bake - July 2017 - 58

SIMPLIFY YOUR INGREDIENTS
Knouse Foods has introduced a line of Premium products made with pure cane
sugar under its Musselman's® and Lucky Leaf® brands. Designed to meet the
growing demand for more natural, simpler ingredients, these picks are perfect
for a variety of applications. Premium, GMO-free apple sauce, apple juice, apple
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are being replaced by new realities that are driven by

March 2017 with years of experience in the culinary

changes in the consumers and in the competition."

industry working with acclaimed chefs such as David

Falling food costs at grocery stores and rising prices

Bouley, the late Bernard Loiseau, and Wolfgang Puck.

on menus are discouraging would-be restaurant
patrons, particularly as supermarkets improve the

The culinary team will work with clients to create a

quality of prepared food offerings. In addition, a host

customized menu featuring quality ingredients and

of emerging players in foodservice, from food trucks

innovative presentation. The resulting menu features

to meal kits to grocery delivery, has upended the

a mix of both classic and inventive dishes that allow

competitive landscape.

for the clients' desired personalization. The service
team will come into any event space whether it's a

The solution is creating a memorable menu that

private home or event venue to ensure a ﬂawlessly

feeds into consumer needs for creativity, comfort and

executed event. Dean & DeLuca's goal is to have the

perceived healthfulness, she adds.

host be the guest at their own event. The events team
will also oversee décor set up for every event with the

Until recently, Kruse says, "the whole health issue in

Dean & DeLuca look and style: classic and modern

our industry was at a low simmer." Today, consumers

with an emphasis on showcasing the food.

perceive free-from foods as a foundation of a healthy,
balanced lifestyle. Citing Mintel data, Kruse said

Grabbing a slice of the sandwich market

84 percent of consumers seek more natural, less

Lunch is the most commonly ordered meal for corpo-

processed foods, and 59 percent agree foods with

rate drop-off caterers, according to Rosman of The

fewer ingredients are healthier.

Corporate Caterer, a consulting and training company.
Sandwiches are the most frequently requested item,

"From my point of view as a trend watcher, this is the

he points out, and if your establishment delivers, you

No. 1 single biggest trend of the past decade, hands

are in the catering business. Rosman shares impor-

down," Kruse says. "What has been surprising to

tant steps in creating a successful sandwich program.

me about this trend is the velocity with which it has

The ﬁrst step, before deciding what goes in your

moved through our industry."

sandwiches, is to look at what holds them together:
the bread. "If the artisan baker down the street gets

National brands stepping up

ingredients from the organic farm up the road, their

Further evidence of the rapid rise of catering in

bread may be fresher, healthier and have a lower envi-

the current economy is fueled by national brands

ronmental cost than alternatives," Rosman says.

stepping up their efforts. Dean & DeLuca recently
announced the launch of its full-service catering

Consider all the potential customers who are partial

program beginning April 20 in Kansas City and the

to the local bakery and the possible reciprocal refer-

additional markets of New York City, Washington D.C.,

rals between your businesses, Rosman says. Finally,

Charlotte, and St Helena, California, shortly after. The

advertising local patronage may yield additional

catering program has been conceptualized by the

marketing beneﬁts. Consequently, even though the

recently appointed corporate executive chef Brian

artisan bread costs more, it might be the more proﬁt-

Bistrong, who came to the iconic New York brand in

able option.

58 < JUL 2017 | bakemag.com
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