How to Leverage the Power of Culinary Experiences to Spur Innovation and Drive Retention

With more than 76 million Baby Boomers beginning to make their way into Senior Living Facilities the landscape of senior dining is rapidly changing, and residents are demanding innovation, variety and quality products. Senior consumers are increasingly interested in flexible dining times, healthier and more culturally relevant options and made to order entrees customized to their own individual tastes. In an effort to keep up, Senior Living Facilities are constantly looking for new ways to set themselves apart and offer the most appealing dining plans.

For the past year, Foodbuy has been working with one of our Senior Living members to provide some additional insight into culinary innovation. Navigator is the largest GPO in the United States offering products and services for the alternate site healthcare market with 74% of their business being in long-term care. With more than 10,000 members and 24,000 member locations, Navigator was looking for ways to retain foodservice employees within their units while also implementing innovative, new menu concepts that would appeal to their residents and attract new seniors.

Foodbuy’s Culinary Solutions Team helped Navigator develop a two-day experience in which Navigator’s unit chefs were invited to join a unique, hands-on training session where they learned important skills like improving food quality and nutrition while introducing new menu items that are delicious and on trend. Key Foodbuy suppliers joined the training and a chef from each brand showcased preferred products on the Foodbuy program and demonstrated ways to use the product creatively and produce new dishes for residents. At the end of the training, the chefs in attendance walked away with a cookbook featuring recipes like Bang Bang Shrimp, Black and Blue Pizza, Avacado Flatbread and Red Lentil Penne with Eggplant and Pine Nuts. Armed with new culinary skills and knowledge, these chefs went back to their units to begin innovating in their kitchens and enhancing their dining strategy.

Foodbuy’s Culinary Solutions team is happy to collaborate with other Foodbuy members to provide services similar to what they did for Navigator. Additionally, they are a one-stop resource for information on culinary trends, product recommendations and more.

For more information on how Foodbuy can help your operation be more effective and efficient, please Contact Us.