Honey Shines at IFEC 2016

The National Honey Board (NHB) enjoyed a sweet showing at 2016 IFEC — the International Foodservice Editorial Council’s annual conference. Held this year in Minneapolis, the multi-day event brings together some 200 foodservice industry trade editors and PR pros from food commodity boards and brands.  

Each year at IFEC, the NHB endeavors to showcase honey in new and trending ways to spark editorial interest and coverage; the 2016 conference was no exception.  

For the opening night “Chef Showcase,” the NHB had the good fortune of being partnered with Chef Jim Kyndberg, executive chef of the conference’s host hotel — Radisson Blu Minneapolis.  Chef Kyndberg dished up a delectable Honey-braised Bison and Honey Glazed Acorn Squash — a small plate with huge taste appeal. The tender bison was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and a number of folks [we won’t name names] came back for seconds… and even thirds. Buckwheat honey was featured in the braise, while Wildflower honey was used in the acorn squash.  

The following morning, the NHB hosted a beverage station featuring Honey Energy Shots. Created by Chef Bev Shaffer, the trend-forward, non-alcoholic drinks were served in NHB-branded shooter glasses, along with corresponding recipe cards and nutrition analyses. Available in three different flavor profiles (Honey Lemon Matcha, Honey Cherry Kombucha and Honey Carrot Turmeric), the tasty and functional beverages made quite a splash with conference goers.  

Lastly, the NHB participated in deskside briefings (“Office Hours”) with editors from a number of leading trade publications, including: Flavor & The Menu, Plate, Food Management, Foodservice Director, FSR, Restaurant Business and National Culinary Review. As part of the one-on-one meetings, the NHB shared new honey-driven recipes, photography and story angles designed to help inspire honey coverage in 2017.  

Once again, the NHB succeeded in its aim of demonstrating honey’s versatility at this year’s IFEC conference. We look forward to challenging ourselves to create new opportunities and platforms for honey at IFEC 2017, slated for October in bee-utiful Boulder, CO — not far from NHB headquarters in Firestone, CO.