Cooking Demo How To's

  

Here is an example of how to create quick & easy In-store Food Experiences for consumers from Hy-Vee.

Planning:

• Choose a location, day and time
  • Provides enough space and traffic so that customers will be encouraged to stop a while.
  • If you require electricity, don't forget to identify an outlet or a way to safely connect an extension cord

• Decide what recipe you will demonstrate
  • the recipe must be delicious, look appetizing and appeal to a wide range of tastes 
  • Carefully consider the cooking and preparation requirements.
  • Fewer ingredients and simpler techniques are better (5 or less)
  • Avoid using special appliances so that everyone can replicate it at home
• Choose interesting ingredients
  • customers are interested in them but need more information
  • Examples: quinoa, field greens, avocados, nuts or a cut of meat like flap steak 
• Stock more of the ingredients you are featuring because they will be in demand
• To ensure that your cooking demonstration is health and wellness focused, consult your store's dietitian for facts about the health benefits of the recipe you are featuring 

What you’ll need:

• Some recipes can be easily demonstrated with a hot plate or microwave while others require more equipment.
• Equipment needed to execute the demonstration. Simpler is better. 
• While a mobile cooking demonstration station can be purchased, a rolling cart or stationary table can also be used.

Execution:

• Practice the demonstration before hand.
• Carefully think through ALL the steps required for the recipe and make sure you have the steps written down.
• Ingredients can be prepped (chopped, drained, peeled, cooked, etc.) before-hand to save time during the demonstration.
• Explain these steps to the customers.
• Mention the nutrition facts acquired from the dietitian to keep the demonstration health and wellness focused
• Keep food safety in mind:  keep cold ingredients cold by using a refrigerator, ice chest, or ice baths;
• and once food is prepared, serve it immediately to spectators.
• consider having an assistant to make things run smoothly

Wrapping Up:

• ask customers to complete a quick survey aboiut the demo so you can refine your efforts
  • ask about types of recipes or foods they would like additional information about
  • ask about their likelihood of trying the recipe at home
• Be sure to have an easy clean-up plan ready so you can easily prepare for the next demonstration.
• Monitor the sales of the cooking demo ingredients for 1 week following the event

 Examples:

• In January, Promote National Birth Defects Prevention Month (January) and National Folic Acid Awareness Week (1st or 2nd week of the month) by having in-store cooking demos or displays featuring folate-containing or folic acid fortified foods such as cereals, baked goods, leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, lettuce), okra, asparagus, fruits (bananas, melons, lemons), legumes, yeast, mushrooms, organ meat (beef liver, kidney), orange juice, and tomato juice. 

•May is National High Blood Pressure Education Month:  create displays or demos related to reducing sodium and increasing DASH diet components such as fruits, vegetables and dairy products.  For extra visibility, offer a cooking demonstration featuring DASH recipes and offer blood pressure screenings simultaneously.

• In November, demonstrate recipes that focus on how to handle those plentiful Thanksgiving leftovers in creative ways:  turkey soup, turkey burritos, turkey potpie, etc.  Then, remind people that if they haven’t eaten or frozen the leftovers after 5 days, they need to celebrate Throw Out Your Leftovers Day (Thanksgiving date + five days)