ORLANDO – Charcuterie and a variety of new products and services to make instore deli and prepared foods managers’ jobs easier highlighted Hormel Foods’ offering at IDDBA ’19.

The tone was set in the Hormel booth by a giant charcuterie table, set up each day for the grazing pleasure of show attendees. By far the biggest and most elaborate table set up by the company at a trade show, it symbolized Hormel’s big investment in charcuterie products.

New for 2019, for example, are Columbus Craft Meats branded charcuterie bacon products and a charcuterie tasting board, which will begin shipping in November, says Hormel’s Andrew Quinn.

The charcuterie bacon product comes in three flavors: Pineapple Jalapeno, Salted Caramel and Maple.

The new board features a faux-wood container suitable for serving and contains Calabrese salami or Italian dry salami, white cheddar, Castelvetrano olives and multigrain crackers.  

Also new at the IDDBA show was a single-serve snacking tray, which will launch nationally in January, Quinn says. “Snacking is a now a lifestyle, not a trend,” Quinn says, explaining Hormel’s investment in the category.

In the deli prepared foods category, meanwhile, Hormel introduced a new service, Cuisine Crate, which delivers bags of frozen pre-made prepared foods that are thawed, heated and served hot instore. Three varieties are available now — Beef Tips and Noodles, Chicken Alfredo Penne and Brisket and Cheese Macaroni — and three more will be available in the coming months, Quinn says.  

Also new in prepared foods for Hormel are Fontanini meatballs, rib tips and and paninos.