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/912382
FROM THE PUBLISHER Love, Hate, Cooking SPECIALTY FOOD ASSOCIATION MEMBERS: Discuss this topic in the Solution Center on specialtyfood.com A recent Harvard Business Review article by Eddie Yoon reports that 45 percent of American consumers hate to cook, 45 percent are lukewarm about cooking, and only 10 percent love to cook. Cooking is like sewing once was, Yoon suggests: People made their own clothes until it became easy and relatively affordable to purchase them ready-to-wear. Chris Crocker Senior Vice President, Content & Marketing ccrocker@specialtyfood.com Sewing today is a necessity for some, but largely a hob- by. While we seem a distance away from food preparation shifting from a regular household activity to a hobby, it's getting there. With the enjoyment of cooking on the decline, Yoon argues that food companies should move away from prod- ucts that take effort to prepare … or consider shifting to super-premium offerings, swapping margin for volume. While the latter is a fundamental specialty food strategy, there are ample products in our market that involve or are part of food preparation—trading on a shrinking percent- age of the population. Isn't it enough that most people don't hate cooking? Do people have to love cooking to cook regularly? I was raised to know my way around a kitchen, but I am among the 45 percent who are ambivalent about cooking. I love good food, and I thought a meal kit subscription could be a nice match between my level of interest and commit- ment to meal preparation. After about six months, I will probably let my subscrip- tion lapse. The meals are very, very good. The ingredients are well-selected, often including familiar specialty food brands. The garlic comes peeled, the spices pre-mea- sured. But the regular f lurry of chopping and stirring hasn't ignited some latent chef gene. Zesting lemons— oh, so many lemons—and reducing sauces is just not how I want to spend my evenings. Especially when I have ac- cess to other good food options. It's important to know your target market. You may be in a business that appeals primarily to people who love to cook. And having a passionate customer base can be a beautiful thing. If you're trying to reach a broader audi- ence, making great, healthy food convenient and acces- sible is the order of the day. Presented with alternatives, people don't commit time and energy to things they're indifferent about. WINTER 2018 5 Isn't it enough that most people don't hate cooking? Do people have to love cooking to cook regularly?