Product Evaluation

Bringing new news to a pizza classic.

Hormel Foods is one of the leading manufacturers of meat and other packaged and refrigerated products in the United States for both food service and retail distribution. Dedicated to innovation and quality, Hormel is constantly evolving their offerings to provide the right solutions that excite consumers, inspire operators, and continue to bring down-right-delicious flavors across their lineup. Amongst a long and fruitful partnership between The Culinary Edge and Hormel Foods, Hormel looked to TCE to support in the strategic and operational validation of a new product idea that will take the pizza segment by storm — Windsor-style shredded pepperoni.

When you’re the reigning champion of pepperoni, with successful innovations like Cup and Char under your belt, where can you take pepperoni next? And how far can you push form, flavor, visuals before the average US consumer deems it unrecognizable?

We identified Windsor-style shredded pepperoni (discovered in a small town in Canada, but new to the mainstream US market) as the next contender in the World Series of Pizza Toppings. We started with Windsor-style because it addresses pain points operators have with traditional pepperoni, like slice by slice placement and slicing submersion. That leaves the question - are we pushing the Pepperoni form too far for the mainstream consumer? It turns out that US consumers’ unwavering passion for pizza, and the marketplace’s cut-throat competition for differentiation, gives Hormel the “permission” to launch a shredded product - so long as the name and positioning convey its benefits. (And so long it still tastes like pizza!)

Working with the Hormel Foodservice team, TCE conducted a deep exploration into how pepperoni is used and menu’d within restaurant concepts today. With an understanding of operator and consumer needs and expectations, we determined how Windsor-style shredded pepperoni should be positioned, named, and messaged, to show its relevance and benefits. From there, we leveraged TCE’s food service expertise to develop a breadth of menu applications, showcasing the product’s operational and culinary benefits, and optimizing its utilization. 

Hormel Foods debuted their newest pepperoni innovation, Pepperoni Ribbons, leveraging TCE’s support in naming, positioning, and sales materials, at the March 2024 International Pizza expo creating buzz within the industry for all those fighting to find a way to win with this beloved pizza hero.