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New Sugardale Brats For more information about Sugardale wiener items including the new brats, contact Sugardale Food Service at www.sugardalefoodservice.com/contactus

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Sugardale PIT Hams For more information about Sugardale ham items, contact Sugardale Food Service at www.sugardalefoodservice.com/contactus

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Sugardale Applewood Smoked Bacon For more information about Sugardale bacon, contact Sugardale Food Service at www.sugardalefoodservice.com/contactus

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Sugardale Diced & Julienne Ham Items For more information about Sugardale diced or julienne ham items, contact Sugardale Food Service at www.sugardalefoodservice.com/contactus

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Sugardale Pepperoni For more information about Sugardale dry sausage items, contact Sugardale Food Service at www.sugardalefoodservice.com/contactus

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This is a special message from Sugardale Food Service

Despite an increased desire for more menu variety at restaurants, one thing remains the same for American consumers: they continue to demand bacon and ham —traditional favorites — in a variety of different applications and day parts.

So what is behind this increased desire for the two proteins? According to Harry Balzer, vice president of Chicago-based marketing research firm NPD Group, consumers crave them because they can be served in myriad ways, but ultimately remain familiar to consumer palates.

“Consumers are always on the lookout for new versions of things they already know,” he said. “We all know what bacon is, but by giving us a new flavor or experience with it, that’s the spice of life.”

Balzer noted that consumption of bacon currently is at consistently high levels.

“More people are eating bacon now than they have in the last 15 years,” he said. “I saw data indicating that in a two-week period, 44 percent of all Americans consumed bacon in some form. From the center of the plate to salads, there is a lot of interest there.” At Denny’s, the 1500-unit family-dining chain based in Spartanburg, S.C., John Dillon, vice president of marketing, said: “Bacon is in our DNA. It is fun food, tastes great and it goes with a number of different items, even ice cream.”

Denny’s recently introduced its Baconalia promotion, which showcases seven menu items featuring bacon as the main ingredient. The items consist of everything from a BLT to Bacon Flapjacks to a Maple Bacon Ice Cream Sundae.

“We’re a breakfast brand, but a light bulb went off for us,” he said. “We thought, why not make bacon a star rather than just a side dish, and that’s what our guests are responding to. Consumers are having a love affair with bacon and that’s not going away any time soon.”

In the case of ham, Don Green, director of strategic marketing for the National Pork Board, said the protein is one of the most popular among Americans today, particularly at lunchtime.

“The ham sandwich is still the most popular sandwich out there,” he said. “It’s a kind of staple. Even in a tough economy we’ve seen the ham sandwich hold its own. It has a very appealing, great taste, a smoky flavor that everyone knows. It makes sense people would spend their money on it when things are tight.”

Green said recent trends data indicated that 52 percent of all ham items sold at foodservice operations occurred during the lunch day part and that breakfast accounted for the second largest category. The breakfast day part is very pork centric,” he said. “If you are going to have a breakfast sandwich, whether it’s at a casual-dining or QSR restaurant, the odds are it will have some kind of bacon, ham or sausage in it. That’s the way Americans eat, and it offers real value for operators as well.”

Green added that ham’s increased popularity is the result of myriad lunchtime value promotions at quick-serve sandwich chains. "You'd be hard-pressed to think Subway’s $5 Footlong promotion has not had an impact," he said. "The ham sandwich is featured prominently on that menu so you have to think that has contributed to its popularity."

According to Mark Slaughter, vice president of sales for Sugardale Foods, a manufacturer of smoked and processed meats in Canton, Ohio, the company, produces an array of smoked meats that includes everything from bone-in, boneless, and sliced ham to diced, julienned and specialty flavored varieties. On the bacon side, the company offers such products as sliced slab, chef-finished partially cooked, and fully cooked bacon as well as bacon pieces in flavor profiles including Hickory, Applewood, Cherry Hardwood, Jalapeno and Maple.

In today's customer-driven environment, restaurateurs must not only offer innovation and flavor in order to compete, but also have to be cost conscious, too, Slaughter said.

“It is important to provide all types of things — a variety of bacon, bone-in and boneless hams, wieners, sliced meats, pizza toppings and more,” he said. “However, developing protein solutions that meet the challenging times operators face is necessary. By using fully cooked diced ham or bacon pieces, operators can save on time and labor costs; the work is already done. Because of that, little to no prep-time is involved.”