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 When
we think of Thanksgiving, we usually think of the traditional meal
as if it were some sort of Norman Rockwellian dream. A table laden
with an assortment of heaping bowls. A golden turkey glistening
like a crown jewel. Breads of all kinds and enough pies to open
a diner. Grandma, and maybe a few aunts, also glistening—from perspiration—after
spending countless hours in the kitchen.
But let’s face it: times have changed. Grandma may be more interested
in aquasizing and her investment club than preparing a full turkey
meal with all the fixings. And those aunts, one may be a vegetarian,
another flunked home economics, and another won’t be attending the
family gathering at all. Yet, still, there is a yearning to present
a traditional Thanksgiving feast.
Thanks to some local grocery stores and caterers, Grandma—and the
rest of the family—never had it so good and so convenient. Whether
they want a fully prepared Thanksgiving meal or just a few side
dishes to round out the meal, help is just a click of a mouse or
a trip to the local grocery store away.
“In the past three years, our sales of prepared Thanksgiving meals
and side dishes have increased 30-35 percent,” says Ed Meyer, vice
president of deli/seafood/carryout foods for Schnuck Markets. “As
easy as the turkey hotline tells us it is, people don’t want to
screw up this one important meal. Thanksgiving is the one meal that
people sweat over all year to have.”
Customers can find help with their Thanksgiving meals by accessing
a menu of items and packages on the grocer’s website or by ordering
from a brochure available in early November. Customers have a variety
of options to meet their specific needs. Schnuck Markets offers
a whole, cooked turkey dinner that feeds 8-10. It consists of a
10-12-pound heat-and-serve turkey, two pounds of old-fashioned dressing,
a 24-ounce cranberry Waldorf gelatin salad and a dozen brown-and-serve
rolls. Also popular is the same meal substituted with a four-pound
turkey breast instead of the whole bird. A variety of side dishes
is also available à la carte.
“Our complete meal is the most universal. People want turkey, dressing,
gelatin and rolls. The other sides are more personal. Not everyone
wants green beans or mashed potatoes so we offer them à la carte.
And, a lot of people add to the prepared meal with their own specialties,”
Meyer says.
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“We
have tried to get customers to change and try new
things, but they always want the same, the basics
like mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole
and candied yams.”
Mark Russo
co-owner
Russo's Gourmet Catering
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Dierbergs Markets Inc. also offers prepared Thanksgiving fare that
can be ordered via the Internet or in-store. Dierbergs has its own
slant on how to assist customers with their Thanksgiving holiday
meals. It offers two complete turkey dinners that feed up to 10
and include a whole roasted turkey and a choice from 12 side dishes.
“We have also started offering a complete petite turkey dinner,
which feeds only four people. This dinner is geared toward senior
citizens and small families and has been growing in popularity.
Last year, we did 40 percent more petite dinners than the year before,”
says David Calandro, director of deli and foodservice operations
at Dierbergs.
For customers seeking something a little different than turkey,
the grocer also offers a spiral ham dinner, as well as beef brisket
and rosemary pork loin dinners. Dierbergs also adds to the traditional
list of side dishes.
“We keep the traditional menu items and then each year we try to
add two or three new ones. This year, we are working on a new glazed
‘Paradise Carrot’ with cranberries, pecan, coconut, pineapple and
a sweet, honey-type glaze,” Calandro says.
Mark Russo, co-owner of Russo’s Gourmet Catering, has found his
clients usually don’t stray from the traditional Thanksgiving fare.
“We have tried to get customers to change and try new things, but
they always want the same, the basics like mashed potatoes, stuffing,
green bean casserole and candied yams,” he says.
Russo offers fully prepared Thanksgiving dinners from its commissary,
but most customers turn to the caterer for accompaniments and side
dishes to augment their home-cooked meals.
“A lot of people just want some side dishes, desserts and maybe
a couple of salads. The turkey is the easiest part. People have
their own recipes, but they like the convenience of ordering specific
things to accompany the meal they have planned,” Russo says.
Whether customers want the whole Thanksgiving shebang or just some
sides to go along with their traditional meals, they are increasingly
turning to prepared foods to help them achieve their dream meals.
Also driving the Thanksgiving prepared foods market is the changing
definition of family, according to Meyer.
“For us, Thanksgiving starts the weekend before the holiday and
continues until the weekend after,” he says. “Because of different
family make-ups, people are attending multiple Thanksgiving meals
throughout the week. Or, they may attend only one meal, but order
their own smaller meal the weekend after because they want to eat
turkey and dressing again, but don’t want to make it.”
C.B. Adams is a St. Louis-based writer, communications consultant
and adjunct faculty member at University of Missouri-St. Louis. |
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