Rich Products delivered innovation, inspiration and unique experiences at the 2024 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) show, which took place on June 9-11 in Houston, Texas. From trending application ideas and live product demos to a future-focused digital hub, Rich’s is helping show bakeries how to stay ahead of the evolving bakery landscape through its robust portfolio of creative bakery solutions.

“At Rich’s, we're constantly innovating to help customers stay ahead of the curve and meet consumer demands,” said Rachel McCrone, director, customer marketing bakery/deli.

To help attendees deliver on key bakery trends driven by rapidly evolving consumer needs, Rich’s showcased three main displays at the show:

Leveraging Hispanic Flavors to Drive Demand

Ethnically inspired solutions, particularly traditional Hispanic items, like Tres leches cakes, churros, bolillo rolls and seasonal desserts, are a key demand driver within fresh bakery. In fact, according to Datassential, 47% of U.S. consumers are interested in global desserts. Rich’s will spotlight its Tres leches products at IDDBA, providing live demonstrations that showcase the versatility of its products, including flavors and colors, to help bakeries attract new customers. The demos will highlight how the products can be used in mass production, as well as how other non-traditional flavors, like Rich’s Bettercreme Strawberry, Chantilly, and Chocolate, can be used to make delicious and colorful offerings that can be enjoyed for any holiday, including Hispanic events such as Mother's Day and Day of the Dead.

Tapping into Seasonal Trends with Rich’s Bettercreme

Seasonal flavors and colors are a huge opportunity area to drive demand, as consumer requests for fun, on-trend solutions have grown. Rich’s will showcase its entire Flavored and Colored Bettercreme portfolio at the show, highlighting how it can be promoted seasonally to drive demand with on-trend, easy-to-execute flavor designs for the entire year. The display will feature a variety of decorating formats, including 8-inch rounds for upscale gourmet presentations, 5-inch rounds for easy execution at the store level, as well as creative applications for brownies, cream puffs, and message cookies.

Having Fun with Funfetti®

Earlier this year, Rich’s and Hometown Food Company announced a new partnership bringing the first and only Funfetti in-store bakery (ISB) products to the market. The duo launched several Funfetti products, including a fully finished celebration cake, ice cream cake, cheesecake, cheesecake single service slice, Bettercreme whipped icing and uniced cake layers. At IDDBA, Rich’s will showcase a full Funfetti display, showing attendees the range of this platform - from fully finished, retail-ready items to versatile components enabling production efficiency and customizable solutions.

Live demonstrations

Led by Rich’s team of talented bakery technicians and experts, the company feaured a series of live, interactive product demos and engaging presentations, sharing valuable insight into emerging category trends, consumer preferences, and the future of fresh bakery.

A state-of-the-art touch screen and digital experience, Rich’s “Fuel the Future” digital hub showcased Rich’s commitment to future-focused growth and innovation, while providing attendees with an array of dynamic content, including consumer engagement strategies, research and insights, new product launches, sustainability initiatives and more.

As part of it digital hub, Rich’s features a series of virtual training programs, which are available through Rich’s Academy – a free online platform that helps food industry professionals at all stages of their career build their skills, tap into industry trends and take courses that qualify for continuing education credits or units from accrediting organizations.