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INDUSTRY AWARD FINALISTS
What innovative recipe, process, practice, or technology, are you currently taking advantage of with success in your program?
Deeply Rooted Plant-Based Crumbles
Woodles Whole Wheat, High Protein, Plant-Based Ramen Noodles
Deeply Rooted® Farms is growing!
Woodles is the first of its kind whole grain ramen noodle approved for school foodservice. Woodles comes shelf stable, and bulk packed and can be easily prepared in 3-5 minutes. Woodles can be prepared in basically any equipment that heats water. We even learned this year that Woodles can even be “rehydrated” in water while soaking in a pan on the countertop, making it truly a fit for all districts, no matter the equipment constraints! Woodles has been rolled out in its first year on many school districts’ cus- tom Woodle bowl lines that have been immensely popular with students and staff in the schools it’s served. The versatility of Woodles, both in preparation methods and recipe development make it a true innovative solution for schools, especially as more schools implement scratch cooking practices in the post Covid school kitchen. It has been a collaborative process between Palmetto Gourmet Foods and school operators this past year to understand how Woodles can be a great product for school districts of all sizes and capabilities. All it takes is one Woodles taste test with students to realize how instant a hit Woodles will be. Ramen noodles are not a new food to students, but it is a new food on their school menus, and students are excited to see if offered. Palmetto Gourmet Foods has welcomed all the feedback and con- structive criticism from districts this year, because our goal is to offer the best ramen noodle possible to schools. PGF was able to create a sturdier noodle from the initial feedback that came back on early samples of the product with some saying the noodles got “mushy”. This issue has been resolved and Woodles innovation continues to take operator feedback into account as we innovate even further. A new Woodles Protein + (protein enhanced whole grain ramen) is ready to go and a pre-seasoned Woodles cup will be ready to premier at ANC in Boston.
First, becoming Halal certified in this last year was a huge win for all. While our crumbles are inherently animal free, this extra step displays our commitment to diversity amongst our kids, and to minimize exclusion on the line. Next, after so much support from many scratch-cooking schools nationwide, we endeavor to find ways to bring more plant-based items to market. So, we are launching a new global flavor, Korean BBQ. This is our favorite sku and menu’s well in ramen and stir fry dishes. We are working on some fun recipes as we speak. We are also being more mindful of schools’ need to support local economy, and you will see us launch a few regional skus to fulfill that demand. Not only does it put a smile on these small business owner’s faces but warms our hearts knowing we can collaborate to bring change by lessening the shipping/supply chain impacts of a national brand. Lastly, while you will see some national innovation in months to come, we ask for you to root for us as we work each day to make choices to be a better supply partner to schools by developing more recipes with our crumbles, by visiting and sharing samples with the students, and by expanding our distribution to reach schools of all sizes.
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