From sustainability to charcuterie, the latest trends in specialty foods will be on the table for discussion as Jeff Turnas, senior vice president of global culinary at Whole Foods Market, participates in a panel this Sunday, June 25, at the Summer Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center in New York.
Joining him will be Melinda Villalba of Acosta and Matthew Bunevich of 7-Eleven in a session called The Rise of Specialty: Expanded Opportunities, starting at 12 noon on the Main Stage. The discussion will be led by Bob Burke, founder of Natural Products Consulting. Turnas, who has spent more than 25 years with Whole Foods in several different operations and procurement roles, currently oversees the retailer's prepared foods, bakery, and specialty teams and programs. He recently spoke with SFA News Daily about his role at the Austin, Texas-based company and his plans for the Show.
What specialty food trends do you expect to cover in your discussion at the Fancy Food Show?
There are several coming to mind, but I certainly expect to cover some trends in the sustainability space like upcycled foods, as well as trends around entertaining and what I'm calling the resurgence of charcuterie at home. There's also so much happening in the non-alcoholic beverage space, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down.
How has Whole Foods' use of specialty foods in culinary applications evolved during your tenure at the company?
In my current role, I oversee our prepared foods, specialty and bakery teams and ensure that as a company we have a unified culinary strategy. My teams are always looking at the shopping experience holistically for our customers. We're helping them grab lunch, build meals for the week, stock their fridge or pantry, and entertain, all with high quality products that will complement one another. Plus we're doing it in a way that makes the shopping experience one they look forward to and enjoy. Our team members at the store, on the road with suppliers, and in our global test kitchen all play a crucial role in keeping up with what our customers want. It's incredible to see these talented and passionate team members across each come together to bring exciting culinary programs to life in our stores. Being in the room when it happens makes work a lot of fun.
What advice do you have for specialty food makers seeking to get into Whole Foods, either as a recipe ingredient or a finished product?
Definitely do your homework on Whole Foods Market's quality standards beforehand. To start, we don't allow hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup or more than 260 colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners in the food we sell. This is incredibly important for getting on the shelves at Whole Foods Market, and your brand is definitely at an advantage if you've looked into this in advance.
How do you make the most of a visit to the Fancy Food Show as a retail buyer?
Walking the show floor with my team members is incredibly valuable to me. Getting to know suppliers they're working with, learning about emerging brands, and doing some trendspotting to help validate the trends we already have in the works, as well as discover some completely new trends. I come back to Austin inspired!
What do you most look forward to at this year's Summer Fancy Food Show, and why?
This is my first time speaking at the Fancy Food Show, and I'm really looking forward to the panel conversation. I think we all bring a unique perspective and I hope we get a good dialogue going about what really excites us about food, the industry and this community that SFA brings together.
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