The market for manufacturing products for foodservice is dynamic and full of opportunities. A product-development team has many areas to focus upon, including flavor building, nutritional management, cost and operational limitations. And although each foodservice client will pose unique challenges, with a dedicated and targeted approach to product development, the process can be very efficient.
Initial steps
Regardless of whether a food will be cooked in a manufacturing facility or in the back of the house, formulators need to start with a gold standard that should be mirrored in the finished product. This might be a current menu item that the operator wants to streamline preparation for, or it might require the development of a completely new concept to pique interest. But for any product, it is critical that the product-development team understands both the manufacturing and operator capabilities. With this knowledge, you can design a product that delivers on flavor and key culinary touch points, as well as one that synergizes with what the operator can accomplish in the back of the house.
We typically begin by conducting a tasting at the client’s restaurant. This helps us evaluate many key jumping-off points for R&D. If we are working on an appetizer for an operator, we will taste and dissect each appetizer currently on their menu. We will look for how well the product delivers on the intended flavor, size or value, color, flavor, authenticity, and presentation.
As we develop products for any market, including foodservice, we have to determine any and all opportunities to affect specific areas where we can add to or enhance the product. Product developers have a wide range of ways to differentiate a product, such as through flavor or via a cooking process, or perhaps a combination of both. Cooking techniques like caramelizing, braising, marinating, smoking and battering in a finished product that’s ready for back-of-the-house speed-scratch preparation can save restaurants a great deal of time and money—and deliver a consistent product every time. Every aspect of the product needs to be taken into consideration. For instance, if a product is marinated, you will have to consider how it will affect the ultimate color of cooked product. If there are any sugars in the pump, then the product will get darker as it cooks from the carbohydrates caramelizing or the sugars and protein participating in Maillard browning.
Sometimes a manufacturer will work with a foodservice client to determine the best way to execute a cooking technique at the operator level. In those cases, the goal is to set up the best operational procedures to execute consistent cooking every time. Developing a familiarity with the operator’s back-of-the-house capabilities is of utmost importance.
Many foodservice products—particularly at the chain level—are value-added, and the finishing touches are applied at the operator level, such as distributing a heat-and-eat center-of-the-plate protein, its sauce and garnish separately, and then retherming and assembling them just prior to service. These speed-scratch items may be easier for operators to deliver consistently and save preparation time, but will tend to cost a bit more. So the food cost may be higher with a speed-scratch product. However, the labor cost in the back of the house will be lower, perhaps balancing the equation.
A matter of taste
The ultimate flavor of a product will directly affect its quality, and its perception and cravability—attributes that will help get consumers back in the door. When developing the gold standard—and later, matching it—determining the right acidity, saltiness, flavor and texture, color, and sweetness are all important and require balance.
