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Comfort Foods: Soothing the Soul, Filling the Cash Register

Comfort foods: They can be creamy, cheesy, heavy or hearty, but they are always filling—and fulfilling. From meatloaf to macaroni and cheese, from chicken soup to apple cobbler, consumers are flocking to these nostalgic favorites, tallying up sales for specialty food retailers in prepared meal replacements as well as in packaged ingredients for assembling at-home comforting dishes.

Nest Building
The reasons for the interest in comfort foods have been well-documented. People are busier and more stressed than ever and, thanks to cell phones and email, rarely off-duty. Add to that these tumultuous times with a shaky economy and threats of war and terrorism looming, and you have a nation seeking solace in the familiar foods of what we remember as a simpler time. Bon Appetit’s 6th Annual “How America Eats survey identifies comfort food as the top food trend. More than 74% of Americans believe comfort food is a rising trend, outdistancing health food (61%) and organic food (59%). Indeed, comfort food sales are what drove the specialty food industry following the tragic events of 9/11. Though restaurants experienced a sharp sales drop, consumers didn’t give up on eating well—they just turned to their homes. “People are staying in more, notes Paul Saltzman, grocery buyer for A Southern Season, a 27-year-old specialty food store in Chapel Hill, N.C. “They want to be with their families and the economic tumble has since added to that. It’s a sentiment echoed by retailers across the country. “People can’t buy a big-ticket item like a car, but they will eat well, says J.T. Martin of Emigration Market, a specialty food retailer in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Emigration has seen vast growth recently in its prepared and frozen foods departments with freshly made Chicken Pot Pies and Beef Stroganoff. “Those are two things we can’t produce enough of, Martin says. The Pot Pies are made from scratch and offered daily in the frozen foods cases while the Beef Stroganoff is sold in pint-sized containers in the refrigerated section. “It seems like anything we can make that goes over rice or noodles will sell, he adds.

Seasonal Comfort
Wintertime alone can claim a lot of credit for comfort food sales. Emigration’s hearty fare sees a seasonal spike during Utah’s cold winter months, with 80% of Chicken Pot Pie sales occurring between the first and last snow. “In the winter, people look for cheesy, gooey, filling dishes, and in summer it’s more salads and hamburgers Martin says.

Some comfort foods are perennial favorites despite the thermometer’s reading, even in blustery Chicago. At Fox & Obel Food Market, a European market-style specialty food emporium that opened in the River East neighborhood in 2001, meatloaf stays on the prepared foods menu year-round due to high demand, says Cary Attar, president and chief of retail operations. During warmer weather, the selection is adjusted to include more summertime favorites like cole slaw and potato salad.

The Stressed Home Chef
Home-cooking via a few shortcuts is a benefit to today’s time-pressured consumer. Dry mixes and starters for homey recipes are growing in popularity—particularly among soups and pasta sauces. A Southern Season’s Saltzman reports a sales jump for soup mixes, as well as ready-made and canned varieties; chili mixes are also experiencing a boost. “People are looking for a quick solution, he says. “They want to start with a good base, then add ingredients or vegetables and doctor as they like. Anything along those lines, where they can slow-cook and simmer and have it smell good, will sell.

Jarred pasta sauces, too, are a time-saving enticement for creating a quick lasagna or bowl of pasta. (The Bon Appetit survey rated pasta as the number-one comfort food, followed by pizza.) “People are busy but are still feeling guilty about not sitting down as a family, says Sharon Young, co-owner of McGinnis Sisters, a two-store retailer in suburban Pittsburgh, Pa. “They want to create a great family meal, but are tired and need help getting it on the table. McGinnis Sisters specializes in service perishables as well as specialty groceries. Its heat-and-serve entrées are big business, especially at the Monroeville location where the customer base is primarily upper-class, two-working-parent households. “In a weekend, we’ll do about 200 stuffed peppers and nearly 150 of our ready-made quiches, says Young. The retailer has also seen increasing sales in cookies, biscotti and fudge. “I don’t think anyone bakes anymore, she adds. However, Young has witnessed a growing movement of shoppers cooking more from scratch on weekends. She says, “For a long time in our meat department, everything was ready-cut and quick, things like steaks to throw on the grill. Now we’re going back toward the larger cuts our mothers would buy—chuck roasts, whole chickens and turkey breasts—or things that need to be marinated slowly like tip steaks. It’s the department where we expect to see the most growth.

Old-Fashioned Is In Fashion
How important is creativity in comfort food recipes? Is it best to execute a classic recipe or are consumers looking for a gourmet bent on an old favorite, like Black Truffle Mashed Potatoes? “We find that old-fashioned sells best in prepared and grocery. People aren’t looking for fancy, says Young. “Of 125 pasta sauces, marinara sells two to one over the others. People use it as a starter. In prepared offerings, Young reports a 25% increase in macaroni and cheese over last year, as well as high sales in traditional potato salads, macaroni salads and cole slaw. Among ready-to-bake quiches, Quiche Lorraine or Spinach move the fastest. Fox & Obel’s Attar agrees with the simpler-is-better theory. With a staff of 20 in its 3,550-square-foot kitchen, the company has the ability to execute complicated dishes, but he says, “While fancy dishes sell well, the simpler ones do better.
The prepared foods department is designed so that 50% of the menu is comfort food, 30% forward-looking items found on the menus in leading restaurants and 20% more complicated recipes, a portion of which can be esoteric. “Around Christmas and New Year’s we can sell truffled quail eggs, but not the rest of the year, Attar notes.

Meatloaf is Fox & Obel’s top comfort food seller, along with macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and homemade soups. “We can have a little fun with the mashed potatoes, offering Twice Baked or Truffle, say Senior Manager/Buyer Daniel Abdella. “As far as soups, the straightforward rustic Chicken Vegetable or Matzo Ball or Cream of Tomato are the favorites.

“Our food is approachable, adds Attar. “The meatloaf is made with Black Angus meat and the macaroni and cheese has seven kinds of cheeses, but I don’t know that consumers care about that information. They want food that’s easy, tastes good and is simple. They don’t need to be regaled with the details.

Sara Foster, owner of Foster’s Market, incorporates both classic dishes and refined recipes in her specialty and takeout stores in Durham and Chapel Hill, N.C. “Sometimes we’ll do a traditional macaroni and cheese, other times one with chicken and roasted red peppers, and they sell equally as well because people like different things, says Foster. “We’ve also been here for 13 years and as customers get to know and trust you, they are willing to try new recipes.

Prepared items are the focus at Fosters, which caters to a large lunch crowd plus sells a lot of to-go dinners. Comfort foods are an ideal fit, says Foster, because they travel well and reheat easily. Foster’s comfort menu extends from Meatloaf to Sautéed Chicken Breast with Mushrooms and Marjoram as well as casseroles that range from Shepherd’s Pie to Layered Polenta Lasagna. There is also a selection of homey fresh baked goods including fruit pies, brownies, cobblers, Lemon Bars and Gingersnap cookies.

Broad Consumer Appeal
The broadness of the comfort food category and its appeal are what poises it for continued growth. It is also that aspect that makes it difficult to predict a stand-out category. “We will see sales continuing in more of the same, says Foster. “People have their own definitions; it’s really about what is comforting to you. Retailers agree that interest in these homey favorites is not waning, especially as lives become increasingly complicated. Says Abdella of Fox & Obel, “Food is by nature a comfort.

Denise Purcell is senior editor of Specialty Food Magazine.