Dennis Knows Food

It's Friday, July 21st, and today is National Creme Brûlée Day! We're taking the theme for this week's foodie fact from Creme Brûlée - What was the estimated calorie count for the world's largest Creme Brûlée? The answer in this episode! This week we’ve added 6 new items to our inventory. Now in for produce we’ve added a premium Asian style stir fry medley. From the artisan bakery experts at Turano comes a new Brioche Burger Roll. We're adding more options to our line of Burger Maker beef patties with fresh 5/16″ thick 2.7oz patties. Lastly, in non-foods we’ve added 3 sizes of blue Nitrile gloves from Royal. In this podcast episode we're focusing on growing your takeout business. Earlier in the week I was on the road attending the IFDA Smart conference. There I was met, networked with and shared ideas among our industry partners and peers. Presenting were two keynote speakers who's messages had a important message in common - more about that in the podcast! I also met an individual who shared with me some

It's Thursday, July 13th, and today is National French Fry Day! Every July 13th, the nation joins in celebration of an culinary staple, French fries! That means our foodie fact for the week is inspired by French fries! During WWI, which army influenced the coining of the term "French fries" among US soldiers; the Russian, Belgian, or French army? The answer in this episode! This week we’ve added nine new items to our inventory. From the world of pizza comes a new dough option, 16″ presheeted pizza dough from It’ll Be. From Kellogg’s we’ve added Eggo brand heat-n-serve 3″ buttermilk pancakes. We’ve added an epic new low fat gelato from Honey Hill, Candy Bar Crunch. Lastly, from Juicy Juice we’ve added six new individual serving juice flavors. These come as a pack of 40, 4.3oz juice boxes. In this weeks episode we're talking coffee, with recent news on the health benefits of coffee giving frequent consumers reason to celebrate. Plus, there's hot news for cold brew, the math is in and there's opportu

It's Thursday, July 6th, and today is National Fried Chicken Day!That means our foodie fact for the week is inspired by chickens! What is the greatest height an unprotected egg has been dropped to earth without breaking? The answer in this episode! Three new items have been brought in to our inventory this week. We’re adding to our impressive selection of beef products with two of them. First up are mouth-watering steak tenders from South Shore Meats. We’ve also added a fresh 7oz Angus beef patty to our lineup of Burger Maker steakburgers. New in dairy products this week we’ve added Strawberry Gogurt from Yoplait which come in a pack of 96/2oz tubes. In this weeks episode we're giving a shout out to the cheese makers at Great Lakes Cheese Company. We share insights on how to engage with Millennial diners. Plus, there's a BBQ contest going on right now that could take you and your smoked-turkey recipe to Austin, Texas! Production Note: We've refreshed our podcast artwork! If all goes according to plan it sh

It's Thursday, June 29th, and this is Episode 20 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! Today is National Almond Buttercrunch Day! This week's almond-inspired foodie fact asks "What conditions do almond trees need to produce almonds?" The answer in this episode! This is a rare week where we do not have any recently added inventory products to discuss, we'll explain more about what that means in this episode. Instead, we're taking the opportunity to discuss how the strong relationships between our team, our Account Executives and our customers can lead to delicious and profitable results. In this unique episode of Dennis Knows Food we're heading to the coast of Maine to talk business strategies and fresh lobster meat with a couple of special guests - a Dennis Account Executive and a seasonal businesses operator with saltwater in his veins! Links and product information mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com. And the lobster products page of our website at www.DennisExpress.

It's Thursday, June 22nd, and this is Episode 19 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! Today is National Onion Ring day! This week's onion-inspired foodie fact asks "What was the fastest recorded time to peel 50 pounds of onions?" The answer in this episode! We've added 9 items to our inventory this week covering new products as well as some seasonal favorites that are now back in stock! This week's additions include a new specialty Mandarin Orange Sesame Ginger dressing. Frozen chicken leg quarters that have been ice glazed to maximize freshness. An expertly smoked pre-sliced turkey breast. 4 bakery-fresh items; a hearth baked bulkie roll, a potato burger roll, a country style burger roll, and a soft bulkie roll. In for the season in seafood; premium crab meat and our extremely popular fresh “tail-claw-knuckle” lobster meat. In this week's episode we revisit the conversation on dressing-up your dishes for extra appeal. Applying the strategy to other menu areas it's amazing what a specialty dressing or

It's Thursday, June 15th, and this is Episode 18 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! In this weeks episode of Dennis Knows Food we focus some of the spotlight on New England, with 3 of our 12 latest inventory additions coming from right here in Maine. We're also putting some emphasis on produce, with Chris Webster, one of our Dennis Account Executives joining us for a discussion on "veggie perceptions." This week we’ve added a dozen new items to our inventory. In for the season we have fresh cooked lobster meat and 10-20 fresh scallops. We’ve added cooked bacon bits and unbreaded cooked chicken wings. Golden Velvet Yellow Cheese Sauce. New England style sliced hotdog rolls. 3 varieties of coffee cake, complete with plain craft windowed boxes and labels. In non-foods we’ve added a 21oz clear plastic, 2 compartment, tamper evident package and a 5 pack 200CT option of the C2 hybrid synthetic gloves in size medium. Scorching its way into our inventory is a hot new item, Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce from M

It's Thursday, June 8th, and this is Episode 17 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! Here we are with another Thursday edition of our Podcast; the last few episodes have been recorded on Thursdays rather than our usual Wednesday schedule. This made me reflect on how, even with schedules and planning, the unexpected can cause a hiccup in our regular routines. In this episode I've got some advice to help you overcome unforeseen changes and challenges to your routines. This week we have 8 new items to share with you which were just added to our inventory including an ABF honey ham from McKenzie Deli, French baguettes, new salad dressings and more. There's something "marrowvelous" in the world of burger condiments that fits perfectly with our discussion from last week's episode about signature burgers. We cap that off with some recent burger statistics from industry data firm Technomic. Our new test kitchen gets its first use on Friday and Stouffer's will be there with a new premium mac and cheese that ev

It's Thursday, June 1st, and this is Episode 16 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! Our podcast is protein packed this week as we put the spotlight on creating new opportunities and dishes for your menu. Burgers are big and getting bigger, we discuss the customer-keeping-power of crafting unique signature burgers. The record breaking popularity of bacon means customers are hungry for more pork menu options. And, we share the 8 new products that were added to our inventory this week; one of these new items is a first of it's kind compostable hot/cold food container. Links and product information mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com. Subscribe to the Podcast - Subscribe Now (Subscribe with iTunes) We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com!

It's Thursday, May 25th, and this is Episode 15 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! In this weeks episode we share 10 new products that were just added to our inventory; including a larger size of our extremely popular Arcadian Harvest lettuce mix. We talk about the return of a fresh seafood favorite, and cover some recent Maine-seafood headlines. We're big on beef, and we're setting up a future "all beef" episode of Dennis Knows Food. We've also got a great device for kitchens that you're going to want to hear about! Links and product information mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com. The Portland Press Herald article about Maine clamming at http://www.pressherald.com/2017/05/22/clammers-feeling-the-pinch-as-green-crabs-threaten-another-harvest/. You can learn more about the Date Code Genie on our website at https://www.dennisexpress.com/introducing-date-code-genie/ We look forward to your feedback - help us make future Podcasts more valuable! Subscribe to the Podcas

It's Thursday, May 18th, and this is Episode 14 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! We hope you had an opportunity to get outside for at least a few minutes today and enjoy a taste of this early Summeresque weather. I was able to spend all weekend outside while fishing in Northern Maine. In this episode of Dennis Knows Food I've got a fishing/cooking story to share with you. Also in this episode we talk about the latest items added to our inventory, discuss new soups from UniPro, spend a few minutes highlighting the value of utilizing your expertise, and more! We've also got an update on our expansion... Spoiler alert! It's nearly complete! Links and product information mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com and access to all of our social media accounts on www.DennisKnowsFood.com. Subscribe to the Podcast - Subscribe Now (Subscribe with iTunes) We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com! SaveSave

It's Thursday, May 11th, and this is Episode 13 of the Dennis Knows Food Podcast! It's been an interesting couple of days trying to record audio for our Podcast, you'll hear why in the episode. This week we've added 14 new items to our inventory spanning several delicious categories. We’ve added liquid coffee concentrate, cereal, almond milk, yogurt, soups, a 4.5oz beef and bean burrito and more. Keith Durrah our Director of Risk Management drops in to talk safety. We cover some of this weeks food industry headlines. Don't forget Mother's Day is this coming Sunday. Visit our website for great Mother's Day menu ideas! Links and product information mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com and FoodNavigator.com's white paper on "Developing a Culture of Food Safety" available here: http://www.foodnavigator.com/Product-innovations/White-paper-Developing-a-culture-of-food-safety-in-your-business/ We look forward to your feedback - help us make future Podcasts more valuable!

It's Wednesday, May 3rd, and this is Episode 12 of our Podcast!This week's podcast is a little longer than our previous, and that's because we had a guest join us today! Travis Estes, or Frozen Category Manager talks about new products, several of which are perfect for summertime business. In this episode we also share 9 new items that were just added to our inventory, we talk about this weeks James Beard Awards, and share a new study that independent owner-operators are sure to appreciate! There's ice coffee, delicious desserts and more - so dig in and enjoy episode 12 of Dennis Knows Food! Links and product information mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com. The James Beard award recipients at https://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/winners. Information on NESCAFE cold brew coffee at https://www.dennisexpress.com/nescafe-cold-brew/, and information on Deep Fried Twinkies at https://www.dennisexpress.com/deep-fried-twinkies/ Subscribe to the Podcast - Subscribe Now (Subscribe with

It's Thursday, April 27th, and this is Episode 11 of our Podcast!It been a busy week! We're doing our Podcast a day later than normal to allow for a little catch-up after our Food Show on Tuesday. A big "thank you" to all of our vendors, customers and attendees! This week we've got 5 new items to share with you which were just added to our inventory, we revisit the discussion on sports drinks from last weeks podcast, and we highlight a new study on frozen vegetables that is set to be released in June. We end the podcast with an interesting headline circulating in Maine, one that leaves the impression that "Big Brother" is about to go fishing. Links mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com and the article about fresh vs. frozen produce: http://www.medicaldaily.com/should-you-buy-your-food-fresh-or-frozen-study-debunks-myths-produce-freezer-416013 Subscribe to the Podcast - Subscribe Now (Subscribe with iTunes) We look forward to your feedback, send an email to

It's Wednesday, April 19th, and this is Episode 10 of our Podcast!Ten weeks have gone by since we shared our first podcast, but it really only feels like 10 days. Thank you to our listeners for the great feedback; your thoughts, ideas and support have helped us improve our podcasting efforts. This weeks podcast covers some of the 13 new items that were just added to our inventory, health news for anyone who likes to exercise and an interesting trend in food manufacturing. There's a reminder about our Food Show next week, and the episode closes with an intriguing bit of "avocado backstory." Links mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com and www.ChoppedCasting.com. Subscribe to the Podcast - Subscribe Now (Subscribe with iTunes) We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com!

It's Wednesday, April 12th, and this is the 9th episode of our Podcast! Here we are on National Grilled Cheese Day, in the middle of National Grilled Cheese Month, and we've got a couple of yummy GC related ideas for you in this episode of Dennis Knows Food! With Easter just a few days away we've got a simple breakfast-special concept that could help you use Sunday's leftover ham. In this episode we also talk about some new non-foods items that were just added to our inventory, there's a health notice for any men listening, we revisit maple syrup and discuss nutrition development efforts by a popular beverage company. Links mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com. Subscribe to the Podcast - Subscribe Now (Subscribe with iTunes) We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com!

It's Wednesday, April 5th... and it's still snowing?! We are back on our regularly scheduled podcast day! We know that changing that up for a couple weeks was rough on our listeners ;). Thank you to our podcast subscribers, and those using SoundCloud, for listening each week. If there's anything you'd like to hear featured in our future podcasts just drop us a line. This weeks podcast talks about the new items we've added to our inventory, Lobster and Maple Syrup are on the radar in New England food news, we've got a tech recommendation for customers using social media and we wrap the episode up highlighting UniPro Foodservice. Links mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com, and www.uniprofoodservice.com. (In the podcast the URL was mentioned as "unipro.com", it is not.) Subscribe to the Podcast - Subscribe Now (Subscribe with iTunes) We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com!

Something a little different, a Fast-Foodie-Friday edition of our podcast!Our Podcasts typically go out on Wednesday, although the last two have been an exception. This past Wednesday we were down in Portland, Maine at the Maine Restaurant and Lodging Expo, held in the Cross Insurance Arena. Just being there we were getting pumped for our Food Show on April 25th at the Cross Insurance Center. Don't get those two confused... Arena = Portland, Center = Bangor. We briefly toyed with the idea of doing a Podcast from the Expo on Wednesday, but the show floor was just a little too loud and busy... Which is a good thing! So, please enjoy this truncated Friday edition of 'Dennis Knows Food.' Links mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com, and www.tweakyourbiz.com. Subscribe to the Podcast - Subscribe Now (Subscribe with iTunes) We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com!

It's Thursday, March 23rd and this is the 6th episode of our Podcast! Better late than never, this weeks podcast covers three products recently added to inventory, Maine craft brewing, internationally inspired menu items, and foodie news discussing expected 2017 trends. We also discuss the value of setting aside a small portion of time to improve your business by taking advantage of the great technologies that are available today. Much of this segment is geared toward our Account Executives in the field, but there are also helpful nuggets of information for our customers listening. Links mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com, and MaineBiz.biz for the Maine Food Insider Newsletter. Subscribe to the Podcast - Subscribe Now (Subscribe with iTunes) We look forward to your feedback, send an email to podcast@dennisexpress.com!

It’s Wednesday, March 15th and this is the 5th episode of our Podcast!We almost had a good hold on Spring… almost. This wacky weather is affecting all of us in different ways. Add in the physical and mental impact from the recent daylight savings time switch, and this is shaping up to be a rough week. Fight through it, below is a link to strategies for help in coping with Daylight Savings! In this weeks new products we have added 30 new items to our inventory! Most of these come from Major Brands, which are a delectable line of soup stocks and bases. Don’t miss the mouth-watering Major Elite – Lobster Soup Base with no added MSG! In this episode we also talk about the impact of Farmer’s Markets on the local economy, some new additions to the Dennis website, and McKenzie Artisan Deli Meats. We wrap the episode up with a quick discussion about a new way you can explore our brands. Links mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com and our new Brands page at https://www.dennisexpress.co

It’s Wednesday, March 8th and this is the fourth episode of our Podcast!The weather is making our thermometers swing radically up and down, but the trend is moving towards warmer weather! The rising average daily temperature is a sure sign that Spring will be here soon. As reminder, check with your Dennis Account Executive about what steps you should be taking to get ready for Spring business. In this, our fourth episode of the ‘Dennis Knows Food’ Podcast, we take a look at this weeks three new products; including a crab meat, chicken salad as well as peanut butter-alternative Wowbutter & Jelly sandwiches. In headlines this week is a new strategy from Hersey that it hopes will help increase their snack-market share. We talk about Maine’s record seafood year and California’s questionable produce outlook. We close the episode with a juicy brain teaser. Links mentioned in this episode include our website at www.DennisExpress.com and our Pinterest page at http://www.pinterest.com/DennisKnowsFood. We look forw