April 25, 2007
New Help Wanted
By Bernice Hurst, Managing Director, Fine Food Network
For those not wanting to live in a world where all food comes processed and packed in boxes, needing little if any personal attention, careers are being carved. New jobs are cropping up all over the place for those interested in getting up close and personal with what we eat – and encouraging other people to develop more than a passing acquaintance with, and appreciation of, the real stuff.
As Regina Schrambling wrote in a special to the Los Angeles Times, six people have recently been appointed to research and write LA’s first ever version of the Michelin Guide. What she describes as the “nation’s rapidly expanding food universe” also includes jobs for beer sommeliers, cheese affineurs, mixologists and culinary philanthropists.
One thing, as per the foodie mantra, that these jobs demand and get is pure unadulterated passion. Christina Perozzi, for example, is a beer sommelier who says she “geeked out” on beer while working at Father’s Office in Santa Monica, a bar known for its extensive selection of beer, and now her “biggest passion is teaching people how beer pairs with food.”
Other opportunities are to be found in farmers’ markets, culinary tourism, television, slow food-style advocacy groups and especially anything involving artisanal food and restaurant drinks, according to Ms. Schrambling. Some are based on modern versions of traditional occupations such as the affineur who is responsible for aging and enhancing the flavor of cheeses or the produce buyer who now deals directly with small farmers rather than large wholesalers. Others are altogether 21st century creations, ranging from blogs that produce revenue through advertising and direct sales to customers from websites connecting producers to dedicated consumers seeking the best food they can find.
The language, too, is unique. Or at least uniquely used. Words such as seduction, temptation, passion and dedication are bandied about. Globalization has broadened our acquaintance with what other people eat and, in many cases, our desire to share that acquaintance as widely as possible. Finding new ways to expand culinary horizons and make them more accessible is opening both the world’s food and its career possibilities.
Discussion questions: People doing jobs that they get excited about, especially in the food industry, want to share the love. And lots of customers are eager to learn more and to taste new foods. But, is it a bit too far-fetched to think that grocery stores and supermarkets are the best places to teach?
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I would love to see supermarkets do more of this to engage the customer and the ideas everyone has mentioned are great. I think they would really have to change up some of their assortment though and reduce the amount of shelf space devoted to pre-packaged, pre-processed goods. I don’t think freeze-dried noodles with flavor packets and way too much sodium, or kids’ sugary cereals in fluorescent colors, really fit into a broadening of the consumer’s experience and food education.
If the Supermarket isn’t the place to learn about food on an up close and personal basis then I’m not sure what our future will be!
There are a lot of locations that do a better job teaching people about food than the supermarket does these days–restaurants, dinner assembly locations, wine and specialty food shoppes just to name a few.
I cannot help but think about how the big box home stores (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) do such a good job educating do-it-yourselfers and the Auto Aftermarket retailers (Advance Auto, Auto Zone, etc.) are doing the same thing.
I would think the growing share of Food Away from Home sales is partially due to our inability to engage younger shoppers and interest them in the art of cooking. Somehow we need to find a way to do this.
I think there must be a linkage between new in-store technology and interpersonal activity (cooking/sampling demonstrations) that the supermarket can take advantage of to deliver food education and drive interest in eating at home…we are the Industry of Food Experts and need to take better advantage of the knowledge base inside the store.
Wegmans and Whole Foods proves the future is now on the power of culinary education in supermarkets. And their teaching is so much more than cooking classes. Both teach through everything they do–broader product assortment, clear signage explaining the more exotic foods, recipes showing how to use them, nutrition information and plain old fashioned tastings. Amazing how much trial a chain can get from sampling scraps of fresh baked bread and cheese crumbs while shoppers are waiting in line to order prepared foods. The atmosphere also makes the difference with the right scents, lighting and decor to make shoppers feel like dining, not running.
More traditional supermarkets are learning much from these cutting edge culinary markets. Just walk the huge international aisle at the newer Shop Rites in boring old Fairfield County, CT. The products are fresh with a very exotic mix aimed mostly at the international community. The foundations are there. The challenge is to merchandise and market to those of us who need education on how to purchase, cook and enjoy these marvelous offerings.
One of RetailWire’s questions yesterday was about the impact of consumers purchasing HABA (ie. perfumes & cosmetics) online, and the implications to traditional retailers. Retailers need to determine the “added value” that shopping in their store gives consumers. If you are shopping for the “same old thing” in the “same old environment” week after week and year after year, it gets boring. So the notion of moving to online purchasing is probably appealing. The idea of adding in a culinary experience for consumers will add a dimension to the shopping experience that will keep the consumers coming back in the store for more.
The poll results above seem to indicate a split between those who would like to spend more time in a stimulating ‘foodie’ environment and those who have little interest in the subject. That seems to be how the market is split too, but the pendulum is swinging with the foodies. Perhaps so many years of food production focused on price rather than quality or taste has created this expanding market.
Supermarkets need to change the perception of food shopping as a boring chore…something distasteful to be done as quickly as possible.
The sense of smell is so powerful. I don’t know why more supermarkets don’t take the key specials of the week, set up a small cooking area and prepare a simple ‘supper’ on the premises. Lots of people run out of ideas for cooking, this would take them ‘out of the box’, sell the specials and provide new ideas for customers. AND–it would make the place smell great!
It has been said that “food is life.” As our society has become more educated, complex and sophisticated, so has our expectation for food. Clearly, this can lead to new business opportunities and certainly spawn new work specialties.
In some cases, we are simply catching up with other cultures. In Europe, a waiter in a restaurant is a professional, not a part-time college student. In Japan, the Tea Service is considered an art rather than a counter experience.
In other cases, we are simply rekindling semi-lost arts such as hand made chocolate truffles. Often, these are traditional occupations that have been out of fashion.
Of course, it sounds better when you call the workers “baristas” than coffee service attendants.
Supermarkets need to update their formats and embrace change. The need to learn not only from the Wegmans and Whole Foods of the world but they also need to stretch and learn from retailers as diverse as Container Store, Build a Bear, and Crate and Barrel that motivating, empowering, and training employees to become passionate advocates ultimately creates customers who are passionate advocates.
Far fetched? Of course not. Although not common, many supermarkets already offer community rooms that teach customers about food. Unfortunately, people who are really passionate about food and nutrition often do not settle for working in a supermarket. The supermarket industry is changing and the conventional supermarket is disappearing, being replaced by niche operators. Many of the new formats offer opportunities for people who are serious about food.
There’s a giant gap between the pride of being a “foodie” and the hour to hour reality of handling food and greeting the public, whether it’s in a supermarket or a restaurant. You can love fashion and be clothes-mad, but that’s different from working at Old Navy or Macy’s.
Fresh format supermarkets are ideal places to experiment with foods. Remember, Rachael Ray got started at Price Chopper.
So I think foodies being employed in stores like A&P’s Fresh Market and Food Emporium formats and Giant Eagle’s Market District format would make great staff and associates. Where else can a foodie mix his or her passion for food with the financial reward of being compensated for something enjoyable?
And that kind of enthusiasm can be catchy, translating to sales and revenues. Demonstrators have long been the source of retail sales. Billy Mays was a hawker on the boardwalk of Atlantic City. True, this would be a much quieter sales pitch, but the basics of one-on-one salesmanship and demonstration would be part of the presentation.
Have you ever been in a supermarket, ready to grab a product, when a fellow customer asks you if you like the product? Your one-on-one conversation about the product’s merits will almost always lead to him or her saying, “Well, if you say so, I’ll try it.” Following the crowd is a sure sign of a sales winner.
Are “grocery stores and supermarkets the best places to teach” shoppers about new and exotic food and food preparation? If they’re not, they better make themselves into such places.
Becoming a “thought leader” in the supermarket business and creating a better, more unique experience for customers will pay huge dividends for whoever claims that space. Think about it.
Suppose you have a choice of two markets: A and B. Supermarket A is a conventional market that sells commoditized food at commoditized prices. There are many, many Supermarket A’s that you pass on your way home from work. In fact, you probably go to the Supermarket A that is closest to you wherever you happen to be. Supermarket B, though, is different.
They don’t just sell you the food, they hold classes that show you how to select the right food, and how to prepare it the right way. They also teach you ancillary food-related skills, like how to throw a party. What’s more, they have on-staff experts who can talk to you about foods and food preparation any time you like. These experts know your name and your tastes, and become trusted advisers to you.
In essence, Supermarket A sells you food, while Supermarket B sells you the food and teaches you how to enjoy it more and be a success with it. Supermarket B is selling you an experience. You will travel specifically to Supermarket B because it is different and unique. But Supermarket A…is everywhere. It is not special.
For me, there’s no question as to which market is offering the more valuable service.
Supermarkets offer many “teachable moments” for customers including demos for dinner, salad stations, in-store classes or kiosks, label information on store brands, community rooms, in-store dining, kid’s cooking classes, contests and recipes. Supermarkets need to ask themselves if they have the right associates communicating this information to consumers.
The development of “super supper” stores is another example of environments that offer fun, “eatertainment” and customized dinners for 5-7 nights.
It seems the possibilities are endless, but why don’t more stores do a better job?
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I would love to see supermarkets do more of this to engage the customer and the ideas everyone has mentioned are great. I think they would really have to change up some of their assortment though and reduce the amount of shelf space devoted to pre-packaged, pre-processed goods. I don’t think freeze-dried noodles with flavor packets and way too much sodium, or kids’ sugary cereals in fluorescent colors, really fit into a broadening of the consumer’s experience and food education.
If the Supermarket isn’t the place to learn about food on an up close and personal basis then I’m not sure what our future will be!
There are a lot of locations that do a better job teaching people about food than the supermarket does these days–restaurants, dinner assembly locations, wine and specialty food shoppes just to name a few.
I cannot help but think about how the big box home stores (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) do such a good job educating do-it-yourselfers and the Auto Aftermarket retailers (Advance Auto, Auto Zone, etc.) are doing the same thing.
I would think the growing share of Food Away from Home sales is partially due to our inability to engage younger shoppers and interest them in the art of cooking. Somehow we need to find a way to do this.
I think there must be a linkage between new in-store technology and interpersonal activity (cooking/sampling demonstrations) that the supermarket can take advantage of to deliver food education and drive interest in eating at home…we are the Industry of Food Experts and need to take better advantage of the knowledge base inside the store.
Wegmans and Whole Foods proves the future is now on the power of culinary education in supermarkets. And their teaching is so much more than cooking classes. Both teach through everything they do–broader product assortment, clear signage explaining the more exotic foods, recipes showing how to use them, nutrition information and plain old fashioned tastings. Amazing how much trial a chain can get from sampling scraps of fresh baked bread and cheese crumbs while shoppers are waiting in line to order prepared foods. The atmosphere also makes the difference with the right scents, lighting and decor to make shoppers feel like dining, not running.
More traditional supermarkets are learning much from these cutting edge culinary markets. Just walk the huge international aisle at the newer Shop Rites in boring old Fairfield County, CT. The products are fresh with a very exotic mix aimed mostly at the international community. The foundations are there. The challenge is to merchandise and market to those of us who need education on how to purchase, cook and enjoy these marvelous offerings.
One of RetailWire’s questions yesterday was about the impact of consumers purchasing HABA (ie. perfumes & cosmetics) online, and the implications to traditional retailers. Retailers need to determine the “added value” that shopping in their store gives consumers. If you are shopping for the “same old thing” in the “same old environment” week after week and year after year, it gets boring. So the notion of moving to online purchasing is probably appealing. The idea of adding in a culinary experience for consumers will add a dimension to the shopping experience that will keep the consumers coming back in the store for more.
The poll results above seem to indicate a split between those who would like to spend more time in a stimulating ‘foodie’ environment and those who have little interest in the subject. That seems to be how the market is split too, but the pendulum is swinging with the foodies. Perhaps so many years of food production focused on price rather than quality or taste has created this expanding market.
Supermarkets need to change the perception of food shopping as a boring chore…something distasteful to be done as quickly as possible.
The sense of smell is so powerful. I don’t know why more supermarkets don’t take the key specials of the week, set up a small cooking area and prepare a simple ‘supper’ on the premises. Lots of people run out of ideas for cooking, this would take them ‘out of the box’, sell the specials and provide new ideas for customers. AND–it would make the place smell great!
It has been said that “food is life.” As our society has become more educated, complex and sophisticated, so has our expectation for food. Clearly, this can lead to new business opportunities and certainly spawn new work specialties.
In some cases, we are simply catching up with other cultures. In Europe, a waiter in a restaurant is a professional, not a part-time college student. In Japan, the Tea Service is considered an art rather than a counter experience.
In other cases, we are simply rekindling semi-lost arts such as hand made chocolate truffles. Often, these are traditional occupations that have been out of fashion.
Of course, it sounds better when you call the workers “baristas” than coffee service attendants.
Supermarkets need to update their formats and embrace change. The need to learn not only from the Wegmans and Whole Foods of the world but they also need to stretch and learn from retailers as diverse as Container Store, Build a Bear, and Crate and Barrel that motivating, empowering, and training employees to become passionate advocates ultimately creates customers who are passionate advocates.
Far fetched? Of course not. Although not common, many supermarkets already offer community rooms that teach customers about food. Unfortunately, people who are really passionate about food and nutrition often do not settle for working in a supermarket. The supermarket industry is changing and the conventional supermarket is disappearing, being replaced by niche operators. Many of the new formats offer opportunities for people who are serious about food.
There’s a giant gap between the pride of being a “foodie” and the hour to hour reality of handling food and greeting the public, whether it’s in a supermarket or a restaurant. You can love fashion and be clothes-mad, but that’s different from working at Old Navy or Macy’s.
Fresh format supermarkets are ideal places to experiment with foods. Remember, Rachael Ray got started at Price Chopper.
So I think foodies being employed in stores like A&P’s Fresh Market and Food Emporium formats and Giant Eagle’s Market District format would make great staff and associates. Where else can a foodie mix his or her passion for food with the financial reward of being compensated for something enjoyable?
And that kind of enthusiasm can be catchy, translating to sales and revenues. Demonstrators have long been the source of retail sales. Billy Mays was a hawker on the boardwalk of Atlantic City. True, this would be a much quieter sales pitch, but the basics of one-on-one salesmanship and demonstration would be part of the presentation.
Have you ever been in a supermarket, ready to grab a product, when a fellow customer asks you if you like the product? Your one-on-one conversation about the product’s merits will almost always lead to him or her saying, “Well, if you say so, I’ll try it.” Following the crowd is a sure sign of a sales winner.
Are “grocery stores and supermarkets the best places to teach” shoppers about new and exotic food and food preparation? If they’re not, they better make themselves into such places.
Becoming a “thought leader” in the supermarket business and creating a better, more unique experience for customers will pay huge dividends for whoever claims that space. Think about it.
Suppose you have a choice of two markets: A and B. Supermarket A is a conventional market that sells commoditized food at commoditized prices. There are many, many Supermarket A’s that you pass on your way home from work. In fact, you probably go to the Supermarket A that is closest to you wherever you happen to be. Supermarket B, though, is different.
They don’t just sell you the food, they hold classes that show you how to select the right food, and how to prepare it the right way. They also teach you ancillary food-related skills, like how to throw a party. What’s more, they have on-staff experts who can talk to you about foods and food preparation any time you like. These experts know your name and your tastes, and become trusted advisers to you.
In essence, Supermarket A sells you food, while Supermarket B sells you the food and teaches you how to enjoy it more and be a success with it. Supermarket B is selling you an experience. You will travel specifically to Supermarket B because it is different and unique. But Supermarket A…is everywhere. It is not special.
For me, there’s no question as to which market is offering the more valuable service.
Supermarkets offer many “teachable moments” for customers including demos for dinner, salad stations, in-store classes or kiosks, label information on store brands, community rooms, in-store dining, kid’s cooking classes, contests and recipes. Supermarkets need to ask themselves if they have the right associates communicating this information to consumers.
The development of “super supper” stores is another example of environments that offer fun, “eatertainment” and customized dinners for 5-7 nights.
It seems the possibilities are endless, but why don’t more stores do a better job?