Creating a culinary future

Prepared Foods, Feb, 2003 by Julia M. Gallo-Torres

The incorporation of professional chefs in the product development process is a strong industry trend. This article looks at the tasks and roles of corporate chefs through the eyes of five professionals in the industry. The food and beverage manufacturers represented are ConAgra Foods, Hormel Foods, Kraft Foods, Peer Foods and Unilever/Bestfoods Foodservice. The comments shed light on the evolving role of chefs in food companies including how their expertise helps food companies satisfy increasingly sophisticated consumer palates, their professional challenges, and food trends they have observed.

As the benchmark rises for foods that consumers find enticing and pleasing to the senses, food companies are turning to corporate chefs for their expertise in giving foods a "made from scratch" perception with superior taste and appearance. Today's chefs are expected to work in partnership with other departments, such as R&D and marketing, to help ensure new product success.

Chefs bridge the gap between "the gold standard" and the food scientist's often technical approach to formulating products. The results are products that meet customer expectations for truly good-tasting foods that are still within the parameters of a cost efficient manufacturing process.

Q: What are your current duties?

Chef Dan Burrows: I work with sales, marketing and product development to service Unilever/Bestfoods Foodservice's national account customers on any culinary solution they need, be it new products, operations, and recipe and menu development.

Chef Thomas Dickhans: A large part of my responsibilities revolves around Hormel Food's foodservice products, especially ethnic meats and formulations for frozen applications. In addition, I am involved with our international group, developing shelf-stable and refrigerated foods for export to Europe, Asia and Latin America. Also, I do some work associated with pureed vegetables and fruits for individuals suffering from dysphagia for Hormel HealthLabs, and projects for our grocery products division involving shelf-stable products.

Chef Linda Hall: I currently manage the culinary support Kraft Food Service provides for its customers. I make sure that the recipes and menu ideas that we provide are a good fit for our customers both from a trend and an operational perspective. We also track food trends on an annual basis.

Chef Timothy Murray: I am responsible for a product from conception to commercial replication at Peer Foods. I interact with customers directly to conceptualize a product, match a product for their needs, or present a new product I have developed. Bench-top work, plant scale-up and initial production are key components of my duties, along with customer interaction, regulator interaction, etc.

Chef Catherine Proper: My responsibilities touch on new product development, research (including troubleshooting with customers to "tweak" flavors to consumer preference), product ideation (utilization of culinary expertise to showcase ConAgra products), customer presentations and culinary trends. Keeping on top of culinary trends is foremost, allowing me to present ConAgra products in a current, timely manner while educating customers on how they might apply to their business.

Q: What has most prepared you for your current duties?

Chef Burrows: I think what has most helped me in my career is my broad range of experience. By having a classical, fine dining background and also an understanding of quick-casual or family dining operational and cost hurdles, I have been able to stay on top of trends and help chain restaurants keep in tune with the more food savvy consumer of now and the future.

Chef Dickhans: I am able to work as part of a multifunctional team, and face changing responsibilities--from providing assistance to fully designing new items and concepts. This team approach, and sharing ideas, gives me the edge needed in today's demanding environment.

Chef Hall: I ran a restaurant in Chicago with my husband, which gave me invaluable insights in my current job. It really helped me to appreciate what it's like to be out there providing food day after day.

Chef Murray: The combination of my experience and educational background has given me the ability to see something on a plate and then be able to make millions of pounds of that product.

Chef Proper: The creative influence and backdrop of menu ideas that I amassed during my time in foodservice. This industry experience is indispensable in product ideation and utilization.

Q: Do you think the role of chef executives today will be different from their role during the next five years or so? How?

Chef Burrows: I think it will keep evolving, growing in importance in food processing as consumers get more food savvy through a better understanding of food. With the Food Channel, celebrity chefs, and the world becoming a smaller place due to the Internet, traveling, etc., the general population is demanding different, more wholesome food than in the past.

Chef Dickhans: The role of the executive chef in foodservice will become much more administrative and focus more on training and implementing changes mandated by state and federal government.