Who's News in Catering for October 29, 2022

Products on the Market

Mondelēz International Foodservice is excited to introduce OREOiD - a customizable OREO cookie to help operators set themselves apart and promote their business. With OREOiD, America’s favorite cookie can be easily and quickly customized by operators who choose the crème filling, fudge dip and sprinkle colors, followed by their one-of-a-kind message and artwork. OREOiD cookies can be used to add seasonal flares to menus, as a branded giveaway at parties and events or as a special way to say thank you to employees and customers…the options are endless.  

Steeped Coffee announced today that the company’s Fair Trade and Organic Breakwater Blend French Roast has been named as a winner in Good Housekeeping’s 2022 Kitchen Gear and Coffee Awards. A full list of winners can be found online at https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/kitchen-gear-coffee-awards.

Duro®, a Novolex® brand, has earned the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certification for numerous products in its Dubl Life® line of paper bags and sacks. The products are among the first on the market to receive this leading certification, further expanding the portfolio of certified compostable products offered by Novolex. In another first, the bags will also feature the How2Compost® and How2Recycle® labels, which inform consumers of how to dispose of the packaging after use. 

Get your boozy buds in the spirit & spread some cheer with the best-selling RTD shots brand in the country, SLRRRP! These ready-to-drink bursts of flavor are created with fruits & other plant-based ingredients and premium liquor. Pre-packaged in a convenient carrying bucket, these plant-based gelatin shots will elevate any holiday party or gift exchange. Choose from fruit-flavored vodka, fruit-flavored malt liquor, or cinnamon whiskey.  

Accolades

The National Restaurant Association recently presented the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Leader in Food Safety and the 2022 Outstanding Leader in Food Safety during the Association’s Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) Expert Exchange event, Sept. 19-21.  Food safety is a vital focus of the foodservice industry and depends on the knowledge and dedication of leaders at every level. The Outstanding Food Safety Awards, sponsored by Ecolab, were created to recognize the individuals whose careers reflect consumer safety across the industry. This year, Dr. Al Baroudi, MS, Ph.D., CFS, vice president of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated, and Christina Serino, senior director for Quality Assurance and Food Safety at P.F. Chang’s, were selected for recognition.  

Education

Serving Alcohol's training, which has been reviewed and approved by the South Carolina Department of Revenue, will help mitigate risk should an alcohol-related incident occur. Alcohol training your staff could reduce your liability by hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Taking Serving Alcohol's training could help soften the blow of hefty state fines and keep your establishment from closing due to an uncertified staff. Using the guidelines of the South Carolina Department of Revenue's Alcohol Beverage Licensing (ABL), the alcohol server course teaches everything you need to know to safely and responsibly serve alcohol. The training focuses on the Alcohol Beverage Control Act (Title 61) and how it regulates the buying, selling, and providing of alcohol. 

The National Mango Board has launched a new series called Origin Stories, which are micro-documentaries that tell the story of mangos, the people who produce them, and local chefs who cook with them. The series kicks off with a behind-the-scenes look at Mexico, Puerto Rico and Hawaii, with Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala and Florida set to drop later this year and into the first half of 2023. To view the first three documentaries, go to https://www.mango.org/origin-stories/ or view them on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNwP832-PVjNSRPs-3q11RcHFka38RqLY

People on the Move

Thomas Robertson has been appointed Food & Beverage Director of Mesler Chicago restaurant at SOPHY® Hyde Park. Robertson arrives at Mesler at a timely moment, as the restaurant scene in Hyde Park and the city of Chicago emerge re-energized post-pandemic. With an impressive resume and considerable experience in a range of Chicago hospitality settings, Robertson is poised to take a fresh look at new opportunities. Past stints include The Signature Room At the 95th, Chicago Marriott at Medical District/UIC, and the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza Hotel, along with nine years as an Instructor in Hospitality & Beverage at Triton College, where he was also Vice President of the Adjunct Faculty Association. Robertson holds a BA and an MBA from DePaul University and is a Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and a Member of the Sommelier Guild. He was most recently at the Waldorf Astoria Chicago, where he was the Senior Food & Beverage Manager for Banquets and Events.  

Hot Off the Presses

The Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) announced today that #FairKitchens, a campaign created by Unilever Food Solutions, has contributed $50,000 to support MFHA’s new DEI Initiative ELEVATE – a Menu for Change. ELEVATE provides restaurant, foodservice and hospitality operators with guidance on how to develop a best-in-class culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  ELEVATE was launched this summer with a landmark DEI survey conducted by MFHA, the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), and Cornell University Nolan School of Hotel Administration. The survey and report showed that strong DEI initiatives positively impact job satisfaction, engagement, and retention. Insights from the report along with MFHA’s 25 years of diversity leadership informed ELEVATE.  

Sterno and Mercy Chefs have partnered together to cook and serve hot meals to the Hurricane Ian's victims and first responders. Once Ian had moved through the area, Thaddaeus Smith, Executive Chef and Director of Communications at Sterno, quickly boarded a flight from his home in Chicago and made his way to “ground zero,” Ft. Myers, to do what he does best: cook. Serving over 40,000 meals a day, his decades of experience in the kitchen and years of work with Mercy Chefs helped to feed the local community.  

Upcoming Events

The American Rental Association’s (ARA) trade show, The ARA ShowTM 2023, will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, February 12 – 15, 2023. The ARA Show is the largest equipment and event rental trade show and convention in the world. The event provides a unique opportunity for those in the rental industry to meet with their peers for targeted education, networking and a three-day trade show featuring more than 650 exhibitors.  

Association Updates

The SEARCH Foundation, a 501(c)3 that assists event professionals in crisis, is pleased to announce their incoming board of directors for 2022.