We debuted new Asian cuisine at the Annual School Nutrition Association Conference 2019 (ANC), Texas Restaurant Association Show 2019 (TRA), & The National Association of College & University Food Service 2019 (NACUFS)
It’s been an exciting summer for Chef One Foods! In addition to releasing three delicious new products (more on those later), we also had the opportunity to attend a number of the biggest industry events around the country. Read on to learn a bit about what we’ve been up to this season.
Annual School Nutrition Association Conference 2019 (ANC)
The annual School Nutrition Association Conference 2019 (ANC) took place July 14-16 in St. Louis and brought together leaders from across the industry to talk (and taste) all that’s new in school nutrition.
As one of the top wholesale Asian food suppliers in the United States, Chef One Foods was honored to be a part of ANC 2019. The annual conference is one of the biggest and most reputable of its kind, with a number of features that make it a truly one of a kind experience, including:
- More than 120 education sessions by expert speakers
- The nation’s largest K-12 foodservice Exhibit Hall
- Pop-up sessions on the industry’s most important trends and challenges
It was at ANC 2019 that Chef One Foods unveiled three of its most exciting new products to an engaged crowd ready to eat. But it wasn’t the only major conference we made sure to attend this summer….
Texas Restaurant Association Show 2019 (TRA)
The Texas Restaurant Association Show (TRA), which took place in sunny Houston from July 14-15, was another important conference for Chef One Foods to be present at. TRA is the largest conference of its kind in the Southwest, and a must-attend event for thousands of chefs, restaurateurs, and other industry heads.
So what does TRA have to offer?
- 80 years of industry excellence and growth
- Cutting edge, state-of-the-art food service equipment and technology
- More than 500 showcases of artisanal food products and beverages, kitchen supplies, and more
Chef One Foods was proud to be among industry veterans and new innovators alike, and welcomed the chance to engage with others who share our passion for great food.
The National Association of College & University Food Service (NACUFS 2019)
Our July conference schedule actually began with The National Association of College & University Food Service (NACUFS), a Denver based convention that occurred July 11-12. With a mission to promote excellence in collegiate dining, NACUFS is an idea sharing hub for those involved with university food supplies.
Of course, Chef One Foods wouldn’t miss the opportunity to attend such an exciting event. There are plenty of factors that make this a valuable convention, including:
- Engagement with both large and small campuses from around the world
- Top-quality educational sessions
- Strong focus on emerging cuisines and food trends
We had so much fun connecting with others in the collegiate food supply space, and look forward to putting all that we learned about upcoming trends to use.
Chef One is Introducing New Products
We told you we’d get to the new products! The conferences gave us a chance to show off three brand new items that we are immensely proud of: Tempura Chicken Breast Bites, Fire Grilled Korean Style Bulgogi Beef, and Fire Grilled Chicken Thigh Strips with BBQ Sauce. The products were a huge hit with industry insiders, and will be making their way to our commercial, educational, and retail partners very soon.
The most familiar new item is probably the Fire Grilled Chicken Thigh Strips with BBQ Sauce. We fire grill expertly portioned chicken thighs that have been marinated in a balanced sweet and savory BBQ sauce brimming with soy sauce and garlic. Then we use the strips anywhere we’d want chicken, including stir fries, ramen, and rice bowls.
As for our less recognizable new products?(This sentence sounds a bite negative, can you edit it a bit?) Here’s what you need to know.
What is Tempura Chicken Breast Bites?
Our tempura chicken features moist, well-seasoned chicken chunks pan-fried to perfection in a crispy tempura batter. Made with 100% white meat chicken, these juicy bites can be eaten on their own or used as a base for another recipe. We especially love them in a BBQ sauce glaze or dipped in a creamy cilantro jalapeno sauce.
What is Fire Grilled Korean Style Bulgogi Beef?
Fire Grilled Korean Style Bulgogi Beef features bite sized beef strips that are marinated in Korean BBQ sauce. We make ours with USDA choice beef and no MSG, and they’re ideal for salad, tacos, noodle dishes, rice bowls, and more—just heat up the beef and you’re good to go!
All of our new products are restaurant quality and delivered frozen, so that the only preparation needed is to heat and serve. Get creative and swap them in your favorite dishes in place of other proteins, or use your culinary imagination and build new dishes that highlight these incredibly flavorful Asian foods. We’ve done all the hard work of building flavor right into each item, so you just need to pick your base (noodles, bread, soup, and rice are all great places to start), pick your add-ins (you can’t go wrong with fresh veggies, chopped nuts, and herbs like mint and cilantro), and enjoy.
Want to try out our new items for yourself? Check out our Where to Buy page for information on retailers that stock Chef One products near you, and get in touch today with any questions, comments, or wholesale inquiries.