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Transcript of BelGioioso.qxd:. 2/3/12 5:26 PM Page 1includes Céline Dion and her husband René Angelil. The deli,...
FEB./MAR. 2012 DELI BUSINESS 3
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CONTENTSFEB./MAR. ’12 • VOL. 17/NO. 1
COVER STORY
26DELI BUSINESS (ISSN 1088-7059) is published by Phoenix Media Network, Inc., P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DELI BUSINESS, P.O. Box 810217, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0217
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MERCHANDISING REVIEWSStand Out From The Crowd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Food bars help differentiate the deli department
Prepared Foods Let ConsumersGrab a Meal on the Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Entrées answer the question, “What’s for dinner?”
FEATUREProsciutto di San Daniele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22A centuries-old culinary marvel from Italy’s northeast corner
PREPARED FOODSThe Crust Of The Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26The always evolving pizza category begins with a good crust
CHEESE CORNERDutch Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31It’s leapt out of the history books and onto the table
DELI MEATSRoast Beef Still Draws Consumers . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Taste, quality and health attributes never go out of style
PHOTO COURTESY OF HALIBURTON INTERNATIONAL FOODS, INC.
IN EVERY ISSUEDELI WATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
INFORMATION SHOWCASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
BLAST FROM THE PAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
COMMENTARIESEDITOR’S NOTEThe Return of the Jewish Deli. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
PUBLISHER’S INSIGHTSFinding Cheese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
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DELI BUSINESSMARKETING MERCHANDISING MANAGEMENT PROCUREMENT
CO
MIN
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EXT
PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJAMES E. PREVOR
PUBLISHING DIRECTORKENNETH L. WHITACRE
PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL DIRECTORLEE SMITH
MANAGING EDITORJAN FIALKOW
SALES MANAGERJANE JOHNSON
CIRCULATION MANAGERKELLY ROSKIN
PRODUCTION DIRECTORDIANA LEVINE
ART DIRECTORJACKIE TUCKER
PRODUCTION DEPARTMENTFREDDY PULIDO
RESEARCH DIRECTORSHARON OLSON
CONTRIBUTING EDITORSBOB JOHNSON LAUREN KATIMS LISA WHITE
SEND INSERTION ORDERS, PAYMENTS, PRESS RELEASES,PHOTOS, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, ETC., TO:
DELI BUSINESSP.O. BOX 810217, BOCA RATON, FL 33481-0217
PHONE: 561-994-1118 FAX: 561-994-1610E-MAIL: [email protected]
PHOENIX MEDIA NETWORK, INC.CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
JAMES E. PREVOR
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTKENNETH L. WHITACRE
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTLEE SMITH
GENERAL COUNSELDEBRA PREVOR
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTFRAN GRUSKIN
TRADE SHOW COORDINATORJACKIE LOMONTE
DELI BUSINESS IS PUBLISHED BYPHOENIX MEDIA NETWORK, INC.
P.O. BOX 810425,BOCA RATON, FL 33481-0425
PHONE: 561-994-1118 FAX: 561-994-1610www.delibusiness.com
ENTIRE CONTENTS © COPYRIGHT 2012
PHOENIX MEDIA NETWORK, INC.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.
PUBLICATION AGREEMENT NO. 40047928
COVER STORYAsian Foods
FEATURE STORIESMediterranean FoodsCooking OilsTake-out Foods
MERCHANDISING REVIEWSHispanic FoodsSandwich Condiments
PREPARED FOODSSandwichesFood Trucks
PROCUREMENT STRATEGIESUnderstanding Imports
DELI MEAT Premium Deli MeatsTurkey Hot & Cold
CHEESESMozzarellaFrench Basque
SPECIAL GUIDEIDDBA Pre-Show Guide
COMING IN JUNE/JULY 2012DELI BUSINESS will present the winners of the 8th Annual People’s Awards. If
you would like to nominate someone for the award, please send your nomination toJan Fialkow, managing editor, [email protected].
Correction: In Healthy Diet, Part 1 in the December 2011/January 2012 issue of DELI BUSINESS,we incorrectly identified the commercial leader for oils at Dow Agro Sciences, Indianapolis, IN, as SteveDzisiak. His name is Dave Dzisiak.
SUBSCRIPTION & READER SERVICE INFOIf you would like to subscribe to DELI BUSINESS for the print and/or electronic ver-sion, please go to www.delibusiness.com and click on the “Subscribe” button.From there, you can subscribe to the print version of DELI BUSINESS or free ofcharge to the electronic version. In addition, you can read the electronic versionand go directly to a company’s Web site through our special hot link feature. Bestof all, you can download and print any article or advertisement you’d like.
COMING NEXT ISSUE IN APRIL/MAY 2012
Smithfield Packing Com-pany, Inc., Smithfield, VA, hascompleted its 100th donationon its Helping Hungry Homestour totaling more than 14 mil-lion servings of protein donatedto local food banks across thecountry.
According to DennisPittman, public affairs direc-tor, Smithfield has traveledfrom Florida to Alaska,donating protein to local foodassistance organizations. The
Smithfield trucks have traveled tohelp families who experienced tornado devastation in Missouri,
floods in Vermont and the hurricane in Delaware.With food banks nationwide facing record requests for services, providing protein is
often a challenge. Over 50 million people in the U.S. experience hunger daily. One in sixadults and one in four children know what it is like to go to bed hungry or have to decidebetween buying food and paying for other necessities such as utility or medical bills.
Smithfield’s Helping Hungry Homes initiative began in 2008 and helps feed familiesin our nation who are food insecure. Smithfield Foods and its independent operatingcompanies have a long history of stocking food banks, supporting after-school nutritionprograms and providing food relief in the wake of natural disasters.
SMITHFIELD’S HUNGRY HOMES TOUR
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D E L I W A T C HNew Products
NEW CHEESE SPECIALTIESVandersterre Groep International B.V.,Bodegraven, The Netherlands, hasintroduced two premium cheese spe-cialties under the Landana brand —Landana Fenugreek and LandanaPepper Trio. Fenugreek has a delicious,nutty aroma. The long maturing timeallows the special flavor notes of fenu-greek seeds to develop fully. With itslively flavor note, Landana Pepper Trioappeals to cheese lovers who like theircheeses especially spicy. Selected pep-per varieties impart an unusual flavoraccent at the end and give the other-wise pleasantly mild cheese aromaenough space to come fully into itsown.www.landanakaas.com
CAPTAIN MORGANGLAZED CHICKENPilgrim's Deli Products, Greeley, CO,has combined Pilgrim’s 100 percentbreast meat with No. 1 brand of fla-vored rum in the U.S. to create Cap-tain Morgan Glazed Chicken Stripsand Chunks, a great way for delis tocompete with the QSR market. Thesweet Caribbean non-alcoholic glazeand crispy chicken is a perfect pairingfor everything from party trays to aquick take-out meal from the hot case.Individually frozen and ready to heatand serve, the product was designedto provide excellent holding time so it’sperfect for the heated or grab-and-gocase.www.pilgrimsdeli.com
1-SEAL LID TECHNOLOGYSpartech Corporation, Clayton, MO,introduces the 1-Seal system thateliminates the need for an additionalfoil seal or film membrane. By leavinga portion of the in-mold label surfaceexposed inside the lid, it allows a con-tainer to be capped and sealed with-out the need for an additional foil sealor membrane. The technology is con-sumer friendly. Since the label, lid, andtray are made of the polypropylene,the container is 100 percent recy-clable. Its user-friendly, re-sealable clo-sure system provides a secure, airtightseal, ensuring freshness at the storeand at home. The containers are alsoheat tolerant and microwavable.www.spartech.com
GOURMET DESSERTCHEESE SPREADSSugar Brook Farms, Verona, WI,introduces Kelly’s Kitchen gourmetdessert cheese spreads, developedusing unique flavors and delightfulcombinations. The recipes use Wis-consin cheese combined with flavorssuch as cranberry, almonds, pumpkinspice and cream cheese. Kelly’sKitchen gourmet dessert cheesespreads are packaged in a clear trayfor appearance and will stay fresh for120 days. Available flavors are Cran-berry Almond and Pumpkin Spice.Serve with bread, bagels, crackers,cookies or fruits. Available in 7-ouncepackages, 6/case.www.sugarbrookfarms.net
NEW FLAVORS& PACKAGINGCoach Farm, Pine Plains, NY, isexpanding its line of farm fresh goatcheese with the addition of two newflavors: Fig and Pear. The new vac-uum packaging extends the shelf lifeof the fresh goat cheese and allowsthe company to get its ‘As Fresh As ItGets’ goat cheese to the West Coast.Coach Farm’s entire line of fresh goatcheese will now be available in 4-ounce and 10.5-ounce packaging withdistribution starting immediately. Thisincludes its new fig and pear flavors inaddition to its traditional dried herboffering.www.coachfarm.com
DELI DINNER HAMDietz & Watson, Philadelphia, PA,has introduced All Natural UncuredClassic Dinner Ham with the same,delicious off-the-bone flavor its cus-tomers have come to love — withoutthe nitrates and with lower sodiumthan most other dinner hams. Theham is uncured, prepared with seasalt, horizontally sliced and features aslight smoked flavor. At about 6pounds, the size is perfect for today'sbusy household. Dietz & Watson hasbeen working hard to introduce thisham, starting with the Atlantic Coast— conducting high-end samplingevents and couponing via the Internetand direct mail.www.dietzandwatson.com
PERMAZIP POUCH-SEALINGTECHNOLOGYFlair Flexible Packaging, Appleton,WI, has introduced Permazip packag-ing technology, an alternative to rigiddome and tray containers. It has atamper-resistant permanent zipper ona flexible film pouch that ensures foodsafety while reducing waste and ship-ping expense. The closure eliminatesconcerns about steam pressure caus-ing deli pouches to open and othertampering concerns. If a permanentseal is desired, the simple easy-to-close pouches eliminate the need forspecialized sealing equipment in thedeli. A secondary reclosable seal canbe added below the Permazip forretail customers’ use.www.flairpackaging.com
GRASS FED GOUDACaves of Faribault, Faribault, MN,has re-introduced St. Mary’s GrassFed Gouda, handcrafted by MasterCheesemaker Bruce Workman ofEdelweiss Creamery. Made in Wis-consin and aged in historic sandstonecaves by the affineurs of Caves ofFaribault, it develops a smooth but-tery sharpness with a definite hint ofcaramel. Wheels of this 2009 vintagehave a natural, rustic rind. The aro-matic rind will continue to maturewithin the wrapping. The rind is edibleand suited best for those who prefer astronger flavor profile. Availablethrough select distributors in 11-poundRWT wheels and 8-ounce EWTwedges.www.cavesoffaribault.com
DELI WATCH is a regular feature of DELI BUSINESS. Please send information on new products, personnel changes, industry, corporateand personal milestones and available literature, along with a color photo, slide or transparency to: Editor, Deli Business, P.O. Box810217 • Boca Raton, FL 33481-0217 • Phone: 561-994-1118 • Fax: 561-994-1610 • E-mail: [email protected]
6 DELI BUSINESS FEB./MAR. 2012
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The charcuterie Hebraique de Montreal, also knownas Schwartz’s Deli — the most famous restaurantin all Canada — is rumored to be sold soon. Thebuyers are thought to be an investment group thatincludes Céline Dion and her husband René Angelil.
The deli, opened in 1928, is famous for smoking itsown meat. It’s been the focus of books, movies andeven a theatrical musical comedy. Every culinaryexpert, rock star and movie star who comes to townmakes a pilgrimage.
Still, what does a glamor couple like Dion and Angelilwant with an old deli in Montreal? A big opportunity tofranchise and open other locations. Vegas casinos havebeen pining for one for years.
This potential is partly because the old-time Jewishdeli is becoming a culinary tour de force; the question iswhether supermarket delis are going to know how toride this wave. There’s a real danger they’ll let it pass by.
The New York Times published a piece heralding thereturn of herring to haute cuisine, titled A Starring Rolefor the Little Humble Herring, by Joan Nathan, JamesBeard-award winner, doyen of Jewish cooking in Amer-ica, host of a PBS show and author. Turns out pickledherring is all the rage in Japan — and is now on the prixfixe menu at Masa, an ultra chic, super pricey restau-rant in the Time Warner Center in Manhattan.
The article profiles catering chefs who take pride insmoking their own herring and upscale restaurants thatfind herring is a best seller. As Nathan writes: “Whatused to be food for Jewish grandfathers…is showing upon the menus of restaurants both hip and elegant.”
Leading edge retailers are also beginning to play thetrend. Ms. Nathan quotes a leading supplier: “Shoppersare finding a more appealing selection in stores. Herringused to be pickled in only wine sauce or cream saucefor Jewish holidays. No more. Now it’s in dill sauce, incurry sauce, with pickles, with mustard sauce.
“’Whole Foods has much to do with this increasedinterest,’ said Richard Schiff, the general manager ofAcme Smoked Fish in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a mainsupplier in New York. ‘They want not just one or twoherring jars, but lots.’ And lightly smoked French herringis also now available to consumers at Whole Foods andother stores.”
Is the supermarket deli department ready to takeadvantage of this trend? There was a time when everyself-respecting deli operator personally knew how todebone herring. Is anyone who remembers how left?
Nathan’s herring article is part of a larger trend. TheNewYork Post had a piece titled Bringing schmaltzy back:Hot new eateries serve up posh nosh to the young andchosen. It highlights 37-year-old Zach Kutscher, scion ofthe family that founded Kutscher’s Hotel and Country
Club, an archetypical Jewish Catskills resort wherefood was king. He opened Kutscher’s Tribeca in Man-hattan, a modern day bistro reinterpreting the Jewishclassics, many of them traditional deli foods.
As the article explains: “Kutsher’s Tribeca is a sleek,minimalist space where patrons can nosh on a platter ofin-house smoked veal tongue while eavesdropping onHarvey Keitel, who’s been seen at the restaurant.”
Kutsher’s Tribeca heralds a renaissance in Jewishcooking which is suddenly becoming hip. According tothe article, “There’s Boerum Hill delicatessen Mile End,opening its first Manhattan outpost on Bond Street inMarch. Weeks-old SoHo cafe Jack’s Wife Freda boastspiri-spiced giblets and a matzo ball soup. Sons of Essexon the LES has added ‘Eggs Benedictowitz’— poachedeggs on a potato pancake with smoked salmon — aswell as the ‘Sloppy Judah’ — a pulled Manischewitz-braised (!) short-rib sandwich — to its new brunchofferings. Shelsky’s Smoked Fish in Carroll Gardens,which opened in June, is a mouth-watering hipster denof gravlax and herring. Matt Abramcyk’s new TriBeCarestaurant, Super Linda…boasts a Jewish-Mexicantaco on its menu (the pastrami perhaps an ode toAbramcyk’s schooling at Ramaz, an UES Orthodox pri-vate school). And the owners of Chelsea tapas spotsTxikito and El Quinto Pino are opening La Vara, arestaurant that celebrates Spain’s Jewish and Moorishheritage, in Cobble Hill next month.”
Despite all the interest in health, the rising culinarytrend focuses on hearty peasant food, rich and full fla-vored foods. Foods that delight the senses with theirdeep appeal. The article also notes: “Joe Dobias, 31,who recently opened East Village sandwich shop Joe-Dough with girlfriend Jill Schulster, agrees. ‘Fat is in.Off-cuts are in. I think that the whole idea of humblecuisine is really cool right now. . .because that’s wheresome of the best cooking came from.’
“His menu reflects the trend with sandwiches, suchas ‘The Almighty Brisket’ and ‘The Conflicted Jew,’made with liver, onions, bacon and challah toast.”
The trend is there for supermarket delis to grab, buthow many even sell tongue any more? Too many delisare sterile places, focusedon utilitarian things such aslow-fat cheeses or low-saltdeli meats. Here is the zeit-geist swinging and sayingthe focus is on artisanal, onheritage, on sensual, rich,fatty cuisine. How many ofus are ready to capitalizeon this return the roots ofthe deli? DB
8 DELI BUSINESS FEB./MAR. 2012
F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K
by Jim Prevor, Editor-in-Chief The Return of the Jewish Deli
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P U B L I S H E R ’ S I N S I G H T S
by Lee Smith, Publisher
Years ago, when I got my first job as an assistantbuyer, my boss told me buying was a terribleand fruitless job. Buyers are paper pushers.What I should strive to be is a seller. For everyproduct I purchased, I should first know how to
sell it. I needed to know how to sell better than Iknew how to buy. Buying was mechanical; sellingwas an art.
In this world of plan-o-grams, slotting allowances,movement reports and standardized product selec-tion, buyers often forget about thinking of the sellbefore confirming the buy. The result is the currentstate of cheese affairs in many chains.
Buying cheese has become easy. Hundreds ofvarieties are available through distributors. Evensourcing the finest cheeses in the world isn’t difficult,assuming you’re willing to pay the price and yourconsumer demographics are appropriate. Pre-cutprograms have become sophisticated, and very finecheeses are available.
While many great cheeses are available in a pre-cut format with traditional packaging, producers arealso using more sophisticated packaging. Cheesessuch as Epoisses and Liverot, once impossible to sellunless they were displayed on open shelves and cutto order, are now available in packaging that pre-serves the integrity of the cheese. The same is trueof other washed rinds, small-format fresh cheesesand cheeses with delicate rinds.
The struggle today is the sell. Just because wecan buy it, that doesn’t mean we should sell it. Thechallenge is merchandising and promotions. For themost part, chain stores still use the philosophy of“pile it high and watch it go.” As many retailers willtestify, the pile-it-high strategy just increases shrinkto unacceptable levels.
The most common retail merchandising strategyis the “ribbon.” Take similar products and displaythem in neat lines: regular canned corn next tocreamed corn and all the roast beef varieties dis-played next to one another. Products are easy forcustomers to find and easy for clerks to monitorand inventory.
In specialty cheese, this merchandising philosophydoesn’t work unless the variety is very limited. Limitthe selection in a typical 12-foot case to less than 20varieties and it will work. However, most retailerswant to display 50 or more varieties, leaving aboutsix square inches per cheese. Even if the varieties are
grouped by usage, type of milk, style of cheese orcountry of origin, the display will be a mess in a mat-ter of minutes. The Brie will be underneath theSwiss Gruyère by lunch. The overall impression willbe sloppy, unfocused and distressed.
There’s room for debate about the number ofvarieties any retailer needs to have at any one time,but the general rule should be to display no morethan can be affectively merchandised. I’ve been tohigh volume stores in Amsterdam — with less than10 different cheeses — that were well merchandisedand full of customers. The average cheese shop inFrance has fewer varieties per linear foot than storesin the United States. While 10 varieties are notenough given the diverse clientele of most supermar-kets, 350 are overkill. It is far more important thatevery cheese be displayed appropriately and in topcondition.
In a country just learning about cheese, the likeli-hood of purchasing cheese and deciding it’s hateful isgreatly enhanced if the cheese is past its prime. Formany years, the average American hated goatcheeses because they were so ammoniated theysmelled like a cat box and so rancid they burned thetongue. It wasn’t until fresh American goat cheesesbecame popular that people realized how delightfulgoat cheeses could be.
The “I hate that cheese” attitude is common evenamong buyers. A few weeks ago, I walked into acheese shop I frequent and the clerk recognized me.He said the shop had just gotten in a special cheese— a 3-year-old Fontina from Italy. It was extra agedand very special. It was Fontina Valle d’Aosta. I triedit — and it was terrible. It tasted moldy and very bit-ter and lacked the characteristic warm butterycheese notes. I asked him if he liked and he said,“No, this cheese is not one of favorites, but thenagain I don’t like these very strong and smellycheeses.” He showed me the cheese — the rind hadbeen removed and in its place were long blackstreaks. I don’t know if thesalesperson was under adirective to unload thisdecaying cheese or justclueless.
The lesson is that moreis not necessarily better inthe world of specialtycheese. DB
Finding Cheese
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F inding the right mix of healthy and indulgent offerings inthe deli is a delicate balancing act and one that seems toconstantly change with the latest nutrition headline.Today’s trends leave no doubt that consumers are seekingmore balance in diet and lifestyle. Deprivation is out and
delicious yet healthful choices are in demand.Current research shows consumers often seem more interested in
healthy offerings when buying food to eat at home and less inclinedtoward healthful choices in restaurant environments. A new study ofover 200 deli shoppers by Chicago, IL-based Olson Communications’Culinary Visions Panel compared their reactions to a range of differ-ent recipes for popular deli items including potato salad, cole slaw,pasta salad and bean salad.
C O V E R S T O R Y
Healthy DeliPART 2
New consumer research explores the balancebetween health and indulgence in the deli
BY SHARON OLSON
The survey was conducted among consumers who have pur-chased prepared foods from the supermarket deli or specialty grocerydeli in the past month. Respondents were asked about their likelinessto order each prepared salad concept, as well as their perception ofthe healthfulness of each concept. Of the 215 respondents who com-pleted the questionnaire, 80 percent were female and 20 percentwere male. Age and household income were fairly evenly distributed.
This study shed light on the types of foods shoppers are more will-ing to accept as healthful and those they don’t want changed. Itexplored the nuances of how names and descriptions of menu itemsaffect shoppers’ perceptions of whether food is healthy or indulgentwhen they shop in the deli department.
The recipes ranged from minor modifications on timeless classic
This is PART 2 of a 2-part series on healthy deli foods.PART 1 appeared in the Dec./Jan. 2012 issue.
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items to those using specialty ingredients tocreate more unconventional offerings. Someof the concepts were overtly indulgentdescriptions, others were obviously healthyand others were “invisibly healthy.”This thirdgroup included recipes designed to meet ahealthier profile of lower saturated fat andcalories without any compromises to taste.All were made with ingredients readily avail-able to deli foodservice professionals.
The deli shopper study followed a similarstudy of over 200 casual-dining consumerswhose reactions to menu items they per-ceived to be the healthiest were rated asbeing the least good tasting. Reactions fromdeli shoppers were dissimilar in that healthyitems were chosen as most desirable choicesin some categories of deli foods.
Potato SaladFour potato salad recipes were tested:
loaded baked potato salad, Dijon potatosalad, veggie potato salad and creamy yogurtpotato salad. The majority of consumers (48percent) said they would be likely or verylikely to order the indulgent loaded bakedpotato salad made with sour cream, bacon,Cheddar cheese and green onions. Dijonpotato salad made with fresh lemon juice,Dijon mustard and olive oil came in a closesecond preferred by 45 percent of respon-dents. Veggie potato salad made with low-fatmayo and potato salad made with yogurt-based dressing had likely-to-order ratings of40 percent and 39 percent respectively.
Women were more likely than men toorder each of the potato salad concepts,except for the Veggie Potato Salad, whichmen favored. At least one third of both gen-ders were likely or very likely to order all ofthese concepts.
Potato salad is a classic category wheremany different recipes are preferred by smallgroups of consumers. When asked abouttypes of potato salads they would like to seeoffered in their deli, German potato salad andpotato salad with hardboiled egg and mus-tard were often mentioned as favorites.Other ingredients respondents mentionedwere bacon, pickle, cheese, chili, buffalosauce, jalapeño, olives, rosemary, vegetablesand garlic. Forty-seven percent of respon-dents would not add any potato salad to theprepared section of their favorite deli.
Culinary Visions Panel research also cap-tures insight from self-defined foodies whooften are the trendsetters in trying new items.Foodie consumers offered up some very spe-cific ideas on potato salad varieties theywould like to see, including purple potato, redbliss potato and sweet potato either individu-ally or as a medley. Requests were also madefor skin-on potato salads and thin slices like
those used in scalloped potatoes.
Pasta SaladFour pasta salad recipes were tested:
vinaigrette pasta salad, red pepper pastasalad, veggie pasta salad and creamy yogurtpasta salad.
Vinaigrette pasta salad made with olive oiland wine vinaigrette, fresh basil, and garlicwas overwhelmingly popular, favored by 56percent of respondents. This salad also scoredhigh in terms of healthfulness by 58 percent of
respondents. Roasted red pepper pasta saladmade with fresh basil, garlic and a yogurt-based dressing was the second most popularpasta salad at 42 percent likely to order.
In general pasta salads scored high forhealthfulness and preference. The lowestscoring pasta salad was the creamy yogurtpasta salad made with prosciutto and peaswith 37 percent of shoppers likely to order.Yet, shoppers are highly satisfied with theofferings currently in their favorite deli; 65 per-cent said they would not add any pasta salads
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to the offerings already available to them.Thirty-five percent of respondents stated
a specific type of pasta salad they’d like tohave in the prepared deli case. Cheeses werethe most commonly requested additionalingredient, specifically Feta, Parmesan, Moz-zarella and Gorgonzola.
A wide range of vegetable ingredientswas also requested. Broccoli, peas, arti-choke, tomato (fresh or sun-dried), mush-rooms and peppers were among the mostfrequently mentioned requests. Roasted wasthe only cooking method specified by con-sumers for vegetables, and a few requestedwhole-wheat pasta. Protein items includingbacon, ham, antipasto meats, pepperoni andchicken were requested, as well as seafood,specifically tuna and shrimp.
Cole SlawFour cole slaw concepts were tested:
veggie, creamy with yogurt, blue cheese, andvinaigrette.
Veggie cole slaw made with green andred cabbage, baby bok choy, broccoli, carrot,chives, and low-fat mayo dressing was themost popular choice favored by 39 percentof respondents. Vinaigrette cole slaw madewith olive oil vinaigrette dressing was a closesecond with 38 percent of respondents likely
to order. The two most popular cole slawrecipes were also perceived to be the healthi-est, both scoring over 55 percent for per-ceived healthfulness.
Creamy yogurt cole slaw followed with36 percent likely to order and blue cheesecole slaw made with red and green cabbageand creamy blue cheese dressing was pre-ferred by 27 percent. The blue cheese slawwas also perceived as the most indulgent ofthe offerings. Genders agreed on likeliness to
order for most concepts, except the bluecheese slaw which males were far morelikely to order than females.
Once again the majority of shoppers, 69percent, would not add another cole slaw tothe prepared case of their favorite deli. Tradi-tional creamy cole slaws were mentionedmost often by shoppers who wrote in thekind of cole slaw they would like to see intheir favorite deli. Sixteen percent namedKFC as the gold standard. A handful ofrespondents wanted an Asian-style coleslaw, including one with a sesame dressingand a Korean-style slaw.
More than one consumer mentionedthey’d like the option of a dry cole slaw, sothey could add their own dressing at hometo control the amount and flavor of the fin-ished product.
When asked about ingredients theywould like to see in cole slaw, vegetablestopped the list including carrots and broccoli.Some included fruits like pineapple andraisins. Zesty barbecue sauce and horserad-ish also made the ingredient suggestion list.Bacon was an ingredient suggestion for all ofthe concept categories.
Bean SaladFour bean salad concepts were tested:
black bean salad, chickpea salad, lentil saladand white bean salad with sausage.
Of the bean salad offerings studied, blackbean salad made with corn kernels, basil,tomatoes, lemon juice and avocado was themost popular concept favored by 33 percentof respondents. This was followed by chick-pea salad made with fresh spinach wilted ingarlic and olive oil, tossed with chickpeas mar-inated in toasted cumin, paprika and lemonjuice with 29 percent likely to order. Twenty-six percent were likely to order the lentil saladmade with green lentils, onion, mustard seed,coriander seed, Roma tomato and cilantro; 25
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percent likely to order the white bean saladmade with cannellini beans, sweet Italiansausage, sage, Roma tomatoes and garlic.
Well over half of the respondents consid-ered three of the recipes as healthy or veryhealthy. The white bean salad with sausagewas perceived as the most indulgent offering.In the bean salad category, healthy was pre-ferred over indulgent.
There were more differences in the opin-ions of men and women in this category thanothers. Men were far more likely to order thewhite bean salad and lentil salad than werewomen. Women rated all bean salad con-cepts as healthier than did men.
Eighty percent of total respondentswould not add any bean salads to the menuof their favorite deli. Of the twenty percentof consumers who made suggestions forbean salads they would add to their favoritedeli, three-bean salad was the most commonrequest. Black beans and green beans werethe most requested type of bean, but pintobeans, lima beans and black-eyed peas werealso noted. There were also requests forbean salad made with quinoa.
Heritage recipes were noted in this cate-gory as some respondents mentioned theywanted the type of bean salad their motheror grandmother made.
Healthy PerceptionsAlthough many of the concepts studied
were inherently healthful by design, theywere developed with taste appeal as theforemost criterion. It was interesting to notethe perceptions of consumers who consid-ered items with adjectives like “loaded” or“creamy” were considered more indulgent.Items with “vinaigrette” dressing and “veg-gie” called out in descriptions were perceivedto be more healthful.
Olive oil adds appeal because it’s per-ceived to be delicious and more healthfulthan other fats. Low-fat mayo was used insome of the test recipes for this study andthere was no discernable taste difference,yet when calling out the low-fat dressing in adescription, consumers became skeptical oftaste. Yogurt is accepted in some applicationsand not in others, scoring low when there’san expectation of indulgence and scoringwell when combined with popular flavorfulingredients such as roasted red pepper.
The Relationship betweenHealthfulness and Preference
Interesting differences arose in con-sumers’ perceptions of the items theyreviewed for the deli as opposed to thosethey reviewed in relation to a casual-diningexperience. There was an expectation that acasual-dining experience should be indulgent,
For this exclusive survey for DELI BUSINESS, consumers were asked their perspectives on conceptual menuitems that are healthful by design without compromising taste. The criterion for the concepts was that theywould be popular deli offerings designed to meet a healthier profile of lower saturated fat and calories withminimally processed or raw ingredients that are readily available to deli operations.
One leading dietitian mirrored the com-ments of many of the survey respondents, “Iwant food that is interesting and flavorfulwithout blowing my calorie budget for theweek.” An example of a recent salad pur-chase that delivered on healthfulness andgreat taste from a QSR was a chicken pecansalad with blue cheese and apples that deliv-ered on everything including taste, texture,satiety and healthfulness.
ImplicationsWhen crafting your deli offerings, con-
sider your customers’ comfort zone and offerimaginative preparations of the basics withenough flavor adventure to entice withoutscaring them off. The deli is in a unique posi-tion to be able to offer its customers a risk-free trial by offering a taste before purchase.This puts delis in a much stronger positionthan restaurants to encourage trial.
Invisibly healthy may be the way to changethe way Americans eat and is the first step inmaking small changes in ingredients andpreparation methods that are more healthfulbut still flavorful, satisfying and delicious. DB
and healthier offerings were suspected as notdelivering on taste. However, when review-ing deli offerings, both overtly and “invisiblyhealthy” items scored as well as indulgentitems and in many cases were the favorites.
Consumer preferences for deli offeringsincluded indulgent and healthy offerings. Themost popular items overall were the vinai-grette pasta salad with a very high rating forhealthfulness and loaded baked potato saladwith a very high indulgence score. Thesefindings point to the need to strike a balanceof items that suit the tastes of each store’scustomers.
The Nutrition Professional DebateInvisibly healthy is based on the idea you
can create foods that are inconspicuouslyhealthier and delicious in order to entice peo-ple to try them. As part of this study, leadingregistered dietitians were asked to weigh inon the value of this approach. Some saidthey didn’t think trying to cloak healthy foodwas the way to go because it didn’t focus oneducation to form new habits. Othersthought it was a useful tactic.
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Once limited to salad ingredients andolives, deli food bars have come a longway. A variety of ethnic and versatileofferings are showing up on barsaround the country as retailers try to
find unique ways to stand out and appeal towhat customers want — a convenient, easilyaccessible and complete meal. Experimentingwith a combination of hot and cold foods andplacing the stations at various points aroundthe store have brought the concept of a foodbar to a new level and helped retailers figureout the ideal combination to make the fooddisplays an irresistible buy.
“Twenty years ago, if someone told youwould go eat supper at the grocery store,you’d think they’re crazy. Now you might gofor a date at the sushi bar,” says RodStephens, marketing director for SouthernStore Fixtures in Bessemer, AL.
As the Mediterranean food trend contin-ues to grow in popularity because of itsunique flavors and health benefits, the tradi-tional olive bar has undergone a makeover.Marinated mushrooms, marinated garliccloves with hot peppers, marinated arti-chokes and onions, stuffed peppers, dolmas,bruschettas and pestos line the food bar.
“Stuffed olives are a must have for thebar,” says Patty Echeverria, marketing man-ager at Castella Imports in Hauppauge, NY.“Cheese stuffed olives with Blue, Feta, Gor-gonzola and Provolone are the most com-mon because they work well in a tossedsalad and serve as an excellent appetizer.”She advises experimenting with “in-stylestuffed olives,” such as almond, garlic,jalapeño and sun dried tomato to stand out.
According to Echeverria, the newestMediterranean cuisine trend is bruschetta.Bruschetta is an Italian antipasto made ofroasted bread rubbed with garlic and toppedwith extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Itcan then contain any variety of additionaltoppings. In this country, the toppings ratherthan the bread are referred to as bruschetta.
The simplicity of the ingredients makes itan easy addition to many dishes. Castella’s
Stand Out From The CrowdFood bars help differentiate the deli department
BY LAUREN KATIMS
16 DELI BUSINESS FEB./MAR. 2012
line of Bruschetta Creations includes arti-choke, creamy asparagus and Mexican fla-vors. They can be used as pasta sauce,swirled into soup or added to a gourmetpizza, giving retailers and consumers manyoptions for use.
A unique display of food that serves mul-tiple functions from appetizers to side dishesto main dishes is key to designing a stand-alone food bar that will attract consumersand keep them coming back. “Adding varietyto a food bar will make it a destination forconsumers and can turn an ordinary shop-ping trip into a fun food experience,” notes
Lynnea Hinton, marketing manager, San-dridge Food Corp., Medina, OH. “If youlack variety, you risk losing consumers.”
Grains are growing in popularity, withsome delis dedicating entire food bars tothem. “They can serve as a side or a base,and can be flavored globally with uniquecombinations of herbs and spices to meetconsumer demand for bold and ethnic fla-vors,” says Hinton. Sandridge’s Fresh andDelicious Salads line includes a variety ofgrains and flavor profiles, such as four beanand barley salad, Mediterranean couscous,curried chickpea and couscous, ginger and
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fruit barley, chili lime corn salad and PacificCoast slaw.
Indian and Moroccan foods and flavorsare also trending up in food bars. “There’s alot with preserved lemon, olives and tagine-style cooked meats,” says Mary Caldwell,marketing director, FoodMatch, Inc., in NewYork, NY. The company offers charmoula, aspread that is a blend of puréed preservedlemon and harissa, that’s very popular withconsumers.
The Impulse BuyFood bars are ideal for the impulse shop-
per because they offer a variety of foods inself-adjustable portions, says Ron Loeb, presi-dent, Farm Ridge Foods in Commack, NY.“Impulsive items are the key to success.” Andcomfort foods such as macaroni and cheese,meat loaf, mashed potatoes, chicken parmand fried chicken seem to make people loseself-control when it comes to portion sizes.
Farm Ridge is prepping to introduce adouble baked potato with sour cream,Cheddar cheese and butter that fits into thecomfort food category. “People are lookingfor quick casual,” Loeb says. “People todaywant the products, but they don’t have thetime and ability to make them. Convenienceis everything.”
Soup, another comfort favorite, is a pop-ular food bar option. Creating a soup desti-nation with hot selections on one side andchilled on the other is common in manystores. Hot and cold soups appeal to differ-ent consumers. Hot soup entices shoppersto try, whereas chilled soups are great forbuilding loyalty to the category, says LevonKurkjian, vice president of marketing for Ket-tle Cuisine in Chelsea, MA.
Kurkjian predicts more retailers will createspecific areas designated as soup destina-tions. It gives consumers the perception,whether it’s true or not, that the store does
soup well.Another option is placing soups bars
around the store, pairing soup flavors withcomplementary departments, such asseafood chowders in the seafood department,or a meat and cheese soup in the meatdepartment. “Shoppers walking through say,‘I’m in the mood for seafood.’ Instead of buy-ing just a salmon filet, they’ll buy a salmonfilet and a cup of chowder,” says Kurkjian.“Soup is one of those things that consumers
like to look at before they buy. Retailers areseeing that consumers are more engaged ifthey can look at the soup and ladle it around.”
Setting the StageAn appealing food bar offers cleanliness,
variety and freshness. Certain foods hold upbetter than others in terms of appearanceeven if displayed for hours on the bar. In gen-eral, foods that don’t dry out quickly or oxi-dize instantly tend to work best. Placing
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Food bar equipment designs are constantly evolving. Thetechnology has been enhanced to handle requests forfood bars that contain hot and cold foods side-by-side,
smaller bars placed around the store to complement variousfood departments and larger bars that serve as whole-mealdestinations.
The goal, says Rod Stephens, marketing director for South-ern Store Fixtures in Bessemer, AL, is to attract consumerswith a unique, clean visual appeal, no matter what the pur-pose. Some retailers are swapping traditional, rectangular,stainless-steel bins for terracotta pots, little oak buckets hold-ing olives or triangular-shaped pans like pieces of pie, henotes. With bars offering wings, desserts, shrimp, Mexican andbarbecue, the options for various shapes and designs are limit-less. “It makes it more fun for the consumer.”
Small, hot stand-alone food bars that can be placed arounda store are growing in popularity. Without having to do amajor store redesign, retailers use can display these food barsin various departments.
The company’s EVO modular food bar island can be custombuilt in widths of four, five or six feet and in lengths of fivefeet and higher with each interchangeable bar side offering a
different food selection ranging from hot to cold temperatures.Other retailers are experimenting with shallow display dish-
es that deplete the holding capacity by about 35 percent, butkeep the bar looking full, explains Brett Olson, manager ofsupermarket division for Bargreen Ellingson, Fife, WA. Variouscircular, oval, square and rectangular shapes for the entire baralso create an interesting visual appeal, but Olson warns thatcircular or oval shapes can be harder to maintain and moreexpensive.
While appearance is a major player, designing equipmentthat meets each state’s requirements is another concern. With-in the last two years, stricter regulations for sanitation havecaused stores to rethink pan size and accessibility. “Somerequire covered soup dishes, some require a cover and sneezeguard, and some have to be a certain amount of inches fromthe ledge,” notes Stephens.
Also, stores are striving to be more environmentally friend-ly by using energy-efficient designs. Incorporating high-effi-ciency LED lighting instead of fluorescents and the use ofrecycled materials are becoming increasingly important toretailers. Raising the temperatures at which bars can operatealso saves energy by reducing food evaporation. DB
Equipment Innovations
foods in marinades or sauces helps to pre-vent dryness.
“The visual impact gets the juices flowinga bit,” says Paul Frederic, senior vice presi-
dent of sales and marketing, To-Jo FoodProducts, Avondale, PA. “You can catch thearoma and visually see the product there. Itmakes a difference with the consumer.” To-
Jo’s marinated white button mushrooms arealways a popular pick, he adds.
Peppadew’s Sweet Piquante Peppers andGoldew, a sweet golden Peppadew pepper,also hold up well. Plus they draw people inbecause of their bright colors and uniqueshape.
The key is to keep products fresh and dis-play units looking full, relates Brett Olson,manager of supermarket division for Bar-green Ellingson, Fife, WA. “If people have abad experience, they’re not coming back.”
According to FoodMatch’s Caldwell,retailers are opting to pack foods that don’tmaintain their visual appeal in deli cups thatthey display at the food or olive bar. “They’vefound shoppers like that they can still findthose products on the bar and appreciate theextra attention the stores have given theproducts, knowing their delicate nature.”
A variety of rich and dense soupsrequires less maintenance than broth-basedsoups, says Kettle Cuisine’s Kurkjian. Forexample, with chicken noodle soup, peoplecome through all day long and dig out chick-en and noodles. “You can’t put it out at 10 inthe morning and hope it looks great all daylong. You have to check mid-day, pull somebroth out and put in a new pouch of soup,”he explains.
Olson recommends stores have anemployee dedicated to tending the food bar,both to keep it looking fresh and to help con-sumers who may be confused about pricingor food descriptions. “It’s really about gettingpeople comfortable and building repeat busi-ness,”he says. DB
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Prepared Foods Let ConsumersGrab a Meal on the GoEntrées answer the question, “What’s for dinner?”
BY BOB JOHNSON
Asubstantial potential market of con-sumers who have come to appreciatefine dining feel the current economymeans they can no longer afford thetab at fine restaurants.
“If you go to the prepared foods sectionof the supermarket at 5:45 in the evening, amajority of the people you see are trying tof ind something to serve their familytonight,” says Tom Quinn, vice president foroperations at Stratford, CT-based NuovoPasta Productions. “Consumers are lookingfor answers, and the supermarkets aredoing a good job of recognizing that andgiving them answers.” Nuovo makes a vari-ety of ravioli, tortellini and other artisanspecialty pastas.
Consumers are looking for a meal that iseasy and of high quality, but their increasedsophistication indicates the meal should alsobe interesting. “You’re seeing a lot more inter-esting items, such as portabella and Fontinaravioli. People have a broader perspective,particularly about cheeses. Goat cheese isone of our most popular items and I don’tthink you could have said that 10 years ago,”Quinn adds.
Shoppers are showing particular interestin higher-end dinners that have seen on tele-vision food shows and restaurant menus.“The value-added products are doing verywell — things such as crab and lobster ravi-oli or prosciutto and provolone tortellini.Anything that goes back to simplicity doeswell. When you offer prosciutto and pro-volone, you’ve got a great meal,” Quinncontinues.
Entrées must be made from the bestingredients if they are to capture this mar-ket of consumers who want high-end mealsat a bargain price. According to JasonKnight, president of Huxtable’s Kitchen,Vernon, CA, “We source the highest-quali-ty ingredients from around the world.
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Because of our purchasing power, we canget the best of the best. The highest-qualityproducts must begin with high-qualityingredients. This has always been the focusof Huxtable’s.” The company makes a vari-ety of gourmet-quality, heat-and-eatentrées.
One important way to differentiate delientrées from frozen food entrées is to drawattention to the ingredients that are notthere. “The vast majority of Huxtable’sproducts are preservative-, filler- and addi-tive-free. We focus on providing the high-
est-quality, freshest-tasting ready-to-heatproducts. We also have a number ofUSDA-certified organic and all-naturalproducts,” Knight notes.
Some of the small designer producersrely on ingredients that are relatively localand very fresh. “We make products that areseasonal and use the finest ingredients —we’re more of a kitchen than a plant,” saysRobyn Doan, chef at True Natural Foods,Santa Ana, CA. The company makesroasted pepper and mushroom empanadas,grilled bean and cheese burritos, as well as
its trademarked Edibowls — bowl-shapedflour containers with a variety of fillings. Itrecently introduced a turkey meat loaf sliderwith cranberry marmalade.
Keep It SimpleSimplicity is an important goal — in the
entrées themselves, the work required atthe deli and the consumer’s preparation athome. “Keep it really simple and use thefreshest ingredients. Use only the ingredi-ents that are really necessary,” Doan advis-es. In keeping with the theme of simplicity,even an old favorite such as potpies donewell will be an important trend over thenext year, she notes.
For the deli, simplicity translates into aminimum of in-store preparation. “Many ofthe innovative behind-the-glass offerings wehave minimize in-store labor by providingpre-portioned, pre-cooked items that aresimply unpackaged and displayed,”Huxtable’s Knight explains. “Perhaps a gar-nish or two and the store is good to go!Because we focus on partnering with ourcustomers, we’re always working to reducelabor while increasing quality and flavor.”
Retails can count on suppliers to reducethe amount of in-store labor needed to offerappealing deli entrées. According to BrendaKillingsworth, trade marketing manager at
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always a critical component for retail prod-ucts. Huxtable’s has mitigated this by pool-ing our shipping lanes to optimize efficiencywithout sacrificing lead-time, shelf life orcomplexity to our customers. While fuelcosts are awfully high, we remain verycompetitive nationwide.”
For the consumer, simplicity means aneasy meal of quality and even elegance.“The key is a combination of simplicity andappeal. You can take some quality ravioli, ajar of sauce and a loaf of good bread. Take ithome and boil some water and you’ve got agreat meal,” explains Nuovo’s Quinn. “Ourproducts range from $4.99 to $5.99 for apackage that will serve two people. Add agood bottle of wine and you’ve got a greatmeal. You can barely get a single entrée at arestaurant for $18.”
He advises retailers to keep their eye onfood TV and restaurants, because theentrées featured today should do well in thedeli tomorrow. “The category is constantlyevolving. There’s a connection betweenwhat people eat in restaurants and whatthey want to bring home, and the super-markets are doing a good job of picking upon that.” DB
FEB./MAR. 2012 DELI BUSINESS 21
Reser’s Fine Foods, Beaverton, OR, “Inmost cases, prep is not really necessaryunless the side dish is going to be served hotfor immediate consumption. Then it willneed to be heated properly and kept at asafe temperature. Most manufacturersshould be aware of the shortage of staffingin the deli departments. Manufacturers —the successful ones — are stepping up andcreating deli solutions and easy grab-and-goside dishes that reduce labor and prep time.”Reser’s makes a varied line of grab-and-gosalads and sides to fill out the dinner.
The sometimes contradictory desire tosupport local vendors while maintainingproduct uniformity over a wide area is anongoing conundrum. “There’s a big push tosupport ‘local’ businesses, but the majorchallenge for national food retailers is thatthey need the national distribution. There’sa real issue of managing multiple manufac-turers and ensuring consistency throughouttheir many retail locations,” Killingsworthcontinues.
At the store level, simplicity encompass-es a minimum of shrink. “For retailers, con-sideration generally comes down to shrink,cost and sustainability,” Knight says. “Shrink
is an ever-present concern: Shelf life is a keycomponent to shrink. Because Huxtable’sproducts have industry-leading shelf life, wecan usually ship across the country and stillguarantee equal or more shelf life than localcompetitors. We have invested heavily inour facility to accomplish this feat. Cost is
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T he autonomous regionof Friuli-Venezia Giuliais located in northeastItaly. This unique area,first settled by Celtic
tribes and later alternatingbetween Italian and EasternEuropean rule, is a melting pot ofcultures. Its flavors reflect theheritages of its people — air-cured hams, some of the bestwhite wines in the world, unique
cheeses and baked goods reminiscent of the fine pastries of Vienna.The city of Trieste, one of the most important ports in Europe, lies
in the southern part of the region at the end of a narrow strip of landlying between the Adriatic Sea and the border with Slovenia.Throughout history, Trieste has been at the crossroads of Germanic,Latin, Hungarian and Slavic cultures. Consequently, the area’s cuisineexhibits the influences of many cultures and, of course, the sea.
The area of San Daniele in the province of Udine boasts one of theworld’s great delicacies: a unique air-dried — often called cured —ham known as prosciutto di San Daniele. Sweet, nutty and delicate,it’s one of Italy’s protected denomination of origin — PDO — productsand is available in this country from a number of producers. Here inthe States, Principe, which is located in the city of San Daniele, is thebest-known producer.
Prosciutto di San Daniele is one of the very few specialties forwhich it is a culinary crime to do anything but eat it as is — in this
A centuries-old culinary marvel fromItaly’s northeast corner BY LEE SMITH
Prosciutto di San Daniele
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case, in paper-thin slices. Of course, it pairsbeautifully with a dry, white Friulian wine, alittle salad, maybe some fruit and a piece ofcheese, but it should never be compromisedby using it in a recipe or cooking it with,heaven forbid, eggs.
This is a treat to be enjoyed in its pristineglory. The ham is delicate and its silky tex-ture, subtle aroma and nutty nuances will allbe lost if adulterated in any way. It just can’tbe made better than it is in its natural state. Itcan be horribly ruined, however, at the handsof an incompetent clerk. There are two
options for selling San Daniele — one is toslice prosciutto to order, either by hand or bymachine, and the other is to buy pre-slicedprosciutto in retail packages. Retailers thathave extensive training programs and areused to handing costly products would duewell to train associates to slice prosciutto toorder. However, if the chain is more main-stream or very high-volume, then pre-slicedoptions are the preferred choice. Today, pre-sliced means high quality, longer shelf life,low shrink, and the very thin slices cus-tomers enjoy. In-store point-of-sale materials
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are helpful to customers and should explainthat, like fine cheese, prosciutto should beleft out of the refrigerator until it reachesroom temperature allowing the aroma andnuanced flavors to emerge.
In longer aged prosciutto, you may seetiny, solid granules. Don’t worry, the granulesmay look like salt, but they’re actually tinypieces of the amino acid tyrosine, completelyharmless and a natural by-product createdwhen proteins age and an indicator of a long-aged ham. These are the same granulesfound in aged cheeses such as ParmigianoReggiano and Grana Padano.
The significance of ham in Italy and cen-tral Europe can be compared to the signifi-cance of the olive tree in Mediterranean cui-sine. In the “olive-oil watershed,” the part ofEurope where olive oil reigns supreme, eco-nomics and anthropology have created afood culture with distinct geographicalboundaries. Those same influences can beseen in the areas that produce air-dried hams.The proliferation of pork and pork productscan usually be traced to areas near greatmountain ranges. Similar styles of ham areproduced throughout the region, especiallyalong the Po River valley. From Emilia,comes the famous prosciutto di Parma.Other areas producing their own air-driedhams according to their own recipes areMarche, Umbria, Tuscany, and the Veneto.
Prosciutto is one of the most naturalproducts humans can make. It requires onlythree ingredients — the leg of carefullyselected pigs, salt and clean mountainbreezes. Very few products reflect as directlythe relationship between the land and itsinhabitants.
It was the Celts, early settlers of the Friuliregion — a gentle race with roots in farmingtraditions — who early mastered the art ofusing salt for the preservation of pork. And itwas their technological breakthrough thateventually led to the air-dried hams of today.
While the low-lying pastures gave rise tosophisticated methods of raising pigs, theconstant breezes of the mountains allowedthe legs of pork to slowly dry and cure, cre-ating a treat unrivaled in its quality.
Modern technology may advance someproduction methods, but San Daniele retainsits character by relying on historic processes.The manual of the Consorzio del Prosciuttodi San Daniele explains it this way:
“San Daniele prosciutto is still madetoday in the traditional manner. Ham-makingis a historic process rather than a craft skill.The term craft is relevant only if it refers tothe scale of production and organization.
“Words like technology and innovationare frequently used by San Daniele prosciut-to producers, but they refer exclusively to
company organization, goods handling andthe mechanical aspects of industrial life. Theproduction technique itself is unchanged.Progress serves only to render the workingenvironment and the tools of productionmore rational and more functional.
“San Daniele prosciutto is a traditionalproduct because its taste and organolepticproperties are safeguarded and guaranteedby traditional production process and thesource of its raw materials.”
The ProcessThe traditional manufacturing process
starts right at the beginning — with the ani-mals. The pigs used to make San Danielecome from ten regions in the area. Theymust be one of the traditional species knownas Italian Heavy Pigs. These include theLarge White and Landrace breeds, whichcan be crossbred with Durocs. The pigletsare branded at birth to ensure traceabilitystarts from day one. From weaning untilslaughter, the pigs are fed a very specific andlocal diet that is highly regulated. Antibioticsmay never be used.
Principe recently started a new farm-to-field program to ensure world-class animalwelfare standards by building its own breed-ing farm, Fattorie del Principe. Breedingchoices are made to have the lowest impacton nature while maintaining the health of theanimals. The pigs are raised in a natural envi-ronment in pens three times larger thanrequired by the European Union’s 2013 mini-mum standard. The space is designed to stopthe need for tail docking and teeth grinding orclipping.
The process of turning the raw legs intothe delicacy known as prosciutto di SanDaniele is at once simple and complicated.Hundreds of years of tradition and the care-ful monitoring of modern science intertwineat every phase.
First, the legs are inspected; if they passthe quality-control standards of the indepen-dent Consorzio, the legs are hand-cut andsalted. They’re then left to cure in speciallybuilt chambers until they’re ready to be con-sumed. Of course, the complete process hasmany steps, but basically, it’s that simple.
The natural, clean, cool breezes of theAlps aid in the drying. When prosciutto diSan Daniele is described as “air-dried,” that isexactly what has happened. The hams arenever cooked or artificially heated in anyway. The salt and the air will bring the mois-ture levels down while allowing the meat tostay “soft”and luscious.
The hams must be aged for a minimumof 400 days but can be aged up to 20months. At 14 months, the hams are sweetand fresh tasting, and the majority of allhams sold have been aged between 14 and16 months. As they continue to age, the fla-vor becomes more concentrated, bolder andmore aromatic.
The choice between 14 months and 20months is a matter of personal choice, not adifferentiator of quality. Aged hams are moreexpensive due to the longer holding timesand the additional loss of water. They’re alsoricher and bolder, more suitable for wonder-ful bursts of flavor. However, many knowl-edgeable consumers prefer younger hamsthat don’t “stress” the palate as much.Younger hams are often preferred for sand-wiches. In order to provide consumers withthe best product, factors such as price,demographics, and the level of culinary edu-cation are important purchasing variables. Inmany cases, an assortment of sliced-to-order, a range of ages, and pre-sliced is thepreferred option. In the case of prosciutto,age is really not a quality issue — it is a mar-keting strategy.
Anyone interested in seeing the tradition-al factories should plan on visiting SanDaniele during the last weekend in June,when Aria di Festa San Daniele takes place.This international event recreates a medievalvillage ham festival. At that time, many ofthe factories are open for tours.
Prosciutto di San Daniele is only one ofmany unique products produced in theregion. Montasio, one of the lesser-knowncheeses from Italy, is spectacular and, luckilyfor us, it’s becoming more widely available inthe United States. Both of these productsare part of the Legends from Europe promo-tion that will run through February 2014.DB
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The Crust Of The MatterThe always evolving pizza category begins with a good crust
BY BOB JOHNSON
26 DELI BUSINESS FEB./MAR. 2012
C onsumers are looking forinteresting pizza with thebold flavors that come fromunique sauces and freshgourmet cheeses, but they
are also want healthy options.The challenge is to find a way to offer pizzathat is both intensely flavored and better-for-you. And the place to start is the crust.Many producers have enthusiastically takenup the challenge of creating healthy crustoptions that maintain the flavor and mouth-feel of traditional pizza crust.
According to Brad Sterl, CEO at RusticCrust, Manchester, NH, “It’s an excitingcategory. What we’ve seen the last fewyears is more people want to get togetherand make a simple meal at home with a pizzacrust. People are looking for multi-grain orwhole-wheat crusts, for better-for-you
foods. The whole grain has continued to beour best seller since 2005.” Rustic Crustmakes old-world crusts and flatbread pizzas.
While a growing number of customershave an eye out for better-for-you pizza,they’re unwilling to sacrifice mouth appeal.“In the end it’s all about customizing theproduct to fit the consumers’ needs for thatparticular locale,” says Jim Viti, vice presidentfor sales and marketing at DeIorio’s FrozenDough, Utica, NY. “We feel it’s critical tohave many profiles and many sizes to meetthis need. Our improvements have alwaysbeen about flexibility for the customer, and it’sthe flexibility to adjust to the consumers’ everchanging desires that creates that platform forsales growth and success.”
One way to make the crust better foryou is to apply the rule that less is more.“The thin crusts are starting to overtake the
traditional crusts. This started around 12months ago. You still have the pizza experi-ence but you don’t have as much carbohy-drate. People who are watching their waistcan have the pizza experience, but with lessbread,” explains Tom Baliker president andfounder of Spartan Foods of America, Spar-tanburg, SC.
In order for thin crust to maintain mouthappeal, however, it must still have textureand bubbles. “People are also looking for athin crust that has some texture to it, still hasbubbles. There is no dough structure in someof the tortilla crusts. The tortilla is brittlewhen it bakes. We launched a thin crust twoyears ago and it’s our second best seller,”Sterl says.
Another way to cut back on the carbsand calories is to go for a smaller size, andmany customers are making the choice for
PHOTO COURTESY OF BELGIOIOSO CHEESE INC.
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portion control. “People want a variety ofsizes. We have more inquiries about an indi-vidual-sized crust, and we may start some-thing in the next year,”Sterl adds.
Pizza has been affected by the trendtoward eating better by eating less. “The sizecrust depends on the market,” notes DeIo-rio’s Viti. In the deli, smaller portions arebecoming more preferred. People have gonefrom 14-inches to 12-inches, and from 9-inches to 7-inches. The two most commonsizes are 7-inches for one person and 12-inches for two people.”
Healthy OptionsWhole-grain products appeal to those
consumers looking to cut down on simplecarbohydrates while gluten-free productsattract not only consumers who suffer fromceliac disease — an inability to digest gluten— but also those who perceive gluten free aseven more beneficial than whole grain.
“I think both whole-grain products as wellas gluten-free shells are prominent players inthe current marketplace,” Viti continues.“The next level in gluten free is putting thenutrients back in. Gluten free already tasteslike conventional crust and we have thingsenhancing the nutrients in gluten free in our
research and development department.”People with celiac disease are a small seg-
ment of the market, but they have no choicebut to eat gluten-free crusts and breads.According to Viti, “Gluten free shares someof the responsibility for a healthier marketsegment but still suggests the question ofwhether this is an eventual waning trend orwhether it’s around for the long haul. I‘veseen compelling arguments from both sidesand believe it will sustain some market pres-ence if for no other reason than there is nocure for celiac at this time other than strictdiet requirements.”
Whole-wheat and whole-grain crustspresent a different kind of challenge becauseno one has to eat them; still, many con-sumers want a nutritionally sound crust thattastes like a pizza crust.
“I don’t think a simple ‘wheat shell’ carriesthe weight it once did for that niche. I thinkthe consumer continues to ride the learningcurve and is not as trustful of the marketingand labeling that had been in place previous,”Viti adds. “More consumers are becomingaware of the difference between ‘containswhole wheat’ and ‘100 percent wholewheat.’They’re beginning to look more closelyat the ingredient disclosure on the back of the
packaging and not just relying on blanketstatements on the front label. The challengefor manufacturers is to make the 100 percentversion just as palatable but with more health-ful benefits than its predecessors.”
Because creating whole-grain crust thattastes and feels like pizza has potentially greatmarket implications, producers are into thischallenge for the long haul. “We went fromwhite to containing wheat and then to wholewheat, and it was less palatable. It’s gone towhite whole wheat, which looks and tastesmuch more like conventional crust. We mar-ket it as better-for-you,”he concludes.
Smokin’Bold to Gourmet FlavorsUltimately taste will tell, and the deli can
get a leg up on the competition by offeringflavors that are bold or gourmet or both.
“We’ve come out with a Firecracker pizzacrust. It’s spicy; it has stuff that gives it heat,”Spartan’s Baliker says. This smokin’ hot pizzaalternative is brand new, but the early returnsare encouraging. “It appears to appeal to thestandard pizza demographic, but there arepeople who want to put jalapeños or otherhot peppers on their pizza. People who wanthot things on their pizza like Firecrackerpizza. We introduced it a few months ago to
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just a few clients and we’re going to have abig introduction at the IDDBA.”
The crust goes a long way toward defin-ing pizza quality, and crust preferences varythroughout the country. “If you ask peopleabout their favorite pizza, most often they’llfocus upon the crust quality,” notes AlanHamer, vice president for sales and market-ing at Stefano Foods, Charlotte, NC. “Cer-tainly, it’s the defining quality of New Yorkpizza and a very important aspect ofChicago style pizza. Stefano’s most recentcrust innovations have moved par-bakedproducts closer to fresh baked by improvingthe fermentation quality of the crust. Ourgoal is a crisp bite, large cell structure, slightlywheaty flavor and moist chewy interior.”
One way for the deli to distinguish itspizza program is to use high-quality freshdough that can be baked at the deli or takenhome and baked. “An increasing number ofretailers are going the distance with a freshdough program for hot in-store pizza produc-tion,” he continues. “The combination of ahot program and comparable take-and-bakepar-baked product sends the consumer astrong message about the commitment topizza and seems to generate the greatestpizza sales by store.”
Regional, and even sub regional, crustdifferences are important. According toDeIorio’s Viti, “Our vision is that it is amatter of taste and texture. We’veincorporated several new productionfeatures as well as the stand-by tech-niques to allow for a multitude avarying taste profiles — fromKansas City thin crust to a tradi-tional New York-style hold-and foldslice style, each with their own dis-tinct features and benefits to suitthe particular audience for thatlocation. We’ve learned over our85-plus years of making dough prod-ucts that what may be traditional inBaltimore is different than traditionalin Philadelphia is different from tradi-tional in New York City. We’ve evendeveloped an Upstate New York shellversion that is thicker and breadier thanthe original New York City style, but that’swhat suits our audience. Some technologieswe incorporate include hot pressing, coldpressing, and sheeting to help produce thedistinct profiles.”
An investment in quality flavorful doughcan pay dividends in the deli. “When youhave a flavored dough such as buttered garlic
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or Italian herb, it gives the user more options.They can use it for pizza dough, but theycan also use it for paninis or bread sticks,”Spartan’s Baliker says.
Once the decision has been made to stepup the quality of the dough, the door isopened to using higher-end specialty cheeses.“With the artisan pizzas, they’re also lookingfor specialty cheeses,” says Francis Wall, vicepresident of marketing, BelGioioso Cheese,Inc., Green Bay, WI.
Burrata resembles a fresh Mozzarellaball, according to Wall, but when split open,it releases a rich, soft filling of fresh pieces ofMozzarella and heavy cream. Fresh Moz-zarella, made only hours after milking, com-plements a variety of foods with its uniquetexture and delicate flavor. BelGioioso’s freshMozzarella is porcelain white with a mild,clean, milky flavor.
The company’s Crescenza-Stracchinohas a mild flavor with a touch of tartness,soft texture and creamy consistency thatallows the cheese to spread and melt withease. Its Ricotta Con Latte is produced fromthe highest quality Wisconsin cow’s milk andwhey and has a fresh, clean flavor.
The pizza category changes quickly andthe key to success is offering the optionsconsumers will want tomorrow. “Catering tothe changing market in quick time is criticalto the retailer’s success — not just followingthe trends quickly, but getting ahead ofthem,” advises DeIorio’s Viti. “An obviousexample would be catering toppings towardsthe quickly expanding Latin influence, as wellas tapping into the health trends as they con-tinue to emerge. Flexibility and speed to mar-ket are critical whether it’s the dough, top-pings, or the overall pizza concept.” DB
The deli department can make itspizza stand out from the competi-tion by offering a flavorful side of
chicken wings. But to make the wingsprogram successful, it’s essential to payattention to the detail. The wings mustbe meaty, crispy fresh and loaded withbold, exciting flavor that complementsthe pizza,
The first rule is to keep this side dishinteresting and exciting by rotatingamong a number of bold flavors, ratherthan offering the same flavor every day.“The ability to change flavor profilesfrom day to day is important. You canchange among Buffalo, Asian, barbecueand honey chipotle,” says Andy Maye-shiba, corporate executive chef at Alto-Shaam Inc., Menomonee Falls, WI.
The need for a variety of wing fla-vors is a lesson learned from foodser-vice, where many customers see achanging menu, often daily. “The super-markets and the food courts at the uni-versities are starting to do a lot of thesame things [restaurants do] becausethey both need hot, ready-to-eat meals.The schools are forced into servingmore variety because they have a cap-tive audience that sees the food everyday. The deli also needs to have varietyto keep the customers excited,” Maye-shiba adds.
Rotating among a number of saucesis the key to variety. “The flavor on thewing is promoted through a sauce. Itcan range from traditional barbecue tohot chipotle or sweet and sour,” notesJason Mink, vice president for sales atAmerichicken, Cape Girardeau, MO.
The flavors must be bold, in order tocontrast with and complement the boldflavors in the pizza. “People like a fla-vorful wing with Buffalo, barbecue orteriyaki sauce as a complement to pizza.It’s a bold and contrasting flavor; theygo together like french fries and ham-burgers,” says a chicken industry insiderwho preferred to remain anonymous.
Another key to a successful wingprogram is minimizing cooking time sothe wings can be turned over quickly,keeping them fresh and crispy. “They’reconvenient because a fully cookedboneless wing can be cooked in anoven without a fryer. It’s going to cook
in seven to 10 minutes, depending onthe temperature,” says Mink.
An effective way to give the wingsfried crispness in a hurry is to precookthem in the oven and finish them witha quick dip in the fryer. “Cook them inan oven, hold them hot and then putthem in the fryer,” explains Mayeshiba.“This way you can do smaller batchesand turn the product quicker. The abil-ity to produce wings quickly to keepthem fresh is important. Part of theappeal of wings is that they have justbeen fried and are still crispy.”
Succulent wings need to haveenough meat on them to make it worththe effort. “The size of the wing isimportant. You do not want wings thatare too small. Your spices and flavor-ings are also important,” says JodySmith, retail business manager at Pil-grim’s Pride, Dallas, TX.
In many cases, maybe most cases,these succulent sides are not reallywings at all. “Most companies are mov-ing away from bone-in wings to theboneless wing, which is really a whole-muscle breast chunk. Bone-in wingsused to be extremely cheap becausewings were a byproduct. The wings havebecome more expensive. Your customeris also able to eat the entire product; it’sa friendlier product to eat,” Mink notes,adding these boneless “wings” are usu-ally weigh .6 to 1.5 ounces.
Succulent, tasty and varied wingsare only the beginning — the wingsprogram must be merchandised. “If Iwere promoting them together, I wouldremember the wings are a complemen-tary item, I would merchandise them asan accessory to the pizza,” Mink says.
Presentation is essential. “If youwant to draw attention to the wings,you need signage, and you need toserve them in something attractive. Youalso need to serve them with something,such as carrot sticks and sauces,” Maye-shiba adds.
Although preparing the wings infront of the customers is an addedexpense, it may more than pay foritself. “Every time I give my employeessomething to do in front of a guest, it’sanother opportunity to make a goodimpression,” Mayeshiba relates. DB
The Bold Side OfChicken Wings
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Dutch CheeseIt’s leapt out of the history books and onto the table
BY LEE SMITH
PH
OT
OC
OU
RT
ESY
OF
RO
NV
ER
HE
GD
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C H E E S E C O R N E R
The polders of North Holland — lowlying areas of land reclaimed from thesea through the intricate system of dikesthe Dutch have used for centuries —provide some of the richest grazing lands
in the world. Its grasses are diverse andnutrient-rich, filled with minerals and micro-nutrients that make for healthy animals andwonderfully rich milk — ideal for makingcreamy cheese with complex nuances andcompletely balanced flavor profiles.
The most famous is the Beemster Polder— declared a UNESCO World Heritagesite in 1999. The land was reclaimed fromthe sea in 1612 using an intricate dike systemand 106 windmills. Since then, cows havecontentedly grazed on the pesticide-freegrasses of pastures 20 feet below sea level.The milk from cows grazed on this land is
supposed to be the smoothest and sweetestmilk in Holland.
It is here that Beemster Cheese callshome. Beemster has earned the honor ofbeing a supplier to the Royal Court of theNetherlands — the highest honor bestowedupon a cheese company in Holland.
Beemster is also one of the few Dutchcompanies controlling its cheese from farmto table. After sourcing all its milk exclusivelyfrom the Beemster polder, the companymakes all its cheese and then ages it in itsown warehouse used exclusively for theAmerican market.
The HistoryIn the 17th century, when cheesemaking
was the domain of family farms, a new styleof farmhouse was developed. The so-called
“cheese-cover-farmhouse” became theprevalent design and Gouda became the kingof Dutch cheese.
In these multi-purpose domiciles, workand home came together. They were largesquare homes with tall, pyramid-shaped,thatched roofs under which hay was stored.The living quarters were in the front of thehouse and the animals lived in the back ofthe house. Cheesemaking was often down ina separate but attached cheese room —referred to as the “tail” — built at the side ofthe house.
Considered woman’s work, cheesemak-ing was an important part of family life. Themen were the farmers and dairymen, whilethe women made cheese for the family andto sell for added income. Cheese was soimportant that wooden cheese presses were
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often given as wedding gifts.As cheese demand grew and the overall
prosperity of the people improved, it becameharder to find enough women to makecheese. At the same time, the cheese busi-ness was getting more competitive sinceDutch cheese was in competition withcheese from Germany, Switzerland, Swedenand Denmark.
Out of necessity, farmers began to pooltheir resources and build centrally locatedcreameries to make cheese. The youngcheeses — just barely meeting the legal defi-nition of cheese — were sold at cheese mar-kets to wholesalers who would buy them tostore at their warehouses to be “kept fresh”under the watchful eyes of the Cheese Mas-ter. It was, and still is, the Cheese Masterwho is responsible for the aging of cheese.
Reypenaer is the classic example of amaster affineur. Selecting only the finestcheeses made from the best milk of theBeemster polder, it ages cheeses to perfec-tion. Only the finest willwear the Reypenaer label.Its warehouse goes back to1906 in the city of Woer-den, often called the capitalof cheese. Woerden’scheese market, started in1572, is considered the old-est cheese market in theworld. Even today, on thelast Friday of every month,cheese prices are set.
Leo Wilbrink is Reype-naer’s Cheese Master. Heexplains two differenttypes of maturing forGouda. The first is “natu-rally matured” and refersto the aging of Goudamade with traditional recipes. The secondtype is “fast matured,” a process in which dif-ferent cultures are used to produce a cheesethat ages faster and develops complexity at amuch younger age. While less expensive, thischeese never develops the nuances of fine,aged naturally matured Gouda.
Traditionally, the farmer went to marketor weigh house every Friday morning withhis wagon filled with cheese. The marketswere found in all the major cheese cities ofHolland — Schagen, Hoorn, Edam, Gouda,Woerden — as well in other, smaller towns.
The farmer was directed to place hischeese on a certain section of the weighinghouse square with a market master directingthe activity. With so many farms and somany cheeses of different qualities, buyerswould first sample cheeses and then havetheir choices sent to the weighing house tobe weighed and the price determined.
Today, the cheese markets have all but dis-appeared. Alkmaar Cheese Museum andWeigh House is now a tourist attraction.Sponsored by FrieslandCampina and Beem-ster, the museum gives people the opportunityto watch the market in action as it demon-strates the way cheese used to be sold.
The Dutch tradition of warehouses alsobeing aging cellars began in these markets; it’sa source of confusion for people who don’tunderstand the complex history of Holland’scheese industry.
Cheese QualityThree important components of Dutch
cheesemaking determine the ultimate qualityof the cheese.
The first is the quality of the milk, whichcan come from a single herd or from a spe-cific polder. In the case of more commercialcheeses, milk may be sourced from many dif-ferent farms and areas of Holland.
The second factor is the cheesemaker.
The cheesemaker is often considered sec-ondary to the wholesaler in importance.Originally, young cheeses — four months old— were sold to wholesalers, who aged themprior to sale. In a terminology counterintu-itive to American thought, cheese youngerthan four months wasn’t — and still isn’t —considered “cheese.” Where the cheese thatisn’t cheese was purchased was less impor-tant than where the milk was sourced.
Even today, most cheeses, even farm-stead cheeses, are sent to wholesalers at ayoung age and their ripening taken over atthe warehouses. Confusing to Americans,for whom wholesaler generally means a mid-dleman or company that acts as a selling anddistribution agent, wholesalers in Holland arealso the masters of the cheese cellars wherethe skill of individual Cheese Masters ishighly prized. Often the name or brand ofcheese is not that of the cheesemaker but
that of the wholesaler.Unikaas is an example of a company that
is not a cheese producer but a cooperative ofindependent farmstead cheesemakers whosubcontract with Unikaas to produce cheesewith unique recipes. Unikaas goes under thename of Best Cheese in the United States.
De Jong is the brand name of one of thecheeses Best Cheese imports exclusively forWhole Foods. Jongenhoeve is a family-oper-ated farm that has been in existence for 100years. Today, Leen De Jong, his wife Inke andtheir family run a dairy that produces Goudain all shapes in sizes from small 1-kilo wheelsto large 60-kilo wheels. Their cheeses areknown as farmer’s cheese, a term synony-mous with farmstead in the U.S., meaning allthe milk comes from their own herd. Theyalso produce cheeses flavored with fennel,cumin, mustard, nettle, truffles and more.
De Jong’s cheeses are aged in a ripeninghouse called De Producent in the town ofGouda. The company houses only cheeses
from farmstead cheese-makers; the cheeses aremade almost exclusivelyfrom cow milk but someare sheep and goat milkcheeses. De Producent isone of the oldest ware-houses and the only onestill operating in Gouda.
Another companypushing the limits isRemeker, a small organicdairy run by Jan Dirk Van-ervoort in the town ofLunteren. He is a cheese-making and dairy pioneerand his operation, unlikemost Dutch dairies, hasJersey cows. The only
U.S. retailer Remeker supplies is Zingerman’sin Ann Arbor, Mich.
Since Remeker is made from Jersey cowwhole milk, its fat content is too high to becalled Gouda. It has a distinctive look and arich, complex taste, and is available only inlimited quantities. Tasting Remeker is a privi-lege not to be taken lightly — or cheaply.
Cheeseland is the exclusive importer ofRemeker and Jan Kas the affineur. Workingfor over 50 years with the cheeses of Hol-land, Jan is also the importer for PrimaDonna.
Kas has an ongoing relationship withRouveen, a farmer-owned co-op that spe-cializes in specialty and flavored cheeses.Cheeseland is now bringing in HoneyBeeGoat and Two Sisters, a cross betweenGouda and Parmesan. Kokos is another newcheese doing well in the United States — it’smade with organic coconut cream. DB
C H E E S E C O R N E R
PHOTO COURTESY OF THOMAS DUPONT
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D E L I M E A T S
Roast beef is a versatile deli staple thatoffers consumers a variety of uses andretailers a variety of cross-merchandis-ing opportunities. Although it’s a starat the sandwich counter, roast beef is
also such a natural at the center of the platethat it invites promotion as an entrée.
“Roast beef can absolutely be bundledas part of a meal. We’ve been promotingDinner from the Deli for years and years,”says Steve Riley, marketing director atDietz & Watson, Philadelphia, PA. “Wehave point-of-sale brochures with deliciousrecipes, and our website has many greatroast beef dinner recipes, including AngusRoast Beef Chili, London Broil Stir Fry,Angus Beef Kebobs and many more. Weknow how busy today’s family is, so wewant to make preparing meals easier, butwe don’t want them to sacrifice taste ornutrition.”
This traditional favorite can be offered inmany different preparations. “Versatility isdefinitely one of the keys,” Riley continues.“Through our intensive market researchstudies and our category management,we’ve found that we’re best served, and ourcustomers are best served, by us offering awide range of items to satisfy the palates ofconsumers from coast to coast. Whatmight be a very successful item in NewYork or Philadelphia might not sell in LosAngeles or Phoenix. That’s why we offernearly 20 different varieties.”
Deli roast beef ’s many flavor profilestranslate into many ways to promote it as acenter-of-the-plate option. According toScott Moses, senior brand manager atTyson Foods, Springdale, AR, “Promotioncould be done with recipe cards at point ofpurchase. It could also be done with an in-store promotion, which includes POSmaterial. Or a retailer could actually com-bine the ingredients back of house and cre-ate fresh meals to be sold hot or cold.”
“I have seen the product used in applica-tions other than sandwiches, including a
Roast Beef Still Draws ConsumersTaste, quality and health attributes never go out of style
BY BOB JOHNSON
34 DELI BUSINESS FEB./MAR. 2012
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topper for salads, an ingredients in bakedpotatoes, diced in soups, an ingredient in pin-wheel wraps appetizers, etc.,” he continues.
Cross-promotion can be the key toenticing budget-conscious consumers toopt for roast beef. “Cross-merchandisingcan be helpful in promoting roast beef atsuch high retails these days,” says BruceBelack, executive vice president for sales &marketing at Vincent Giordano Corp.,Philadelphia, PA.
Because roast beef is relatively expen-sive compared to other deli options, it takesimagination to develop cross-promotionsthat work. “It can be bundled for a mealdeal, however, given the cost of beef rela-tive to other proteins, retailers and deliproviders will have to be creative on thebundling program,” explains Don Baker,director of marketing, Sara Lee Deli, Peoria,
IL. “As an example, retailers may have tomix beef with other ingredients to moreefficiently reach a lower price point. Exam-ples may be beef stew or beef stroganoff.”
One effective option is to offer freehigh-end sauce to customers who buy spe-cific quantities of roast beef. “When youtake a roast beef, people are usually buyinga half pound. A promotion we found worksis you get a free dry packet of au jus mixwhen you buy a pound or more. Just addwater to the au jus mix and heat it up,” saysJim Dickman, CEO at Charlie’s Pride, Ver-non, CA. Charlie’s Pride is a family-ownedfirm that has been specializing in higher-endbeef products since 1969.
Of course, the cross-promotion possibili-ties for roast beef as a sandwich meat arealso legion. “A retailer could bundle roastbeef deli meat with a bread or roll supplier,
condiment supplier, or a supplier of sidedishes or beverages for a bundled sandwichmeal,” notes Tyson’s Moses.
Quality Is KeyIn all its uses, roast beef is a cut above
most of the meat competition in quality andprice, and it would be a mistake to try toput the economy model out there in thesetroubled times. “We’ve seen our premiumand gourmet lines expand. For us a year-over-year increase in tonnage is 30 percentfor our premium Black Angus Choice andAmerican Kobe, which is a well-marbledbeef. Even though these are challengingtimes for all of us, some people are saying,‘I’m going to spend at retail and have some-thing really good,’” Dickman says.
He believes that in uncertain economictimes many people find comfort in a meal
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built around premium roast beef. “Peopleare looking for a comfort food and it’s lessexpensive than a New York-cut steak.There are different flavors of roast beef. Wehave Italian, Cajun and London broil. Roastbeef is one of the keystones of the servicedeli and always has been. In my opinion it’sgoing up nicely — we’re up for the year,” headds. “Folks are looking for better qualityand we have to show the retailers they canget higher rings and upscale customers. Ifirmly believe it will keep increasing. It’s upto us to show retailers that people are look-ing for, and paying for, premium quality. It’s abetter experience.”
The Healthy OptionsJust as in almost every deli category, the
healthier options within the roast beef cate-gory have an advantage. “Many consumersare seeking better-for-you alternatives,”
says Baker. “As a leading provider of delimeats, Sara Lee Deli is focused on deliver-ing innovative products that are in tunewith consumers’ needs. Sara Lee Deli offersconsumers lower-sodium roast beef as partof our overall lower sodium offerings —providing consumers with a product thattastes great and delivers the added benefitof lower sodium.
“We also believe that lean protein pro-vides a great foundation for a well-balanceddiet for consumers and are working to growshopper knowledge regarding protein withretailers,” he continues.
Even in tough economic times, con-sumers are seeking roast beef that con-forms to their desire for healthy options.“Healthier processed foods are certainlybecoming more important to the consumer,especially at specialty retailers such asWhole Foods,” explains Giordano’s Belack.
“The all-natural and organic category salesof pre sliced roast beef along with other delimeats are definitely growing.”
According to Dietz & Watson’s Riley,retailers can reach health-conscious con-sumers by offering clean-label roast beef,that is, a product with a minimal number ofreal ingredients and without a list of incom-prehensible multi-syllable chemicals. “Thebeauty of our roast beef items is that theyhave always been minimally processed, withno fillers, extenders or MSG added — ever.The ingredients list for our ever-popularAngus Roast Beef is a perfect example —Angus Beef coated with salt and crackedblack pepper. That’s it. So today’s healthconscious consumer can enjoy premium deliroast beef from Dietz & Watson that islower in fat and sodium, and naturally low insaturated fat. And all our deli items are alsogluten free and contain no trans fats.” DB
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n 1969, Charles Dickman establishedCharlie’s Pride Meats, Vernon. CA. Todayhis sons James and Robert are in charge ofthe independent, family-owned, premium
deli meat company that employs over 150 people andwhose products are distributed coast to coast. The com-pany, which recently expanded to a new facility in greaterLos Angeles, is the exclusive distributor of premium andgourmet lines of distinctively delicious deli meats includingthe Snake River Farms American Kobe line of pre-cookeddeli products and the Creekstone Farms line of pre-cookedChoice Black Angus deli items.
In this picture, circa 1982, Charles and his wife Mickyare seen at the Charlie’s Pride Meats booth at the DeliMeat Show in the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Blast From The Past is a regular feature of DELI BUSINESS. We welcome submissions of your old photos, labels or advertisements alongwith a brief description of the photo. Please send material to: Editor, DELI BUSINESS, P.O. Box 810217, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0217
or e-mail [email protected]. For more information contact us at (561)994-1118
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COMPANY PAGE# CATEGORY PHONE
American Cheese Society ......................................................11........................................................................Trade Association ................................................................502-583-3783
Atlanta Foods International ......................................................7........................................................................Cheese ..............................................................................404-688-1315
Beemster ............................................................................33........................................................................Dutch Cheese ......................................................................908-372-6024
BelGioioso Cheese, Inc. ..........................................................2........................................................................Cheese ..............................................................................877-863-2123
Castella Imports ..................................................................21........................................................................Mediterranean Foods ............................................................866-CASTELLA
Conroy Foods ......................................................................17........................................................................Condiments ........................................................................417-781-1446
DeIorio’s Frozen Dough ........................................................29........................................................................Pizza Dough........................................................................800-649-7612
Donatos Pizza ......................................................................28........................................................................Pizza ................................................................................614-416-5856
George E. DeLallo Co.............................................................40........................................................................Olives & Antipasto ..............................................................800-433-9100
Haliburton International Foods ..................................................5........................................................................Salsa ................................................................................877-980-4295
IDDBA ................................................................................39........................................................................Trade Association ................................................................608-310-5000
Inline Plastics Corp. ..............................................................13........................................................................Packaging ..........................................................................800-826-5567
Mission Foodservice ................................................................9........................................................................Mexican Food ....................................................................800-443-7994
Oregon Cheese Guild ............................................................14........................................................................Trade Association ................................................................541-665-2389
Pineland Farms ....................................................................15........................................................................Cheese ..............................................................................207-688-8085
Principe Food USA, Inc. ........................................................23........................................................................Prosciutto ..........................................................................310-680-5500
Rubschlager Baking Corporation ..............................................18........................................................................Bakery ..............................................................................773-826-1245
Stefano Foods, Inc. ..............................................................27........................................................................Pizza ................................................................................800-340-4019
Vincent Giordano ..................................................................35........................................................................High Pressure Pasteurization..................................................215-467-6629
38 DELI BUSINESS FEB./MAR. 2012
INFORMAT ION SHOWCASE
I Charlie’s PrideMeats
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