The votes are in for Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Readers’ Choice Best New Retail Products contest. Congratulations to Hillshire Brands Co., Chicago, for placing Jimmy Dean sausage on a stickfifth with a total of 312 votes for its Jimmy Dean’s Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick.

Marina Mayer, editor-in-chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods and the creator of the Readers’ Choice Best New Retail Products contest talked exclusively with Karmen Conrad, director of frozen, Jimmy Dean brand, to talk more in-depth about the contest, the product and what’s in store for the future. 

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: First off, congratulations on being named one of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Top 5 Readers’ Choice winners. What does this recognition mean to you, your company and its products?

Karmen Conrad: A core focus for both the Hillshire Brands Corp. and the Jimmy Dean brand is innovation that will continue to serve the diverse needs of our consumers. We’re honored to be recognized by our industry and partners as a Top 5 Readers’ Choice winner for the new Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick varieties.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: Your new retail product—Jimmy Dean’s Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick—was nominated by Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ editor-in-chief, Marina Mayer. What features does this new product hold that would allow it to even be nominated?

Conrad: Our new Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick varieties offer busy families a unique spin on the traditional pancake breakfast. With the launch of two new tasty flavors—Apple Cinnamon Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick and Very Berry Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick—the Jimmy Dean brand is providing great-tasting breakfast options for the family that not only taste great, but is also convenient and a lot of fun to eat. Now available in a convenient 5-count package, the new Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick varieties combine savory Jimmy Dean sausage wrapped in a sweet, fruity pancake, making them a great option for an on-the-go breakfast or as an afternoon snack.

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods: How does this new product resonate with your fans and consumers?

Conrad: The new Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick varieties meet the needs of busy families, and in particular the shopper mom looking for great-tasting, convenient breakfast options with protein. Our newest Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick varieties—Apple Cinnamon and Very Berry—have 6 grams of protein per serving and are the perfect combination of sweet and savory. Ready in about a minute from the microwave, these new Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on Stick offerings provide a tasty, hassle-free solution for those families (and particularly shopper mom) looking for convenience and variety when it comes to breakfast time.

 

To learn more about this and other winners from Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ Readers’ Choice Best New Retail Products contest, check out the July 2014 State of the Industry report.