Two SKUs from Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe have cleared the International Taste Institute's blind-panel evaluation and earned its Superior Taste Award — an outcome that puts the Pennsylvania baker's ingredient choices under a commercial spotlight for foodservice buyers and co-manufacturing partners assessing bun suppliers.
The Sandwich Potato Roll and 4 Inch Potato Roll were judged by a jury composed exclusively of professional chefs and sommeliers against products from multiple countries. Evaluation criteria covered first impression, visual appeal, aroma, taste, texture, and final sensation — all assessed without brand identification. "Unlike standard consumer testing, our jury members bring the culinary expertise to not only assess how good a product tastes, but also explain why," said Laurent van Wassenhove, Managing Director of the International Taste Institute.
Ingredient Architecture
The award is commercially significant less for the trophy itself than for what it validates at the formulation level. Martin's rolls are built on high-protein wheat flour, real cane sugar, butter, and non-fat milk — a spec that deliberately excludes high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and artificial colors. The company sources non-GMO ingredients throughout, and finished products carry a no-soy allergen statement. Production runs in a peanut- and tree-nut free facility, a facility-level certification increasingly required on distributor qualification checklists and in foodservice operator supplier-approval processes.
The distinct golden-yellow color — a natural result of the potato-inclusive formula rather than any synthetic colorant — and the pillowy-soft texture are functional differentiators for high-throughput foodservice applications where bun integrity under heavy toppings and heat-hold conditions directly affects plate presentation. For operators building clean-label burger and sandwich programs, that combination of sensory performance and a defensible ingredient deck is a meaningful procurement argument.
Foodservice Supply Reach
Martin's operates two commercial baking plants — its headquarters facility in Chambersburg, Pa., and a second plant in Valdosta, Ga. — giving the company dual-coast production geography relevant to national distribution commitments. Foodservice accounts are served through foodservice.potatorolls.com and distribution networks described as worldwide in scope, though specific distribution partners or minimum order quantities were not disclosed in the award announcement.
For foodservice bakery and roll suppliers tracking the competitive landscape, the International Taste Institute validation adds a third-party sensory credential to Martin's existing non-GMO and clean-ingredient positioning — a combination that resonates with premium burger chains, fast-casual operators, and contract feeders tightening their own supplier ingredient standards heading into 2027 menu cycles.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
