How to Sell Produce to a Chef/Part I

This is the first of a three-part series looking at the unique challenges both small and large foodservice operations face in getting product onto menus‭.‬

When I started working at The Culinary Institute of America in 2007‭, ‬I learned that if I were going to get any cooperation or respect from the chefs‭, ‬I needed to quickly learn their language‭. ‬As a registered dietitian‭, ‬I was used to talking about nutrition‭ ‬and numbers‭. ‬When working with chefs‭, ‬I realized I’d have more power talking about food and flavor‭.‬

If you want to sell more produce to chefs‭, ‬here are my recommendations‭.‬

Familiarity

First‭, ‬you need to familiarize yourself with the chef’s menu‭. ‬Go to the website and download the menu‭. ‬If the restaurant doesn’t have a website‭, ‬go to the restaurant and pick up a copy of the menu‭. ‬If they won’t let you take a copy with you‭, ‬take a few photos‭. ‬A chef will be more likely to listen to your sales pitch if you have ideas that work with his or her current operation‭.‬

Where is produce currently used on the menu‭, ‬and where could more produce be used on the menu‭? ‬Are the salads using just one type of lettuce‭? ‬Are the side dishes limited to just a few vegetables‭? ‬Is there an opportunity to feature more fruit on the dessert‭ ‬or beverage menu‭? ‬Would the menu benefit from a seasonal or limited-time offer‭ (‬LTO‭) ‬to generate some excitement‭? ‬

Flavor

Second‭, ‬when talking about your produce‭, ‬talk about the flavor‭, ‬not the appearance‭. ‬Perfect peaches don’t matter in a restaurant kitchen‭. ‬They’ll be quickly transformed into something‭. ‬Unless you’re selling bananas to an operation like Starbucks that will feature whole bananas‭, ‬don’t bother selling on perfect looks‭.‬

Form

Most restaurants strive to keep food costs below 35‭ ‬percent‭, ‬so price is always going to be an issue‭. ‬But keep in mind, restaurants also have fixed overhead and variable labor costs‭, ‬which—for operations with minimum wage team members—is a big issue‭. ‬With minimum wage increases in states such as California‭, ‬reducing food costs is an option for controlling expenses‭. ‬But if you can provide produce with value-added benefits that reduce some labor costs‭, ‬you’re selling something of interest to a restaurant‭. ‬Also, keep in mind many restaurants have minimally skilled labor‭. ‬There are many produce products that are difficult to work with‭ (‬e.g‭., ‬peeling and cutting squash‭, ‬cutting and pitting avocados‭), ‬and paying‭ ‬a premium for value-added fresh-cut is preferable to paying for workers’‭ ‬compensation claims for kitchen injuries‭.‬

Features And Functions

Another opportunity for capturing a chef’s attention is to talk about how many ways your produce item can be featured on the menu‭. ‬Restaurants with limited refrigerated‭ ‬storage need produce items that can function in many ways on the menu‭. ‬

Promotion

Can your marketing and PR team help with promotions for the chef or restaurant‭? ‬An LTO can turn into a full-time menu offering if promotions drive sales beyond expectations‭. ‬If your company is willing to invest in helping the chef and restaurant promote a‭ ‬new menu item‭, ‬you may get much more than a one-time sale‭.‬

Support

Do you have a training team that can provide valuable training for a chef or restaurant‭? ‬Produce storage‭, ‬and its effect0‭ ‬on quality and shelf-life‭, ‬is a big issue for controlling food costs in a restaurant operation‭. ‬What can you do to help a restaurant team better manage its produce handling and storage‭?‬

These tips are just scratching the surface of what you can do to better serve your foodservice clients‭. ‬While foodservice and retail have some things in common‭, ‬foodservice has many unique attributes‭. ‬The more you appreciate this‭, ‬the better you’ll be in moving more produce onto restaurant and foodservice menus‭.‬