Retired chef’s obsession with the little things leads to QVC appearance

Norm Miron retired in 2024 after 50 years in the food and beverage industry.

He’d operated restaurants in New Jersey and Maryland, overseen quality control at Lancaster County’s Stoltzfus Meats, and been sous chef at Victory Brewing in Downingtown.

He and his wife, Linda, had moved to South Lebanon, and he’d taken a part-time job working with special needs children at the elementary school a few doors away.

He still cooked at home, but Miron figured his days in the business were behind him.

But after decades of focusing on the tiniest details of how to make food better, he realized that he couldn’t just flip a switch to “off” and completely walk away. 

Miron’s relentless urge to tinker and the connections he’s made throughout his career have unexpectedly led to a start-up business and a June 18 appearance on national shopping channel QVC.

Miron had been experimenting with different coatings to use on chicken, fish, and other proteins that would seal in juices during cooking while not getting soggy or masking flavors. He’d come up with a finely ground mix of spices and aluminum-free baking powder that got crispy when heated and stayed crisp, even after sitting for hours. As a bonus, it was oil, sugar, and gluten free, unlike many commercial rubs and coatings.

“Zach [Stoltzfus, of former employer Stoltzfus Meats] would always call me for recipes and to try out ideas,” Miron said. “And then just around Christmas, he called me and said he wanted to talk to me about an idea he had.”

“I told him to come on up, and I was actually making dinner, which was the chicken,” Miron recalled. They quickly forgot about Stoltzfus’ original idea, which had something to do with chicken wrapped in bacon. “I gave him some of my chicken, and he said, ‘What is this?’ I told him it was just kind of a recipe I came up with.'”

Stoltzfus thought Miron’s recipe was good enough to market, suggested he contact QVC, and the idea for “Norm’s Crispy Seasoning, Original, Garden Herb Blend, and Smokehouse” was born.

Taking the idea from his kitchen to a finished product that met QVC’s standards meant finding partners to make and package it, carefully sourcing ingredients, applying for trademarks and legal clearances, and hiring labs to certify nutritional content and gluten-free status. The process took almost half a year.

Miron was impressed by QVC’s well-organized operation, which emphasized putting media novices like him at ease in front of a camera. “Even in my own restaurant, I didn’t like being out front. So it was major anxiety for me to get in front of the cameras.”

Miron had to first go to “class,” where he was coached to always watch either his host or the camera during his eight minutes on air. “They told me you finish anything you have to say. If the host starts tapping you on the shoulder, don’t stop mid-sentence, but she’s basically telling you to shut up.”

The QVC studio consisted of multiple side-by-side kitchen sets like Norm’s. “Right towards the end a clock goes to zero, which means they’re ready to do the next shot which is three feet away.”

For now, Norm’s Crispy Seasoning can only be purchased online at QVC or from Saratoga Spicery, the New York company that makes it. Miron told LebTown that he’s working on getting his creation into stores and traditional retail outlets, as well as packaging it in bulk for wholesale distribution to restaurants.