Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022 - 70

R&D
ADDING SPICE
by Andy Nelson
CONSUMERS STUCK AT HOME
during the pandemic expanded
their culinary horizons in an effort
not to make the same foods over
and over. That wider scope is now
taking shape in a demand for new
and unique spices, and suppliers
and their commissary and retail
partners are working hard to keep
the new flavors coming.
For full-service retail grocery
meat cases, Pekin, Ill.-based
Excalibur Seasoning is seeing
strong demand for sausage
blends and for its Small Batch
program, said John Brewer, the
company's vice president of sales
and marketing.
Excalibur's sausage blend
batches are typically made for
25 pounds of product. The Small
Batch program provides retail
butchers with a 10-pound option.
" On a Monday, Tuesday or
Wednesday, it may be tough for
a retailer to move through that
70 - JANUARY 2022
much stock, " he said. " We dialed
it down so the retailer can keep
it fresh and offer more variety to
the customer. "
The 10-pound batch can
be used for both service and
self-serve programs, said Bob
Andorfer, Excalibur's national
sales director. He said it offers
retailers the ability to customize
a program that sets them apart
from their competitors.
" Producing 10 pounds at a
time allows for varieties available
besides the traditional Italian,
regular bratwurst, etc. It helps the
retailer create their own identity. "
When it comes to trends,
international flavors continue
to be a focus for Excalibur,
said Brewer, who fields a lot of
questions from retailers on how
Excalibur can help them meet
that particular need. Gochujang
and Piri Piri are two of the current
must-haves.
" From a retailer standpoint,
they want to get that customer in
their store so they can sell around
the international selection and
say that they have it, " he said. " It's
the point of difference that the
retail base is looking for. "
The path to mainstream for
many retailers and their supplier
partners who are looking to
capitalize on international
offerings is via pre-packaged
products and pre-prepped meals
that consumers finish at home,
Brewer said.
A lot of international flavors
are being driven by what's being
offered in boxed home meals,
Andorfer added.
" That's where those flavors are
coming into play, " he said. " We're
seeing more people looking on
their own for the seasonings
they want and foregoing a
subscription to the home meal
delivery services. "
supermarketperimeter.com
Foodies continue to drive
trends in spice preferences,
Andorfer said. And grocers are
looking for those foodies who are
willing to spend money on meals
that are out of the ordinary.
In addition to international
flavors, another trend those
foodies are increasingly leaning
into is cooking with fire. It should
continue through 2022 and into
2023, Brewer predicted.
" It resonates with what we do.
Grilling of any sort and the flavors
that are going to be moved over
to the grill are not necessarily
associated with a typical
barbecue sauce. The flavors
are international and just about
anything that you can think of
that maybe would not have been
a grill flavor in the past, now is. "
Commissary demand up
Excalibur has meat processor
customers who fit into the
EXCALIBUR, STARDAY
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022
