Pull Up A Chair and Meet the Team Behind our Winning PERDUE? AIR FRYER READY? Crispy Wings

In this National Chicken Wing Day-edition of Pull Up Chair, we're thrilled to introduce you to Rob McEwan, Manager, Retail Product Development and Cody Walter, Senior Marketing Manager, the creative masterminds behind the crispy, best–tasting chicken wing sensation that's taken kitchens by storm—PERDUE? AIR FRYER READY? Crispy Wings!

From the perfect seasoning blend to the crispy crunch that keeps you coming back for more, this talented team has crafted a recipe that has quickly become a fan favorite.

Join us as we chat with our Perdue fam who turned a simple idea into a must-have product that consumers just can't get enough of.

Tell us a little about your background and how you got into product development.

ROB: ?I grew up in rural Kansas and went to school at Kansas State, where I obtained a bachelor’s degree in food science, and a master’s degree in meat science.? Perdue brought me across the country to join the team here after I finished grad school in 2015.

While in school, I had a few internships and worked in the Meat Lab at K-State. Along with showing me a few things I didn’t want to do after school, I learned that I had a passion for the science, problem solving, and creative thinking that came with R&D and product development. I have always been a science person, and loved cooking and food, so meat science gave me a fun outlet to exercise what I was good at in an area that was very fun for me!

CODY: I grew up in north central Maryland and earned my bachelor's degree in business marketing & management from Salisbury University in 2013. I enjoyed the Eastern Shore lifestyle and joined Perdue in 2016 in inside-sales. In 2018, I moved to the Marketing department, handling various product portfolios. Perdue sponsored my MBA in Marketing & Strategy, which I completed in 2020. My career at Perdue has been rewarding and challenging, with opportunities for growth and mentorship. I’m proud to work for a company that values quality, stewardship, integrity, and teamwork.

Can you tell us what inspired the development of the air fryer chicken wings?

CODY:? Wings were an important and missing piece to our retail Frozen Fully Cooked portfolio, and we knew we needed to uncover a differentiated way back in. We knew consumers expected their wings to be tasty and crispy, and that an air fryer delivers the crispiest outcomes at home – which led us to introducing, PERDUE? AIR FRYER READY WINGS? … the first ever wings made specifically for the air fryer to deliver great tasting crispy wings, fast and convenient at home!

How does the R&D team stay ahead of industry trends to continue delivering innovative products?

ROB: We are always on the lookout for new flavors, technologies, and concepts that may benefit us. Our product development team makes an effort to regularly talk to our marketing and sales partners, ingredient vendors, and equipment vendors about trends and new technologies.

What were the biggest challenges faced during the development process?

ROB: Wing eaters expect high flavor from the wings they buy, and they compare flavors to the sauced varieties that they have had in foodservice. The biggest challenge during development of these wings was delivering a wing with the flavor impact of a sauced wing, while in the dry format that gets the crispy skin that everyone loves. The seasoning blends had to be very impactful, while still delivering the crave-able crispy skin.

Can you share any personal anecdotes or memorable moments from the development process?

CODY: There were quite a few memories along the development process, but there is one example that really stands out for me. The Hot N’ Spicy variety was a flavor we really wanted to make sure we delivered on. There are so many products in the marketplace that are labeled as Hot N’ Spicy but end up failing to deliver on the heat! So, we spent multiple rounds of product cuttings to get to that perfect heat level. In those many rounds of product cuttings, our Vice President of Product Marketing and spicy food advocate, Jon Swadley, kept insisting we weren’t getting to the right heat level. Rest assured, our R&D team totally delivered on the heat in one of our final cuttings with a wide range of Hot N’ Spicy perspectives – and I’m pretty sure I saw a tear or two and some perspiration from Jon in reaction to the heat, where he too finally admitted we got it! In the end, we landed on the right variety and continued to fine tune as we listened to consumers’ feedback.

To have some fun after the fact, R&D hosted a ‘wing roulette’ where they served us random varieties of heat levels as a blind taste test and someone unlucky could pick the inferno/need a glass of milk hot wing… and I’m thankful it wasn’t me!

Do you cook at home?? What’s your specialty dish?

ROB: I love to cook and do most of the cooking in our house! My favorite things to make are BBQ and Cajun food.

CODY: I’m a meal prepper for the work week so I’m often cooking protein and vegetables to get through meals with a regular focus of high protein and low carb. While I consume plenty of Perdue chicken breast or ground chicken, I do also love grilling beef burgers and steaks to add to the mix. Personally, my favorite is a perfectly seared ribeye steak (medium rare) with Montreal seasoning and a Caesar Salad on the side. Luckily my wife, Kacey, follows a similar routine so we’re constantly on the lookout for protein! However, on a Sunday you might find us enjoying a pepperoni pizza from Ponzettis (Ocean City, MD) followed up with some ice cream.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of working on this project for you?

?ROB: I am always happy when I can create products that people love to eat, and it has been great to see all of the positive reactions from consumers and the market performance. The launch of these wings was completed on a very expedited timeline and required intensive development from both a product and marketing standpoint. The great work from my cross functional partners in marketing has certainly helped fuel these wings to a great launch. It has been very rewarding to see the hard work by everyone pay off with a huge splash in the marketplace.

CODY: Launching PEDRUE? AIR FRYER READY? Crispy Wings has been one the more rewarding projects and product launches I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to. It’s said that only 10% of product innovations launched are successful, so seeing our new product resonate with consumers in the marketplace is awesome and reassuring that we listened to what consumers want. Moreover, this fast paced and high priority project brought the best out of our Perdue associates and many cross functional teams who had part in commercializing the product launch. For example, our R&D product development was led by Rob McEwan, who worked twice as fast to formulate a recipe that earned incredible results. It’s really awesome to have teammates like Rob, and many, many others who take pride in their work to deliver consumer preferred products.

Tell us something that would surprise your co-workers about yourself.

ROB: One thing my co-workers may not know about me is that I like to collect bourbon.

CODY: I think something that would surprise my co-workers is my handiness or being mechanically inclined with things in general, but particularly with carpentry and construction. I think I inherited this and owe it to my father, and the years I spent working construction after college. Now-a-days, I have confidence and enjoy building and installing things around the house, as it’s a fun way for me to stay productive outside of work. Recently, I’ve hung an interior French door and installed some board & batten wall trim in our home, and my to-do list seems to always be growing!

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What brings you joy outside of work?

ROB: In my free time I like to hunt, fish, and travel with my wife and our dogs.

CODY: Outside of work I mostly enjoy spending time with wife, Kacey, and our French Bulldog, Draper! We like to stay active, so you can often find us hitting the gym, or in the sun going to the pool or beach and enjoying some time on the boat. Anytime spent with friends and family is precious, and we always try to maximize that.??