Food & Food Equipment News

KFC to Eliminate Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine from its Chicken by End of 2018

Kentucky Fried Chicken® has announced that by the end of 2018 all chicken purchased by KFC U.S. will be raised without antibiotics important to human medicine. This move marks the first time a major national quick service restaurant (QSR) chain in the U.S. has extended an antibiotics commitment beyond boneless chicken to its chicken-on-the-bone menu items.

"We're constantly working to meet the changing preferences of our customers, while ensuring we deliver on the value they expect from KFC. Offering chicken raised without medically important antibiotics is the next step in that journey," said Kevin Hochman, President and Chief Concept Officer for KFC U.S. "Making this change was complex and took a lot of planning. It required close collaboration with more than 2,000 farms, most of them family-owned and managed, in more than a dozen U.S. states where they raise our chickens."

"KFC's new policy will be a game-changer for the fast food industry and public health," said Lena Brook, Food Policy Advocate at NRDC. "The market is responding to consumer demand for better meat. This commitment from the nation's most iconic fast food chicken chain will have a major impact on the way the birds are raised in the U.S. and in the fight against the growing epidemic of drug-resistant infections."

"Eliminating medically important antibiotics from the chicken we serve in our U.S. restaurants, while keeping the health and well-being of the flocks in mind, was important in our decision to make this commitment," said Vijay Sukumar, Chief Food Innovation Officer for KFC U.S. "To extend our commitment beyond our boneless menu items to all of our chicken required detailed and thoughtful planning over the past year, including utilizing the USDA's Process Verified program to ensure our suppliers can meet our requirements. We're proud to make a commitment this expansive and believe this change will aid in shifting the rest of the industry."      

In addition to its antibiotics pledge, the brand has made recent commitments that:

• By the end of 2018, all core products will be free of artificial colors and flavors.
• Today, all KFC chicken (and most of its menu) is free of food dyes, and 100 percent of the menu will be free of food dyes by the end of 2017 (excluding beverages and third-party products).

Woodford Reserve Celebrates History and Heritage in 2017 Kentucky Derby $1,000 Mint Julep Cup

Woodford Reserve today reveals its $1,000 Mint Julep Cup available at the Kentucky Derby^® benefiting the Kentucky Derby Museum. Now in its 12^th year, the 2017 Cup pays tribute to the British-inspired Kentucky Derby offering a quintessential julep crafted by Woodford Reserve Global Ambassador, Tom Vernon. This year's cup, recipe and experience is presented under the theme: The Sport of Kings… and Queen(s).

In 1872, Churchill Downs Founder Meriwether Lewis Clark traveled to England to attend the Epsom Derby - a popular horse race attended by British royalty and high society. Upon returning to the states, he modeled the Kentucky Derby after the Epsom Derby elevating horse racing to a more sophisticated affair. Inspired by this history, this one-of a kind julep features traditional British ingredients with a unique garnish of mint, baby's breath and edible, dehydrated blue cornflowers representative of both sides of the Atlantic.

Woodford Reserve^® 2017 Kentucky Derby Mint Julep 

1.5 oz Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon
1/4 oz Pimm's Liqueur®
1/2 oz Elderflower Cordial
1/4 oz Woodford Reserve®Mint Julep Simple Syrup
1 dash Earl Grey bitters
Handful of mint

Rub mint around the julep cup, expressing the essential oils. Add remaining ingredients and top with crushed ice. Churn ingredients with a bar spoon distributing the flavor. Top with additional crushed ice. Garnish with a bundle of baby's breath and mint. Sprinkle with dehydrated edible blue cornflowers.

"Woodford Reserve is honored to bring together two of Kentucky's greatest traditions once again through our $1,000 Mint Julep Cup program," said Mark Bacon, Woodford Reserve Global Brand Director. "We're proud to honor the rich history of the Kentucky Derby with a premium celebration through our  $1,000 Mint Julep Cup experience."

The cups are handcrafted by Louisville-based jeweler From the Vault. Each cup is adorned with embellishments representative of this year's theme. Three horses in stride adorn the cup, inspired by British photographer Eadweard Muybridge's famous "The Horse in Motion" filmstrip which was the first proof that all four hooves leave the ground at a gallop.

"In addition to the horses, the cups also feature three additional sterling silver embellishments," said Graham Newton, From the Vault Jeweler. "A crown representing the rich history of the British inspired Derby; a rose as an ode to the "Run for the Roses™" and a horseshoe providing each cup buyer with an extra stroke of luck. Together, these details create a trilogy of flight around the cup as horse and jockey pass a crown, rose, and horseshoe on the way."

This history is brought to life through individually hand casted applications in rich sterling silver. The $1,000 cups feature 18 karat yellow gold over the sterling silver horse and riders, the crown, rose and horseshoe. The $2,500 cups are gold-plated sterling silver with a 24 karat heavy reliquary quality gold plating, with a striking contrast of high polished sterling silver detail.

Each Cup will be presented in a silk "purse" inspired by the "purse" of winnings given to the victors of a horse race.

Each year, Woodford Reserve selects a charitable organization to receive the net proceeds from the $1,000 Mint Julep Cup sales with more than $450,000 raised for equine and racing charities to-date. This year's receiving charity is not-for-profit Kentucky Derby Museum supporting the mission to preserve the rich history, tradition, hospitality and pride of the world-renowned event that is the Kentucky Derby.

"The Kentucky Derby Museum is honored by the support from Woodford Reserve and the $1,000 Mint Julep Cup program. At the heart of our mission, we are dedicated to celebrating the long-standing history and tradition of the Kentucky Derby, just as this year's special cup design exemplifies," said Patrick Armstrong, Kentucky Derby Museum President and CEO.

How to Purchase a Cup
Beginning April 10, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. E.T., consumers ages 21 years and older can log on to www.woodfordreservemintjulep.com to purchase one of the Noble Cups or Royal Cups. The sale closes on May 5, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. E.T.

Any unsold cups will be available for purchase at Churchill Downs^® on Kentucky Derby Day.  Purchase of cup does not include admission to Churchill Downs. Purchased cups must be claimed by buyer or his or her proxy at Churchill Downs on Derby Day.

TD Artisan Spirits Adds New York's Greenhook Ginsmiths to Portfolio

TD Artisan Spirits, a joint venture between Terlato Artisan Spirits and Distell USA, today announced the addition of Greenhook Ginsmiths to its growing portfolio of luxury artisan spirits, marking the beginning of the brand's national expansion.

Founded in 2012 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, by brothers Steven and Philip DeAngelo, Greenhook has become a darling of home gin enthusiasts and the craft bartending community alike throughout New York and the surrounding area. All three expressions have earned 90+ reviews from top spirits publications.

Greenhook Ginsmiths' line of American craft gin includes three fresh, contemporary takes on traditional gin styles:

• American Dry Gin, a modern spin on London Dry Gin (47 percent ABV): intensely aromatic and botanical-forward, thanks to the low-temperature vacuum distillation process that preserves the taste and scent integrity of its floral and citrus components
• Old Tom Gin, an 18th century–style gin aged in oak barrels (50 percent ABV): influenced by the rich, warm flavors of the British spice trade in the Far East
• Beach Plum Gin Liqueur, a regional homage to sloe gin, made from beach plums grown on Long Island's East End (30 percent ABV): macerated for more than six months, with floral and berry notes and a rich mouthfeel

"We wanted to create a gin that was distinctive, with a true expression of each ingredient. Balance was key," said Greenhook co-Creator Steven DeAngelo.  "We're excited to grow Greenhook Ginsmiths with TD Artisan Spirits, and we're proud to be part of their portfolio."

"Steven and Philip DeAngelo have created a collection of truly distinctive and delicious gins with beautiful and eye-catching packaging," said TD Artisan Spirits CEO Bill Terlato. They share our family's deep commitment to exceptional quality, and we look forward to creating greater awareness for their truly hand-crafted products."

COO David Ballew says Greenhook Gin has a strong place in the world of mixology, and he's eager to help roll out these New York–made artisan gins to the rest of the country. "We look for brands that will really resonate with the people who consume them. Greenhook is creating world-class gin, and we're proud to add them to our portfolio," Ballew said.

The TD Artisan Spirits portfolio is comprised of 20 brands from nine countries, including : Adelphi Selections Scotch (Scotland), Amarula Cream Liqueur (South Africa), Angostura Rum and Amaro (Trinidad and Tobago), Bain's Cape Mountain Whisky (South Africa), Bisquit Cognac (France), Black Bottle Blended Whisky (Scotland),Bunnahabhain Scotch Whisky (Scotland), Deanston Scotch Whisky (Scotland), Don Pancho Origenes Rum (Panama), Nonino Amaro and Grappa (Italy), Greenhook Gin (U.S.), Heartland Prohibition Gin (U.S.), Langley's No. 8 Gin (England); Ledaig Scotch Whisky (Scotland), Riazul Tequila (Mexico), Scottish Leader Scotch Whisky (Scotland), Spring Mill Bourbon (U.S.); Tigre Blanc Vodka (France), Tiramisu Liqueur (Italy), and Tobermory Scotch Whisky (Scotland).

For more information, visit www.terlatowines.com/artisan-spirits.

Fogg’s New Door Styles Offer Greater Safety and Durability

Fogg Filler, a market leader in the design and manufacture of rotary filling systems for the liquids industry, is continually focused on improving technology that better serves its customers and the environment. Fogg raises standards on enclosure features to offer more durable enclosures that are safer and more durable.

Fogg’s newest enclosure features now come standard on all filling and rinsing machines. Stainless steel door frames offer a fresh new look, while still allowing visibility of rinsing and filling activity from the outside. The stainless steel frame supports all hardware and hinges, allowing for thermal expansion without cracking, and allowing for tighter tolerances and better fume containment. The new enclosure promotes positive pressure within the filler due to the tighter seal. This new door style enables chemical fumes from the rinsing machine to be better contained inside the enclosure, and then evacuated outside the building through an exhaust system, or chemical scrubber. This also allows for better fluid containment during enclosure washes keeping the filler’s outside surroundings dry and safe from any splashing.

Fogg enclosure doors are completely removable with quick and easy “lift-off” hinges. Simply flip up the cable guard, which runs across the top of the enclosure door, and unplug sensor wiring. Once the wire is free, the door can be lifted up and off its hinge for easier maintenance and changeovers. The spring-loaded cable guard and simple lift-off hinges make this process tool-free and faster than ever. Safety switches on enclosure doors are best in class, and Fogg also offers logo etching on enclosure doors for a more personalized machine.

Fogg strives to continually improve technology and functionality, aiming to achieve a hit list of improvements on every single machine, and creating an operator-friendly filling environment. Call 616.786.FOGG or visit www.foggfiller.com to see the full line of filling and capping machines and accessories.

 

Delicato Family Vineyards Announces Acquisition of Paicines Winery

Delicato Family Vineyards (Delicato) today announced it has acquired the Central Coast California Blossom Hill Winery from Treasury Wine Estates. The acquisition is part of Delicato's ongoing premiumization and growth strategy on the heels of the recent announcement of its strategic investment in Sonoma's luxury portfolio of brands, V2 Wine Group.

The winery, which will now be called Alba Coast Winery, is located in the warm Paicines AVA in San Benito County and has a long history of premium winemaking. The terms of the transaction will remain confidential.

"The name Alba means "dawn" or "sunrise" in Italian and reflects a "new dawn" for the pioneering winery, which was established during early Central Coast wine and vineyard development," noted Delicato President and CEO Chris Indelicato. "My grandfather started with a single winery almost 100 years ago, and as we continue to grow our business and expand our luxury portfolio, taking steps to ensure quality winemaking will remain our top priority."

The Alba Coast Winery provides Delicato with an additional 4 million cases of growth capacity. The acquisition does not include any brands but will be used to support the growth of Delicato's premium and ultra-premium wines from the Monterey and Central Coast regions such as Noble Vines, Gnarly Head, Z. Alexander Brown, Diora and Irony. The winery will also support two of the company's premier Central Coast vineyards in the San Bernabe AVA and Santa Lucia Highlands as well as a number of grower partners.

Zacapa: Five of the World’s Most Creative Chefs on Why Taking Time from the Kitchen is Key to Unlocking Inspiration

When you think of the professional kitchen, you think of the roaring grill, the bark of the chefs' orders and the rising smoke. It is no wonder that this is widely considered to be one of the busiest environments on the planet. How do the chefs at the cutting edge of culinary creativity find their inspiration among all the kitchen noise?

A brand new short documentary series, "The Art of Slow," from super deluxe rum, Zacapa, sets out to uncover exactly this and explore the stories of chefs who are pushing the creative boundaries of gastronomy.

Kamilla Seidler, recently named Best Female Chef in Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants 2016, takes time-out of her award-winning restaurant, Gustu in Bolivia (owned by Noma co-founder Claus Meyer) and journeys to Italy, Spain, United States and Mexico to spend time with, and be inspired by, four leading chefs who are redefining the gastronomic world.

Putting ingredients and techniques aside, Seidler looks beyond the kitchen in order to understand what separates these culinary disrupters from those around them. While savouring a glass of Zacapa with each of the chefs, she explores what inspires them, their creative processes and their 'a-ha!' moments when they reconnect with what is around them.

Seidler meets:

• Diego Guerrero (Madrid, Spain) - the two Michelin star Chef at DSTAgE Madrid
• Guillermo González Beristaín (Mexico) - Chef at Pangea, Monterrey and winner of the Chefs' Choice Award in Latin America's 50 Best restaurants 2016
• Diego Rossi (Italy) - Head chef at Trippa, Milan (awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand), he previously worked in Antiche Contrade, Cuneo, earning it a Michelin star
• Cesar Zapata (USA) - Chef at Phuc Yea! And previously at The Federal, Miami.

Although they come from the four corners of the globe, they all share a passion for ingredients, making their clientele happy through pleasurable gastronomic experiences and embracing what Zacapa calls "The Art of Slow" - a philosophy that recognizes the best things can't be rushed. It encourages taking time out to reconnect, to go fishing for inspiration and foraging for innovative ideas and celebrates the inspiration that is found along the way.

Seidler discovers that each of these chefs leaves the kitchen at the end of a long shift and takes time to decompress and rediscover, through a host of different activities - Zapata cycles, Rossi finds solace in his native Italian countryside, Gonzalez Beristain heads to the mountains and Guerrero unwinds with music.

Guerrero muses: "If you are cooking all the time you can't see any further than that - your mind is closed and you have no external influences to inspire you. I have learnt that it's really important to leave the kitchen, to disconnect, so that you can go back to it again. I pushed this philosophy to the limit a few years ago, we had our first Michelin Star in 2007 but we recognized that in order to improve we needed to leave the restaurant, seek inspiration and start again from scratch. We launched DSTAgE, and two years later we had another two stars."

Seidler added: "I think it is very important - in fact it is extremely necessary - to take some time to yourself - to calm down, to think about other things outside of the kitchen, to enjoy what you are doing, to take things slowly. I believe that taking time to learn from others is fundamental, it's a gift in gastronomy that you can always keep learning but you need to search for inspiration, to look for influences, to see and to taste new things.

"That's why I loved taking part in this culinary exploration - I learnt so much from these four revered chefs, how they each embrace the Art of Slow philosophy in their own way - relaxing and breathing and enjoying everything instead of thinking about what they're going to do in five minutes, and now I'll take it back with me, renewed and refreshed, to my kitchen."

Montserrat De Rojas, Global Brand Director, Zacapa, said: "We love how these five leading chefs - who are at the very forefront of creative gastronomy - have brought The Art of Slow to life both inside and outside their kitchens. Zacapa's Art of Slow philosophy celebrates the magic that happens when you take the time to create genuinely meaningful and pleasurable experiences including great food and drinks.

"For Zacapa, time matters more than anything, it is a focus throughout every stage of how we craft the luxury liquid. From taking the time to select the finest virgin sugar cane, to hand crafting a Mayan 'petate' band which adorns each bottle, to our unique maturing process, Sistema Solera, right up to taking the time to sip, savor and enjoy the luxury rum. Every element of the journey has been carefully chosen and the time taken to produce a deep and complex flavor like no other. Together with these esteemed chefs, we are inviting people to sit down and savor a sip of Zacapa and a great conversation, to embrace the Art of Slow."

The four-episode Art of Slow series will be available to watch from today at https://www.youtube.com/user/RonZacapaOfficial or visit http://www.zacaparum.com.

Carlo's Bakery Brings First Location to Atlanta, Georgia

On Saturday, April 8, 2017, Carlo's Bakery, the subject of the hit TLC series "Cake Boss," will unveil the brand's first location in Atlanta, Georgia at the Perimeter Mall. In cooperation with GGP, celebrity chef and New York Times best-selling author, the Cake Boss Buddy Valastro, alongside his famous famiglia, will celebrate the grand opening of the 300 square foot mini-bakery with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6:30 a.m. Immediately upon opening, local foodies and fans alike will instantly have access to the worldwide brand's signature and beloved desserts including cannoli, lobster tails, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and more. The famed fares are prepared and baked fresh daily on premises.

"To finally have the opportunity to reach our fans that are based in the Atlanta-area is incredible to me," states Buddy Valastro. "Mia famiglia and I meet people all the time and we always get asked to open here or there, in this country, in that city, and we really wish we could just go ahead and open the doors to a Carlo's Bakery but a lot goes into it. We take our time, we find the right locations, we make sure we can share our treats exactly as you would get them in Hoboken before we even think to open. I'm thrilled to finally share the result of all that effort with the people of Atlanta. They're going to love it!"

Panera Bread and JAB Announce Definitive Merger Agreement

Panera Bread Company and JAB today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which JAB will acquire Panera for $315 per share in cash, in a transaction valued at approximately $7.5 billion, including the assumption of approximately $340 million of net debt. The agreement, which has been unanimously approved by Panera's Board of Directors, represents a premium of approximately 30 percent to the 30-day volume-weighted average stock price as of March 31, 2017, the last trading day prior to news reports speculating about a potential transaction, and a premium of approximately 20 percent to Panera's all-time high closing stock price as of that same date.

Comment by Panera Founder, Chairman and CEO
Ron Shaich, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Panera, commented, "By any measure, Panera has been one of the most successful restaurant companies in history. What started as one 400 square foot cookie store in Boston has grown to a system with over 2,000 units, approximately $5 billion in sales, and over 100,000 associates. In more than 25 years as a publicly traded company, Panera has created significant shareholder value. Indeed, Panera has been the best performing restaurant stock of the past 20 years – up over 8,000 percent. Today's transaction is a direct reflection of those efforts, and delivers substantial additional value for our shareholders."

Shaich continued, "Over the last five years, we have developed and executed a powerful strategic plan to be a better competitive alternative with emerging runways for growth. The themes we have bet on - digital, wellness, loyalty, omni-channel, new formats for growth - are shaping the restaurant industry today. Indeed, the power of the plan is evident in our business results. Today, we are pre-releasing Q1 2017 company-owned bakery-cafe comps of 5.3 percent, which is 690 bps better than the Black Box all-industry composite."

Shaich concluded, "Our success for shareholders is the byproduct of our commitment to long-term decision making and operating in the interest of all stakeholders, including guests, associates, and franchisees. We believe this transaction with JAB offers the best way to continue to operate with this approach. We are pleased to join with JAB, a private investor with an equally long-term perspective, as well as a deep commitment to our strategic plan."

uKeg Pressurized Growlers Preserve the Craft Beer Experience

Widmer Brothers Brewing wants guests visiting its Portland pub to get the full craft beer experience. That's become even easier with the uKeg, a pressurized growler made by GrowlerWerks. Widmer Brothers' servers now use uKegs to get fresh samples of beer into guests' hands as they are seated. Before the uKeg, servers gave samples from plastic pitchers.

"Having a container that's pressurized is gonna keep the quality of the beer much better," brewery co-Founder Rob Widmer said. In addition to keeping beer fresh and carbonated, the vacuum-insulated, stainless-steel growler also keeps beer cold and ready to pour.

Quality is important to Widmer brothers Kurt and Rob. Their attention to it has gathered them many fans since the brewery's founding in 1984. Pub Manager Shane Johnson said using the uKegs to serve samples in the pub has been a game changer. He's pleased with how easy they are to use and says the uKegs turn heads. Customers love them.

Widmer's use of uKegs shows the strength of GrowlerWerks' technology and how good of an investment the growler is for those who own one. Over five months, the brewery filled each of its two uKegs 350 times, serving more than 700 gallons or 5,600 pints.

Craft brewers such as Widmer Brothers inspired GrowlerWerks' team of engineers to create a way for beer lovers to enjoy fresh, cold, carbonated draft beer wherever they wanted to go. Now, outdoor lovers and people who like to bring the party home can get a growler of Widmer's small-batch beer, or any favorite craft beer, and drink it to the last drop without its quality suffering and the way a brewer intended it.

That's good for the beer industry, Rob Widmer says. Glass growlers flatten beer lovers' spirits and misrepresent brewers. He's excited about his brewery's relationship with GrowlerWerks, a container-design team that gets it. "We're all about quality, always have been," he said.