Observing a 100th anniversary is an impressive milestone for any American company. But it’s an extra-special achievement to mark 100 years under the same independent, family-owned leadership. At Brakebush Brothers, Inc., 100 years represents generations of expertise and knowledge, as well as a commitment to innovation and growth.

This anniversary serves as an important signal to customers about the quality of the products—and the value of the vendor partnership. “Its significance lies in the all the things that it took to make that milestone achievable in the first place,” says Chris Stein, Corporate Innovation Chef. “The success of the organization is built upon dedication, hard work and the values that the Brakebush family holds and shares: faith, family and integrity, to name a few. We are only successful when our customers are successful. Good things happen when you do the right thing.”

Doing the right thing means delivering dependable, high-quality products. The extensive Brakebush portfolio features chicken in numerous forms and formats. For example, they offer more than two dozen filets and cutlets, breaded and unbreaded, in a variety of coatings and flavor profiles. If you need to reduce menu prep to the barest minimum, consider fully cooked sliced, diced and shredded chicken, available in 17 different sizes and flavors from Italian-style to fajita and many others. Restaurant chefs wanting full control of the flavor profile can opt for raw, ready-to-cook, whole-muscle IQF chicken in filets, tenders and chunks.

Doing the right thing means adding value to a terrific product line by being an authority in the segment. The Brakebush team includes experts in production, food science, culinary, quality assurance, microbiology and transportation. Their years of experience are further enhanced by a collective commitment to looking forward, applying the learnings of the past to the innovations of tomorrow.

And doing the right thing means employing that expert authority and innovative spirit to help operator customers solve operational problems, make the most of emerging menu trends and test new marketing tactics.

Tap into Mediterranean flavors with this easy-to-execute Citrus Quinoa Chicken Salad, spotlighting grilled sliced chicken breast from Brakebush, along with tri-color quinoa, garlic, smoked paprika, oranges and avocado.

MOVING THE MENU

Making the best use of both reigning and emerging menu trends is critical in driving customer satisfaction and loyalty. “It’s very important that we, as the sales team, be up on the latest trends to help educate our customers,” says Jody Becker, Brakebush Territory Sales Manager. It starts with knowing an operator’s menu ahead of time and being able to spot the opportunities, agrees Ken Martin, Regional Sales Manager. “ You have to evaluate their needs before you walk in the door.” He, Becker and their colleagues try to assess whether a customer might be looking to expand their menu or replace a current item. Or perhaps they are open to trying a brand-new product as an LTO.

“Sometimes, operators are afraid to try something new. But if they are willing to let me to share some ideas with them, I’ll bring in samples and concepts,” says Becker, who looks forward to rolling up her sleeves and doing a little onsite cooking to demonstrate the opportunity. “I’ll bring in a few items to prepare and taste. If they aren’t the right ones, I’ll come back with more until we find the one that meets their needs.”

Chef Stein identifies three menu trends that can be applied to chicken dishes and that perform successfully in a broad array of foodservice operations:

Sweet & Spicy: “This combination has aways been a good one, but it has really gained traction in the last few years,” says Stein. “This flavor profile dips into classically popular flavors in Asian and Latin American cuisines, particularly with such recipes as Thai sweet chile sauce and mole.”

Newstalgia: “Everything old is new again. Sort of,” notes Stein. It’s less of a single flavor trend, but a way of updating the familiar, comfortable foods that diners still seek. “It’s about taking classic dishes and adding a signature nuance or twist.”

Smoke and Char: The popularity of fire-based cooking methods has been on the uptick for several years, driven by younger consumers seeking “more exciting and stimulating” foods, says Stein. Operators should consider pairing chicken with ingredients that combine on-trend flavors. “You can get a more nuanced spicy flavor with ingredients like Calabrian chiles, which are both fruity and smoky,” he notes. “Or chamoy, which delivers acidity, heat and underlying sweetness with a subtle smoke characteristic. Smoke also can add interesting depth and character to flavors like maple, which itself is gaining traction.”

Becker makes customer calls armed with numerous menu inspirations, hoping to entice operators to look at products they have and products they’re considering with a fresh eye. But she understands that some operators may feel some hesitancy in committing to menu trends. “I always suggest they try it as a special,” she says. “Different seasons are a great opportunity to work with customers on LTOs, whether it’s a new salad or wrap for the summer or a different soup or hot dish for winter.” Becker goes all-in on helping operators achieve LTO success, sourcing appropriate containers and other elements. “If you can get an LTO to run, the volume is usually very good.”

In this Thai Chicken Tender Wrap, breaded Brakebush chicken tenders are paired with Romaine, cilantro, carrots, cucumber and a traditional peanut sauce before being wrapped in a flour tortilla and garnished with crushed peanuts.

ALL THE ANSWERS

Menu trends and product recommendations must be executable by the operator, says Stein. They must take into account brand identity, menu mix, available equipment, the level of culinary competencies of kitchen staff and other factors. Fortunately, he notes, “I think versatility is the cornerstone of the Brakebush portfolio.”

Stein is quick to debunk a myth that a highly versatile product must be “plain or boring” to effectively meet the needs of a broad spectrum of operational needs. “I think our products challenge that notion. They are flavorful and stand up on their own for customers who don’t want to add or do anything else to the chicken, while still being versatile enough to give other operators the ability to finish or customize a product in order to make a dish their own.”

Singular products also must be able to work effectively in multiple menu applications, says Martin. “Menus are becoming smaller, and operators are managing inventory differently.” The Brakebush sales team helps their customers take a new view of every product in the pantry. Ashby Gray, Territory Sales Manager, recounts advice he gave to a small-scale Mexican cuisine customer: “I told them, ‘You’re already using tortillas for fajitas. It would be very easy to add a trending wrap sandwich with chicken meat. You have everything you need to make this new menu item.’”

As labor concerns continue to dominate many operational decisions, the chicken experts at Brakebush find they are regularly offering suggestions to address quality control and food safety—especially when it comes to alternatives to working with raw or par-cooked chicken. “It’s difficult to train kitchen staff to properly prepare raw items safely and consistently,” says Stein.

Available equipment also complicates this calculus. Gray again points to his customers working in the Hispanic cuisine space. “Chips rule here,” he notes. “Which means their one 50-lb. fryer is always set to 400 degrees. You put a raw chicken tender in there, and it will be burned on the outside before it is cooked properly on the inside. I have had great success in moving them to fully cooked products, instead. They take less time, are safer to serve, are more consistent and hard to burn in that fryer. They can handle the high temperature.”

While Brakebush offers a raw chicken product line for customers who have the will and skill to make the most of its benefits, Chef Stein knows that for many other Brakebush customers, “There is value in the peace of mind that a fully cooked, freezer-to-fryer item offers.”

Operator needs continually drive new product development at Brakebush. Stein recalls when the “chicken sandwich wars” generated “hype around high-quality, hand-breaded chicken items.” But the reality, he notes, “is that many kitchens are simply not able to add all the resources required to implement this process in house.” Nor could they afford the costs involved, he adds.

This operator frustration became an opportunity to put a century of experience into action. “It was the catalyst for us to launch our chef-inspired Brakebush Signature filets, which bridges the gap between hand-breaded and fully processed products and gives any operator the ability to compete with their ‘from-scratch’ competitors,” says Stein. “We’ve had several operators come to us for help in implementing a full back-of-house hand-breading process who ultimately ended up going with our Brakebush Signature items once they understood the labor and cost implications of doing it themselves.”

In addition to working with sales and marketing team members, operators can tap into the Brakebush brain trust with a thorough review of the company’s website, which offers suggestions on how different products could be particularly good fits in various foodservice segments. For example, operators working in recreation environments (such as ski resorts, campgrounds, amusement parks and sports venues) need craveable easy-prep solutions. Dunkable popcorn chicken leads the list of Brakebush suggestions here. For restaurant operators, Brakebush notes that its boneless wings offer versatility across the menu, from standalone appetizers to sandwiches to pizza toppers to bowls. The gluten-free Flame-Grilled Chicken Burger can anchor different flavor builds to give college and university diners a deluxe burger experience. Other segments can find targeted advice, as well. The website also features monthly Trend Bites blog posts with menu ideas and back-of-house prep tips.

Click here to learn more how you can tap a century of experience at Brakebush to help you craft menus for tomorrow.