Deli Star Corporation, producer of high-quality cooked meats, announced it has hired Charles Hayes, Certified Executive Chef (CEC), Certified Research Chef (CRC), and Certified Food Scientist (CFS), as the company’s vice president of culinary innovation. In this role, Hayes will lead the company’s research and development, sales, and marketing efforts, both at the company’s Fayetteville, Illinois, meat-processing facility and in the Deli Star Innovation Center located in St. Louis.

Hayes is a Culinary Institute of America graduate with more than 30 years of hotel, restaurant and food-processing experience. During his career he has worked at or consulted with major brands around the globe including Sara Lee, JMH Premium, Cara Operations LTD and Awrey Bakeries/Atkins Elegant Desserts. One of only 75 Certified Research Chefs in the world, Hayes is a pioneer of innovation, having run several large research and development teams on both the restaurant and manufacturing side of the business, launching several category-defining products in the process. A past president of the Research Chefs Association, Hayes remains active in the industry, having developed a solid network of relationships and contacts.

“Charles is well-known and well-respected in the foodservice industry and a perfect complement to our people and culture at Deli Star. We are excited to have someone of his caliber lead the charge in our continued efforts to drive innovation for our customers,” said Justin Siegel, president of Deli Star. “His addition to the company reflects our chef-driven approach to providing innovative menu choices to our customers by working closely with them in a creative, fun, collaborative, and scientific process.”

Hayes will lead a team that includes Deli Star executive chef and fellow Culinary Institute of America graduate Jared Case, who joined the company following the launch of its Innovation Center in 2016. Other programs overseen by Hayes’ team include Deli Star University, a knowledge-sharing initiative that helps Deli Star customers better understand their products on a scientific level.

Source: Deli Star Inc.