New-York-Food-and-Wine-Festival

Trusted Veal from Europe Featured at New York City Wine & Food Festival

Dutch chefs serve veal to more than 10,000 guests

The New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF) showcased Trusted Veal from Europe from October 14-16, 2022, in New York City. The event was part of an ongoing effort to build awareness among home cooks and restaurant diners of veal’s leanness, tenderness and premium flavor.

The Trusted Veal from Europe team participated in the festival’s Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits Trade Day and Grand Tasting and Peroni’s Taste of Italy events, where Dutch Chefs Ben Van Beurten and Bastiaan Doesburg showcased dishes like vitello tonnato and braised veal neck. Roughly 500 chefs, 200 sponsor partners and 45,000 attendees visit NYCWFF each year.

“Many of the NYCWFF attendees said they planned to seek out veal entrees at their local restaurants and begin cooking with it at home,” Van Beurten said. “We watched this weekend as thousands of New Yorkers realized veal is a versatile protein with rich flavor.”

Some attendees tasted veal for the first time at the food festival, while others reminisced about their favorite veal dishes with phrases like, “This took me back to Europe” and “This reminds me of our vacations to Italy.”

While serving veal dishes to a near constant line, the Trusted Veal from Europe team discussed topics like the veal quality control program Vital Calf, which traces calves to their farm of origin. The team also emphasized the rigorous food safety and sustainability standards of Trusted Veal. According to research, 15% of consumers seek out sustainably raised claims on menus, and 6% seek out source verified to birth ranch on menus.1

“We want Trusted Veal consumers to know they are purchasing a brand built on the highest standards of animal welfare, sustainability and food safety,” Van Beurten said. “Trusted Veal from Europe has some of the most consistent quality and taste in the veal industry because of its rigorous attention to detail.”

Veal is considered to be in the adoption stage of the menu innovation cycle,2 and the Trusted Veal team is working to build awareness of veal and veal recipes within the food service industry. In early October, the team attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Alumni Weekend, where Van Beurten and CIA instructors showcased veal dishes. Additionally, the Trusted Veal team sponsored the CIA Networking Reception at the 2022 National Restaurant Association trade show.

“We’re already seeing momentum shift,” Van Beurten said. “For example, while the Trusted Veal from Europe team worked to build awareness of veal with NYCWFF attendees, two restaurants — Wheated and Stellina Ristorante — were actually serving European veal at their own booths.”

Van Beurten believes as interest in veal builds in the food service industry, grocery retailers will also see increased demand. He and his team are ready to support food service and restaurant professionals in all facets of incorporating veal, from connecting them with European importers to sharing consumer- and food service-facing veal recipes..

“Veal has been part of European fine dining for decades,” Van Beurten said. “Now, we are excited to see its resurgence in the American food service industry.”

 

About the Central Organization for the Meat Sector

Trusted Veal from Europe is supported by the European Union and the Dutch Meat Industry Association (Centrale Organisatie voor de Vleessector or COV). COV represents the collective interests of employers in the Dutch meat sector, including in the fields of food safety, labor issues, animal welfare, quality of processes and products, logistics and the sustainable position of the industry in the food industry chain and the Dutch and international markets. COV, which employ about 12,000 employees, accounts for approximately 90% of the Dutch meat turnover (excluding chicken), which amounts to more than 8 billion euros annually. COV is affiliated with the European umbrella organization for the meat sector UECBV. To learn more visit trustedveal.com.

 

1Midan Marketing, Beef Attributes Survey, 2022

2Datassential, Inspiration: Beef, February 2021



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