Just three miles outside of New York City is a different kind of corporate test kitchen
Stratas Foods invites media to experience THE KITCHEN, the most customer focused experimental kitchen in the industry. Located just three miles outside of NYC in Englewood, New Jersey, Stratas brings its customers in to THE KITCHEN to experiment, test and invent new recipes. THE KITCHEN is designed to be a creative multifunctional space that morphs into different things depending on the need. Ideations and innovation sessions with Chefs and Branding teams, Sales training, Marketing and Branding, bringing sauce ideas and food to life in real life applications, the testing and building of sauces, dressings and marinades.
Leading the culinary solutions team at THE KITCHEN is Chef Vincent Barcelona, an industry veteran and recognized talent in the culinary arts.
“We designed THE KITCHEN to provide corporate chefs, product development and marketing professionals with a culinary environment like no other,” states Barcelona. “We know that the competition is fierce in the Large Chain QSR market and restaurants overall, so having a creative facility like this enables us to work with customers to brainstorm, identify and create their next winning recipes. It’s exciting and extremely gratifying.”
Stratas’ goal is to partner with its customers to create new and exciting menu items. Whether it is the uses of fats and oils, or looking for the next opportunity to use sauces, dressings and mayonnaise in a very creative way, THE KITCHEN is a resource to bring products and menus to life.
For recipes requiring custom formulations, the Stratas Research Development Innovation (RDI) Center, in Memphis, TN, can help advance a unique recipe from a concept to a fully commercialized and deliverable product.
“The bottom line is that THE KITCHEN is intended to be unexpected when you walk through the door. I did not want a sterile or corporate feel, it is a space that speaks to creativity, open-mindedness, thinking outside the box… coloring outside the lines,” explained Barcelona. “The Kitchen is the creative front end and bridge to our RDI center, our Research Development & Innovation center in Memphis where our food science and commercialization happens.”
“Flavor trends and exciting new menu items don’t just happen,” added Barcelona. “They are usually the result of imagination and hard work.”
THE KITCHEN is designed with different functional areas to take customers through the creative process of menu development. Options for seating are designed to accommodate different group sizes, participation and observation needs. These include the lounge soft seating area with a coffee table, high-top table seating, marble bar with stools, custom wood farmhouse table and seating, and finally the kitchen area itself.
So that guests can test and create recipes of all kinds, THE KITCHEN features include:
- Frying equipment
- Vulcan stove and oven
- Plancha/Griddle with refrigerated drawers below
- Grilling equipment
- Custom stainless-steel center island with bun racks and refrigerated drawers
- UNOX combi-oven
- Hobart mixer
- Kitchen Aid mixer
- Vita-Mix blender
- Robot Coupe food processor
- Reach-In freezer
- Reach-in double door refrigerator
- Baking equipment
- Wine cooler
Those chefs, restaurant owners and other interested parties who would like to partner and ideate with Stratas on the next great restaurant menu item, sauce or condiment should
contact culinarysolutions@stratasfoods.com.
About Stratas Foods: Stratas Foods LLC is the leading supplier of fats and oils, mayonnaise, dressings and sauces to the Foodservice, Food Ingredients and Retail Private Label markets in North America. Stratas benefits from more than 200 years of combined experience in the fats & oils industry, and almost 75 years of experience in mayonnaise, dressings and sauces, which is evident in the company’s industry-leading Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Center. The RDI Center enables Stratas’ team of scientists to develop, test, and prototype a wide range of innovative products in well-equipped labs and pilot plant facilities. With production facilities in Illinois, California, Texas, Tennessee, New Jersey, and Georgia, and distribution centers across the U.S. and Canada, Stratas Foods is well positioned to meet the needs of its customers. Stratas Foods is committed to producing the highest quality food products at a competitive price, while providing industry-leading transportation, distribution, and customer service resources. For more information about Stratas Foods, visit www.stratasfoods.com.
