Meat+Poultry - June 2019 - 34

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really sticks and there's not
anything special."
So, the strategy behind
the product launch is
two-fold - revive the retail
prepared meats category
with an innovative product
line while raising both
brands' profile and appeal
among younger consum-

The company's practices
are in line with the consumer trend of purchasing meat
and poultry based on wants
versus needs. Findings of the
2019 Power of Meat study
show that three in 10 shoppers look for "better-for"
claims relative to animals
and the planet. These claims

PORK

IN THE
COURT

Kin g of Beer s'

BY E R I C A S H A FFE R | e s h a f f e r @ s o s l a n d.c o m

ers like millennials who
represent more than 80
million consumers with $600
billion in annual spending
power, according to market
research firm Accenture.
Coleman Natural was
an early adopter of raising
animals on organic feed with
no antibiotics ever (NAE).

MEAT+ POULTRY | 06.19 | www.meatpoultry.com

resonate among millennials,
according to the study, and
millennials are a key demographic for the Budweiser
barbecue products.
"They are our largest
buying group," Vittori said.
"They buy frozen, processed,
ready-to-eat foods and
putting an iconic beer brand

like Budweiser with...the
first crate-free pork company in the United States
certified by the USDA and by
third-party certification from
American Humane, we find
that these are products that
are going to be very hard to
beat in the market place."
Coleman and Budweiser
also are betting the quality of
the products will be tough to
beat, too. Coleman Natural
produces high-quality pork
sourced from crate-free hogs
that are raised according to
the Five Freedoms standards
which address issues such
as air quality, adequate
space, lighting, temperature,
food and humane treatment.
Anheuser Busch implements stringent standards
for their hops and other
ingredients that go into
Budweiser products.
Budweiser Coleman
products are made for multichannel sales. The barbecue
pork products will roll out
to retailers throughout 2019.
New product launches will
occur throughout the year.
"We have a whole line of
new items that are going
to come out...and even go
into the single-serve and
snacking venue after this,"
Vittori explained, adding
that he expects to see
continued growth as the
year progresses.
"There are a lot of beer
sausages out there, but the
fact of the matter is, this
is Budweiser," Vittori said.
"This is not like a lot of
beers; this is Budweiser. The
reaction that we've gotten
from people so far at the
show and in private meetings
is exactly those words - This.
Is. Budweiser."

Coleman Natural Meats

oleman Natural
Meats and
Budweiser made
a splash at the 2019 Meat
Conference in Dallas, where
the two companies unveiled
a new line of barbecue pork
products infused with the
flavor of the King of Beers.
The five new products
developed through the
collaboration include St.
Louis Style Pork Spare Ribs
in Budweiser Brewmaster's
Premium BBQ Sauce;
Pulled Pork in Budweiser
Brewmaster's Premium
BBQ Sauce; Beer Bratwurst
infused with real Budweiser
Lager Beer; and Jalapeño
Cheddar Beer Bratwurst
infused with cheddar cheese
and Budweiser Lager. The
first product launch was
scheduled to take advantage
of the Memorial Day holiday.
Bart Vittori, general
manager of Coleman Natural
Meats, expects the collaboration of the Budweiser
and Coleman Natural Meats
brands to disrupt a stagnant
category. In the past, brand
name changes without
product innovation weren't
enough to trigger interest in
retail prepared meats which
registered only 0.7 percent
growth. Additionally, Vittori
said, poultry has saturated
the sausage category and
needed innovation from
traditional pork processors.
"The sausage category is an
untouched category on the
pork side," Vittori said.
"The pork barbecue
and the cooked ribs are
two categories that have
had stagnant growth over
the years," he added. "A
lot of name brands have
come through, but no one
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