Karl Dias with Parker
When travel meets food, it’s more than flavor – it’s a chance to honor the land, support the people who produce it, and leave the world a little better than we found it.
I first stumbled across Parker’s Amazing on Instagram, drawn in by the story of a three-legged rescue dog who inspired an applesauce.
Curiosity turned into a mini adventure when I drove out to Tendercrop Farm in Wenham, Massachusetts, where the jars sat among local goods.
What began as a simple shopping trip felt less like shopping and more like discovering a place through its food, offering a true taste of local stories, community, and care. The verdict? This applesauce lives up to its name, and it’s a business travelers to New England should absolutely get behind.
Recently, I caught up with Karl Dias, the mind behind Parker’s Amazing, as well as FATBOY Foods and Brewing Purees, to hear the story behind his work and the philosophy that ties all his ventures together.
Karl’s journey started long before applesauce. Back in 2013, he set out to help schools and institutions buy local by pitching a simple idea: use “second-tier” tomatoes, too blemished for grocery shelves but perfectly flavorful.
Instead of being left to rot, Karl and his team salvaged, hand-sorted, and cleaned them, cutting away imperfections and transforming them into marinara sauce. That marinara sauce ended up on the menus of schools, colleges, and universities across Boston – proving that what’s “imperfect” can still be delicious, while also giving local farms new revenue streams.
The same ethos drives Karl’s newest adventure. The inspiration came from Parker, Karl’s beloved pit bull mix, who was with him for eleven and a half years.
When Parker was diagnosed with cancer at age 10, he lost a leg to amputation, but never his spirit. His resilience and love became Karl’s inspiration. Even after cancer spread to Parker’s lungs and he sadly passed away July 2025, his legacy lives on.
In April 2025, Karl launched Parker’s Amazing, starting with applesauce made from B grade apples – those too blemished for the market but still full of flavor.
All the apples come from local orchards and are eco-certified through Red Tomato, a rigorous certification program supporting ecological farming practices.
And like any great New England trip, there are more stops ahead: Karl’s next creation, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, follows the same model of turning “waste” into nourishment.
He locally sources broccoli stems and pieces broken off during harvest, combined with cheese rinds and discards (sourced from small mid-western farmers) to craft another comforting, sustainable staple.
The mission doesn’t stop there. A portion of Parker’s Amazing proceeds goes to animal welfare organizations close to Karl’s heart. He also advises on Farm to Institution New England (FINE) and carries his upcycling vision into Brewing Purees, where his fruit purees, made from salvaged produce, are used by breweries – a tasty detour for any craft beer traveler.
Parker’s Amazing can be found at more than 50 specialty shops, including Shubie’s Marketplace in Marblehead, MA. www.parkersamazing.com
