Burgers remain one of the most dynamic categories in the foodservice industry, and for Hamburger Day today, May 28th, Cattel is highlighting a segment that now goes far beyond simply offering meat in a sandwich. For the Veneto-based distributor specializing in the Horeca channel, the hamburger represents an increasingly strategic business opportunity for bars, pubs, nightclubs, catering, street food, and fast food outlets, thanks to its ability to adapt to different consumption patterns and diverse formats.
From seasonal grills to takeaway, including gourmet options and takeout, the burger continues to evolve in line with market changes and consumer habits. In this context, the category plays a key role because it allows operators to build a recognizable offering that is easy to manage and operationally flexible.
According to Cattel, today it's not just the quality of the meat that counts, but also the ability to offer a wide range of products in terms of weight, recipe, format, and price range. This is particularly important at a time when the beef sector continues to face high raw material costs, more cautious consumption, and pressured margins.
"The hamburger today is a much broader and more dynamic category than in the past: it's not just the meat that counts, but the ability to offer different solutions in terms of weights, recipes, formats, and price positioning, responding promptly to the needs of different venues," explains Simone Fantato, Category Manager for Meat at Cattel. "At a time when the beef sector remains conditioned by high prices, slowing consumption, and compressed margins, it's essential to focus on yield, rotation, and food cost control."
Within this strategy, the importance of private labels is also growing. Cattel currently operates in the sector through the Valdora Selezione, Valdora, and Scottona Braslavia brands, which are now joined by diGIA', a line developed to ensure high quality while maintaining a focus on value for money, an increasingly important factor for the Horeca market.
Meat is one of the group's core categories, and the distributor aims to strengthen its presence through dedicated services, from portioning to the production of burgers, sausages, and meatballs, with the option of customizing some recipes based on customer requests.
The offering currently includes approximately 40 burgers and meatballs, both fresh and frozen, with products differentiated by diameter, thickness, weight, and recipe. Alongside beef options, there are also options for heifer, beef-pork mix, and chicken, as well as premium products such as Angus, Fassone Piemontese, and Chianina. Among the most current trends is the smash burger, a format that continues to see growing demand for eating out.
For Cattel, however, a burger is no longer just a protein. The category encompasses bread, condiments, cheeses, bacon, marinades, sides, and packaging, in an integrated offering designed to ensure convenience, speed of service, and consistent quality, even for takeout.
Alongside traditional burgers, there's also space for fish, chicken, and vegan burgers, along with pre-cut buns, sauces, and takeout options. This strategy aims to transform the burger into a complete platform for contemporary dining out, combining quality, customization, and cost control in an increasingly competitive market.
