Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/438836
Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 1553 Upgraded Flavors and Ingredients As part of soup's evolution, customers are looking for a refined flavor experience through opportunities for at-home preparation. "Condensed soups were huge around a decade ago," says Erica Rice, director of marketing for Jackson Whole Grocer, Jackson, Wy. "But now they are on the downswing and are mostly used as ingredi- ents, or as recipe soups. Ready-to-serve is a hot category, and growing." "Chicken noodle and minestrone were so 20 years ago," says Nona Lim, founder of Nona Lim Soups in San Francisco. "These f lavors will continue to do well, but we will see fewer introductions of this kind." Instead, Lim predicts, ethnic cuisines will play a role in f lavor inspiration, a belief ref lected in her own product line, which uses locally grown produce and twists on traditional recipes, such as her carrot ginger soup, which con- tains candied ginger and coconut milk. Rice affirms this trend. "Thai and other Asian f lavors are definitely in high demand. Spicy f lavors have always been great movers in our store with any f lavor profile," she says. "Today we live in a society that encour- ages people to be cross-cultural to try new ethnic foods," says Trisha Anderson, found- er of Frontier Soups, Waukegan, Ill., whose South of the Border Tortilla and Arizona Sunset Enchilada soups are top sellers. New York City–based Hale & Hearty Soups acknowledges consumers' willingness to step out of their comfort zone, espe- cially with soups featuring ethnic f lavors. The chain's taco soup is a fast seller, and new introductions to its program of 30 daily offerings include chicken chow mein soup. Its foodservice program caters to a college student demographic, touting both inventive f lavors, such as roasted red pep- per with smoked Gouda, as well as many vegetarian options. category spotlight "Condensed soups are mostly used as ingredients, or as recipe soups. Ready- to-serve is a hot category, and growing." 62 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com