Chicken

Know your customers are getting the best by picking the right chicken suppliers
By Christine Emmick Finding the right chicken supplier for your restaurant is important to not only keep your customers coming back, but also provide a quality product that keeps you in budget. Poultry processors and suppliers are now more keenly aware of your customers dietary needs and in response are providing healthier choices for your restaurant.

Now you must choose which of these high quality products to put on the menu. You want your chicken menu items to be tasty and satisfying as well as healthy. Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting what fowl to put on the menu:

1. Choose chicken producers that provide products geared to your clientèle.
2. Look for chicken suppliers and chicken processors who show a commitment to quality.
3. Select a chicken source that keeps your needs in mind and has great customer service.
   

Find chicken products your customers are interested in

Not only do frozen chicken products make for easy preparation, they often come in varieties that appeal to certain clientele. Fun chicken nugget shapes make for happy young customers and marinated ready-to bake chicken specialty items often appeal to the older crowds.
Try:  Maxi supplies child-friendly chicken products pre-fried in canola oil, so they are healthier than some of those other chicken nugget companies. Red Bird Farms creates all natural fresh stuffed chicken breasts with flavors like wild rice and apricot almond filling, which are sure to please your mature clientèle.

Keep an eye on quality chicken

When you serve up a meal to your customers, you want to know you're serving up the best. Chicken suppliers who work closely with their chicken farming businesses, making requests of exacting standards, are the best suppliers to work with. Chicken that is free of antibiotics and raised in cage-free environments and processing plants that do not litter the good taste of the chicken with additives and preservatives let you know you've got a good supplier. False claims of antibiotic-free can get you into trouble, as one of the leading chicken producers found out the hard way.
Try:  SYSCO Corporation is one of the leading restaurant suppliers in the nation and carries some of the finest chicken products on the market. They are a full service restaurant supplier and they bring quality products to your customers table. Townsends' Pristine Cuisine takes food service chicken to a whole new level. The line is certified organic and available for bulk purchasing, making it the ideal selection for any of your health-conscious customers.

Keep an eye on customer service with your chicken suppliers

When you create a relationship with a chicken producer or supplier, they need to have good customer service. Customer service is important for you and it should be important to the suppliers you work with.
Try:  Townsends does go the extra mile to provide quality products with superior customer support, providing cutting edge products for a changing economy. Foster Farms also has a wide variety of fresh and frozen chicken products to suit many different food service applications. Pilgrim's Pride, a leader in the meat processing industry, has convenient online payment remittance ability.

• Some suppliers and food service professionals are concerned with the avian or bird flu contaminated poultry found in Hong Kong. While the Chinese government took fast action to protect chicken producers, you may not want to use a supplier who gets their chicken overseas.