As a custom processor that delivers a variety of products to a variety of customers, Deli Star Corp. has to speak a variety of languages. If a sandwich maker wants to discuss food safety, the Fayetteville, Ill. company’s food scientists review its post-pasteurization processes and shelf life guarantees. If a restaurant chain wants to discuss what’s hot, a sales team gives a presentation on food trends and how Deli Star’s products line up with those trends. Or, if a restaurant chain’s culinary experts want to talk shop, they meet with Deli Star’s own executive chef and spend a day in the test kitchen, creating potential new menu items.
More often than not, a customer meeting can involve multiple scenarios, requiring some nimbleness on the part of the processor. Such is life at Deli Star, a provider of a multitude of services, from menu ideation to meat processing education to production of numerous cooked meats and deli products. Not that the company is complaining; the team prides itself on being able to provide solutions and be a value-added partner to its customer base. Many companies can supply proteins, but Deli Star can act as an industry resource as well.