6 Great Foods at the 2017 FARE Conference
By Aimee Harvey on Jun. 28, 2017DALLAS -- Winsight’s 10th annual FARE Conference, held June 26-28 in Dallas, brought together foodservice professionals across restaurant, retail and noncommercial channels to learn, network and share ideas for innovation.
Food innovation was apparent on the floor of FARE’s Food Pavilion, where exhibitors promoted new products aimed at convenience stores, from decadent sweets to the latest handheld snacks, sandwiches and pizza.
Here's a look at how companies are leveraging trends around spice, health and indulgence for c-store-friendly foods …
1. McCain's Honey Sriracha Cheese Sticks
New from McCain, Honey Sriracha Cheese Sticks feature stretchy, warm cheese coated with a crispy breading and flavored with a honey-Sriracha backdrop. The flavor starts sweet and finishes with a chili-and-garlic-tinged heat.
2. Tyson's Chicken Sausage
Tyson Foodservice Teams flaunted several interesting preparations with products that centered on contemporary health. Central to these preparations was its chicken sausage, offering a lighter take on what would typically be a higher-fat pork product. Tyson offered samples of its healthier interpretation of chicken and waffles, with its All-Natural Chicken Sausage, paired with a gluten-free waffle, apple butter and maple-vinaigrette-dressed greens, topped with a spicy fried egg that was flavored with Sriracha powder.
Tyson also offered a grilled mango-habanero variety of its chicken sausage, brushed with a sweet gochujang chili glaze, and served on a gluten-free flatbread with citrus-dressed napa cabbage slaw and sesame aioli.
3. Orion breakfast pizza
Orion Food Systems' new breakfast pizza mimics the classic flavor of a Southern favorite: biscuits and gravy. The pizza features a white country-style gravy base, topped with seasoned sausage and melted cheese.
4. Sigma plant-based proteins
Technomic has been forecasting the emergence of plant-based proteins and "mock" foods this year, and we saw this burgeoning trend at play during FARE. Sigma Foodservice offered attendees a chance to sample items made with plant-based proteins that featured fork-tender vegetable proteins in "Beef" Bolognese, Pulled "Pork" and Chipotle "Chicken."
5. Villa Dolce Gelato & Sorbetto
California-based Villa Dolce Gelato & Sorbetto displayed creative gelato and sorbet flavors for attendees, including unique offerings such as Argentine Sea Salt Caramel, Piemonte Hazelnut Chocolate Crunch, Ube Purple Yam, Sicilian Blood Orange and Pure Sicilian Pistachio.
6. Home Market Foods Roller Bites
Home Market Foods boasted flavor-forward roller-grill offerings from its Roller Bites line. The high-protein burger, chicken and sausage offerings all contain upward of 14 grams of protein—appealing to consumers who view high protein content as a more healthful choice—but also feature big, bold flavors.
Notable offerings on the Roller Bites line include the savory Black & Bleu Cheeseburger, hot-and-smoky Chipotle Cheeseburger, spicy Sriracha Cheeseburger, ultra-hot Ghost Pepper Cheeseburger, a subtly mint-accented Greek Chicken Gyro and its top seller, the Cheesy Buffalo Ranch Chicken roller.