On September 25, Reaton Food sales teams from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia came together in Riga. The purpose of the meeting was not only to spend time together, but above all to learn, deepen our product knowledge and share experience.
Being a good partner to our customers requires more than simply knowing what we have in our assortment. It is important to truly understand the products we sell - their characteristics, quality, preparation methods, applications and the challenges they can help solve in a professional kitchen. That is why we invited our suppliers from different European countries and Japan to join the training and share not only their products, but also their knowledge, experience and insights into the latest market trends.
From Small Tartlets to Big Possibilities
We began the training with Masdeu products and tartlets designed for bite-sized appetizers. With the winter season, festive celebrations and events approaching, products like these are becoming increasingly relevant.
Together, we explored different types of tartlets, their quality characteristics, storage conditions and possible applications. One of their greatest advantages is the ability to create a wide variety of appetizers from a single base simply by changing the fillings, presentation and decoration. For professional kitchens, this provides greater creative freedom while also helping to make preparation more efficient.
Giovanni Rana - Italian Pasta Tradition and Innovation
Next, we met with a representative of Giovanni Rana. With more than 60 years of history, the company today combines the traditions of Italian pasta making with modern production technologies and a strong international presence.
For us, this meeting was also a continuation of an earlier experience. In May, our colleague visited the producer in Italy together with our customers, and this time we had the pleasure of welcoming a Giovanni Rana representative to Riga.
During the training, we focused closely on product quality and ingredients. The ingredients used in Rana pasta fillings are carefully selected, with no artificial flavorings and no powdered meat, vegetables or cheese. This product philosophy makes Rana an excellent solution for restaurants that value not only quick and convenient preparation, but also the high quality of the finished dish.
And we also have something new to look forward to - pumpkin-filled ravioli will soon be joining our assortment.
Interestingly, Rana's connection with gastronomy goes far beyond food production. Ristorante Famiglia Rana in Oppeano, Italy, has been awarded two Michelin stars for 2026.
Japanese Flavours and Trends with Mizkan
From Italy, we moved on to Japan. Mizkan is a Japanese food manufacturer whose extensive range includes vinegars, seasonings, sauces and marinades.
This part of the training gave us an opportunity to better understand a product that may seem very simple at first glance - vinegar. We learned about the production process and experienced first-hand how different vinegars can influence the final flavour of a dish. We tasted rice seasoned with three different vinegars, allowing us to compare the different flavour nuances each one brings.
We also discussed current food trends and popular dishes in Japan, including round temari sushi, karaage chicken and onigiri, one of Japan's most popular ways of preparing and serving rice. Knowledge like this helps us not only understand the products themselves, but also see the wider possibilities for incorporating them into our customers' menus.
A Croissant Is More Than Just Breakfast
Another part of the training was dedicated to Banquet d'Or, a professional frozen bakery brand belonging to the Belgian family-owned food group Vandemoortele.
We discussed product technologies and solutions that can help kitchens save both time and space. Unproofed products are up to 60% more compact than pre-proofed products, meaning they require less space during storage and transportation.
But perhaps the most interesting part was looking at croissants as more than just a traditional breakfast pastry. We discovered much more creative ways to use them - from turning a croissant into an ice cream cone to serving it as part of a hearty dish with eggs and beans. Sometimes, all it takes is giving a familiar product a new form or purpose to turn it into a completely new menu idea.
New Potato Products from Poland
We ended the training day by discovering new potato products from the Polish company MK Agro. We explored potato wedges, mashed potatoes and potato gratin - and, of course, tasted them all.
The tasting once again reminded us why the practical part of product training is so important. You can read a lot about a product, but tasting it is the best way to understand its flavour, texture and potential applications. The potato gratin attracted particular attention from the team, and we all agreed that it is definitely a product worth introducing to our customers.
The More We Know, the More We Can Offer Our Customers
At Reaton Food, we continuously invest in our team's knowledge because we believe that a strong sales team should be more than just a seller of products - it should be a trusted partner and advisor to the customer.
The better we understand our products - their origins, characteristics, preparation technologies and applications - the better we can identify the right solution for a particular restaurant, hotel, café or other foodservice business.
That is why meetings like these are much more than product presentations. They give us the opportunity to meet the people behind the products, ask questions, taste, exchange experience and bring new ideas back to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
We learn so that we can offer our customers more - not only products, but also knowledge, ideas and solutions for their business.
