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Chicken

How to Choose the Right AyrKing BBS for Your Business

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The AyrKing Breader Blender Sifter (BBS) is a nifty piece of equipment, if we do say so ourselves. Not only can incorporating a BBS into your kitchen extend the life of your ingredients and cut waste, it can also reduce hand-sifting time by 80%. If your staff spends 20 hours a week sifting, that’s 16 hours back!

Choosing a BBS for your operation is a no-brainer, but with so many different options, configurations and add-ons, how can you select the perfect combination for your very specific needs?

We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all piece of equipment. When thinking about how to best tailor a BBS to fit your operation’s individual needs, there are several important factors to evaluate first.

Think through your kitchen’s details

We offer so many different BBS models and bundles because we realize no two kitchens are exactly the same. Although you might have other kitchen factors you’ll want to keep in mind, the big three to consider are

  • operation type
  • available space
  • workflow.

Consideration #1: Operation type

The AyrKing BBS DrumRoll Automated Breader

From bustling high-volume takeout restaurants to sit down dining in a limited-size venue, the type and quantity of food you serve at your foodservice operation is the first consideration. How much will you use your BBS and for how many different selections?

  • If you specialize in hand-battered fried food, you’ll need to produce large amounts of consistent product. Consider purchasing a BBS unit and a DrumRoll Automated Breader to allow the volume turnover your operation requires.

Consideration #2: Available space

Commercial kitchen plans are rarely standardized, and many face space limitations of varying degrees for both width or depth. Think about which might be more of a limiting factor when selecting the proper model.

Most standard BBS models start at 29 inches in width, but we also offer some options for those who need a smaller footprint.

  • If your kitchen has less than 14 inches of width available, for example, the BBS Thin will be a good fit for workflow in a narrow space.
  • If you have more than 35 inches of width in your workspace but are limited in depth, the smaller footprint of the BBS Mini would be an ideal model to consider.

Consideration #3: Workflow

When contemplating workflow and how it might impact your BBS model decision, think about whether your breading area is directional from left-to-right or right-to-left, as well as what sort of variability you encounter in your menu selections and staff needs.

  • The BBS Ice model, for example, has flexibility for both flow options — right-to-left or left-to-right — to adjust for any application. It combines a standard BBS model with a cold prep table for keeping proteins within arm’s reach.
  • The BBS Flex can help fit any workflow, especially if yours is ever-changing or needs to be reconfigured from time to time. In just seconds, the BBS Flex can be adjusted to fit a range of employee heights or workflow direction.

Think through your production details

In addition to the unique physical factors of your commercial kitchen layout, it’s equally important to understand your production details to choose the ideal BBS model for your operation. We’ll need to weigh several factors, including what types of proteins you serve and how they are breaded, as well as production volumes and types of breading utilized.

Consideration #4: Ways in which proteins are breaded

Chefs realize there are many different ways to prepare a protein for frying. Some choose to pre-marinate a protein, while others use a wet batter followed by dry breading. Whether a protein is bone-in or boneless will also have an impact on the coating process workflow.

Consideration #5: Volume of production

The amount of breaded product produced and sold daily will influence the ideal BBS model for your operation. But where is the line between a moderate and high volume?

  • If you’re processing 50-100 pounds of product per day, whether protein or otherwise, we recommend you check out the BBS Mini.

Consideration #6: Types of breading

The type of breading that is used in your recipes can play a significant role in selecting the best BBS model for your operation.

Dry breading varies in the flour-to-spice ratio, and your menu may offer more than one flavor profile as well. Wet breading, or a combination of water batter and dry breading, will also influence the best model for you.

  • If you’re using more than one flavor profile, you might want to consider the BBSU8132 for your needs. This model offers you an 81-inch-wide work area with two sifters for the best efficiency with multiple breading flavors.
  • Wet breading that is milk- or egg-based will require an Ice Bath with your BBS to ensure your wet ingredients stay at the proper holding temperatures. You can explore the BBS Ice model or even add an Ice Bath onto another BBS model, depending on your needs.
  • If you use water and dry breading, models like the BBSUL2934BPC have the perfect configuration with a sifter and back panel.

While it’s true there is a lot to consider when deciding on the ideal BBS model for your foodservice operation, thoroughly reviewing each of these six considerations will ensure you are maximizing your efficiency while reducing costly waste, in both staff time and ingredients.

Even better, we have a tool that will help you get a head start on the research process! Check out our BBS product selection guide to help you narrow down the models that are right for you!

AyrKing is a Trusted Partner with Some of the Biggest Chains Around

Originally posted on www.ayrking.com

3 Tips To Keep Your Customers Coming Back For More!

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With every ringing in of the new year, I’m asked to look into my crystal ball and make predictions about the restaurant industry and menu trends.  Most of the questions I’m asked relate to the most consumed animal protein in the world: chicken. In fact, it’s forecast that in 2022, Americans will consume more than 97 billion pounds of chicken. Not surprisingly, most of the questions that restaurant operators ask relate to how they can keep their customers coming back, clamoring for more chicken.  Three of the most common questions I’m asked about chicken are: “What should I add to my menu and why, and how will it impact my bottom line?”

Well, as with all predictions, there are no guarantees, but here’s what I believe is coming down the poultry pike in 2022.  Let’s start with the first question: “What should I add to my menu?”

Serve Up: Versatility

From tasty tenders and boneless nuggets to fried chicken sandwiches and crispy wings, chicken is perhaps the most versatile protein on menus today.  That versatility will play an even greater role in 2022 due to supply chain-generated shortages and spiking poultry prices. To help foodservice operators navigate through these challenging times, we’ve put together a series of free chicken guides filled with insights on how to serve up consistently legendary chicken every time, tips on raking in poultry profits, and much more.  Click here to download the first guide.

Embrace the Whole Bird

Surging restaurant demand and labor shortages mean operators are going to continue to pay more for premium cuts of chicken. In 2021, the price for chicken breasts more than doubled, and while the price for bone-in chicken wings saw more modest increases, in at least one quarter of 2021, bone-in chicken wing prices surged by more than 80 percent.  All of this translates into higher menu prices.  One way restaurant operators can hedge their bets, as it were, is to consider a whole-bird strategy.

What’s that? It’s buying more of the bird, including the thighs. So, instead of paying top dollar for just chicken breasts or wing pieces, operators who buy more parts of the chicken may realize a savings by negotiating with their suppliers.  It’s a cost-saving strategy that’s working for 10-location chain, Wing It On, which did just that and introduced “thigh wings” to its menu in 2021.

The Thighs Have It!

This less expensive, dark-meat cut of chicken is juicy, flavorful, and in my estimation, will be 2022’s chicken star.  Traditionally available at chicken-only chains, like KFCs and Church’s Chicken, as well as many independent, family-style restaurants, chicken thighs are now finding a prominent place on more quick-service restaurant (QSR) and fast casual menus.

Of course, seasoning, sauces and cooking method are all critical to whatever thigh item you add to your menu.  It’s a recipe that Wingstop, which owns more than 1,400 restaurants worldwide, believes is working.  In mid-2021, Wingstop launched its virtual restaurant brand, Thighstop, which features bone-in thighs and boneless thigh bites coated in one of its 11 flavored sauces.

In the coming months, I believe we’ll see even more restaurants adding chicken thighs to their menus and recent news headlines would seem to support that trend.  Are chicken thighs destined to become the new wings? Well, maybe (that’s a big maybe); click here for my take on it.

Serve Up: Innovation

“Why Innovation?’ ties into the second question restaurant operators often ask me.  2022 will present both challenges and opportunities for restaurant operators.  We’ve already discussed many of the challenges, but for those willing to embrace innovation, 2022 could be a game changer.  Let’s start with chicken on the menu.

Beginning in 2019 and continuing on through 2020 and 2021, we saw the escalation of the chicken sandwich wars.  It seemed there was no end in sight to the number of new chicken sandwiches and chicken biscuits appearing on breakfast, lunch and dinner menus at QSRs, fast casuals and casual-dining chains all vying to gain more market share. In the final analysis, while supply and demand contributed to higher prices for chicken breasts, the “war” has been a good thing in some respects. Restaurants, eager to cash in on this opportunity, upped their game in an effort to create the tastiest, most tantalizing chicken sandwich, and consumers rewarded their favorites at restaurants by eating them up, literally.

While I don’t see our love affair with chicken sandwiches and wings cooling anytime soon, the “war” may be over, or, at the very least, enjoying a temporary cease fire.

Plant-based Chicken Wars?

In addition to chicken sandwiches, many restaurant operators are adding less-expensive chicken-like, plant-based sandwiches, nuggets and buckets of fried “chicken” to their menus.

That’s right, buckets of fried faux chicken. In early January, Yum Brands, the parent company of KFC, announced that it will start selling buckets of plant-based fried “chicken” nuggets from Beyond Meat across the United States. Even though the company says it’s for a “limited time,” the Beyond Fried Chicken rollout speaks to the trend gaining increasing traction with consumers.

Other QSRs which have either added plant-based chicken to their menus or are testing it include Burger King, which is serving vegan chicken nuggets in the United Kingdom and testing its 8-piece Impossible nuggets at select restaurants in the U.S., Domino’s UK, which is selling vegan-chicken pizza, and Panda Express, which is selling Beyond the Original Organic Chicken for a limited time only at select locations.  To find out more about other brands focused on offering the “chicken” without the bird, click here.

Is plant-based chicken right for your restaurant? My answer depends on your existing menu, customer feedback, and your vision. As always, at Henny Penny, we offer complimentary customized needs analyses to our customers, as well as our prospective customers. Any one of our 90+ global distributors would welcome hearing from you and learning more about your food service dreams. Just click here to locate your nearest Henny Penny distributor partner.

Faux Chicken:  To Fry, or Not to Fry

Most of the plant-based chicken products on menus today are fried. Just like with animal protein, vegan chicken must be fried to crispy perfection, but without burning, which can happen. For plant-based chicken, I recommend the Evolution Elite open fryer. It comes in electric or gas models and features 1 to 4 wells, which can “protect” plant-based chicken from cross contamination with oil used to fry animal protein in other vats. What’s more, the Evolution Elite uses 40% less oil than other comparable vats.

Test it; Try it out!

Thanks to the proliferation of ghost kitchens, restaurant operators can test new, innovative menu items and explore new markets without the hefty price tag typically associated with trialing new products.  If you think you’ve got a winning new product but aren’t sure whether it will be a hit with customers, simply add it to your ghost kitchen menu.  If sales go through the roof, you’ll know you’ve got a winner. If sales fall flat, just take it off the menu. That’s the great thing about ghost kitchens. They’re an ideal testing platform.

Elevate Your Flavors

Great food has always been synonymous with great-tasting flavors. In 2022, “different” is going to play a role in flavor experiences. Don’t be afraid to incorporate new flavors into your menu, whether that’s via a brine, an injectable sauce or marinade or new dipping sauce to help create an innovative culinary experience.  In terms of unique flavors for 2022, there are several international flavors making headlines, including Asian, Caribbean, Polynesian, Mediterranean-inspired flavors and more.

Lab-grown Meat

In 2022, alternative sources of protein will continue to gain momentum and interest among restaurant operators and consumers alike.  Although the USDA hasn’t approved the sale of lab-grown meat—also referred to as cultured meat—in the U.S., the regulatory agency appears to be heading in that direction as it’s considering how best to label meat and poultry cultivated from animal cells.  Cultured meat is already gaining traction with environmental groups who like the idea of slaughter-free meat cultivated from animal cells. What does the future hold for cultured meat? Well, it’s hard to say, but at the very least, it’s important that restaurant operators know it’s on the horizon.

Serve Up: Consistency

Finally, remember that no matter what you’re serving, consistency is king with customers. It’s also the answer to how everything we’ve already discussed will benefit your bottom line. Customers will keep coming back for more if you consistently keep delivering the same quality product every time.

The fry has got to be just right every time to ensure the chicken’s juicy inside, crispy outside, hot, and fresh. Here are my top picks for frying chicken consistently.

If you’re a smaller operation with a single restaurant or a few, I have two recommendations:

4-Head Pressure Fryer.

Although it’s a pressure fryer, it’s engineered to be versatile. That means you can open fry using the same unit. Just leave the lid open and select a different program.  It also comes with built-in Automatic Pressure Assist, which is exclusive to Henny Penny alone. Pressure Assist uses an external means of developing pressure for small product loads that otherwise would not build optimum pressure levels on their own.  So, if you just need to pressure fry one order of chicken for one customer, Pressure Assist allows you to do that instead of letting a full load of product go to waste. To learn more about all of the 4-head pressure fryer’s features, click here.

FlexFusion Platinum Series Combi Oven.

This versatile combination convection oven, steamer and grill has it all and does it all. It fits the bill no matter if you need to bake, braise, steam, sous vide or grill your chicken. The Combi Oven truly does offer the flexibility small restaurant operators need without taking up valuable kitchen space. Click here to find out more and check out various models.

If you’re a high-volume restaurant chain, my two recommendations would be the Velocity Series Pressure Fryer and our SmartHold Humidified Holding Cabinet.

Velocity Series Pressure Fryer.

This powerful machine can cook 8-heads of chicken in 25% less oil than other high-volume fryers, plus it replenishes oil automatically from an onboard reservoir, which means there’s no manual add-backs and fewer disposals. Best of all, because it filters automatically after every cook cycle, it extends the life of oil by nearly 4 times compared to other high-volume fryers. If that weren’t’ enough, because Henny Penny’s products are “engineered to last,” this fryer’s heavy-duty stainless steel fry pot comes with a 7-year warranty. Click here for more info and available models.

SmartHold Humidified Holding Cabinet.

SmartHold distinguishes itself by creating the perfect conditions for holding almost any food up to 200% longer than most holding cabinets. Its automatic humidity control maintains any humidity level between 10% and 90%, ensuring your chicken stays crispy, juicy, and fresh for hours at a time. Click here for all the features and available models. With today’s labor shortages, cooking in large batches and holding to serve can be a game changer for high-volume restaurants. You need a lot less people in the kitchen.

As I wrap up my predictions for chicken in 2022, I’d just like to add that the fact that poultry has now eclipsed pork as the number one protein consumed worldwide is proof positive that the future for chicken, in all its forms, is bright.

To help you on your way, be sure to sign up to receive the first in a series of three free chicken guides, filled with helpful tips from our chicken experts.

Finally, my hope for you, as restaurant operators, is to continue to utilize this versatile bird to consistently serve up innovative, unforgettably delicious chicken sandwiches, wings, nuggets, thighs, tenders and more every time!

Download Free Chicken Guide Here

Originally Posted By Chef Gregg, Corporate Executive Chef for Henny Penny

Ask the Experts: How Do You Expand Your Menu?

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If you’re looking to add chicken to the menu, there are two basic paths you can follow: Integrate chicken into your current food/store concept, or feature it as a special item, delivery-only, or even a virtual brand. That choice will guide your decisions on what products, equipment, accessories and supplies you will need to source.

Operations and process.

It doesn’t take a lot of space to have a safe and efficient chicken “program” generating profits all day long. In many cases, the only reconfigured space will be the raw prep and breading areas for chicken, which need to be separate to avoid cross contamination. Refrigeration should be reorganized to keep fresh chicken separate from other ingredients. Depending on your concept and volume, you may want to add a separate chicken-only refrigerator or freezer. As with your existing operations, raw product should flow directly from prep to cooking, holding and packing.

Where does it go, how does it flow?

Get very familiar with the equipment you plan to purchase. Be certain you have accounted for all dimensions and clearances. It is easy to overlook things like door swings. Don’t.

  • Raw ingredients and proteins should always flow from refrigeration to prep to cook to service.
  • When adding poultry to existing production, keep raw product prep and handling separate from other ingredient prep areas. Install additional hand wash and/or double sinks where possible.
  • If your new chicken menu will be mostly pick up or delivery, locate additional holding and packing near egress or delivery entrance.

Throughput matters.

The measure of the efficiency of your chicken program is throughput—how many servings in what amount of time.

  • A multi-bank open fryer increases throughput by letting you cook different chicken products at the same time.
  • Team combis—two cooking chambers stacked vertically and controlled separately— accomplish the same thing.
  • A holding cabinet also improves throughput by leveraging the production of any number of vats by letting you cook ahead of time.
  • If you plan to feature one main item—bone-in fried chicken or whole rotisserie birds, for example—go for capacity over flexibility. That means the largest pressure fryer you can find and/or one big combi oven with a roll-in cart.

When kitchen space is tight (always), you will also want to think in terms of capacity to footprint. Instead of adding a two-vat fryer in a different spot, you may want to rearrange things a little and replace your old single vat fryer with a three-vat fryer. You’ll save space and get that third vat’s worth of efficiency and oil savings. A combi oven can replace multiple pieces of equipment. A Team Combi doubles your capacity and versatility from the same floor space.  A half-size holding cabinet can fit under a counter.

Aside from optimizing your kitchen layout and processes, there is a lot more to implementing a profitable chicken program. As a foodservice operator, where do you begin?

Sourcing to Serving is a step-by-step planning guide from our chicken experts that will help you make key decisions about:

  1. Menu and operations
  2. Sourcing product and equipment
  3. Installation, start-up, maintenance
  4. After-sales service and support

Click here to download Sourcing to Serving for FREE and get 22 pages packed with everything you need to know about adding chicken to your menu.

So You Want to Sell Fried Chicken?

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Let’s take a look at the equipment you would need to get your commercial kitchen pumping out great fried chicken.

It’s no secret that there are plenty of advantages to serving fried chicken. Chicken is the world’s most popular protein, it can be fried in batches and held for hours, and it’s an incredibly profitable menu item. Plus, according to a recent Technomic report, chicken menu category sales have increased at an average rate of 12% since 2019.

Are you ready to get in the fried chicken game? Here’s a quick summary of the commercial kitchen equipment you’ll need to consider for your foodservice operation:

Frying; The Star of the Show

When it comes to commercial deep fryers, operators have two main choices: open fryer or pressure fryer.

Pressure Fryers

If you’re serving bone-in fried chicken, you’ll probably want to invest in a pressure fryer. Pressure fryers consistently produce flavorful, tender, and juicy fried chicken every time. Not only that, but pressure frying is faster than any other method when cooking in high volumes.

When exploring pressure fryer options, it’s important to consider how much product you’ll need to be frying and what advanced features you might need.

Henny Penny offers several pressure fryer models to fit the needs of different commercial kitchens. We have standard pressure fryers for normal volume kitchens, 8-head pressure fryers for added capacity, and Velocity Series pressure fryers for high-volume kitchens looking to save on oil, labor, and time.

Open Fryers

If you’re serving a variety of fried food times, including fried chicken, an open fryer might be perfect for your operation. Open fryers produce a crispier product, increase overall throughput, and allow plenty of freedom for customization. When looking at open fryers for your commercial kitchen, there are a few things to consider.

  1. Are your menu items freezer-to-fryer or freshly breaded?
  2. Will your kitchen be frying in large quantities?
  3. Are you looking for an all-purpose “workhorse” fryer to handle all your menu needs?
  4. Do you want something more advanced to improve operations, maintain consistent food quality, and save money?

Henny Penny offers a wide range of open fryers, so there are plenty of options for every unique kitchen.

No matter what fryer you go with, all Henny Penny fryers include built-in oil filtration as a standard feature. This means oil filtration is no longer a chore and can be completed in just a few minutes at the touch of a button.

Keep in mind that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ best commercial fryer for fried chicken. Still struggling to decide between open and pressure frying? Check out this in-depth blog covering the differences and similarities between the two frying methods.

Heated Holding Cabinets

When you’re serving fried chicken, a holding cabinet is one of the most valuable pieces of kitchen equipment you can invest in.

Since diners are embracing off-premises channels at an unprecedented rate, peak order times and volumes have fluctuated. At the same time, operators are struggling to keep their kitchens staffed with enough employees to handle the rush.

The answer to these challenges? Cooking in large batches and holding product until it’s ready to serve.

Today’s holding cabinets are much more than stainless steel hot boxes – they can keep fried chicken fresh for long periods without sacrificing product quality. This way, the chicken will still be moist on the inside with a golden crunch on the outside. The customer won’t even be able to tell that it’s not fresh out of the fryer!

At Henny Penny, we offer two main options for holding cabinets: our standard cabinet, and the more advanced SmartHold model.

Our standard heated holding cabinet includes temperature control to keep fried chicken ready to serve (the recommended holding temperature for fried chicken is between 175- and 185-degrees Fahrenheit). A simple water pan allows the cabinet to create steam and help maintain the chicken’s moisture.

Our SmartHold cabinets feature something a bit more advanced – precise humidity control. This is ideal for naturally moist products like fried chicken. SmartHold allows operators to hold fried chicken and almost any other food for up to 200% longer than most other holding cabinets.

According to our corporate executive chef Gregg Brickman, either of these cabinets will make a major difference in your commercial kitchen. He says that holding cabinets can relieve as much pressure for today’s kitchens as adding another employee or sous chef.

Breadings and Seasonings

Aside from your kitchen equipment, you’ll also want breadings and seasonings to bring your fried chicken menu to life with flavor and texture.

Henny Penny offers an extensive collection of breading and seasoning formulations. There are options for every taste, menu, and health concern. Click here to explore flavor profiles and menu suggestions for each of our exclusive breadings and seasonings.

In Conclusion…

Clearly there is a lot to consider regarding fried chicken restaurant equipment. And beyond the equipment itself, there is even more to think about.

How will the kitchen process flow? Where will you source frying oil and other product? How will you get customer service once the equipment has been installed?

Answer all these questions and more by downloading From Sourcing to Serving, a comprehensive guide from our chicken experts. It’s packed with 22 pages covering everything you need to know about adding chicken to your menu!

Chicken Thighs: The New Wings?

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It’s happening with chlorine. It’s even happening with ketchup packets. And now everyone is freaking out over the chicken shortage.

The saying goes that there are two seasons for chicken wings, Super Bowl and the rest of the year. Weirdly, this year’s Big Game viewership was down 8 percent from the year before but, according to the National Chicken Council, wing consumption was up 2 percent. In one weekend, we ate a record 1.42 billion chicken wings!

No wonder there’s a chicken shortage. If you are a chicken restaurant operator battling it out with your supplier or about to launch a virtual chicken concept, stop for a moment and consider this: Nowhere does any of this news coverage mention a shortage of chicken thighs.

For every pair of chicken wings, there is a pair of chicken thighs selling for roughly half the price per pound and more than twice the meat per serving. That alone should be enough to pique an operator’s interest these days. The problem is, chicken thighs don’t get the same respect from the American palate that they do elsewhere. That’s mostly due to a lack of marketing. Taste tests have consistently shown that three out of four consumers prefer the flavor of thighs to breasts or wings. Thigh meat is moist and tender with enough fat from the bird itself for flavor so you can taste the chicken, not just what it’s breaded, marinated or cooked in.

As part of a “whole-bird strategy,” thighs are proving to be an ally for Wingstop to keep up with demand and increase contract-based purchases. The Dallas-based chain with more than 1,500 units has been testing a bone-in thigh product to add to their regular lineup. Nathan’s Famous plans to roll out two new chicken sandwiches, both featuring boneless, skinless thighs. The more intense flavor of the thigh holds up beautifully in both the Nashville Hot fried version and the marinated grilled sandwich, according to a senior executive with the chain, calling them some of the most flavorful options in the industry.

If you’re a smaller operator or a food truck looking to stay in the chicken game while maintaining high-margin profitability, give thighs a try. Like wings, thighs can be served bone-in or boneless, breaded and deep-fried, baked or grilled. I like them twice-fried with Korean style breading and a sweet, spicy gochujang sauce. If you’re in the northeast, you might try dredging them in “clam fry” breading. In the south, pressure fried with hot honey sauce and a fried green tomato. One of my favorite ways to do chicken thighs is to French them into lollipops. Like drumsticks, thighs hold up well to this technique. The result is tender meat slightly compressed and massed towards one end of the bone, with the other exposed for the “handle.” They make terrific finger food. And compared to half a dozen wings, one or two thighs makes for a lot less mess.

Just remember, consumers are not conditioned to appreciate thighs the way they have been with wings, tenders and breasts. Your best bet is to come up with a signature item, give it a niche, do trial promotions, and start a whisper campaign. Once you get a few people eating and enjoying chicken thighs, the good word will spread!

For more information on frying and understanding your options, click here. Or, if you’re already frying and want to analyze an existing program, check out our free download: The Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid in Your Frying Program (and how to fix them).

Originally published on www.HennyPenny.com
by Chef Gregg; Henny Penny Corporate Executive Chef