Half & half has carved out an indisputable spot in the coffee category. Datassential research confirms, in fact, that operators use half & half in the front of the house more than any other type of cream, due in part to its popularity as a coffee add-in. But one-third of operators also use it as a back-of-house ingredient.

Over the past year, a majority of operators streamlined their menus to manage through the pandemic. In fact, the National Restaurant Association’s 2021 State of the Industry Report showed that 63% of fine dining and half of casual and family dining restaurants now offer fewer items.

It’s interesting to know how mozzarella is made. For the industry, however, what’s even more compelling is how mozzarella is consumed.

Its history in Italy and the United States underscores an important fact about mozzarella cheese: Although they all share the name “mozzarella,” there are actually several different varieties of the beloved Italian cheese, each with its own unique characteristics.

The ripple effects of COVID-19 on the U.S. food industry has created volatility in the cheese industry as well. Learn how operators are adjusting.

By summer, after shelter-in-place guidelines were lifted, indoor dining had resumed around the country (with restrictions varying by state). But with infection rates rising, a number of regions are again significantly restricting or shuttering dine-in service, forcing many restaurant operators to focus on outdoor dining as an alternative.

Few global events have disrupted the U.S. food industry—from farm to table—as significantly as COVID-19. The ripple effects of that disruption have created volatility in the cheese industry as well.

What does it take to transform a knowledgeable cheesemonger into a Certified Cheese Professional^® (or CCP™ for short)? Three hours, 150 questions—and a whole lot of commitment. Before the fateful day when cheese experts of all stripes sit for the formidable Certified Cheese Professional Exam^® offered by the American Cheese Society (ACS), they spend months—or even years—preparing.