Peanut butter and jelly. Pancakes and syrup. Alcohol and gelato? Absolutely! In recent years, gelato has greatly increased in popularity among the American public. Gelato’s palate appeal and wide spectrum of flavors have already proven to be vastly impressive to consumers, and the evolution of gelato enjoyment continues to dazzle with the infusion of alcohol…. Read more »
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HR Corner: Employee-Generated Revenue and Scheduling
Employee-Generated Revenue and Scheduling Many factors contribute to finding the perfect balance between employee productivity and labor costs, while meeting business-level demands. Add the additional factor of seasonal patterns, and the formula becomes even more complex. However, don’t be discouraged because there are a variety of methods to help you understand how to properly staff… Read more »
SUPERMARKET OVERLOAD: THE EVOLUTION OF THE GROCERY INDUSTRY
Families across the U.S. continuously take inventory of the goods in their refrigerator, cupboards and pantries before sitting down to complete a grocery list that will suffice each week. This includes standard grocery items as well as necessary pharmaceutical needs which can be found in the aisles of the same establishment. Finding orange juice –… Read more »
EMPLOYEE CAFETERIAS PROVIDE MORE THAN SUSTENANCE
Staff Appreciation Boosts Business It’s another workday, and among all the other responsibilities that need to be addressed, one’s own nourishment is of major significance for planning the day. Whether it’s getting started with what is said to be the most important meal of the day (breakfast) or pondering what to eat at the crest… Read more »
Two Chocolate Masters Visit PreGel
Innovative Dessert Buffet with Chef Jérôme Landrieu 6.1.2015-6.3.2015 In his fifth year of presenting at PreGel’s 5-Star Pastry Series® Seminar on June 1-3, 2015 at PreGel America’s International Training Center in Charlotte, NC, Jérôme Landrieu, Corporate Pastry Chef for the Chicago Chocolate Academy, showcased many modern twists on traditional flavors as well as innovative techniques… Read more »
Top Ten: Marketing Mistakes Dessert Businesses Are Making
10. Avoiding Social Media If a business isn’t on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the like, how do they expect today’s consumer to find them? Social norms today include following, liking and friending businesses to get exclusive offers and feel like a personal relationship is formed between businesses and customers. With visual content on the rise… Read more »
Menu of Options: How to Represent What You Present
Think back to the last menu that you saw. You’ve probably seen one recently, considering that, according to the National Restaurant Association, Americans spend 49 percent of their food dollars at restaurants. Did the menu leave an impression on you, or was it just a means to an end? The unsung art and science of… Read more »
Tree Talk: Views from the Tree Receives 2010 Hermes Creative Platinum Award
Views from the Tree received a coveted 2010 Hermes Creative Platinum Award in the Magazine/Publication category. The top honors were awarded to the Summer/Fall 2009 issue. Views from the Tree’s editorial and creative direction is primarily produced by PreGel AMERICA with design outsourced to WhiteSpace Creative. The magazine is printed at United Printing in Charlotte,… Read more »
Turning Your Passion into a Reality
Part 5 – Marketing, a Critical but Often Sparse Component in Small Businesses Have you ever heard the expression, “You have to spend money to make money?” Aside from the expense of your location, machinery and products, it is absolutely necessary that a part of your budget be put towards marketing your business. Marketing is… Read more »
What’s Blooming: Because Small Is Huge
The Current Trends in the Pastry World Less is more. A little bit goes a long way. Big things come in small packages. These phrases are a bit cliché, when it comes to mono-portion desserts, they are nothing but the truth. A mono-portion, or mini dessert, is an individual-sized treat that is usually no bigger… Read more »
Featured Recipes from Issue 31
Beehive Meringue Dessert DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Intermediate Honey Cake GRAMS (OUNCES) INGREDIENTS 500 g (17.6 oz) PreGel Five Star Chef Pronto Flamenco (Sponge Cake) – 44628 250 g (8.8 oz) softened butter 250 g (8.8 oz) eggs 100 g (3.5 oz) honey METHOD OF PREPARATION Mix all ingredients in a mixer fitted with the whip attachment…. Read more »
Catering with Gelato: Expanding your Gelato Business
The Gelato & Ice Cream Industry Social Event planners are no longer satisfied with ending their exciting events with the traditional pastry or cake offerings. Now event professionals are venturing out into the frozen dessert industry to explore alternative solutions for their dessert conundrum in order to please the increasingly complex tastes of their clients…. Read more »
What We are Loving: A look at the hottest products at PreGel
Five Star Chef Pannacrema Pastry Compounds It’s May, so you know what that means…the beginning of the graduation/wedding season. And, of course, Mother’s and Father’s Day. In light of all these celebrations, it’s time to bake! So there’s no question why PreGel is loving new Five Star Chef Pannacrema Pastry Compounds. These top-quality, low-dosage, and… Read more »
PreGel 5-Star Pastry Series®: 2018 Preview
Each year PreGel America seeks out innovative and talented chefs to head the PreGel 5-Star Pastry Series®, a program hosted exclusively at PreGel International Training Centers – Charlotte, North Carolina, featuring hands-on seminars lectured by world renowned chefs. In 2018, PreGel welcomes two new faces to its 5-Star Chef family. Chef Amaury Guichon will debut… Read more »
What’s the Difference between Flavored Syrups & Extract Syrups?
When it comes to choosing certain foods, especially in today’s market, shoppers are already saturated with choice, but you also have to consider the subcategories of those products. Let’s take, for instance, flavored syrups vs extracts. Flavored syrups come in all types of varieties including sugar free, natural, organic, gluten-free, concentrated, sweetener syrups, etc., and… Read more »
From our Family to Yours
There is a general adage which states, “I have yet to meet a stranger.” This statement is meant to be understood as a proclamation of unconditional acceptance as friend or family despite a lack of familiarity. And when examined a bit deeper, this viewpoint also reveals that the action of introduction immediately cancels out the… Read more »
Making Noise & Driving Traffic: The Rise of Short-Term LTO’s
Thinking product development, new menu offering, or seasonal LTOs? Making noise and driving traffic with a new offering can be challenging. Marketing strategies change so fast, sometimes observing what big brands are doing can be a true inspiration to help you market your new products or limited-time offers. Some Marketing Takeaways on the Unicorn Frappuccino… Read more »
Got UHT? What’s the deal with shelf stable milk
What American doesn’t recognize the tagline “Got Milk?”, a popular advertising campaign launched over 20 years ago in America that, according to research by Jeff Goodby in Adweek, “has become the most remembered tagline in beverage history.” He continues, “It is so ubiquitous, in fact, that people don’t think of it as a tagline anymore…. Read more »
I See I Want It: The Stimuli of Food Imagery
Curious, bold, and shall we say, somewhat naughty … the very daring term “food porn” is credited to an extremely insightful Coward, and more than 30 years later, social media is buzzing with the term Rosalind Coward noted in her 1984 book Female Desire. This catchy phrase relates to highly stylized images of food and… Read more »
5-Ways: Mousse
Five Uses for Mousses Mousse, an indulgent dessert delicacy on its own or incorporated into a variety of recipes, PreGel has three ingredients perfect for making any variation of mousse, albeit light and airy or rich and creamy. Products that are easy to use and versatile are key in the kitchen for efficiency and consistent… Read more »
Benvenuti! PreGel’s International Training Centers – Italy
As you may know, 2017 is PreGel’s 50th anniversary year. And in all of this time, the company has remained faithful to its ideals of providing not only quality ingredients but education as well. The International Training Centers – Italy, located at the company’s headquarters in Reggio-Emilia, Italy offers curriculums that are based on standardized… Read more »
Nutritional Label Changes: What You Need to Know
The Nutrition Facts label was introduced more than twenty years ago to help consumers make informed decisions with their food choices and health practices. But based on recent dietary recommendations from expert groups, new nutrition and public health research, as well as input from the public, the iconic label had to undergo some important changes… Read more »
Soft Serve: Smooth and Creamy; Cold and Dreamy
It’s so beloved by the American dessert consumer that it has its own day. Annually, soft ice cream, culturally known as soft serve, is celebrated every August 19th. This classic American treat holds a special place in the hearts of young and old, as it stimulates nostalgic memories of hot, hazy summer days, when the… Read more »
Ancient Grains and Desserts
A Beneficial Union As recently as May of 2016, The Plate, a blog published by www.nationalgeographic.com, reported about a national survey which found that 84 percent of Americans throw away food based on the sell by date stamped on packages. Yet, ancient — a word partly defined as having the qualities of age or long… Read more »
Phenomenal Women of Pastry
There is a suggestive idiom that has solidified a place in history and woven its premise into the fabrics of many cultures. It has been the topic of debate beginning in the 19th century (according to documented history); it has been the basis of countless social and political movements; it has forged the idea of… Read more »
Keeping It 100%
Why it’s important to consider all ingredients in your recipe when making goods with dietary restrictions Considering the dozens of today’s food labels that read gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and so forth, it may be hard for some people to believe that there was once no such thing as dietary restrictions on a mainstream level in… Read more »
THE FUSION REVOLUTION: THE EVOLUTION OF FUSION CUISINE
The Cronut®. The waffle taco. Pad Thai pizza. These are just a few of the items that have emerged from the fusion cuisine trend that has become integrated into American dishes. From incorporating more ethnic flavors into our meals, to merging two seemingly disparate foods into one, fusion has helped shape the way we look… Read more »
THE LATEST UPDATES ON WHAT IS MAKING WAVES IN FOOD
Just like any other business dealing with competition and demanding customers, cruise lines need to constantly rethink their approach to please vacationers. Following the trends and innovations of the food industry on land, they must also come up with new concepts to remain competitive and attract a broader audience – especially after enduring bad press… Read more »
WHAT’S COLD JUST KEEPS GETTING HOTTER!
You could say gelato is having the best year or decade ever, depending on which source you consult. While it’s an Italian frozen dessert that’s been around for thousands of years, to many Americans it’s the latest “IT” dessert to hit retail spaces and shelves, inching out traditional ice cream and trendy frozen yogurt. The Truth… Read more »
FOOD TREND: THE FLAVOR MAKEOVER
The world of food and beverage is bursting with flavorful innovation. From new flavor profiles to trends that continue to expand today’s standard foods are getting a real flavor makeover. Even if flavoring is nothing new, the growing trend of infusing flavor into everyday products such as water, milk, teas and other beverages is on… Read more »
THE ALLURE OF CHARGING MORE
In 2003, Ronald McDonald’s smile seemed a little sweeter when the restaurant officiallylaunched its Dollar Menu at the beginning of an economic downfall. As a response to decreased consumer spending and stock market downturn, the company sent customers diving for quarters under their couch cushions.While the craze for dollar-priced items evolved soon after, the idea… Read more »
LESSONS FROM CHICK-FIL-A’S SECOND MILE
For the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Industry, offering superior customer service seems to be a tricky equation to solve. The nature of the QSR business model makes it challenging, since patrons expect quality food in a prompt manner at a reasonable price. In the rush hours of the day, these basic tasks seem challenging enough,… Read more »
“SELFIES” IN THE CORNER BOOTH & AISLES
The emerging group of over 77 million Millennials in the U.S. is changing how food manufacturers and businesses are marketing their brands. With the power of digital marketing, the quest for obtaining brand loyalty has become a battle over who Millennials will talk about or mention in their social media posts. However, if you ask… Read more »
AN AMERICAN FAVORITE, SHAKING UP THE FOOD INDUSTRY
Creamy, fruity and alcoholic milkshakes are making a comeback in the food industry this year. Following the cupcake and frozen pop craze, nostalgia is showing little sign of slowing down on the food scene with this year’s new craze, reinvented milkshakes. The long-time American favorite, commonly called “shakes,” are commemorated by two national holidays on… Read more »
BUILD-YOUR-WAY OR NO-WAY
Menu Item Customization In Response To Millennial Expectations For Qsr & Fast Casual “I would like the house special without tomatoes — can you put cucumber instead? Do you have plain bread instead of cereal? No mustard, please, I’ll have ranch on the side.” If you ever found yourself asking for exactly what you want… Read more »
IT’S A LATIN AFFAIR
Latin American Cuisine Continues To Shape Menus In The U.S. America is having a love affair with Latin American cuisine and has started to incorporate true Mexican, Peruvian, Brazilian and many other countries’ dishes and ingredients. Even extraneous cooking tips have spilled over to mainstream America such as leaving the avocado seed on guacamole, grilling… Read more »
THE TRUTH ON SCARY-SOUNDING FOOD INGREDIENTS
From Diglyceride To Guar Gum, What Are These Things Really? Myths and misconceptions about food and ingredients are part of daily life in the food industry. Claims such as “I only eat light products because they are good for me” and “corn syrup is a secret poison” are commonly heard. Nowadays, the words “natural,” “gluten-free”… Read more »
HAZELNUT NATION
Flavoring America You can find them in coffee, ice cream, chocolate delicacies, flour, oil or as a spread because hazelnuts are all the rage and making their way into a multitude of our daily consumables. Alone or mixed with chocolate, the hazelnut is being incorporated into popular food products and dishes in all facets of… Read more »
A CULTURE OF PROBIOTICS
A Look At The Latest Technology In Probiotics When did the food and beverage industry become so enthralled and proactive about our digestive health? From Activia® yogurt to ingredient supplements, a staunch focus on probiotics and the health benefits they offer is all over supermarkets and countless television advertisements. All of this attention has raised… Read more »
CATERING TO A NEW TYPE OF SHOPPER
Following The Rise Of The Supermarket ‘Man Aisle’ The 21st century continues to redefine the roles that men and women are supposed to play in society. For example, women have become increasingly involved in the workplace and men are participating a lot more in domestic chores such as grocery shopping. According to consumer-research firm GK… Read more »