“The Breakfast Menu Inspiration contest got operators tuned-in to the popularity and profitability of the breakfast market,” said Kelley Wood, Customer Marketing Manager II, Food Service Division. “We were excited to see the innovative ways operators used Rich’s products to re-invent and refresh their morning menus.”

Rich’s accepted online recipe submissions through the richsfoodservice.com website from January to March 2013. In all, 84 entries were received. Each participating operator received at $10 Amazon.com gift card for their submission.

After reviewing the entries, Rich’s selected three grand prize winners, one from each zone. Each winner was awarded a $1000 AMEX gift card.

The winning recipes were diverse and original, ranging from breakfast Stromboli to a pork biscuit with Mexican flare.  

From Zone 1, east coast Sodexo operator, Michael Girouard, developed a winning breakfast Stromboli using Rich’s 16 inch Fresh N’ Ready Oven Rising Sheeted Pizza dough. Michael stuffed the Stromboli with scrambled eggs, Andoiulle sausage, roasted red peppers, spinach and cheddar/jack cheese.

In western Kentucky at Longhunters Restaurant, Bill Landrum took the top prize for Zone 2 using three of Rich’s products for his Gran Marnier French Toast. Bill used Rich’s Tuscan Bread as a base which he then grilled and stuffed with Rich’s cream cheese icing, thinned out with orange juice. The morning masterpiece was topped with Rich’s On Top and drizzled with a Gran Marnier cream sauce; a mixture of RTW, whole eggs and Gran Marnier; and finally garnished with orange zest.

Using southwestern inspirations, Zone 3 winner, Kristine Raymer of Aramark, developed a Pulled Pork Chilaquiles. This central Mexican breakfast dish is most notable for its sauce consisting of fire roasted tomatoes, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, chicken stock, cilantro, and chopped fried tortillas. Kristine heated a Rich’s biscuit and topped it with a layer of Byron’s pulled pork and Chilaquiles sauce. The entire creation was topped with a fried egg and more sauce, and finally garnished sour cream, cheese, and avocado.

All three mouth-watering recipes won top prize in Rich’s contest and rave reviews from consumers. The breakfast challenge has operators thinking about new ways to use the Rich’s products they have on-hand to create trendy dishes for breakfast and beyond.

“The market in South Africa is moving towards convenience,” said Lara Moretti, Product Manager. “Consumers want value for their money and consistent products, but they are not willing to give-up quality.”

Operators no longer need proofers and skilled technicians to prepare delicious, handheld pastries for consumers. The freezer-to-oven Royal Danish Crown offers superior quality while eliminating the proofing step and enabling operators to bake-off more than one product at a time.

“Rich’s freezer-to-oven Royal Danish Crown is the epitome of what the market desires; high-quality, easy-to-use, convenient products,” said Moretti.

The premium-quality Royal Danish Crowns are available in delicious, mouth-watering flavors such as pineapple, kiwi, apple and raspberry.

European-inspired Danish products have become a staple of indulgent pastry offerings worldwide. Rich’s new Royal Danish Crown meets the exceedingly high standards of quality, richness and flavour that consumers have come to expect in a Danish product.

For more information about the Danish Crown and other products in Rich’s South African portfolio, please contact 0860-0-RICHS.

Rich’s offers an array of breakfast solutions and support that makes it easy to brighten-up your morning fare, and you could be eligible for great prizes in three simple steps: shape, snap and send.

First step, shape: build you Breakfast Inspiration menu item. Your Breakfast Inspiration menu entry could be an item already on your menu as long as it incorporates one of Rich’s Platinum Products (http://menuinspiration.pocketfs.com/richs2013playbook/detailssheet.pdf) and is designed for breakfast.

Next step: snap. Take a photo of your breakfast creation with a smartphone or handheld device.

And finally: send. Email your Breakfast Inspiration menu item photo to inspire@pocketfs.com. No need to include recipe steps, just a brief description of the item and the product code from Rich’s Platinum product list.

Each Breakfast Inspiration menu item submission will be reviewed by Rich’s culinary team. If it qualifies, you automatically receive a $10 Amazon.com E-card (limit one E-card per operator). Your submission will also be considered for the Grand Prize of a $1000 American Express Gift Card.

Rich’s has made building your Breakfast Inspiration Menu Item as simple as possible. Visit http://richsfoodservice.com/breakfast to find breakfast menu ideas, a complete list of Rich’s Platinum products, full contest details, and much more.

Watch online as Rich’s culinary expert, Chef Jake Brach, unwraps the keys to the breakfast sandwich in a video full of tips, tricks and insider menu inspirations. Brach transforms the top-trending breakfast sandwich and examines its versatility and popularity. He explores exciting new sandwich carriers and experiments with savory fillings and proteins, all while adhering to the trends of portability, indulgence and healthy choices.

This is more than a contest, it’s an opportunity to broaden your breakfast offerings and seize staggering growth opportunities. Jump into the breakfast lane and ride the road all the way to sunny-side-up success. Your new breakfast menu items will capture customer’s attention, satisfy their need for convenient, affordable, handheld breakfast options, and you’ll be tapping into the fastest growing daypart nationwide.

Rich’s is the largest authentic Bar-B-Q manufacturer in the United States. From the very center of Bar-B-Q country, Gallatin, Tennessee, Rich’s has been producing the highest quality smoked meats bursting with flavor and potential, in the purest smokehouse processes, for more than 50 years.

“Smoking is a time and labor-intensive process. Why would any chef go to the expense of smoking their own meats in-house when Rich’s can give them a perfectly prepared product, a blank slate with which they can create countless menu applications to appeal to a variety of consumer demands,” said Jason Russo, Marketing Manager, Rich Products.

Rich’s®Smokehouse Bar BQ® and Byron’s® products meet the USDA’s definition for barbecue, but they can be used for so much more than just Bar-B-Q menu items. Pork is the base protein in a variety of international cuisine, such as Cuban, Asian, and Latin American. In the midst of a struggling economy and rising beef prices, restaurateurs are faced with the challenge of meeting the demand for trendy flavor profiles at reasonable prices.

In response, more and more operators are looking to pork as a protein alternative in many menu items. Chefs are using Rich’s®Smokehouse Bar BQ® pork as the base for Vietnamese-inspired banh mi sandwiches, and Mexican carnitas. Schools in Miami are using Rich’s®Smokehouse Bar BQ® pulled-pork to create a variety sandwiches that appeal to a growing Cuban population.

But if Bar-B-Q is what consumers are craving, then give them authentic smokehouse Bar-B-Q from Rich’s. Market research shows that the number of Bar-B-Q items showing up on menus at non-Bar-B-Q restaurants is up 17% from last year. As well, Bar-B-Q items are popping-up on non-Bar-B-Q restaurant menus more often than staples like broccoli, baked potatoes and caesar salad dressing.

Rich’s has perfected the art of smoking and now offers more than 100 product codes under the Rich’s®Smokehouse Bar BQ® and Byron’s® labels, as well as 20 different sauces prepared from scratch. Rich’s most popular product, the Double-Rubbed Pork Shoulder, is first hand-rubbed with salt and pepper and then smoked in Rich’s walk-in ovens. Hickory logs are constantly loaded into a fire to maintain consistent smoking throughout the 12-14 hour process. The operation is the most pure, authentic smoking process available to customers. Once smoked, the pork is then rubbed again as it is hand-pulled to perfection. There are no sauces or marinades, just tender, juicy, hand-pulled smokehouse pork. The meat is then packaged, sealed, frozen and ready for distribution to customers.

“Our smoking process is simply a scaled-up version of your typical home smoker. Nothing is lost or added to the smoking process. It’s pure, it’s authentic, it’s smokehouse perfection,” said Russo. 

“This product is for customers that don’t have a smoker but want to offer this authentic flavor to consumers in an endless array of menu applications that exceed the boundaries of Bar-B-Q,” said Russo.

“Beyond the critical continuing education that’s offered at these workshops, our team gets an exceptional chance to be together, to experience the benefits of camaraderie and to appreciate and encourage one another,” said Jake Brach, Manager-Culinary Learning and Development. “Each of us walks away with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and purpose, and our customers reap the benefits.”

Rich’s original culinarian and 38-year foodservice veteran, Dr. Shirley Brown, Director of Product Training, organized the session with CIA chef, Tucker Bunch. Together they incorporated Rich’s products into a curriculum that explored Gastronomy, the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine. This latest foodservice trend had led to an explosion of new Gastropubs popping up across the US.

Bunch brought the CIA’s expertise and ingenuity to the training, challenging Rich’s chefs to excel, innovate and reach beyond what’s called the “house palette” taking products and flavors to new heights.

“When we get together we can share knowledge of what we’re seeing in the marketplace,” said Brach. “Our chefs get to use more Rich’s products in the kitchen and we’re able to experiment and bring new flavor profiles back to our customers.”

“At the end of the day, it’s all about what we can do better for our customers,” said Glenn Forbes, Zone-1 Culinary Manager. “If we are product experts and we know our markets well, it’s easy to be an innovative solutions-provider to our customers.”

Bunch gave the group a comprehensive overview of the philosophy behind Gastropubs. This British phenomenon brings the flare of pub-life to consumers with an emphasis on fine cuisine, flavor, small plates and affordable luxuries. Gastropubs have re-imagined comfort foods and deliver intense culinary skill, seasonal ingredients and handmade, artisanal products at higher prices. And customers are lining-up at neighborhood pubs!

To stay on-trend and help customers meet these demands, Rich’s culinarians spent hours in the CIA kitchens experimenting with Rich’s products, stretching their imaginations and perceptions to create unique dishes with an emphasis on carriers.

“The results of our efforts were incredible!” said Brown. “We found so many exciting new ways to use our immense product line; we even tried using donut dough as a sandwich carrier.”

While in Napa, the team also toured wineries, critiqued local restaurants and visited a thriving young farm that delivers fresh produce, micro greens and herbs to area restaurateurs.

The team rose early each day, spent long hours creating and evaluating new ideas in the CIA kitchens, and completed assignments and shared experiences throughout the evening. It was a grueling schedule to fulfill the necessary certification requirements and meet learning objectives but each culinarian left the Valley rejuvenated, refreshed and eager to share their new learning’s with customers.

 “We’re the face of Rich’s to so many customers. We’ve been in their kitchen, solved their problems, trained their staff and worked together to develop menu ideas,” said Forbes. “Rich’s emphasis on professional growth and our strong relationship with the CIA builds credibility and trust with customers.”

Rich’s is well known for its culinary expertise, having the foodservice industry’s largest team of trained culinarians. The team likens the annual CIA experience to management training offered to Rich’s leaders throughout the company. Rich’s commitment to ongoing education and professional growth positions associates as industry experts and valued partners to customers.

“We continually challenge ourselves to be innovative and fresh in our thinking and cooking,” said Brown.  “Our job is to show customers how to use Rich’s products in a successful way. If we do that well, sales are a natural by-product of our work.”

The fourteen culinarians at Rich’s each have a distinct role within a market segment, but no two days are alike and one job description is nearly impossible to write. Whether a chef works in chain accounts or regional sales, they perform a litany of responsibilities varying from menu engineering, troubleshooting and product expertise, to food preparation and presentation and technical support for sales.

“When we have product expertise and we understand the unique needs and abilities of our customers, we can fit the two together and everyone is successful,” said Brown.

Brown continues to look for ways to expand the team’s skills and capabilities and plans to incorporate even more growth opportunities for culinarians moving forward. She hopes to take the team to the CIA’s newest training facility in San Antonio, Texas, next.

Satisfying consumer cravings for the singular, nostalgic taste of cake batter, Rich Products Corporation’s Jon Donaire brand of Cake Batter Ice Cream Cake hit store shelves in summer 2012.  Perfect parts moist, delicious white cake, mouth-watering cake batter ice cream and Rich’s creamy, whipped vanilla icing combine to deliver heaven in a bowl or on a plate.  Shoppers need little reason to take home this scrumptious confection.  It can help recognize an achievement or celebrate a birthday, or it can be enjoyed “just because.”

Generous amounts of sprinkles and sequins in a rainbow of colors give the Jon Donaire Cake Batter Ice Cream Cake some good-sized pizzazz.  Sequins dot the cake layer, while the sprinkles are, well, sprinkled throughout the ice cream and icing.  As if that’s not enough delectableness, a swirl of rich chocolate sauce in the icing rounds out the sweet madness of this beautifully decorated, fully finished 8-inch cake.

With shopper demand for cake-flavored products on the rise, the category promises to serve up pleasing returns to customers.  “Research shows it’s a trend that’s here to stay,” said Courtney Erickson, Assistant Marketing Manager, Rich’s In-Store Bakery Division.  “From 2009 to 2010, cake-flavored offerings grew 200 percent on menus throughout the country.”

Jon Donaire’s refreshingly cool Cake Batter Ice Cream Cake is available in select stores nationwide.

Regardless of whether your customers are ordering hot desserts, hot fudge sundaes, or icy cold shakes, Rich’s Chocolate On Top^® is the perfect way to “top it off” with the creamy goodness that sweets lovers crave! 

 Foodservice industry studies show that breakfast items are starting to invade dinner menus throughout the country.  And it’s not standard breakfast items like cream of wheat and sausage that are making the great leap…

 “Rich’s knows that consumers are clamoring for all things chocolate, from milkshakes, sundaes, parfaits and mochas to pancakes, crepes and cookies.  In fact, market research reveals that 80 percent of all consumers crave chocolate and regularly eat it in some form,” said Kara Burke, Marketing Manager, Rich’s Foodservice.  “Our signature ‘On Top’ topping, in the classic chocolate flavor, is delivering sweet rewards for customers who are using these luscious confections as just the answer to consumer demand for chocolate.”

 Restaurants around the country are responding to consumer appetites for chocolate and other sweets in endlessly creative ways and Rich’s portfolio of flavored toppings and icings is proving a most-delicious way to wow those audiences.

 “A rich, creamy dollop of Chocolate On Top adds a special touch to just about anything,” Burke admitted.  “After all, chocolate is everyone’s favorite flavor.”

 Rich’s cutting-edge technology and on-trend innovations are proven to have an impact on the customer’s bottom line.  As the only provider of colored, swirled and flavored non-dairy toppings and icings, Rich’s Foodservice ensures that customers can have heaps of deliciously distinctive ways to please their patrons.

Traditional, rich chocolate fudge is swirled into a smooth, creamy base of vanilla Perfect Finish® whipped icing to create the perfect blend of fudge and vanilla, all in one delicious pail of branded Fudge Swirl Bettercreme® Whipped Icing.

Decorators can now easily create beautiful, one-of-a-kind desserts and cakes that add visual appeal to the cake case and draw shoppers to the in-store bakery.

“Fudge Swirl Bettercreme is the first product utilizing this innovative new swirl capability, which further solidifies our position as the leader in whipped icings,” said Courtney Erickson, Assistant Marketing Manager, Rich’s In-Store Bakery Division. “Shoppers love flavor fusions, and Fudge Swirl Bettercreme brings two favorites together – creamy vanilla and a decadent chocolate fudge – as a specialty flavor that delivers high value to our customers.”

There is more than one pound of fudge swirled into every pail of Fudge Swirl Bettercreme Whipped Icing. But the versatile product is much more than just a beautiful and unique icing for cakes, desserts, cupcakes and message cookies. As a filling, it deliciously fills donuts, éclairs, crème puffs and more. And, as a garnish, it can take beverages such as coffee and milk shakes to an entirely new upscale offering.

Launched in May 2011 under the theme, “Happiness is fudge, swirled,” Fudge Swirl Bettercreme is the first of several new flavors to be introduced to from Rich’s swirl family of whipped icings, Erickson explained.

The new Rich’s Wedge approaches the pizza-eating experience from a different angle. While customers are savoring its great taste and quality from the authentic, European-inspired ingredients that are wrapped inside its traditional, pizza-style crust, the Wedge’s unique shape also is meeting the consumer’s need for “neat consumption” – by providing the same enjoyment of devouring those big slices of pizza pie, but without the big mess while they are on the go.

“It’s obvious that, while people’s love for pizza hasn’t changed much over the years, what has changed is the way they want to enjoy it,” said Maria Grimaldi, Senior Marketing Manager, Rich’s Foodservice. “Americans have busy lifestyles – they’re often juggling several priorities and are hard-pressed for time. Consequently, not only are meals more-frequently eaten while on the go, but today’s mobile consumers are driving the new requirement for neat consumption…the need for food products that travel well and don’t create a lot of cleanup headaches. People are seeking more variety, superior taste and a culinary adventure ‘all wrapped up’ in a convenient, portable package. Our new, ready-to-go Breakfast and Pizza Wedges provide just that.”

Rich’s initially has introduced four flavorful varieties of the old-world-inspired Wedges. Diners can choose from two Breakfast Wedge offerings – 1) Canadian-style bacon, egg and cheese and 2) Vegetable, egg and cheese – and two Pizza Wedge options – 1) pepperoni and an Italian five cheese blend and 2) Spinach and feta. While the two Wedges containing meat deliver the bold flavors consumers seek, all of the Wedges use a flavorful premium blend of cheeses like pecorino, Romano, fontina, smoked Gouda, Asiago, feta and mozzarella.

At the plant, the Wedges are hand-filled and hand-folded, then partially baked before being frozen. They provide operators a terrific-tasting product that looks like it was made right in their own kitchens without all the effort of making them. And, best of all, the Wedges are so flexible, they can be reheated in a variety of oven types, e.g., conventional, convection, fast-cooking (Turbo and Merry Chefs), panini press and more.

Made in the United States, Rich’s Wedges are a creative solution for any operation that has limited labor, limited space or limited dough-handling expertise. Key segments for the new products include colleges and universities, schools with à la carte menus, convenience stores, sports and entertainment venues, military, healthcare and corporate cafeterias.

To learn more about Rich’s new line of handheld Breakfast Wedges and Pizza Wedges, visit www.richsfoodservice.com/products/wedges.