Sous vide provides relief for the food service industry as the pre-cooked food preparation method cuts down significantly on cooking time, equipment needs and staff required to maintain the same food production levels.
Survey participants were limited to decision-makers in their companies including directors, managers, senior directors, vice presidents, EVP/SVP, and C-Suite executives. Companies represented included multiple multi-billion dollar organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and household name brands such as Yum!, Target, 7-Eleven, Hyatt, Universal, Kraft Heinz and others. The findings from both qualitative and quantitative research underscores the value of commercial sous vide as a product that guarantees quality and safety across these food service sectors, while also aiding in the struggle against the national labor and skills shortage.
"We are focused on our customers' success and responding to their needs, and it's difficult to do that without adequate information. There was an absence of information about the sous vide category, how it is performing, how it would grow, and what it all means in the various segments of the food space that we support," said Brock Furlong, president and CEO of Stampede Culinary Partners. "We decided that we needed to go out there and get real facts to inform ourselves to be able to effectively serve our customers in real-time. I think what's probably most exciting is the impact it's going to have for solving challenges in labor and creating meaningful solutions in spaces like healthcare."
Sous vide is currently a $15 billion U.S. market, representing an important piece of the global meat market alone. Sous vide can refer to meat, vegetables, eggs, or alternative protein that are cooked using a process involving both heat and water to cook food. Extreme precision in both time and temperature ensures not only food safety, but also allows each item to be custom cooked to the desired degree of doneness. This process ensures food safety at a much higher degree and provides perfect customization for each food item, making it a valuable addition to the restaurant, retail and distribution, healthcare, education, hospitality, and entertainment industries. Survey participants indicated that the three most important reasons for choosing sous vide products are Quality (98%), Safety (90%), and Cost (86%).
Sous vide is chosen throughout the food industry for providing a high-quality option with consistency in both flavor and food safety. It also addresses a major challenge in the industry today: labor shortages. Research indicates that 40% of open positions in food services stay open. There has been a consistent average quit rate above 4.5% in the food service industry since 2021. This persistent staffing shortage and the increased burden that it places on remaining employees causes overwhelming burnout for staff. This can be seen in several sectors, including hospital cafeterias tasked with serving large numbers of patients and their loved ones daily.
Of those surveyed for the benchmark, over 70% said they have significantly increased their purchasing of sous vide products since 2020. The number one reason for increasing sous vide purchases was to combat ongoing staffing shortages and labor costs. The next two highest-ranked reasons were to improve overall food quality, consistency, and taste, followed by increasing operational efficiency and profitability.
Stampede's commitment to finding custom, innovative solutions in the food service industry including sous vide is showcased by the expansive and groundbreaking new research conducted by the private research firm, Schaefer. The State of Sous Vide 2023 research report is available to the public.
About Stampede Culinary Partners
Stampede is an innovative protein solutions company and the largest producer of sous vide products in North America. Headquartered in Bridgeview, Illinois, Stampede boasts nearly 530,000 sq. ft. of production and innovation facilities across Oak Lawn and Bedford Park, Illinois; Sunland Park, New Mexico; Alma, Georgia; and Cambridge, Ontario, which annually produce, store, and distribute 300 million pounds of retail and menu products including chicken, beef, turkey, pork, vegetables, prepared meals, and alternative proteins for leading restaurants, top retailers, club stores, food service distributors, airlines, convenience stores, military channels, home delivery customers, and other emerging segments. Known for being Butchers by Trade, Stampede recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of its world-class Butcher Certification Program by expanding the program through a prestigious partnership with New Mexico State University, elevating the skills of their employees across all locations. Stampede consistently achieves the highest level of awards in its safety audits and certifications, including top scores from BRCGS, which are either accepted or required by 70% of the top 10 global retailers.
