As we enter 2021, Specialty Food looks back at the best quotes from the past tumultuous year on the trade and where it is headed.
“We’ve never been through anything like this. It’s a new challenge every day. This whole world of retail is changing. Right now, it’s about cash flow. Whittling down some of the inventory and bringing in the right products. I look at this pandemic as a bit of a reset. I believe we’ll come out of this stronger and more equipped to handle the surprises.” — Emilio Mignucci, vp of culinary pioneering, Di Bruno Bros., on COVID-19 impact and supply chain disruption in spring 2020
“One of the biggest silver linings I keep coming back to is this idea that the food industry has been slow to adapt to change. We’ve been slow to embrace technology. If anything, this is forcing us to realize that we can do things differently, and that we can incorporate online ordering and curbside pickup, or we can incorporate electronic inventory in our warehouses. This is a great opportunity to force some change into a stagnant industry.” — Owner of a wholesale specialty business consultancy, interviewed for SFA’s annual State of the Specialty Food Industry research on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic
“When I was younger, I always ate at Black-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, people-of-color–owned businesses. That was just the food culture I was surrounded with. [Now] I still notice those restaurants, but I also notice that non-POC and non-women–owned restaurants were getting much more praise or attention.” — Rahanna Bisseret Martinez, 16-year-old caterer and Top Chef Junior finalist on challenging racial inequality in culinary reporting
“For years and years, there was so much of a trend of fresh vegetables and fruit, perishable meats. The center of the store had the kiss of death to it, but now shelf stable has a sexy ring.” — Tim Metzger, SFA 2020 Lifetime Achievement winner, on COVID-19 category disruption
“This is the kind of work our communities have always done. When someone needed food, they would make sure people had what they needed.” — Gabrielle Eitienne on the premise behind Tall Grass Food Box, a CSA that distributes products from Black-owned farmers in North Carolina
“I wanted to create a feeling of safety for the entrepreneurs. It’s an uphill battle trying to figure it all out on your own, the margins, dealing with perishable products. We wanted to give them what they needed to be as successful as possible, a way to share strategies and knowledge and be with like-minded individuals. It can be so isolating and mentally draining and exhausting, and you question if you have the strength to continue.” — Natalie Shmulik on the idea behind food incubator, The Hatchery Chicago
“Our stores are more than just a place for shopping, but function as a meeting place for many people. We believe this is the place to tackle loneliness.” — Michiel de Ruijter of the Netherlands’ Dutch Jumbo Supermarkets, on why the chain keeps manned checkout lanes for elderly customers who want to interact
“I only did things I knew we were very capable of, and we grew successfully and slowly. Often companies get into trouble because they do things they shouldn’t do.” — Dan Cohen, SFA 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award winner, on building the Clearbrook Farms brand
“There will be a lot going on in food-based diet and nutrition around [individuals'] DNA—super personalization. Right now, it’s a buzzword and few are doing it yet but it’s starting to come based on technology.” — Courtney Reum, M13, on the next health and wellness-focused trend