instore - June 2017 - 19

news

NEED TO KNOW
Not-so-fast food

©WEEDEZIGN - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Perdue Farms, one of the nation's largest chicken
producers, has been raising what it calls slow-growth
chickens, according to a New York Times profile. These
new birds are a variety known as Redbro and take
25 percent longer, on average, to mature than their
conventional counterparts. This also makes them
more expensive to raise.

Where's
the
growth?
The compound
annual growth rate
of supermarket
foodservice by tier:

11.9%

Tier 1: Where foodservice
specialists blur the line
between supermarkets and
restaurants.

10.9%

Tier 2: Destination
supermarkets with
comprehensive perimeters
and extensive cuisines.

7.6%

Tier 3: Departments that
have shifted focus away
from basic deli to ready-toeat meals.

6.5%

Tier 4: Delis that emphasize
meat and cheeses, with
some hot meals.
SOURCE: TECHNOMIC

The biggest driver in this quest? Taste. Companies
like Whole Foods and Panera Bread are seeking
better-tasting meat, which they say is produced by
these birds that are given more time to grow and lead
healthier lives. The biggest challenge, of course, is cost.
On average, it ends up costing about 30 percent more
to feed the Redbro chickens. Other slow-growth birds
can take even longer to reach full weight, driving the
cost up even more. These chickens also tend to have
more evenly distributed meat on their bodies. Instead
of the big chicken breasts that American consumers
are used to, these birds produce more generous thighs.

Another player in
the meal kit game
As more and more consumers look for help in
preparing their meals at home, more companies and
supermarkets are investing in meal kit solutions.
Unilever is one of the latest making a play in the
market. Unilever Ventures, the company's venture
capital and private equity arm, along with Baseline
Ventures and Founders Capital, led a $9.2 million
Series C-2 funding round for Sun Basket, an organic
meal kit delivery service.
Founded in 2014, San Francisco-based Sun Basket
grew sales 1,300% in 2016 and added $124 million in
new annual revenue run rate since last September.
In addition to the $9.2 million, Sun Basket raised $15
million earlier this year, adding to a total of $52 million.
The funding will help Sun Basket scale nationally
and coincides with the opening of its Midwest facility,
which along with its West and East coast facilities,
expands its footprint to more zip codes than any
grocery store, according to the company.

Debates
and
definitions
to watch

2017 Specialty Food
Hall of Fame
The Specialty Food Association will induct 26 into the
Specialty Food Hall of Fame later this month at the
Summer Fancy Food Show in New York.
The inductees are as follows:
John H. Affel, World Finer Foods, Inc.
Burce Aidells, Aidells Sausage Co.
Ted Bolle, Telefood Magazine
Bob and Verna Budd, Oak Hill Farms
Jeffrey M. Cohen, Sutton Place Gourmet
Al Cook, Melba Food Specialties, Inc.
Leo A. Dick, Leo A. Dick & Sons Co.
Samuel W. Edwards, Edwards Virginia Smokehouse
Kurt Hamburger, Jacob Hamburger Company, Inc.
Rex Howell-Smith, Central Market
Scott Jenson, Stubb's Bar-B-Q & Rhythm Superfoods
Natalie King, Stonewall Kitchen
Paula Lambert, Mozzarella Co.
David Lemberger, Lemberger Candy Corp.
Leo Lemberger, Lemberger Candy Corp.
Fred Meyer, Fred Meyer/Kroger
Joseph Moskowitz, Larkin Cold Storage
& Columbia Cheese
Nell Newman, Newman's Own Organics
Frank Patrick, George Delallo Co.
Stanley Poll, William Poll, Inc.
Ran Shalinsky, The Better Cheddar
Michael Silver, Neomonde Baking Co.
Hal Theis, Reese Finer Foods
Michael Thompson, Venus Wafers, Inc.
Peter Young, Young's Specialty Foods
Yuval Zaliouk, YZ Enterprises/Almondina

instore * JUNE 2017 * 19
http://STOCK.ADOBE.COM
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - June 2017
