Pilot Episode 1: Why a Podcast?
Welcome to the very first episode of Tater Talk, the podcast. A podcast dedicated to all things French fries. I'm Rachael.
Hailey:And I'm Hailey.
Rachael:And we know you're probably thinking, why are we doing a podcast about Lamb Weston? So we're gonna break that down. But to start us off, we're gonna do a little quick intro of who who we are and who you all will be hearing from. So I'm Rachael Bedell. I've been with Lamb for a little over 5 years.
Rachael:I'm out of the Chicago area, and I've always been on the marketing side. I first started out with, like, distribution and then worked on to some different operator support, and now help manage our communication strategy with supporting McDonald's.
Hailey:Sweet.
Rachael:Oh, and my favorite fry. Sorry. Favorite fry. Favorite fry. I like the sweet potato rib cut one.
Rachael:It's, like, just so different, and I love it so much
Hailey:Yeah. Sweets are having a moment right now.
Rachael:They really are. It's also the fall, so that could be
Hailey:that could play into it too. It's true. Yeah. It's colder. You want sweet potato.
Hailey:I get it. Cool. Yeah. And my name's Hailey. I'm the content marketing manager for North America Food Service.
Hailey:It's been it's been fun. I started off at Lamb, almost 2 years ago, I guess now, in the comms department. So if anybody recognizes my name, from the weekly rundown, that would be me the same, but started working in marketing in April of 2024, and it's been really fun ever since, really fast paced, learn a ton, and get to work with so many different people every day. So doing this podcast is is really exciting to share out about, Lamb Weston and all the cool people we get to interact with.
Rachael:And your favorite fry?
Hailey:Oh my gosh. Yes. And my favorite fry. I feel yes. I'll say it again.
Hailey:The 5 16th Seashore. I no joke. I even just, like, looked at a photo of it the other day and was started salivating. Maybe I should go to the kitchen. Maybe it's just the time to turn on the fryers.
Hailey:Right? So Yeah. Totally. Yeah. We'll get there.
Hailey:But no, we're so excited to be able to, to pull this podcast together and, and talk about lamb Weston and all the cool things we're doing. So, I mean, first and foremost, we know fries are universal. This isn't solely a North America thing. It's really cool to work in an organization and a category that spans across generations, cultures, backgrounds, all different kinds of things. So, we know you'll find fries anywhere from, you know, a fast food joint to gourmet restaurants.
Hailey:It's really, it spans all sorts of, food service operators and areas. So, and we also know that you can even buy them and cook them at home, which hopefully a lot of us do. I know I do. So, whether it's crinkle, waffle, classic, we know fries bring people together. So we're excited to to do that with this podcast.
Rachael:Yeah. And I think one of the things I I know I got this when I first started working at Lamb. A lot of people were like, what all goes into a fry? And I'm like, well, do you wanna do you want me are you ready for the short time? Because we know that there's so much that goes into the fry, like, beyond just, like I mean, even just starting at the potatoes, there's so much that goes into the potatoes, and then you go into the cooking techniques and sauces and culinary, and there's, you know, food scientists.
Rachael:Like, who would ever think that we would have a food scientist? I think people are just like, a fry is a fry. And so I think if anyone's worked at Lamb for even just, like, a couple months, you catch on really quickly that there's so much that goes into making the perfect crispy fry. And so this is just a really great space for us to explore that world and all the different pieces, and people especially that go into that.
Hailey:Yep. Exactly. And I I think it's easy to forget because they seem so easy when you cook them. So it's just like, how can it be that complicated? But, that's the fun part too is being innovative in this space.
Hailey:So of course, beyond just being delicious, we know there's the business side. We get that. And fries, in fact, are a multibillion dollar industry between potato farming, food trucks, restaurants. I mean, all of the above, it's it all comes together. So, fries, it sounds sound maybe a little silly, but they're a gateway into a bigger conversation about food and the food industries.
Hailey:We talk about sustainability, how food connects all of us, and, fries are a really great starting point for that. So it's really exciting.
Rachael:Yeah. And it's like big community aspect too. Right? I think food, like food tells such a story. It's such a a memory thing.
Rachael:Like, you go somewhere or you smell something and you're like, oh, that takes you back to that. And so, we know we gather around for events and family activities. Again, it's the fall. It's almost Thanksgiving. We're about to gather around for big meals.
Rachael:And so we think that that's just something worth talking about, and we wanna help create that community too with all of you all, with the breadth of people throughout the company. There's so many people that I think are technically behind the scenes, and they've they have such good stories to tell. And so we're hoping to build, some more camaraderie and community, through hearing different stories from people, throughout the enterprise.
Hailey:Mhmm. Yeah. And we know that, we we do have a lot of expertise across all of our different areas. So, on this podcast, we'll talk about the history, not just of Lamb Weston, but fries, of course, and, potatoes and where that'll take us, the business, and yes, the fun side of lamb Weston, which there are so many different fun sides to it. So we're excited to talk to some fry enthusiasts, our chefs, chef Riley, chef Miguel, our agriculture experts, and then maybe even a potato farmer or 2.
Hailey:So, you know, this isn't just for foodies or for people, that work in marketing. You know, it's for anybody here who's curious about this, you know, simple potato, but how we take it and tell stories, spark innovation, bring joy. I mean, all these different kinds of things. So we we talk a lot about this premium experience at Lamb Weston. In fact, we'll talk a lot about what's called our premium promise and share about how we make that happen.
Hailey:So with those experts that we interview on the podcast, we're we're excited to dive into that.
Rachael:Yeah. And so stick around. We've got a lot more to talk about, a lot more in store. It's gonna be a super tasty journey. And welcome to Tater Tot podcast where fries always come first, and we'll see y'all next time.
Hailey:See you. Bye.