Reaching Gen Z: Restaurants need to create ‘new food experiences’ away from home that include fresh produce
I am a hoarder of research, always searching for, collecting, examining and tucking away the latest market reports, consumer survey data, peer-reviewed research studies, long-form articles from respected sources, and government reports. My inspiration for this column came from the 2024 Consumer Curiosity Report recently released by Curious Plot, a marketing firm. The survey was […]
Better with Butternut: Veg Power hopes to further increase consumption of savory squash
Retailers aiming to increase their produce sales and help shoppers put more produce on the plate should promote a variety of staple vegetables during the change of seasons to autumn. Besides being hearty and containing an abundance of essential vitamins, they can be prepared in numerous ways to please the palette. Take butternut squash. Rich […]
The Art of Produce: Why Aesthetics Matters When Serving Up Fruits and Vegetables
Dining embraces all five senses — the mouth-watering smell of fresh peaches; the sizzle of a fajita in a cast iron skillet; the silkiness of a tablecloth; the visual feast of a beautifully plated entree; or the refreshing taste of a watermelon sorbet. But beyond art for art’s sake — what some chefs dub “the […]
Where does bold, mouth-watering flavour come from? It starts with seeds and breeders
For this column, we are going to go off menu a bit because ironically, flavor does not start on the menu. Or in the kitchen. Or at the distributor. Or even in the field. Flavour starts with the development of a seed. Development, growing, testing, tasting. Re-developing, growing, testing, re-tasting. But I am getting ahead […]
It’s time to bring real ideas to the table on Gen Z, sustainability and the future of foodservice
A recent discussion among foodservice leaders left me pondering the issue of how Generation Z diners (those born between 1997 and 2012) are defining “sustainability.” Are they an intellectually curious generation that is well read or are they being led to certain beliefs by marketers of many products from various sectors? The answer is likely […]
Chef demonstrations at New York Produce Show encourage creativity with fruits, vegetables
Chefs play a major role in encouraging the consumption of fresh produce. The New York Produce Show’s Chef Demo Stage spotlighted three well-known chefs who are developing produce-forward menus. The New York Produce Show was held Dec. 6, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The 14th annual New York Produce Show and Conference (NYPS) opened Dec. […]
Chef’s Choice potato from Fresh Direct is ‘perfect ingredient’ for foodservice
UK fresh produce provider Fresh Direct has launched a premium Chef’s Choice potato, which it says sets a “new benchmark for chipping and roasting potato.” Through a partnership with Linwood Crops and following extensive trials, Fresh Direct and Linwood say they have figured out the exact specification for the very best tasting potato. Chef’s choice […]
AVA Magnum strawberries shine in decadent dessert on Scottish fine dining menu
Scottish berry supplier Angus Soft Fruits, which made a splash with the world’s largest crown of strawberries for the King’s Coronation, has found its way into another decadent display for its AVA Magnum strawberries. Scottish Chef Paul Tamburrini, known for his fine dining establishment Tamburrini & Wishart, will be incorporating AVA Magnum’s into its menu […]
