Bridging the gap between rancher and restaurant
Scott Redden carries a torch.
He may not start the race and he isn’t the one to cross the finish line but his role is just as crucial to ultimate success. He’s the middle man.
If you’re ever introduced to someone with the title CAB Specialist, don’t be surprised to learn they don’t work for us. Well, at least technically speaking.
Scott works for longtime distributor Sysco and is what we call a CAB Premium Protein Specialist. In a nutshell, his job is to help drive CAB sales and inspire people to become as passionate about the brand as he is.
We kinda like him for it.
To break it down even further, Scott’s job is to sell beef. It’s his responsibility to get the food that you raise into the hands of those hungry for it. But it’s more than just passing product down the line. It’s showing the owners and chefs who have a large “steak” in the game why they should use CAB versus competing brands and proteins.
For starters, it takes him doing his homework. Like a sportscaster studies his subjects before a big game, Scott has to know his customers.
“I don’t want to put a ribeye in a drive-through restaurant. Everything has to jibe; it’s about what fits to help that customer succeed,” he shares.
When it comes to customers, Scott’s couldn’t be more different. From master chefs to new-hire line cooks, diversity in culinary education and beef knowledge leaves little room for repetition in a day.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to driving meat sales,” he says. “Every customer, every individual, every day is different.”
But it’s never boring. “I look forward to the unknown. I’m constantly presented with new challenges,” he says. Plus, for a guy who got his start in a restaurant, working with beef can have its perks.
“I have the best job,” he says. “I get to work with meat all day.”
For Scott, what brings out the most satisfaction is continuing the goal that ranchers have started – telling their story in a way that connects with his customers, taking part in what drives their business.
“Nobody comes in a restaurant and asks ‘How delicious are your green beans today?’ It’s all about how good that steak is. In a way, I’m directly responsible for that.”
Responsibility has never scared Scott. In what he calls a “natural fit” at Sysco Raleigh, he uses his culinary background to facilitate sales. Whether it’s training fellow team members on carcass breakdowns, sharing cost-effective ways chefs can serve quality product or leading the charge at food shows, he does it all with a confidence that rests in the beef.
“As far as a selling tool, there’s no better bullet in my gun than to have the best product going to battle with you,” he says.
In today’s economy it may seem daunting to try to sell a “Cadillac instead of a Corolla” but with premium beef, Scott says it’s not.
“Actually it’s easier in a way,” he says. “There’s nothing worse than paying hard-earned money for a bad eating experience. They’d rather spend it on a premium product to guarantee they’re getting something good.”
He has you to thank for the “good” part.
Thanks for allowing me to tell your story,
Laura
—
Miss the beginning of our series? Catch up here:
- Introduction: Nice to Meat Ya
- Day 1: Ashley Pado