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 Whether it's turkey sausage for breakfast, turkey medallions on
salad for lunch or roast turkey and gravy for dinner, Brenneman says
he eats the bird at least once every day.
His meal choices were among the personal glimpses he shared during
an interview with The Associated Press. Brenneman also dished about
how Butterball handles its busiest time of year. The company, based
in Garner, N.C., estimates that it makes one out of every five
turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving.
This year, Butterball ran into a shortage of large, fresh turkeys.
Brenneman says it's the first time the company had trouble fattening
up its birds in time for the holidays. He says the cause is unknown
but is being investigated.
In the meantime, Butterball is welcoming another first: Its famous
Turkey Talk Line at 1-800-BUTTERBALL now will employ men. The
toll-free line has been a resource for cooks with questions about
preparing their holiday feasts since 1981. On Thanksgiving alone,
Butterball says the line fields more than 12,000 calls.
Here are excerpts from the interview with Butterball's Brenneman:
Q: Where did the name Butterball come from? And how do you feel
about the term being used to describe chubby people?
A: Many people think Butterball turkeys have butter in them, but
they don't. Basically the name came about because of their plump
size and golden color. We're proud of the Butterball name. There is
no talk or joke about being a butterball at this company. Only about
our turkeys. They're plump.
Q: Do you produce whole turkeys year round or just as you get
closer to Thanksgiving?
A: Ten months out of the year we're producing whole turkeys and
freezing them. Those are the frozen birds that you're buying (for
Thanksgiving). For October and November, we shift into what we call
fresh season. Those birds are all fresh.
Q: So the turkey I buy could've been frozen a long time ago?
A: They're frozen throughout the year. It could've been a month ago.
It could've been three or four months ago. Either way, once they're
frozen, they maintain their quality and shelf life.
Q: What are some of the most common questions you get on the
Turkey Talk line?
A: "How long does it take to thaw a turkey?"
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Q: What are some of the more unusual questions you've had?
A: We had a time when the people had left their turkey outside all
night. I guess it was really cold and it had snowed. They called and
they wanted to know how to locate their turkey in the snow.
Q: Why did you decide to have men field calls?
A: One in four calls we get at the Turkey Talk Line are men, believe
it or not. We stepped back and looked at the changing Thanksgiving
table and men are becoming more and more a part of, not only the
carving of the turkey, but the cooking of the turkey.
Q: Do they have to go through any training?
A: Every single person who works on the Turkey Talk Line goes
through Butterball University. They are trained from A-to-Z on
turkey and turkey-related items. I think it lasts for one week each
year.
Q: Do you do the cooking on Thanksgiving, and if so, have any
tips?
A: Getting the turkey prepared and in the oven is usually my job,
and then carving it. If anyone has any questions at all, I'd say
call 1-800-Butterball. I've actually used it myself. For example,
last year I was up in the mountain and I called to see if I needed
to cook it differently at that altitude. Believe or not, the lady
knew the answer right off the top of her head. Since I was below a
certain altitude, I didn't need to change anything about it.
Q: Did you tell her you were the CEO?
A: I did not.
[Associated
Press; CANDICE CHOI, AP Food Industry Writer]
Follow Candice Choi at
http://twitter.com/candicechoi.
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
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