Meat Your Menu with this New Menu Idea from Burke- Italian-Style Meatballs with Toasted Ravioli.
Italian-Style Meatballs, freshly sliced bell peppers and toasted cheese ravioli stacked on a wooden skewer. Oven-baked and finished with an Italian dressing drizzle.
Request a sample today.
NEW PRODUCT RELEASE
Burke introduces new coarse-ground sausage offering great flavor, texture and appearance.
Burke Corporation, leader in fully cooked meats and pizza toppings, is bringing out a great sausage to make your great pizza even better. It’s succulent and delicious like never before and its coarse ground nature will offer customers a firm texture and a better bite.
Patrons who taste this sausage love the eye-appeal of its toast points and authentic hand-pinched look. This exceptional taste and texture are available in two customer favorites:
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Traditional Sweet Mild Italian – Whole fennel and black pepper
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Spicy Italian – Whole fennel, black pepper, red pepper, garlic and paprika
Each is available in 4/oz. and 8/oz. sizes to give you options for coverage and appearance in your pizza creation.
Your passion for pizza is shared by Burke, and we offer more than 1,200 ways to create your pizza with fully cooked meat toppings – we’ll help you find just the right ones for your operation. And, with the addition of these great tasting sausages, your customers will have even more reasons to love your pizza. Also, your back of house will appreciate the time-savings and safety of toppings that are fully cooked.
We are excited to show off this sausage’s outstanding flavor, texture and appearance. If you would like to try this great sausage and boost your profits, visit us at http://www.BurkeCorp.com to request a sample.
A new trend is emerging in the pizza industry - flatbreads. The Pizza Consumer Trend Report from Technomic stated that over the past two years consumers seem to show an increasing interest in flatbread pizza.
You might ask yourself, “How is flatbread different from the common favorites, hand-tossed and deep-dish?” or “What makes flatbread appealing to consumers?”
Flatbread pizza seems to be connected with the movement towards authentic Italian interpretations of pizza; including Neapolitan-style, wood-fired or hearth-baked pizzas. Flatbread is appealing to pizzeria owners because, unlike deep-dish and hand-tossed pizzas, flatbread is much quicker to bake. Deep dish pizza can often be two inches thick, while flatbread is much thinner; ¼ - ½ inch. The faster the pizza is made, the faster the customer is able to enjoy it, and the more time you have available to serve other customers. Flatbread pizza baked in a stone hearth results in a lighter and crisper crust than a pizza baked in a conventional oven. It can also add another level of flavor to your pizzas by adding a smoky or slightly charred taste. It’s a way to make your crust stand out from other restaurants and give the customer the feeling of a true Italian experience.
Consumers also seem to be willing to pay a higher price for pizzas made in a stone hearth. Maybe this arises because they feel that their pizza is being authentically prepared for them in the European style - where pizza was born. Even listing ingredients with Italian in front of the ingredient such as sausage or other spices can give your customers the idea that they are getting authentic ingredients with their experience.
Source: Technomic, Inc., 2012, The Pizza Consumer Trend Report
For flatbread recipes and flatbread pizza ideas visit BurkeCorp.com or download a free Flatbread Pizza Recipe Flyer here.
What are your consumers looking for? Healthy or comfort food, small or large portions – check out the list of Foodservice at Retail trends & topics we compiled from the 2011 Foodservice at Retail Exchange (FARE) in Phoenix, Arizona in late June.
- Healthy is here to stay - consumers want options, which are well-balanced and portioned correctly, made with fresh ingredients, and grilled vs. fried. But most importantly they also crave healthy options that have been inspired by creativity and just plain taste good.
- Increased growth in morning & snack meal categories - consumers are time starved and are looking for added convenience and something new in the morning like bacon flights or breakfast tacos. The definition of the snack category has evolved over the years and consumers are looking for something trendy to tie them over like items on a stick for portability or signature entrees options offered as small plates.
- Changing (and very diverse) demographics - baby boomers are still dominating the market place but have more controlled spending unlike Generation Y who are optimists and have looser strings on their wallets. Also, the Asian population continues to rise and they are not afraid to spend money.
- Using technology to connect with your customers - it is no secret the way consumers interact with a brand happens a lot through the Internet, social media and new technology formats. Companies should own their online presence and take advantage of social media to engage with your customers.
- Consumers are seeking
authenticity and local - whether it be Thai or Mexican, consumers have the taste buds for something authentic. And if not authentic, they prefer to be eating something locally grown/sourced.
- Food trucks - If your customer can’t come to you, go to your customer. This hot new trend makes it easy for a convenience store foodservice do to just that and easily adds profit to the bottom line.
About FARE: The FARE conference was held by CSPnet and attended by convenience store foodservice and other retail hosts such as college/universities and supermarkets. It was a successful show and provided a chance for food-on-the-go industry leaders to network and learn about trends, challenges and changes facing their industry.
For regularly updated industry trends, follow our blog.