Happy belated weekend update for Food Week May 31. This week we saw JBS get hit with a cyber-attack and read about cyber food brands that don’t actually have locations. We learned about Bingsu, Caked Alaska and almonds don’t need tons of water. And we appreciated a Pimm’s Cup shout out even if we can’t get it on planes. Enjoy
MACRO
300 million vaccine doses achieved in USA during the Food Week May 31.
The unemployment rate fell to 5.8% and jobless claims fell 20k for the week, though actual employment figures were a disappointment.
Restaurants are filling up.
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
A really gooey melty cheese from non-animal sources is an elusive (non) beast .
New start-up Hungryroot builds your shopping cart via AI.
A nutritional comparison on corn versus flour tortillas.
Nestle struggling with the fact that they a lot of their product lines are pretty unhealthy.
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
Fascinating article on the proliferation of virtual brands. On-line orders from apps like GrubHub are filled by the available production capacity in ghost kitchens or COVID-shuttered restaurants and orders brought to the consumer thru delivery apps. Some brands – Tendies, Wings of Fire, Chef Burger – exist only digitally and on the packaging. Others, like Pasqually’s Pizza & WIngs, are owned by a chain like Chuck E. Cheese. But these have no bricks and mortar existence.
Popeyes may have captured the hearts of food critics but Chik-Fil-A still owns the consumer.
Diego Munoz of Astrid y Gaston and an icon of Lima’s food scene will be involved in opening restaurants in New York.
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
Almonds were traditionally ‘dry’ farmed. But the California almond industry found it easier to use a lot of water. Reality has set it and farmers are going back to the old ways. Now to solve the pollinator issues…
Plant based food (animal substitutes) grew 43% regardless in the last two years. Non-dairy milk is by far the biggest share of the market.
Fruit commodity producers pretty sanguine about the short term supply, drought and global warming aside.
Food week May 31 saw JBS, world largest meat processor, hit by cyber-attack.
LAGNIAPPE
The argument for banning alcohol on planes. As an experienced traveler and a dedicated airport drinker, the problem isn’t alcohol on planes. If you want to get drunk by drinking on the plane, you would have to pound at a rate that is unsustainable in economy and difficult in first class. (The exception could be longer flights.) Furthermore, I have seen (not experienced) flight attendants cutting people off. Drunks on planes are the result of airport drinking.
Caked Alaska is a variation on baked Alaska that is a local favorite in… Pakistan.
Pimm’s Cup is more than a one drink ingredient. I like to use it as a secondary alcohol with white liquors. For instance, mix blanco tequila, lime juice and Pimm’s Cup for a lovely and refreshingly drink.
I learned about Bingsu this week. A cool Korean tradition using shaved ice, red bean paste, nuts, ice cream and a lot of other stuff. I will try soon.
