OXNARD, CA - Everyone needs a team behind the scenes not only helping a company reach its greatest potential, but providing the goods to get the job done. Gills Onions is ramping up its Whole Peeled Onion Program to do just that. And for Gills, PMA Foodservice is the place to share that message.
"We are helping our foodservice customers as they work to connect with current trends," Megan Jacobsen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, shares with me. "Fresh flavor and Instagram-worthy dining experiences continue to be a big trend. It is no secret that onions are packed with nutrients and flavor. The versatile vegetable we sell can add just the right mixture of tastes to add the perfect touch to meals. Onions represent the third largest fresh vegetable industry in the United States. The U.S. per capita consumption of onions is about 22 pounds per year. This translates to over 400 semi-truck loads of onions used in the United States each day. That’s a LOT of onions! But what does that mean in terms of trends? Gills Onions provides this essential item in the backend of a kitchen with no waste."
Gills saves its foodservice customers time with a fresh-cut onion program so chefs can focus on the bigger picture: creating their own onion masterpieces like red onion balsamic jam (one of Megan's favorites), in-house made pickled red onions, fermented onions, fresh onion rings, whole slabs grilled for side dishes, steak garnishes, etc. And Gills delivers this with consistent pricing and yield, which are key to menu planning.
"Zero waste is also a HUGE trend as well. With climate change and environmental issues becoming a major selling point for customers, restaurants are having to heavily consider the waste they create," Megan adds.
While addressing trends can be a great opportunity to hang your hat on, transportation as a challenge is also a pressing factor in today's business decision making process.
"We provide our foodservice customers no waste, just 100 percent useable product. This means that the 30 percent onion waste a sack of onions creates isn’t being shipped across the country and landing in their kitchen just to be thrown away. We are supporting each other in a greener supply chain," Megan reflects, adding that there is more than just a handful of reasons why choosing a partner like Gill's is the way to go. "A whole peeled onion program makes sense. And cents. The cost of doing business is rising at an extremely fast pace for our foodservice industry, and that will not be changing. Not only does it cost money to whole peel a sack of onions in back of a kitchen, finding the labor to do it is becoming harder. Our message at PMA Foodservice is consistent with what we sell daily – no labor and no waste, just usable product. A Gills’ Whole Peeled Onion Program provides a consistently high-quality product, where sack onions can vary in quality, price, and yield, and it takes out the time consuming kitchen labor while reduce the opportunity for knife injuries and cross contamination in the kitchen."
Gills strives to be the best at what it does, bringing peace of mind to those restaurants, schools, and hospital cafeterias and catering operations that are looking for solutions that allow them to maximize the backend of their kitchens and bottom lines.
"Our foodservice customers profit from a greener supply chain, increased transparency, and from partnering with suppliers who share the same values and commitment to sustainability," Megan says.
Saturday will be a good day to be a Gills Onion partner, and a great day for those foodservice partners looking to up their onion game. Stop by booth #419 and check out all things Gills Onions!
