weather.  There was at least one occasion that we assumed that Tony wasn’t coming due to the prodigious amount of snow, only to be surprised to see him walking toward the building, ready to work, surprised at our concern. 

Often, one will find Tony in the break room on his coffee break with a (microwaved to the point of boiling) cup of coffee in hand, sitting back, taking it all in, saying hello and conversing with anyone passing through the break room.  There have even been a few times Tony would catch a quick nap during his lunch break.  Each new person assigned to be Tony’s “meat wrapper” came away from their first day with a new friend.  Sure, Tony has had his favorites through the years, but everyone was always treated to a smile, a patient training session and a nice conversation.

Tony is the kind of guy that brings customers back.  Never too busy to stop and talk about cuts and cooking times, Tony is sought out by Triple Fresh regulars for advice.  He was my go-to guy for many of my custom-cut birthday filets.  My Dad credits Tony with being the source for much of his meat-cutting abilities.  His influence can be felt whenever you look into the meat case and will be for a long time to come. 

The old-school flavor Tony brings to this modern, fast-paced society is a truly endearing quality of the man behind the wall.  Though he is not one to talk about himself, if you ask the right questions, you might get treated to a brief anecdote about his time in China following World War II or about skinning calf’s heads as a young man starting his trade.  As I look back, I wish I had asked more of these questions in the times I could have, tapped into the vault of experiences contained within the man."

-An excerpt from Jim Petro III's tribute to Tony and his legacy here at Triple Fresh and Webster's. 

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In 2015, The Town dish came out to Triple Fresh and did a story on our meat department and most importantly, the ones who tirelessly work to bring you the freshest and quality meats. Tony Madrigale is specially high lighted in this piece as someone who knows his craft and is willing to give insight on what makes a good cut and how not to cook meat. Click this link to read more: https://www.thetowndish.com/news/2015/meet-the-meat-guys-of-triple-fresh-market/

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In 2015, Tony said goodbye to Triple Fresh and hello to retirement. He couldn't leave without a few words goodbye from his coworkers. Pictured here is his last day on the job

Tony and Tiffany

Tony and Nadine

Tony and Armani

Tony and Steven

Thank you Tony. You will be missed.

-Your Triple Fresh Family

Fact Friday- Baseball Week

You're probably wondering why we make such a big deal about Baseball Week here at Triple Fresh. There's actually not much to the story, other than a love for baseball, a love for pleasing customers, and a mindset to not take the work place "too seriously."

Baseball Week was started 10 years ago by (younger) Jim Petro. The year 2008 saw a red hot season by the Philadelphia Phillies which would later earn them a World Series win at the end of the year. Baseball fever was high and the Petro family had their own love of baseball in their lives. What better to combine their love of baseball with their love of serving their community?

Baseball Week serves to celebrate baseball and to also celebrate you, our neighbors. During this week you could win free stuff, baseball tickets, discounts, Belly points, or dollars off your sandwich.

Sure, the Phillies aren't where they were 10 years ago. That doesn't mean that Baseball Week isn't any less important here. Besides, the Petros are Yankees fans!

Ballpark food without the ballpark prices! 

From left: Khadejah, Lindsey, Karli 

From left: Rachael, Piggy, Lindsey 

Fact Friday - Torte vs Cake

Here at Triple Fresh we are proud to provide the best quality desserts from Pellman Foods. Pellman’s is a local and family owned dessert provider where their specialty is quality cheesecakes, cakes, and tortes.

Which brings us to the subject, what is a torte? It looks like a cake, is served with a fork like a cake, and even sits on a plate like a cake. So how is it any different? Well, here are a few things that we’ve discovered:

Torte

A standard chocolate Torte from Pellman Foods

• Very little to no flour in use
• Ground nuts and breadcrumbs can take the place of flour
• Short in stature
• Average 2-4 inches in height
• Since there is no flour, it will not rise to the height of a cake
• Not much room for various sizes
• Tortes are more elegant and elaborate in their design
• Toppings mostly consist of frosting, glaze, creams, and nuts.
• Before it’s decorated it is soaked in syrup or liqueur to give it a moist texture

Peanut Butter Cup Triple Chocolate Cake from Pellman Foods

Cake 

• Common ingredients include sugar, eggs, butter, and flour
• Can be taller in height
• Around 4 inches in height
• Due to the flour, cakes rise when they are baking
• Ton of room for creativity
• Cakes are served in various shapes, sizes, and colors

There is no scientific research that shows one is more delicious than the other. Cakes however are more popular than tortes.  If you want to expand your dessert options, we would suggest a torte for you; specifically from Pellman Foods. You can find both of these delicious desserts in our freezer section right in the store. Pick one up today!

Source used: https://www.proflowers.com/blog/difference-between-torte-and-cake

Triple Fresh BBQ Full Meal 2018

It's that time of year again! Take a peek at our BBQ menu for the 2018 season.

Take the taste of Triple Fresh BBQ to your own cook out. We sell our New Orleans and Memphis sauces right here in store.

Fact Friday- Lukens Pierce House

What we've learned over these last two months is that Ercildoun's history doesn't exist only on pictures and paper, but architecture as well.

In this area, we have one of the rarest houses in the United States. It is commonly known as the "octagonal house". You can drive past it on Wilmington Road and it's just a hop, skip, and jump from Triple Fresh. The official name of this house is the "Lukens Pierce" house, due to Pierce and his family residing there. Lukens Pierce is related to Gideon Pierce, a prominent member of Ercildoun who pops up in its history very frequently.

The Lukens Pierce house

Orson Squire Fowler of New York popularized the octagon house. They popped up all over the country, with several still in existence. These types of houses were popular starting in the 1850's and ending in the early 1900's. These houses can be seen in Massachusetts, California, Illinois, and New York. It is believed that the Lukens Pierce house is the only one of its kind in southeastern Pennsylvania. 

The house was added to the National Registry of Historic Places on March 14, 1973 which is 45 years ago this week! 

The Lukens Pierce house is NOT open to the public. However, there are houses in the states we've mentioned above and ones in Mississippi that are. If you're ever in those areas, it could be worth checking out. 

Source used: www.livingplaces.com 

Hereford Beef

Looking in the meat department, you'd see that we've added something new to our selection. This is something that even our regular customers weren't familiar with. The name is Hereford Beef and the game is providing the best taste in the beef industry.

It all started in Herefordshire, England where white-faced, red bodied cattle were being raised. America started to import the cattle in the 19th century. In 1881, the American Hereford Association (AHA) was started to protect the "genetic purity" of this breed.

An ideal candidate for Hereford Beef

In 1995, studies were conducted at the Colorado State University to see if it really does measure above the rest of the competition. What they found was its superiority in taste and tenderness in many categories. The Certified Hereford Beef program was created and has since been set as the standard for great tasting and quality beef that is sold to customers.

For a cattle to be considered by Hereford, it has to have a number of unique traits. Some of them are the following:

• Must have predominately (51%) white face
• Hereford and Hereford-English crossbred cattle 
• Herefords, Black Baldies, and Red Baldies 
• Beeftype breeding only 

To learn more about Hereford Beef, their mission, their story, or even some recipes, click this link and it will take you to their official website.

If you have any questions for us, give us a call at 610-384-5037 and ask for the meat department!

Easter Egg Hunt 2018

It's almost that time of year again! Triple Fresh's annual Easter Egg Hunt planning is underway.

Date: CANCELLED 

Due to unsuitable weather for outdoor activities, we have to officially cancel this outdoor event. We are sorry for the inconvenience, and we hope to see you at the egg hunt next year. 


Where: Triple Fresh Market lawn.

This year, due to its popularity, some rules have been updated to make this day as simple and fun as possible.

1. Ages will be divided into two separate groups.

1 to 5 years in one group and ages 6 to 10 in another group. Ages 1-5 will have their hunt in the back yard while ages 6-10 will have their hunt in the front yard.

2. All parents are responsible for their own children. Please DO NOT drop your children off and leave them.

3. There will be a Golden Egg  for both age groups. Whoever finds the golden egg first, wins a special surprise!

As if this couldn't get any better, we are holding another BBQ during this event, so make sure to grab some chicken and ribs for lunch (or dinner)!

We are hoping for another great turnout for this Egg Hunt and we're so excited to host it again this year.

Keep an eye out, a special guest might make an appearance!

The egg hunt is a free event!