At Michael Foods, a commercial food supplier, our team of culinary and research and development experts is dedicated to providing innovative solutions that help foodservice operators succeed. In the second part of this interview, Katie Widi, our Corporate Chef and a key player in driving culinary innovation with products like Simply Potatoes® and Papetti’s® eggs, gives us insights into upcoming trends and how Michael Foods can support operators with their biggest challenges.
Future Trends
Q: What operator preferences do you see evolving in the next few years?
Chef Widi: Simplicity and versatility will continue to be key. Operators will always want easy-to-use ingredients like Simply Potatoes® and Papetti’s® eggs that can be used and customized easily in recipes across multiple dayparts. That may be all you need for a satisfying breakfast, just a couple of eggs and some hash browns. Simple, soul-reviving foods will always be trending.
“How to make” recipe demo videos will probably continue to grow and influence not just consumers but operators too. This is also how new recipes will get pushed into the mainstream, including manufacturers.
Q: What role do you and Michael Foods play in supporting operators across different segments?
Chef Widi: We focus on understanding operators’ needs, such as labor efficiency and cost management. Our products, like Papetti’s® pasteurized shell eggs, help operators save time and reduce food safety risks. Observing and addressing these pain points is crucial in providing effective solutions.
Innovation and Competitive Edge
Q: How does Michael Foods’ approach to innovation give operators a competitive edge?
Chef Widi: Our approach is being thoughtful about our customers’ needs and offering them long-term solutions. We ask about our customers’ needs, in terms of ingredients and back-of-house efficiency. We spend time observing their back-of-house operations to identify pain points and opportunities to simplify with value-added products. Then staff can focus on other tasks in the time it took them to crack eggs or peel potatoes. Labor and food costs are ongoing challenges, so to be able to use one product in four different ways is a big advantage for operators.
Our team focuses on solid, foundational products that benefit our customers’ bottom lines. We help them customize and optimize their offerings, ensuring efficiency and lasting relevance in the market.
Q: What is one challenge operators are facing today that Michael Foods can help with?
Chef Widi: Labor efficiency is a significant challenge. Our speed-scratch products, like Papetti’s® eggs, give operators easy and quick solutions that help operators manage labor costs and improve kitchen efficiency. The menu opportunities are vast with our products; it’s very easy to add custom ingredients and seasonings and use them across dayparts.
Q: Do you have a favorite product and a recipe or menu idea where it shines?
Chef Widi: I could eat mashed potatoes all day. All you do is heat them up, and it’s so easy to add whatever flavors you want. We made a potato croquette recently and served it to our larger organization at a recipe testing event. It was mashed potatoes, cream cheese and jalapeño rolled in a ball and breaded with Simply Potatoes® hash browns then fried. We paired it with Kewpie mayonnaise and chili crisp, so it was cheesy, crunchy and spicy.
Q: What’s your favorite aspect of working at Michael Foods?
Chef Widi: Having a great team that’s always supportive. We have a lot of collaboration in our kitchen and our office at Michael Foods. I get to talk to and get feedback from people in every department, and folks are willing to step in and help each other out. I also love getting to share my culinary expertise with other team members. Working with great people makes all the difference.
At Michael Foods, our culinary and R&D team is dedicated to supporting foodservice operators with innovative, safe and convenient products. Through continuous learning, creativity and a deep understanding of market trends, we are uniquely positioned to help our customers achieve their culinary goals.
