David Michael & Co., a global flavor leader and food and beverage innovator for more than 100 years, is once again sending its "Great Escape to Innovate" team on the road. A specially equipped RV will tour the continent to share and gather unique and relevant ideas about what's new and innovative in the world of taste and texture.

David Michael’s Great Escape to Innovate RV had a successful premier tour in 2013. David Michael food scientists, flavor chemists, R&D professionals and marketing and consumer insight experts covered more than 25,000 miles and visited more than 120 clients in 30 states.

Now the Great Escape to Innovate RV is hitting the road again for 2015. It’s bringing a unique package of customer and consumer opportunities including signature product demos from the David Michael 2014 Innovation Roadshow®, a wide array of unique products, creative culinary product demonstrations and technical training sessions.

“We couldn't have asked for better results from our first Great Escape to Innovate tour,” says Skip Rosskam, David Michael president and COO. “… But, true to our reputation as an innovator, we're raising the bar for our second tour in 2015. We have more innovations to share, even more unique solutions and education for clients and big visions for the future requiring data and insights from the people who to stand to benefit from them."

In essence, The Great Escape to Innovate takes David Michael's annual Innovation Roadshow on tour, with added opportunities and surprises.

One of the Roadshow "hot ticket items" on the 2015 tour is the Croitzel™. Demonstrated in both Salted Chocolate and Ham & Cheddar varieties, this innovation combines two beloved indulgent pastries: the croissant and pretzel, in a delicious hybrid.

One intriguing new product idea is an allergen-free nut butter yogurt, which provides that beloved PB&J taste in yogurt for anyone to enjoy. Another fun concept is a peanut butter plantain popper. Targeted at Hispanic consumers who may not be as familiar with peanut butter, this new snack incorporates chipotle flavor and plantains to help make peanut butter shine within this market.

“Our food technologists work for months to come up with the next great taste trend or product, and we are thrilled that we can continue to take some of these ideas on the road with us,” says Rosskam. “Much more than just tastes, this tour really provides the opportunity to sample the country, learn about new trends, and share the knowledge our experts accumulate.”

Throughout 2015, the Great Escape's 34-foot RV will visit farmers' markets and specialty shops, chefs' kitchens and R&D centers. In part, the goal is to deliver information, education and solutions for clients. Likewise, David Michael experts also gather information about the latest needs, wants, hot topics and insights from customers, chefs, R&D professionals and consumers.

Over the years, David Michael has had a history of success predicting future trends, many of which have been featured at their annual Innovation Roadshow. Having celebrated its 11th year, the Innovation Roadshow® has become one of the food and beverage industry’s “must-attend” events. Whether it's a new technology, an exotic taste or an emerging trend, the event reveals what's on the horizon in the food industry and allows people to taste unique products with influences from across the country and around the world.

"Our Roadshow showcase products and flavor ideas have proven to be precursors to actual market products; what we are bringing to clients on the Great Escape aren't just new ideas, they are stepping stones to endless possibilities," says Phil Parisi, vice president, technical director, David Michael & Co. "By taking them on tour, we allow more and more of our customers to get in on what's up-and-coming before they start trending. In essence, we empower customers to not just leverage a trend, but to be trendsetters themselves in their own markets."

The unveiling and immediate positive experiences of the Great Escape to Innovate in the summer of 2013, spawned David Michael's "Great Escape to Educate," which already has visited more than 250 university food science students. The "Great Escape to Educate" has David Michael experts helping better understand the role of the flavor industry and flavor companies, gain a deeper knowledge of flavors and why they are used, and explore industry career opportunities. With this initiative, David Michael will visit multiple schools throughout the summer and fall.

"Great Escape to Educate speaks to the future of the flavor industry and David Michael's commitment to it," adds Rosskam. "Through this initiative, we are building the next generation of flavor specialists. We're getting them excited about the ways they can influence culinary trends, and we're nurturing them to unlock the potential of our industry."

The Great Escape to Innovate RV comfortably seats 10 and is customized with several flat-screen TVs, an outside awning and a kitchen equipped for culinary presentations. 2015 trips have already been completed in the Southeast, Southwest and Northwest. With the Midwest leg of the tour already well underway, the RV travels later this summer to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions.

— David Michael & Company, www.dmflavors.com

About David Michael & Co.
Family-owned and operated since 1896, David Michael & Co. has been a leader and an innovator in the food industry for more than one hundred years. With its global headquarters in Philadelphia, PA, David Michael also has facilities in Northbrook, IL, San Bernardino, CA, and internationally in Lerma, Mexico (David Michael de Mexico SA de CV), Valence, France (David Michael Europe, S.A.S.) and Beijing, China (David Michael (Beijing) Flavor Co. Ltd.).

David Michael Innovation Roadshow product and flavor ideas, by category:

BAKERY
• Gluten-free Maple Cinnamon Flavored Mini Waffles
• Gluten-free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Lemon Chia Seed Muffin with Blue Honeysuckle Filling
• Reduced Sugar Coconut Lime Flavored Cupcakes Biscotti
• Salted Chocolate Croitzel(TM)
• Smoked Ham and Cheddar Croitzel(TM)

BEVERAGES
• Chai Tea Latte
• Chicha Morada Still or Carbonated Beverage
• Coffee Toppers(R) Syrup Dulche de Leche
• Orange Pineapple Basil Agua Fresca
• Paw Paw Flavored Moonshine, 50 proof
• Yellow Cake Batter Cream Cordial, 22 proof

CULINARY (MEALS, SIDES & SAUCES)
• Achiote Yogurt Dry Mix Dip
• Ancient Grains S'more Truffle
• Chipotle Peanut Butter Plantain Popper
• Double Bourbon Beef Gravy Mix
• Smoky Pineapple Dipping Sauce or Glaze

DAIRY
• Banana Peach Mango Purple Sweet Potato Yogurt
• Bananas Foster Toasty Sipper with Fiber
• Brioche de Saint-Genix Flavored Ice Cream
• Orange Spice Tea Dairy Creamer
• Salted Caramel Latte Milk
• Fruit & Vegetable Tropical Greek Yogurt
• Nutbutter Yogurt (PB&J inspired but allergen-free)

HEALTH & NUTRITION
• Savory Vegetable & Wild Rice Cluster
• Smoothie Starter Using Non-Dairy Milk
• Tropical Splash Algae Gummies
• Vanilla Oatmeal Ice Cream with Cranberry Apple Variegate
• Wild Cherry Flavored Apple Slices