Innovative Food Holdings Inc (IVFH)

[BornAgain]

Here is an nice article I found on the Reinhart Foodservice site.

http://rfsdelivers.com/2015-05-27-19-07-48/vol-3-issue-3-summer-2015/game-changers

Game Changers

How to Make Sure the Buck – & Bison, Ostrich & Quail – Stops with You



You’ve built a better burger, flirted with fresh fish and perfected your primo pasta. What’s next in the continuing quest to pique today’s insatiably adventurous palates? Welcome to the gamification of the menu, a surprisingly affordable and accessible hunter-gatherer’s delight.

Bison, buffalo, boar, ostrich and duck are no longer outside of the box, and even exotica like yak and kangaroo can make an occasional cameo without blowing up the budget.

“Diners are looking for alternative sources of protein that are healthy and different. There’s a real groundswell of chefs driven by quality, wanting to meet that demand by using items that are not mass-produced,” says Justin Wiernasz, President, Gourmet Foodservice Group. His company has stepped up to offer hundreds of specialty products to operators looking to differentiate themselves, with meats like ostrich and wild boar, providing a particular point of divergence.

“The two trends that we’re all witnessing in foodservice — healthy and natural, and raised with sustainable practices — are integral to game meats,” explains Wiernasz. Ostrich, for example, fits neatly into the healthier eating movement with its cholesterol-free properties and rich beefy taste. In fact, ostrich is so revered by two physicians that they worked with Wiernasz to found a 100-acre blueneck breeding farm in the Florida Everglades. “We found ostrich to be the best and healthiest red meat available on the planet,” they state proudly on their website at EvergladesWildGame.com. Specifically, the blueneck ostrich, emphasizes Wiernasz, because the more commonly seen blackneck was raised for its plumage and hide, with meat not much more than an unimpressive byproduct. While admittedly an expensive item, the end result of these specially raised animals may well be worth the higher price if marketed with vigor.

“If you’re going to make this buy, it’s a huge opportunity to distinguish yourself from the restaurant down the block,” says Wiernasz. “You can charge slightly more and still be within the customer’s price point for a signature dish that they will find amazing.”