2 Utah food companies are expanding lines

Two longtime Utah food companies are making some changes and want to get better acquainted with the public.

Lehi Roller Mills is reinventing itself from a century-old flour mill to a national brand of baking products.

The mill was established in 1906 by George G. Robinson, whose English ancestors were involved in milling operations dating back to the 1500s, according to company spokesman Mike Dale.

The mill produces 100,000 pounds of flour a day for corporate clients such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mrs. Fields and Archer Farms.

But more recently, the company developed pre-packaged baking mixes sold in stores across the United States and on the Internet.

At Christmastime, lots of people look forward to getting gifts of Lehi Roller Mills pancake, cookie and muffin mixes, packaged in homey cloth bags.

The company's newest product is Heart Healthy Hotcakes, an add-water mix made with organic whole wheat flour and Omega 3 fats.

It was developed with help from Brigham Young University researchers, and it contains no trans fats, is low in total fat, has no preservatives and is a good source of fiber. A case of six 20-ounce boxes of the new hotcake mix is $20.94 on the company's Web site, www.lehirollermill .com. You can also buy boxes at Smith's, Harmons and all Associated Foods stores.

The company also unveiled Heart Healthy Muffin and Cookie mixes, which are multi-grain and also have Omega-3 fats.

"Whole-grain products which taste good are making a comeback," said Sherm Robinson, president of Lehi Roller Mills. "We have reformulated our products to meet the current healthy eating trends while maintaining the high quality of taste which our customers have come to enjoy and expect."

Another company, Shirley J, has been making soup base and seasoning products since 1978, selling them mostly to restaurants, cafeterias and other food institutions.

Shirley J was founded by food scientist Don Smith and named after his wife. In January, it was sold to Kelly Olsen, founder of Tahitian Noni International, certified executive chef Mike Olsen and Shon Whitney, former vice president of marketing for Tahitian Noni International, according to a company press release.

The company is hosting a public open house at its new headquarters, 15 E. 400 North, Orem, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. March 30-April 3, and again April 6-11.

There will be cooking demonstrations at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on April 2, 7 and 11, where Mike Olsen and Margie Guest, a home economist, will demonstrate budget-stretching recipes.

Shirley J's major product is a "universal" powdered white-sauce base that can be used to make creamy soups, gravy, casseroles and sauces. In other words, all those things that cream of mushroom soup is often used for!

There's also a cheese soup/sauce base, a dough enhancer for bread-baking, pizza/pasta seasoning, all-purpose seasoning and bouillon mixes.

The company's goal is to expand from restaurants and institutional use to home cooks.

In the next few weeks, it plans to roll out a "home chef" program to distribute the products, with information on its new Web site, www.shirleyj.com.

As company spokesman Becky Olsen said, "We're ready to flood the world with cream sauce!"

E-mail: vphillips@desnews.com