Baldor heading to IFPA Foodservice Conference

Baldor Specialty Foods partners with more than 1,000 farms to supply food items to restaurants, wholesalers, corporate foodservice, schools, hospitals and more — but foodservice has long been its bread and butter.

“The success of our foodservice business has allowed us to venture into other sales channels,” said Benjamin Walker, senior vice president of sales, marketing and merchandising for the Bronx, NY-based company.

That’s why the company is excited about attending the upcoming IFPA Foodservice Conference and connecting with current customers and possibly finding new relationships.

“Making sure we have plenty of time to rekindle some relationships after a two-year hiatus is important,” Walker said. “We can’t wait to see all our partners who didn’t get to make it to Baldor Bite this year.”

Baldor Bite, which was held in April, is a company-run expo created to celebrate the world’s best food and the industry’s top talent. The event brought together chefs and suppliers to build new bonds across the supply chain and promoted responsible sourcing, knowledgeable cooking demos, and innovation in the industry.

The IFPA show is another chance for Baldor team members to catch up with people, and a few team members who have been organizing an agenda for the show for quite a few months now.

“Being in Monterey allows us to visit many growers on their turf and catch up on industry trends and for those who are further, we find time around the conference to catch up,” Walker said. “While there are many things we expect to be talking about, inflation and rising costs are a few topics that are on the mind of everyone these days.”

In 2022, some of the company’s best-selling items include strawberries, avocados, romaine hearts, arugula and English cucumbers.  

“We are excited to work with many of the best indoor growers,” Walker said. “We are proud to now be working Bowery Farming, AeroFarms, Gotham Greens, Little Leaf, Good Healthy, Koppert Cress and

Gilbertie’s in an effort to support more regionally based programs. It’s good for the environment and good for business.”