instore - February 2018 - 12

product knowledge

Deli sides

CATEGORY UPDATE
With labor-related problems continuing to be top of mind for instore
deli departments, more and more are turning to outside suppliers for
their hot deli side dishes.
And within the sides category, one buzz word seems to be particularly
resonant: "premium."
In the 52 weeks ending Oct. 28, about $342.3 million worth of hot side
dishes were sold in instore delis, according to research firm Nielsen.
The category's dollar contribution to the deli category was 1.4%, up
from 1.3%, and the average U.S. retailer sold 3 percent more than the
year before.
Albert Lea, Minnesota-based Mrs. Gerry's Kitchen Inc. makes 10 hot
side dishes for instore grocery delis: Classic Mashed Potatoes, Country
Style Gravy, Country Style Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes,
Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese, Hearty Mashed Potatoes, Premium
Macaroni & Cheese, Premium Mashed Potatoes, Premium Poultry
Gravy and Steakhouse Baked Beans.
All 10 are made fresh, refrigerated and shipped to delis in boil-in-abag packs, says Brenda Donahe-Stevens, Mrs. Gerry's director of sales
and marketing. The company also has added retail tray packs of its
top three products: Premium Mashed Potatoes, Premium Macaroni &
Cheese and Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese.
Mrs. Gerry's is always on the lookout for ways to freshen the category to
meet consumer demand, Donahe-Stevens says. Recent additions to the
company's product mix include fresh, refrigerated gravies to go with
mashed potato products and a five-cheese macaroni & cheese.
"Mrs. Gerry's R&D team continues to work on additional refrigerated side dish options that will be introduced within the next year,"

Donahe-Stevens says. "These products have been requested by
customers and follow the trends that we are seeing."
Demand is up significantly across the board for Mrs. Gerry's hot side
dishes, but two in particular stand out, Donahe-Stevens says: Premium
Mashed Potatoes and Premium Macaroni & Cheese, shipped in the
company's 4/5 lb foodservice pack. "Retailers and foodservice operators are looking for high-quality, consistent, great-tasting side dishes
they can count on that are easy to heat and serve and take out the
labor," she says.

"Retailers and foodservice operators
are looking for high-quality, consistent,
great-tasting side dishes they can
count on that are easy to heat and
serve and take out the labor."
Brenda Donahe-Stevens, Mrs. Gerry's

To help separate itself from the competition, Mrs. Gerry's takes great
pains when it comes to quality control. For example, the company uses
only Idaho russet potatoes for its mashed potato dishes - DonaheStevens says only they have the flavor and texture that meets Mrs.
Gerry's standards.

Sides
on top
The top sides categories, as measured
by dollar contribution, include:
*
*
*
*
*
*

12 * FEBRUARY 2018 * instore

Potatoes 55.8%
Other vegetables 12.3%
Beans 9.8%
Other sides 8.9%
Prepared rice 4.7%
Corn 2.7%

"Our philosophy is, if you put
junk in you get junk out, so we
only put the highest quality of
ingredients in, which in turn
makes a superior product,"
Donahe-Stevens says.
Looking ahead, the labor issues
faced by so many retailers
today should guarantee strong
demand for hot deli sides like
those made by Mrs. Gerry's,
Donahe-Stevens says.

In addition, all potatoes are washed prior to arrival at Mrs. Gerry's plant.
That keeps dirt - and hence
bacteria - from entering the
facility.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - February 2018