“Sandwiches are growing in popularity and consumers are looking for better variety,” said Pierre Foods’ Vice President of Marketing Lisa Frick. “Pierre’s new line of Mercato Grille Paninis provide foodservice operators with five delicious flavor combinations that are not only easy to prepare, but also offer consumers the hot, cheesy indulgence they crave.”
Fully-cooked and ready to heat and serve, Pierre’s new panini line has five flavorful varieties: Traditional Italian; Turkey, Ham and Swiss; Three Cheese and Tomato; Asiago Chicken; and Parmesan Chicken.
Frick says the foodservice industry’s sandwich category grew 19 percent between 2007 and 2009. She also cites more recent data from foodservice researcher Technomic, Chicago, that suggests consumers want more sandwich options and that more than one third of consumers (36 percent) prefer a sandwich to be toasted or grilled.
Pierre says new Mercato Grille Paninis not only provide variety, but also afford foodservice operators the flexibility of heat-and-serve convenience. Already assembled, Pierre’s paninis can be prepared with virtually no labor costs and no waste of unused ingredients.
Pierre Foods says it supplies more than 1,000 different items, including more than 400 different types of full-size and mini sandwiches plus beef, pork, poultry, bakery items, pastas, fruit cups and peanut butter products. The company distributes to customers in all major channels, including retail, foodservice, convenience stores and vending.
