Wornick Foodservice

Wornick attended Chain Operators Exchange 2010 (COEX) a couple months ago to share the story of our new foodservice division with national restaurant chains. The Food Network gave an update on food trends and research which included a breakdown of America’s eating habits. There are five day parts that the restaurant industry is trying to meet: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner and a post-dinner snack.

Most Americans eat breakfast alone at home which means there is tremendous opportunity to bring people to a restaurant or coffee shop for this meal. Oatmeal has made a resurgence as a traditional yet healthy and quick breakfast option available in restaurants or coffee shops. Most widely available right now is a dry oatmeal mix that requires hot water and several steps for service staff.

The product development team at Wornick saw this opportunity late last year and began developing a shelf stable oatmeal that is currently available in single serve pouches or 5 lb. hermetically sealed bags. Wornick’s oatmeal cuts down on waste and preparation time – it can be popped into the microwave for heating and is ready to serve. Labor Free, just heat and serve these Hot Cereals will reduce your back of the house labor by 50%.

We’re developing ways to integrate various flavors such as fruit, maple syrup or honey. At Wornick, we move food forward and are developing innovative new products to meet the needs of our customers.

The Wornick product development team consists of professional chefs and food scientists that are here to bring ideas to you or collaborate with your team to develop great tasting food that consumers will love. We have a proven process of design, develop and deliver that leads to your success.

Cincinnati, OH) March 22, 2010 – The Wornick Company, a leading manufacturer of convenience foods and customized meal solutions, announced today that Chef Paul Sturkey will join Wornick’s product development team supporting the company’s foodservice segment.

“Paul Sturkey is known throughout the country for his innovation and creativity in the restaurant and food industry,” said Jon Geisler, CEO at The Wornick Company. “We recently started a new foodservice division to leverage our product development and unique food manufacturing capabilities to provide prepared foods to restaurants. Chef Sturkey will be leading our product formulations for this market as well as reviewing and updating our product offerings in Wornick’s other key segments.”

Wornick’s focus is moving food forward by designing, developing and delivering flavorful convenience foods and innovative packaging solutions to co-manufacturing, foodservice and military customers. According to John Kowalchik, Senior Vice President at The Wornick Company, “Our strong culinary formulations and the quality of our food differentiate us and bring value to our clients. Paul Sturkey is a best-in-class chef, and with his addition to our team we will elevate the level of service and the strength of our product offering to our customers.”

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to work at The Wornick Company, a company that has been providing high quality, great tasting foods to various customers for more than 30 years,” said Chef Sturkey. “Wornick has invested heavily in technology, R&D, and the skills of the culinary team – we will all work together to produce superior food products.”

For more than 20 years, Sturkey has performed as a chef in nationally recognized restaurants. He and his wife, Pam, collaboratively developed several renowned restaurants in Cincinnati, and they founded The Paul Sturkey Bottling Co. that produces salad dressings and spices. He has appeared on Good Morning America and DIY (Do It Yourself Network). Chef Sturkey studied at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. 

About Wornick Foods

Wornick Foods is a leading supplier of convenience foods and military rations to institutional customers including the U.S. government and other large Consumer Product Goods companies. The company’s shelf safe™ foods are co-manufactured under leading brands sold in retail and foodservice outlets throughout the United States. Wornick, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, was founded in 1979 and employs more than 500 people.