You’ll love this collection of our finest chocolate gelato ideas! From one-of-a kind to classic chocolate flavors, these recipes are the top-ranked chocolate gelato creations produced by the PreGel Professional Training Center staff. These creations were selected as the best for their uniqueness and/or simplicity by customers, clients and the PreGel Staff. 10. Chocolate… Read more »
Top 10: Ways Instagram can Benefit Your Business
When social media started in the late 90s, and began booming in the early 2000s, it was used as more of a personal tool to help people connect. However, over the years, it has also become an extremely powerful marketing tool as well for many different marketers and businesses, whether B2C or B2B. Surely,… Read more »
Top 10: Holiday Favorite with a Twist
“Baby, it’s cold outside!” As winter is right around the corner, it’s time to bring out those cozy dessert ideas to keep you company on those cold days and nights. We’re about to present to you ten holiday dessert favorites with a slight twist. Where more traditional recipes have never failed you in the past,… Read more »
Top 10: Portable Desserts
The dessert industry is flooded with a buffet of innovative ideas for those who prefer a stationary treat, and others who want a sweet snack (or meal replacement) while on the move. Here you will find ten concepts of convenient and practical portable desserts that can take your menu to the next level. Some of… Read more »
TOP 10: THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING
A FOOD INGREDIENT MANUFACTURER Why Meeting The Highest Standard Is So Important Sourcing ingredients is one of the top priorities for any food businesses from stocking a kitchen to packaging products delivered direct to retail. In recent years, it’s become increasingly important with consumers sizing up where things are made and from what. First a… Read more »
TOP 10: Favorite Gelato Flavors, and What They Say About You!
If today’s tendency is to let the season influence one’s choice of dessert and/or flavor from the menu, consumers still go for their all- time favorites most of the time. This is especially true for frozen desserts such as ice cream or gelato. While stores are now offering an overwhelming combination of adventurous tastes, there… Read more »
Top 10: Evolution of Childhood Desserts
There are certain smells, flavors, and most importantly desserts (for those with a sweet tooth) that take us back to childhood memories of indulgence, messiness, and overall happiness. For some of us, it could be the simple aroma of our grandmother’s signature chocolate cake recipe, or the s’mores we’ve enjoyed with friends and loved ones… Read more »
Top 10: Flowers & Herbs Used in Desserts
Eat Your Garden: Gourmet Flowers & Savory Herbs in Sweets! After falling out of favor for a long time, flowers are back in the kitchen! While edible flowers have been used for years in cooking or as decorations for various dishes, incorporating herbs to create sweet and savory recipes is a top trend in 2015…. Read more »
Top Ten: The Ugly and Delicious Truth
At first glance you may be dissuaded, but unknown and unattractive fruits are offering delightful new flavors to menus. Whether it’s the odd name or outer appearance, these up and comers prove that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case, the chef. While most are native to other countries, many… Read more »
Top Ten: Concepts & Products We’ve Said Goodbye to at PreGel, for Better or for Worse
In light of farewells, we thought in this last edition of Views from the Tree we should also honor the Top 10 PreGel products and concepts that made their exit in the past few years. In business you are always learning, trying new things, making mistakes and building on concepts – all in attempt to… Read more »
Top Ten: Hey Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Hot Beverages
Hot Chocolate It has been said that hot chocolate is like a hug from the inside. On a cold day what could be better than the wrapping your hands around a mug and enjoying a delicious cup of hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is typically made with melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk and sugar…. Read more »
Top Ten: Ways to Burn Off a Scoop of Ice Cream
Consumers everywhere are always trying to stay in tip-top shape. Between work hours, toting children around, social events and sleep, it’s easy to send exercise to the wayside. What many don’t realize is how easy it is to fit in a workout throughout the workday. This is especially important for those in the dessert industry… 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 »
Top Ten: Up-and-Budding Fruits
Are you ready to try the latest and greatest fruits making their debut in the American market and fighting to be the new staple on dessert menus everywhere? 10. Mangosteen, Originating in Southeast Asia, Mangosteen has become the truffle of the fruit family, being a luxury for those who can afford it. Mangosteen has a deep… Read more »
Top Ten: Tastes of Warm, Winter Nostalgia
The spicy scent of gingerbread baking in the oven, the warmth of a hot chocolate mug against frozen fingers and the buttery taste of grandmother’s holiday cookies all evoke an emotion just by seeing the word such as gingerbread on a menu. According to Marcia Pelchat, a scientist at the Morrell Chemical Senses Center, consumers… Read more »
Top Ten: Crazy Flavor Ideas
Whether it’s froyo, gelato or good ol’ ice cream, flavors are becoming more and more unique as the minds of chefs and dessert professionals go wild with endless pairings of all kinds. From ethnic-inspired to savory meets sweet, the ideas are sometimes scary, oftentimes amazing and so out of this world it’s hard to imagine… Read more »
Top Ten: 10 Food Holidays Around the Globe – Andiamo a Mangiare!
One of the most important holidays in India, Diwali, or “festival of lights,” is a time to celebrate the victory of good over evil. Following the Hindu calendar, Diwali falls between mid-October and mid-November. Indians decorate their homes, set off firecrackers at night, and exchange sweets between family and friends, including Kesar Burfi (cashew nuts… Read more »
Top Ten: Mistakes Dessert Businesses are Making
10. Don’t let the dessert be the low point of a dining experience. So many restaurants fail to recognize that a bad dessert can kill the experience, that’s why having a pastry chef or securing top-notch desserts to serve is so critical. 9. In pastry competitions, mise en place and cleanliness are just as important… Read more »
Top Ten: Photography Tips
It’s true, consumers eat with their eyes. That’s why it’s extremely helpful to have good photographs to showcase your products. It’s like adding curb appeal to your menu; the more delicious and mouthwatering an entrée appears, the more likely it is that people will order it. Fortunately, with the advancement in camera technology you don’t… Read more »
Top Ten: Industry Terms
We’ve all heard these key industry words buzzing in magazines, legislation, conversations and online, but do we truly know what they mean? Let’s take a closer look at the Top 10 Specialty Dessert Industry terms we’ve been hearing a lot of and see what the experts are saying they really stand for. 10. “Artisanal” Hand-made… Read more »
Top Ten: Celebrating 10 Years of PreGel AMERICA – 10 Things to Know
PreGel AMERICA is celebrating its 10-year anniversary! PreGel as a global company is over 45-years-old, but the commitment it made to the U.S. market started a mere 10 years ago and the journey has been a whirlwind. In honor of our anniversary, here’s a nod to 10 interesting facts about the growing company. Ten The… Read more »
Top Ten: Favorite Sweet & Savory Combinations
Have a serious weakness for sweet and salty desserts? The trend has been hitting the dessert industry by storm recently, and although not the newest of ideas, new combinations are popping up every day. That’s why we decided it was time to highlight our list of the Top 10 most delicious sweet and savory combinations,… Read more »
Top Ten: Official State Desserts
10. Key Lime Pie – As its name implies, Key Lime Pie was invented in the late 19th century in the Florida Keys, which is also where Key limes are grown. One of America’s most-loved regional desserts, Florida’s famed Key Lime Pie was designated as the official state dessert in 2006. Named after the southernmost… Read more »
Top Ten: Hot Trends in the Industry
Here are the top ten trends that are transforming the dessert industry right now. We reviewed all the major sources out there including Epicurious.com, hospitality and restaurant consultants Andrew Freeman & Co. The National Restaurant Association, Technomic Inc. and the PreGel Professional Training Center to present the best of the best to look out for…. Read more »
Top Ten: Vanilla Gelato Recipes
Last issue, we shared with you our collection of our finest chocolate gelato recipes; so it’s only natural that, for this issue, we share with you our premium vanilla gelato recipes. These recipes are the top-ranked vanilla gelato creations produced using PreGel’s beloved Vanilla Traditional Pastes (Vanilla Mexico Superior, Vanilla Velvet and Vanilla Purissima Bean)…. Read more »
Top Ten: Culinary Herbs and Recipes
1. Basil Popular in both Mediterranean and Asian cuisine, basil has many varieties and is prized for its spicy, clove-like flavor. Recipe suggestion: Coconut Basil Gelato 2. Lavender A very fragrant, slightly sweet herb used in perfumes and teas as well as for cooking and baking. Recipe suggestion: Lavender Spritz Cookies 3. Thyme Often used… Read more »
Top Ten: Magazines Specialty Dessert Professionals Should Be Reading
1. Dessert Professional – Launched in 2008, Dessert Professional combines three previously existing industry magazines, Pastry Art & Design, Frozen Desserts and Chocolatier, into one. While the focus is still divided by the major categories of pastry, frozen desserts and chocolates, it covers a wide range of topics and caters to a much larger audience… Read more »
Top Ten: Recipe Bloopers
NOT EVERY EXPERIMENT IS A SUCCESS… OUR CUSTOMERS SHARE SOME OF THEIR BLOOPERS. A little experimentation is always needed to develop new recipes. As with any project, not every experiment is a success. We’ve seen and heard a lot over the years from different customers about their successful new flavors and creations, and they’ve even… Read more »
Top Ten: Web Sites for the Dessert Industry
1.A Nice Cuppa anicecuppa.net Get your buzz on here – all things coffee and tea 2.Baking Bites bakingbites.com A site for those who love cooking and baking – named one of the best 50 food blogs by the London Times 3.The Ice Cream Bloke theicecreambloke.com Blog author Steve Christensen offers advice from his 20 years… Read more »
Top Ten: 10 Ways to Put Leftover Gelato to Work
1. Coffee Can Solve Anything – Affogato Anyone? Coffee and gelato are as traditionally Italian as pasta and sauce. Considering coffee’s popularity in America (about 50 percent of Americans drink coffee every day1), blending an American essential with an Italian classic will capture the interest of frequent and new customers alike. Affogato is gelato topped… Read more »
Top Ten: Don’t Let the Slow Season Get You Down – 10 Ideas to Keep Profits & Customers Coming
1. Create a Desirable Atmosphere Seasons, holidays and even the time of day can evoke a different emotion and feeling for consumers, which can affect their buying habits. Decorate your store to match a season or holiday, and add elements such as music, featured products and lighting to complement those emotions and feelings. Adapting your… Read more »
Top 10: Mistakes in Gelato Businesses
10. Failure to Create a Pleasant or Memorable Experience The atmosphere and mood of your establishment serves as a reflection of the goods you provide. Consumers seek environments that are clean, inviting and comfortable. Consider all aspects of the experience, including lighting, amenities, available seating, traffic flow and the character of the location. Remember that… Read more »