McCain _______________________________________________________________________________________________
temperature and crispiness for 20 minutes , allowing operators more control over the quality of their food even when delivered .
“ At a global level , our purpose is to celebrate real connections through delicious , plant-friendly food . As part of that , we want to be seen as world leaders in potato and appetizer products . In terms of the foodservice market specifically , we ’ re focused on creating positive relationships with suppliers who become trusted partners to drive mutual revenue and profit growth , as well as develop a meaningful brand that adds value to their business .
“ Our relationships with operators all start with the consumer , as the operator must respond to new demands and emerging trends . Over the last couple of years , we ’ ve made significant investments at both a global and national level to better understand our consumers . We ’ ve established a demand space framework centered around the consumers ’ occasions , needs , and emotions .
“ We concentrate on three different occasions : the first is what we call ‘ out with my people ,’ referring to a consumer out for a meal with friends or family ; ‘ socializing at home ’, which has grown hugely due to the food delivery phenomenon ; and ‘ convenient pick me up ’ looking at on-the-go options for fast-food outlets . We conduct research by visiting operators to gain a better understanding of what consumers are looking for on each occasion , which we then share with operators to identify target areas and opportunities for growth .
“ Spending time at our customers ’ locations is crucial to creating a strategic relationship , as it enables us to develop products that not only cater to the
As the largest purchaser of British potatoes , we partner with around 250 growers across the UK
consumer but also work alongside operational requirements . We have test kitchens at all our sites , but our Scarborough site features the biggest development kitchen in our portfolio , with two chefs dedicated to research and innovation .”
Cutting-edge technology
A great example of one such relationship is McCain ’ s recent partnership with one of the UK ’ s largest pizza operators to assist with the launch of chips across their national operation . “ We had to consider several factors , such as consumer demand for warm , crisp chips and the operational limitations of a pizza oven ,” Richard recalls . “ We overcame the first challenge using our innovative SureCrisp solution , but we had to work closely together to develop a product that could be cooked in an impingement oven , to tackle the second factor . This was arguably our biggest launch in the foodservice space , so it was great to collaborate and explore a unique proposition that meets the needs of both the consumer and the operator .”
This ethos extends to relationships with suppliers too . McCain works in partnership with British potato farmers , fostering grower relationships based on trust and collaboration . “ The potato is inevitably at the heart of everything we do at McCain ,” Richard continues . “ As
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