Bonafide Provisions

The exploding popularity of bone broth is just one key to this company’s success

BY NEIL ZEVNIK

Let’s admit it—bone broth is trendy, one of the latest and most ubiquitous entries in the “healthy & good for you” sweepstakes. But you might be startled to learn that its origins are virtually prehistoric. Early man sought to use every bit of the creatures he hunted for food, and that included the bones and sinews that had to be boiled in liquid to unlock their nutritional treasures.

Once civilization got rolling, bone broth continued to be utilized and valued. Traditional Chinese medicine employed it as a remedy for colds, flu, and diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract, joints, skin, lungs, and muscles. Ancient Roman gourmands used it in such enticing dishes as Pig’s Trotters with Pearl Barley and Pork in Sweet Wine and Fig Sauce.

For Sharon Brown, this history is more personal. Her discovery of the benefits of bone broth led to a radical improvement in her son’s health, and led her to become a Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. And the cornerstone of her practice is a belief in the efficacy of bone broth as an integral part of a whole-food diet.

But authentic bone broth is incredibly time-consuming to make—it requires anywhere from 18 to 48 hours of slow simmering to prompt the bones to release their collagen and nutrients. Providing nutritious broth for her family was one thing, but Brown quickly found that producing it for her clients was unfeasible. “We would sell out of the broth every day, and we realized that we needed to bring this product to the market because there was a need for real bone broth, made the way our ancestors made it,” she says.

'Our broth had to be made the way our ancestors made it—with just the bones of the animal, apple cider vinegar, garlic, onions, and Celtic sea salt,' says company founder and Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Sharon Brown.

Bringing Bone Broth to the Masses

Brown prevailed upon her husband Reb, a professional chef, to develop a commercial recipe that replicated her home brew. Their requirements were strict: all the ingredients had to be organic, the bones had to be sourced from grass-fed pasture-raised animals, and there could be no fillers, preservatives, or additives. “Our broth had to be made the way our ancestors made it—with just the bones of the animal, apple cider vinegar, garlic, onions, and Celtic sea salt.” And it had to be frozen, Brown notes, “just like you would at home. After all, freezing is Mother Nature’s preservative.”

For Brown, this was an opportunity to expand her mission of improving people’s lives through food. “My world consisted of helping patients one by one with their nutritional needs. When we launched Bonafide Provisions, I realized that I had the opportunity to help more people in a more impactful way. I received a testimony recently from a throat cancer patient who shared that our broth was the only thing he could consume while going through his treatments.”

And with a brand new line of all-organic, bone broth-based soups recently added to their line, including Tomato Basil, Broccoli Cheddar, Creamy Mushroom, French Onion, and Butternut Squash, Bonafide now offers the benefits of bone broth to a larger audience that might not be ready to take the plunge into straight broth. It’s all part of Brown’s ultimate goal: “From our kitchen to yours, it is our mission to help everyone experience abundant wellness through the power of food.”