Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/480793
Market Meats Price per pound is the big- gest factor driving con- sumer purchases of meat at retail, followed by appear- ance, according to the latest annual report on the cat- egory by Food Marketing Institute and the North American Meat Institute. Supermarkets are the top spot for retail meat sales overall, but farmers markets are now the favorite source for occasional purchases. trends & happenings NAME BRANDS VS. STORE BRANDS When it comes to choosing between brand-name products and private label, consumers are most infuenced by the type of product they're buying. According to a Harris Poll of 2,276 adults, name brands win in catego- ries where favor counts: breakfast cereal, coffee, soft drinks, bagged snacks, frozen meals, and yogurt. Store brands are chosen for milk, frozen vegetables, and cooking oil. When it comes to cheese, bread, and frozen meats or seafood, they're split down the middle. Fire-Roasting Heats Up The use of fire or wood- and charcoal-fired indoor grills and ovens took the No. 3 spot for trending preparation methods on the National Restaurant Association's 2015 "What's Hot" culinary forecast, right behind fermenting and pickling. The technique goes beyond pizza and barbecue, with chefs cre- ating elevated menu options. Nashville's Husk houses two smokers, a barbecue pit and spit, and a wood-burning oven, all fueled by an old-fashioned burn barrel. James Beard Award–winning chef Sean Brock is known for transforming unexpected ingredients to create dishes like his ash-baked sweet potato and charred cabbage. CEREAL ON THE MENU A steady decline in cereal sales over the past five years has inspired an expansion of the category. Healthful, portable snacks—like breakfast bars—appeal to busy workers and are fueling this stagnant segment, which is expected to see 0.9 percent yearly growth through 2020, when it will reach $11.6 billion, according to IBISWorld research. As for boxed varieties, over the next five years rising levels of dispos- able income will encourage consumers to buy high-end cereal, especial- ly those that are organic and made with whole grains. Competition will come from fast-food breakfast sandwiches and that disposable income shifting to restaurant and cafe breakfasts. But it also highlights an oppor- tunity: catering to the foodservice industry, from schools and hotels to hospitals and government organizations, can present a substantial revenue source to cereal produc- ers, especially when offering health-conscious consumers nutri- ent-rich, dietary- friendly products. 16 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com