2023 May Board Book

Foodservice We are drafting a plan to add a virtual recipe contest in 2023. While it cannot take the place of a live experience like the annual Pizza Contest in Napa, we hope it will be a cost-effective supplement to our culinary events. O VERVIEW Over the past four years, CMAB Foodservice has planned and implemented a number of cooking competitions. These in-person bake-offs have expanded the RCM brand and brought significant recognition to California dairy as a key foodservice ingredient. The “Virtual Recipe” contest initiative offers a lower-cost alternative. At approximately one-third the cost, a virtual contest would allow CMAB Foodservice to build on the success of past competitions to collect more innovative, dairy-centric recipes to promote to chefs and restaurant operators. The plan is to launch the first virtual contest in 2023 and create a model to extend to other cuisines, as well as to offer to distributor partners to use with their restaurant customers. Because the event is virtual, the focus will be on showcasing the use of the California dairy ingredients in the dishes, versus the chefs. The plan is to collect the recipes, make the dishes, have them judged, and to name winners. We will capture the preparation and presentation of the winning dishes using photography and video, featuring them in a recipe book. The virtual contest will serve to reinforce chefs’ awareness of California as the top cheese supplier in the U.S., while also celebrating the creative diversity of specialty ethnic cheeses made in California. The contest will be promoted via CMAB’s website and social channels, distributor and processor partnerships, and a digital advertising campaign. P RIMARY G OALS Increase awareness of CMAB Foodservice and California dairy products Develop a recipe book and content for the website, promoting the winning dishes via email, social media, and paid digital media to grow the database and followers Develop a “template” for use with distributor-specific contests sponsored by the CMAB in 2024 Explore lower-cost alternatives to live events – with reduced execution cost, travel, judges’ fees, prize money, etc. In other words, to get more bang for the budget. S ECONDARY G OALS Increase awareness, engagement, and participation of California cheesemakers and processors to build exposure for their cheeses before, during, and after the event. Build CMAB media assets, such as video, photography, recipes, and chef relationships, and also possibly identify future Real Maker candidates.