Flavor made simple
Manufacturers are working to fulfill operators' needs for products and ingredients that give the operator quality control, labor savings, and satisfy their customers' demands for more flavor.

by Joan Lang

Consider this hypothetical dinner for two, typical of what you might find on the menu at any trendy mid-price restaurant: Southwestern Eggrolls with Fire-Roasted Chipotle Dipping Sauce, BBQ Burger with Country Smoked Bacon, Jalapeño Cheese and Curly Fries, Rotisserie Chicken with Garlic Mashed Potatoes; Brownie Sundae, Key Lime Pie.

Manufacturers offer operators products that add flavor without adding labor, like Simplot's line of RoastWorks flame-roasted vegetables, suitable for a variety of menu items.

Welcome to the brave new world of menus at the turn of the millennium, when variety, sophisticated flavors, and signature specialties are the name of the competitive game.

But is this beyond the means of the typical mainstream restaurant, beset by concerns about everything from labor shortages and food safety to product consistency and trend lifecycle? Hardly, since manufacturers have stepped up to the plate to answer the needs of menu makers in every segment of the foodservice industry.

Of course, any and all of the items or components in that typical dinner order could be made from scratch, from the barbecue sauce to the pie filling. But for an increasing number of operators, the answer lies instead in using value-added products designed to help add more trend-conscious, profitable items to the menu.

Today's marketplace allows operators to choose exactly what level of value-adding they want, from recipe-building seasoning blends and sauces to fully prepared, ready-to-menu meal components.

"Flavor enhancement is a huge trend,"says Jim Lammert, director of marketing for Reckitt & Colman Commercial Group, which encompasses the Cattlemen's (barbecue sauces), Frank's RedHot (Buffalo wing sauces) and French's (mustards and Worcestershire sauce) brands. "Flavors add excitement to the menu and help keep an operation in line with the trends."

Value-added services for operators

In an effort to form more meaningful partnerships with their operator customers, many food manufacturers are moving beyond simple product marketing into areas that look and feel like consultative services. "We call it 'solution selling'' says Les Spagnoli, senior brand manager for Lawry's, a Lipton Foodservice Brand. "We actually do menu evaluations for chains in order to identify unfilled needs and opportunities.' The program — called FAME (Flavor and Menu Evaluation) — is a 16-step menu analysis that brings in experts from all areas of both the supplier's and the customer's organization, including menu development, operations, marketing and R&D. The account completes a detailed menu analysis questionnaire that identifies everything from the equipment available in locations to the current menu mix. New menu suggestions are developed, including such rationales as trends, cost, flavor and labor savings. A mock-up of the new menu is created, including branding and the use of logos where appropriate. Following a formal presentation complete with a tasting, detailed recipes with nutritional analyses and estimated food cost are provided to the account. Back-end follow-up includes a complete evaluation of the new items' sales performance and operational fit. Programs like these help build both the operator's and the manufacturer's businesses; creating great products that meet the needs of a very dynamic marketplace.

For instance, as Lammert points out, many chains are taking ever-popular Buffalo wings a step further by incorporating the spicy "Buffalo" flavor profile into a variety of other menu items, such as Pizzeria Uno's Buffalo Style Chicken Breast and Eat 'n Park's Buffalo Bleu Burger. Products like Frank's RedHot Buffalo Sandwich Sauce, which marries the heat of hot sauce with the thick consistency of ketchup, allow the operator to tap this flavorful trend.

"Operators today are saying, 'Give me a product that can help me address current trends without needing extensive staff expertise or menu-development resources,' "says Alan Kahn, director of marketing for fruits and vegetables at Boise, Idaho-based Simplot.

"As an industry, we must focus on developing high-quality, easy-to-use products that allow operators to keep their menus fresh and their operations profitable."

Simplot's line of RoastWorks flame-roasted vegetables and potatoes addresses several major flavor objectives, including the "global cuisine" movement (in particular, Southwestern, Mediterranean, and Latin American channels) and growing consumer interest in such flavorful cooking techniques as roasting, grilling, and smoking.

Certainly, operators are always on the lookout for distinctive products that can help give them a leg up on the competition.

"Our whole strategy revolves around building on variety and motivating consumers to come in for additional dining experiences," says Barbara Mizell, director of research and development for Captain D's, a division of Shoney's Inc., Nashville. To that end, the 500-unit seafood QSR chain has been continually evolving its menu to include a wider range of products and species, including a broiled program as well as such coastal classics as Southern-Style Catfish and Seaside Shrimp Scampi.

In so doing, the company has also attempted to move out of the competitive fast-food fray and into a more distinctive "fast casual niche," particularly with a new unit prototype that features an upgraded décor package along with beer service.

According to Mizell, the company turns whenever appropriate to value-added products ranging from pre-seasoned fish filets to ready-to-use sauces that can be paired with center-of-plate items to create distinctive menu signatures, particularly in the area of limited-time special promotions.

"We're constantly testing and evaluating value-added products to address such issues as new flavor profiles, better product consistency, and ease of handling," says Mizell.

Manufacturers, for their part, have worked hard to stay in tune with what the marketplace demands. At McCormick & Co., the spice and flavorings company located in Hunt Valley, Md., a culinary advisory board comprising some dozen chefs from all over the country meets for an open discussion with representatives from the foodservice division to talk about what they're looking for and give feedback on products both existing and under development.
"We turn them loose and let them play,"says Arnie Stone, director of marketing for the foodservice group. "It's an open discussion on what they think and what they see coming."

Operators choose what level of value-adding they want, from recipe-building seasoning to ready-to-menu items.

Out of this and other exercises have come all sorts of valuable ideas and significant new products, from a line of rotisserie glazes developed for operations without rotisserie equipment to new packaging designed to be easier to use in the foodservice kitchen. Not surprisingly, many of the product innovations speak directly to the trend for bigger, more distinctive flavor profiles.

"Anything that has to do with bold, unique flavors, especially ethnic flavors, represents a huge growth area," says Stone.

Ethnic diversity
The degree to which savvy operators have let their imaginations fly with the growing array of flavor-enhancing products at their disposal has surprised even some manufacturers.

"When we first introduced House of Tsang sauces, bases and marinades in the early 1990s, we expected operators to use them to compete with mom-and-pop Asian restaurants," says Julie Craven, senior product manager for Hormel Foodservice, based in Austin, Minn. "But how we originally positioned the line and what it has evolved into have been totally different. The real growth has been in applications that are not traditionally Asian."

For instance, Bruegger's Bagels uses House of Tsang's Thai Peanut Sauce in a signature sandwich; Applebee's mounted a promotion featuring grilled salmon served with Sweet Ginger Sesame Sauce.

"Foods that are familiar with a twist have turned out to be of much greater interest to mainstream consumers," notes Craven.

Or, take the case of T.G.I. Friday's successful new "Great Bowls of Pasta." Rolled out system-wide this summer, the line comprises four different pastas tossed with a combination of vegetables and seafood or chicken, including Parmesan Crusted Chicken over pasta spirals, and Seafood Medley (shrimp and crawfish in clam sauce) over angel hair. Rather than being traditional Italian pastas, according to corporate Executive Chef Tim Soufan, the items are positioned as "pastas of America" and "served steaming hot in big, generous bowls."

Ready-to-use sauces and toppings save time and labor on pizza.

Soufan notes, "What the bowl does is form a frame for a whole new menu category. We've offered pasta before, but the bowl concept give us the opportunity to create new signature specialties.' And with complex components like Chardonnay sauce and Parmesan-herb-breaded strips of chicken breast, you'd better believe this trendsetting, Dallas-based chain uses value-added products.

"Let's face it: Items like this require a certain level of skill in the kitchen," says Soufan, who evaluates many of the value-added products based on how well they stand up to the rigors of life in a fast-paced kitchen.

"With an ideal ticket time of 10 minutes, we're looking for products that can really perform," says Soufan. He cites value additions like pre-marination or breading, which allow an item to be more "forgiving" on the line, or ingredients that can be easily customized to create a signature dish.

Because the current flavor trends range widely, operators' need for a variety of products is growing. "Major trends today are toward bold, strong flavors, but that might range from spicy profiles to hearty, savory flavors," says Lisa Davis, product research chef for Hillshire Farm & Kahn's.

Recent introductions in the sausage line have added Peppercorn, Southwestern Cheddar and Jalapeño Smoked Sausage formats to the original Hardwood Smoked Sausage product; flavored meats now include Old Fashioned Pot Roast, Applewood Smoked Pork Loin, and Hickory Smoked Brisket. This diversity of products and flavor profiles allows operators to pick and choose.

Ongoing research and development are key. Barber Foods, the Portland, Maine-based producer of value-added poultry for retail and foodservice markets, has been working with industry chefs for several years to develop its Distinctions line of premium stuffed chicken breasts. Most importantly, however, the company has since committed to extending the line with new flavors like Vicenza, stuffed with Asiago and Romano cheeses, seasoned croutons, onions, red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. More recently, the company also introduced Carvettes, a line of chicken roulade hors d'oeuvre items. The line features recipes like Apricot Chutney, filled with apricots, cranberries, Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper.

"Our goal is to launch several new flavors every six months or so," says Dave Barber, vice president of sales and marketing. "That way, there's always something new and fresh available."'

"Plus-one" products
Many manufacturers are concentrating on component products that can be used in a variety of different ways. By adding appropriate accompaniments or incorporating additional ingredients, the operator has an easy and effective way to add new menu items. "These 'plus-one' products are a key area of opportunity for the industry," says Les Spagnoli, senior brand manager for the foodservice division of Monrovia, Calif.-based Lawry's Foods, which markets a variety of marinades, spice rubs, and seasoning blends targeted at casual and mid-price chains.

Lawry's staff works closely with operators to help them create a custom item by adding another ingredient to an existing commercialized product. For instance, Carl's Jr. adds mayonnaise to a Lawry's mesquite seasoning product to create a distinctive smoky sauce for its Southwestern-style burger.

"Just a few little tweaks creates a proprietary product,"' notes Spagnoli. "For instance, a lot of operators are using seasoned salt as a simple way to menu more distinctive french fries or steaks."

The proliferation of flavor-enhanced recipe ingredients is causing the foodservice industry to change its definition of "scratch"' preparation.

"In the old days, operators used to make everything from scratch, from the stock to the bread," says Chris Howard, director of marketing for Clear Springs Foods in Buhl, Idaho. "Now 'scratch' often means that the major portion of the assembly is still being done in-house, but they're using base ingredients that used to be considered fully prepared."

For instance, Clear Springs has been focusing on such "creative components" as Smoked Trout Florentine Spreadable Filling, which can be variously used as a filling for pasta or layered entrées, a stuffing for mushrooms or fish filets, or a spread for appetizers or bruschetta.

Products like Clear Springs' Smoked Trout Spreadable Filling gives operators a jump start on menu items like lasagna.

Other new product lines tout ready-to-menu prepared convenience. "Chefs are looking for ways to take more labor out of the back of the house at the same time that they need high-quality, unique items that hold up well in service," says Mike Cicatiello, product manager for Tyson Specialties, which includes the new Overnight Sensations line. Developed for the catering market but also appropriate for B&I and college/university applications, the freezer-to-oven line comprises such hors d'oeuvres as Asian Chicken Skewers and Ancho Chicken Empanadas, as well as stuffed products including Prosciutto-Wrapped Smoked-Gouda-Stuffed Chicken Breast.

Another area that has grown significantly over the past several years is proprietary products. Atlanta-based Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits has made a name for itself with chicken — specifically, its signature New Orleans-style fried chicken — but the 1,325-unit chain has been busier than most when it comes to new product development.

"Our strategy is to broaden our audience and boost repeat sales by moving into what we consider emerging menu categories," explains Joe Scafido, a 10-year Popeyes veteran recently named vice president of concept and menu development.

"People love our spicy fried chicken, and we certainly don't want to stop selling it," says Scafido, but the menu mix is being shifted away from traditional bone-in chicken products to such areas as boneless chicken strips, seafood, and sandwiches, as well as the company's new Louisiana Legends program. Legends, introduced last year, comprises a number of rotations based on traditional Louisiana-style "one-pot cooking"': jambalayas, etoufees, stews, gumbos, and chili.

Although many of the items are based on utilization of de-boned fried chicken whose 30-minute life under the heat lamps has expired, the company has also entered a new era of complexity with the various sauces and other components that make up the Legends line. And for that, Scafido turned to vendors who create products to Popeyes' specifications.

"It works out a lot better for us, because they can produce these ingredients in bulk more efficiently and more consistently than we can, especially as a franchise system."

Indeed, sophisticated value-added products have allowed operators to get into some high-profile selling opportunities they never would have had access to otherwise. When Service Master, the Downers Grove, Ill.-based contract caterer that manages foodservice in approximately 300 hospitals and healthcare accounts, introduced a new Asian Accents menu module, it teamed up with Best Foods and Schwan's Foodservice to provide speed-scratch sauces and prepared ingredients, as well as noodles, stir-fries and other turn-key menu concepts. The approach is similar to so-called Mongolian barbecue concepts seen in many urban locations, as customers select from a variety of different toppings, which are then stir-fried or grilled to order on an exhibition wok or griddle.

"It's all about freshness and merchandising appeal," explains Todd Seligman, Service Master's corporate executive chef. "The grill area is 'prepped' with fresh ingredients, and customers get to see their orders being cooked right in front of them. It adds a great deal of excitement and satisfaction to the cafeteria setting, and we never would have been able to execute something like this without the help of our manufacturer partners."