Industry News
Modern Baking magazine names Oakmont Bakery top retailer
Oakmont Bakery has received one sweet honor. The bakery on Allegheny Avenue in Oakmont, PA was named "Retail Bakery of the Year" by Modern Baking magazine. Marc Serrao, owner, said winning the award fulfills a lifelong goal.
Supplier chefs: What menu items drive traffic?
Matthew Burton, corporate executive chef for Unilever Food Solutions, pointed to meatloaf and meatballs as "comfort food" opportunities at a menu conference for supplier chefs organized by Which Wich.
Food trucks definitely finding traction
The wheels aren’t exactly flying off the food-truck trend. New research from the National Restaurant Association shows considerable pent-up demand for the Recession-born dining option, with consumers finding few opportunities to indulge. ID Report
Ben E. Keith Foods Mike Roach on Industry Opportunities and the 2011 Distribution Solutions Conference
On a big, broad scope our biggest challenge as an industry is to make dining away from home more affordable and available and enjoyable for consumers. That’s what we’ve got to do. We have to be more efficient as a supply chain. We have to work with operators to co-create demand and get consumers back in restaurants. IFDA
4 quick tips to take better control of your time
It's all too easy to get off-task at work, writes Shannon Suetos. Among her tips for quickly getting back on track: Optimize the calendar attached to your e-mail program, block tempting websites and make your to-do lists at the end of each day. Smartblogs.com
Pies top 2011 restaurant trend list
Pies, both sweet and savory, will be the top restaurant trend in 2011, a California consultancy predicts. Andrew Freeman, whose Andrew Freeman & Co. of San Francisco consults on marketing for restaurants and hotels nationwide, detailed some top trends in a webinar Wednesday. Nation's Restaurant News
Engage Consumers Through Design
U.S. retailers and UK retailers might be two very different beasts, particularly in their approach to store brands. But retailers from both countries need to develop packaging and an overall look that engages consumers. Progressivegrocer.com
New Era for U.S. Store Brands
In presentations taking place on Sept. 20 during The Private Brand Movement in Chicago, a number of speakers made it clear that U.S. retailers are taking store brands in exciting new directions, pointing to recent product innovations, packaging improvements and more. But retailers still have much work to do, they suggested. Progressivegrocer.com
'Containing' Food Deserts, Taking on Tsunamis
Two new ideas are being implemented in different parts of the world to combat the problem of getting food and other goods to difficult places. Stockbox, a new Seattle-based startup company that was recently funded on Kickstarter, is bring fresh food to "food deserts" in the Northwest with a new convenience store-like concept, according to a report in Fast Company. Cspnet.com
Opinion: Can Grocers Compete in Foodservice?
It's no surprise that grocers are getting serious about foodservice, being that it's one of the largest industries around with the most opportunities for success. But can they compete? In my opinion, they've yet to find the magical "11 herbs and spices." But as they keep turning the cards, they surely will. Cspnet.com
Gluten-Free Goes Mainstream
Once regarded as a niche product that was only of interest to people who couldn’t tolerate wheat, gluten-free foods and beverages have quickly transformed into a mainstream sensation, embraced by consumers both out of necessity and as a personal choice toward achieving a healthier way to live, according to Gluten-Free Foods and Beverages in the U.S. by market research publisher Packaged Facts. Progressivegrocer.com
Food makers and retailers raise prices, cautiously
Food makers including Kraft, General Mills and Sara Lee, which have held down prices for years, are starting to raise them again to reflect higher costs of ingredients. Supermarket chains are passing along some of the costs to consumers, but, as Stater Bros. CEO Jack Brown noted, "The big challenge will be: How much can we swallow and how much can we pass along?" The Wall Street Journal
Supplier chefs: What cuisines are selling?
Michael Terry, corporate executive chef, Advance Food Co., discusses trends in cuisines at a menu conference for supplier chefs organized by Which Wich.