Beecher’s Flagsheep, a mixed-milkversion of a signature cheese fromBeecher’s Handmade Cheese inWashington and New York, wasnamed “Best of Show” at theAmerican Cheese Society’s 2012Judging & Competition.

The results were announced onAugust 3 at the 29th Annual ACSConference in Raleigh, NC.

It was the first time a cheesemade of cow and sheep milk hadtaken the top spot, reflecting thegrowing diversity within Ameri-can artisan cheese. Valley Shep-herd Creamery in New Jerseywas awarded 2nd Place overallfor Crema De Blue, and EmmiRoth USA in WI took 3rd place

BY LUCAS WITMANHome canning and preserving,cheese and ice cream making,butchery, sausage making, organicgardening, cider pressing and castiron cookery—these are all age-oldtechniques and activities homecooks have been employing forcenturies. Today, for a variety ofreasons, many are rediscoveringthese skills, finding fresh joy incanning homemade jams and pre-serves, surviving a depressed econ-omy by raising and butcheringone’s own poultry and livestockand simply getting back to basics

Rediscovering traditional homemaking at Lehman’s

Continued on PAGE 5

BUYERS GUIDE:AlternativeGrains & FloursSEE PAGE 40

UPDATE:SFF Wrap UpSEE PAGE 15

INSIDE:

NATURALLY

HEALTHYUPDATE:Spices SEE PAGE 31

Continued on PAGE 6 Continued on PAGE 6

Continued on PAGE 6

by preparing uncomplicated, clas-sic dishes using the same essentialtools used by our ancestors.

“The three things people careabout [today] are the economy, theenvironment and what people eat,”said Glenda Lehman Ervin, VicePresident of Marketing for Lehman’s,a unique retail store located inKidron, Ohio. “That’s exactly whatpeople cared about 200 years ago.”

In 1955, Lehman Ervin’s fatherJay Lehman began Lehman’s as asmall hardware store primarilyserving the local Amish populationwho lived without electricity.

Lehman’s commitment to preserv-ing the ways of the past for futuregenerations led him over the past57 years to transform the originalone room hardware store into a45,000 sq. ft. low tech superstore.Today, the Lehman’s retail space ex-ists as a complex of buildings con-taining everything from hardwareto kitchenware and from gardeningequipment to toys, thousands ofnostalgic, mostly non-electric prod-ucts, all completely functional.

Lehman Ervin describes her fa-ther’s creation as an “old timegeneral store,” selling “thousands

of products you thought weren’tmade anymore.” Lehman’s is de-signed less as a retail space andmore as a shopping experience.“It’s a big store. It’s merchandisedvery uniquely, and that’s by

BY ROCELLE ARAGON

Even for the food world, CarolynRobb has a varied resume. Bestknown as the former chef toBritain’s Prince Charles and hisfamily, Robb grew up in SouthAfrica, where as a 15-year-old sheprepared a special lunch for hermother to enjoy while watchingCharles and Diana’s wedding. Butshe has also been “on the otherside of the kitchen door”, inproduct development, as a restau-

One on One

Carolyn Robb: a chef with many hats

Sold-out GourmetHousewaresShow returns to NYIGF

Beecher’s Flagsheep tops ACS competition

rant reviewer and in specialty re-tail, in a career that was globallong before the Food Networkmade it commonplace. GourmetNews sits down for a chat.

What a fascinating career path.Can you tell us more about it?After Cordon Bleu cooking school,I spent 13 years in the RoyalHousehold, based in England buttravelling with the Highnesses, notonly to the usual places but to lo-

cales like Bhutan, Guyana, Swazi-land, Trinidad. Then came twoyears in the Middle East, a differ-ent food culture altogether—theway they sit down to a meal, howthe courses are served. I continuedwith commercial product develop-ment, through Prince Charles’Duchy Originals line and others,before living in California, whichwas yet another food culture.

overall for its Roth GrandCru Surchoix.

Kurt Beecher Dammeier, ofBeecher’s Handmade Cheese,says of Flagsheep’s win, “Ittakes great milk, talentedcheesemakers, and a littleluck to make a cheese worthyof this great honor. On behalfof the sheep, the cows, andour cheesemakers headed byBrad Sinko, I thank all thejudges for this recognition.”

This year’s ACS Judging &Competition was the largest inACS history, with 1,711 entriesfrom 254 companies. Enteringcompanies represented 30 U.S.states and four Canadian

provinces, along with Mexico andColombia. 354 ribbons wereawarded: 95 first place ribbons,121 second place ribbons, and 138third place ribbons. Wisconsin led

An expanded, sold-out GourmetHousewares Show® returned tothe New York International Gift Fair® in August, with 175high-end houseware and table-top exhibitors and first-timeparticipation from several keyhousewares brands.

“Gourmet suppliers recognizenew opportunities connected withparticipation in the NYIGF,” saidMarc Delman, National SalesManager. “It offered them accessto a targeted group of kitchenwareretailers shopping for fourth quar-ter, but more importantly, a widerange of gift, home and lifestyleretailers interested in design-driven housewares products.”

There was also added emphasison gourmet and importing thisyear, to tie in with the return ofthe Gourmet Housewares Showand the debut of the Artisan Resource™ Trade Show. TheNYIGF bookstore was sponsoredby a division of cookbook pub-lisher Workman, and hosted ap-pearances by authors includingAlice Medrich.

First-time exhibitors repre-sented a range of sectors, fromhigh design silverware to everyday

VOLUME 77, NUMBER 9SEPTEMBER 2012 n $7.00

SPECIALTYRETAILERSn New York specialty grocer Fairway

to go public PAGE 11n Central Market relaunches websitePAGE 11

GROCERY &DEPARTMENTSTORESn Supervalu appoints new CEO

Wayne Sales PAGE 12n Hit L. L. Bean ice cream flavor comes

to New England groceries PAGE 12

SPECIALTYDISTRIBUTORS& BROKERSn CWI Specialty Foods announces

new CEO, Peter Hausin PAGE 13n Nicky USA expands to Seattle PAGE 13

SUPPLIERBUSINESSn Almond Water ™ sees rapid regional

expansion PAGE 14n Domestically-grown, organic herbs

soon to be widely available PAGE 14

News..............................................4Giftware..........................................9 Ad Index .......................................46Smorgasbord/Classifieds ..............46

www.gourmetnews.com

GOURMETNEWST H E B U S I N E S S N E W S P A P E R F O R T H E G O U R M E T I N D U S T R Y

®

http://www.stonewallkitchen.com

http://www.bonnemaman-us.com

General NewsBRIEFS

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGENERAL NEWS4

Media favorite “Man Isle” expands to Westside Market’s five locationsNew York City’s Westside Market has foundits “Man Isle”, initially an experiment inone store, successful enough to roll out toits five locations in the city.

The aisle—actually an end-cap—was installed in late July, after Westside MarketCEO George Zoitas and COO IanJoskowitz read a much-quoted ESPN statis-tic that 31 percent of men are doing thegroceries for their families.

Acting on their hunch, Zoitas andJoskowitz drew up a list of possible items.They then cross-checked it with thetwenty-something males in the rock bandthat they manage, and found a 90 percentoverlap in their lists.

They chose Westside’s flagship store totest the idea. With a shopper demographicof 40 percent families and 30 percent sin-gles, it had the right sample and could pro-

vide the quickest response. The aisle nextto the beer chiller was chosen.

Result? As has been reported, someitems had to be restocked by the end ofthe first day.

“After the press coverage, suggestionsstarted coming in, so we added someitems that we totally forgot: Gatorade,batteries and Slim Jims,” said Zoitas.Gatorade has become the aisle’s top sellerby volume, with beer the top seller bydollar amount.

Initial press reports and public com-ments wondered about the signal sent bythe item selection, but Zoitas says it hasbeen good for business.

“Guys will say, ‘I looked at the A1 sauceand it made me want to get steak,’ ‘I sawthe spices and decided to have a barbecue,”Zoitas says. The aisle reaches male shop-

pers who may be running more on impulserather than coming in with a list, but it stillgenerates additional sales for the perish-ables that make a meal.

As of now thereare no plans to addhigher-end items,such as healthierchips or gourmetjerky. Right now, the“broceries” may be astereotype, but theyare selling.

The Man Isle notthe first shoppingexperiment designedto woo male audi-ences. Packagedgoods giant Proctor& Gamble and

Texas-based H-E-B have had a “Man’sZone” of grooming products since 2010,and a similar one is has been mentioned fordrugstore chain CVS. GN

Acquisition takes distributor into eighthregional market

Specialty food distributor The Chefs’ Ware-house Inc., has acquired all of the equitysecurities of Michael’s Finer Meats LLC, aColumbus, Ohio-based specialty proteindistributor with approximately $80 millionannual revenue. The $54.3 million acqui-sition is the fourth in just over a year forChefs’ Warehouse, and follows strong sec-ond-quarter results.

Founded by Michael Bloch in 1962,Michael’s distributes an extensive portfolioof custom cut beef, seafood and other cen-ter-of-the-plate products to many of theleading restaurants, country clubs, hotelsand casinos in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois andwestern Pennsylvania.

These areas complement those currentlyserviced by The Chefs’ Warehouse: the metroareas of New York, Boston, Philadelphia,Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco,

Miami, Las Vegas and Portland, Ore. “We are excited to have Michael’s join

the Chefs’ Warehouse family,” said ChrisPappas, Chairman and CEO of The Chefs’Warehouse Inc. “We look forward to build-ing upon Michael’s history of superiorproducts and customer service as we ex-pand to the Midwest region. Michael’s willcomplement our existing product offeringsand significantly enhance our capabilitiesin center-of-the-plate categories.”

“Joining The Chefs’ Warehouse team isan exciting opportunity for Michael’s,” saidJohn Bloch, CEO of Michael’s. “With oursimilar customer base, the addition of TheChefs’ Warehouse’s breadth and depth ofproducts will allow us to continue to growas we seek to become the premier providerof specialty foods in the Midwest.”

The total purchase price for the businesswas approximately $54.3 million (subjectto customary post-closing working capitaladjustments) and was funded with borrow-

ings under the company’s existing revolv-ing credit facility.

Chefs’ Warehouse’s most recent report,for the quarter ending June 29, waslargely positive. The distributor reported$114.8 million in net sales (up 15.7 per-cent) and gross profit of $30.5 million(up 16.1 percent).

“We are very pleased with our continuedsales momentum and growth, despite con-tinued uncertainty in overall economicconditions,” said Chris Pappas. “We con-tinued to show industry leading top linegrowth that was driven by increased cus-tomer placements and new customers, aswell as by the acquisitions of Provvista Spe-cialty Foods in November 2011 and PramlInternational in April 2012. While thebusiness environment has been mixed, wehave been very active on the business de-velopment front and are very optimisticabout our growth prospects in the latterhalf of 2012.” GN

Chefs’ Warehouse acquires Michael’s Finer Meats for $54.3 million Nine Frontier Soups

debut at Whole Foods Northeast Nine all-natural soups, stews, chili andchowders from Frontier Soups™ have beenapproved by Whole Foods Northeast Region.Chex Finer Foods of Mansfield, Mass., ishandling distribution.

The four Homemade-In-Minutes™ soups, which serve five and cook in about 30minutes, are Connecticut Cottage ChickenNoodle, Idaho Outpost Potato Leek, MississippiDelta Tomato Basil, and Oregon Lakes WildRice and Mushroom.

From the Hearty Meal™ line, which servessix to 12 with longer cooking times, WholeFoods Northeast has approved Illinois PrairieCorn Chowder, Colorado Campfire ChickenStew, Minnesota Heartland 11-Bean, IndianaHarvest Squash and Lentil and California Gold Rush White Bean Chili. All nine soups areall-natural, with no added salt, preservativesor MSG.

SRPs for Homemade-In Minutes and Hearty Meal soups are $5.95 and $6.95respectively. More information is available by calling 800.300.SOUP (7687) or atwww.frontiersoups.com.

JDY Gourmet to become a division of Fortune Fish CompanyFortune Fish Company and specialty foodpurveyor JDY Gourmet have announced anagreement under which Fortune Fish Com-pany will acquire JDY Gourmet, with thelatter to be renamed Fortune Gourmet, adivision of Fortune Fish Company.

David Yourd and Karrie Kimble, theowners of JDY Gourmet, will lead the newdivision along with current JDY staff mem-bers. Fortune Gourmet will continue JDY’scurrent services but will be able to providea wider distribution area, earlier deliveries,a stronger sales presence and an increasedportfolio of specialty food products.

The acquisition will allow JDY Gourmet

to increase their efficiency by joining the in-frastructure already in place at FortuneFish. JDY will move into the Fortune Fishfacility near O’Hare International Airport,taking advantage of a state-of-the-art bar-coding inventory system and a full sales andmanagement staff. JDY’s distribution areawill also increase through Fortune’s fleet ofmore than 40 refrigerated trucks with directdistribution in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa,Missouri, Indiana, Michigan and nationallythrough Fortune’s Flying Fish program.

Sean J. O’Scannlain, Fortune’s Presidentand CEO, stated “We are very excitedabout the opportunities this acquisition

will create for our employees, customersand suppliers. JDY specializes in procuringfantastic artisan food products from smallerfarms and their reputation in the industryspeaks for itself. Fortune is proud to wel-come JDY’s owners and staff as new mem-bers of the Fortune team.”

“Karrie and I love the food industry. Itis our life,” said David Yourd, Presidentof JDY. “With the new developments inspecialty food distribution, we recognizethe opportunity to become an importantpart of changing the traditional foodchain. While it seems like every qualitydriven company has been bought up in

Chicago recently, we have noticed that ithas usually come from public corpora-tions or out of town companies. It wasvery important for us to make sure weteamed up with a local company who un-derstands the Chicago market. We canachieve with Fortune immediately thatwhich would have taken us years to doon our own,” Yourd said.

Reporting on the deal, Crain’s ChicagoBusiness quoted annual sales of $100 mil-lion for Fortune Fish, and $20 million forJDY. Terms of the deal were not released.The transaction was set to close by the endof August. GN

http://www.legendsfromeurope.com

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGENERAL NEWS6

Beecher’sContinued from PAGE 1

the United States in amount of winners, followed by California.

An important part of this year’s confer-ence was the sold-out, first ever exam forCertified Cheese Professional—a standardsimilar to sommelier, run and managed byAmerican Cheese Society. Applications havealready been received for next year’s round.

Other highlights included a keynote byauthor and animal expert TempleGrandin, the presentation of a posthu-mous Lifetime Achievement Award to re-tailer and educator Daphne Zepos, andpanels on important industry issues suchas raw milk and food safety.

Next year’s conference is set for July 31-August 3, 2013 in Madison, Wis. GN

NYIGFContinued from PAGE 1

storage. First-time exhibitors includedFinum (coffee and tea products), GinseyHome Solutions (storage and organiza-tional products), Lifetime Brands (cutlery,kitchen tools, gadgets), Robert Welch Designs (silver cutlery and tabletop), Tabletops Unlimited (cookware and serveware), Takeya USA (beverage andglassware), Uniware (cookware and house-wares) and Vac u Vin (vacuum storage andcooling products).

Among the charter exhibitors returningto this second edition were Aladdin, Corkcicle, DKB, Gourmac, Guzzini, HaroldImport Co., JK Adams, Joseph Joseph,Room Copenhagen, Sagaform, TAG , TeaForte, Mastrad, Zevro and Zoku.

Specialty food retailers found severalfamiliar names as well, particularly fromthe gift-oriented categories such as premium tea/coffee, confectionery, jamsand condiments.

Originally begun in 1975, the Gour-met Housewares Show has long provideda professional marketplace for the gour-met products and upscale housewares in-dustries. It is the only industry event tofocus exclusively on high-end cookware,cutlery, bakeware, gadgets, tabletop,kitchen textiles and specialty food. Itsmove to NYIGF is consistent with thetrend toward retailing that appeals to aspecific lifestyle rather than a specificproduct category. GN

One on OneContinued from PAGE 1

So I thought, where do we go fromhere? My experience sets me up well forother cuisines, cultures and markets. WithPrince Charles an early and vocal advocateof organic food, I also became very awareof food sourcing and its impact.

Can you tell us a bit about retailing inDubai in the early 2000s, when it wasjust becoming a global city?Dubai was still growing, with a lot ofopenings to introduce European foods.The delicatessens did well. We importednot only British items but also French andItalian, ones that had never been seen be-fore there. It was an incredibly interestingtime, not just choosing products but goinginto the hotels and restaurants and work-ing alongside the chefs to introduce andfamiliarize them.

Since alcohol was controlled, no inde-pendent restaurants had liquor licenses.All fine dining places were inside the ho-tels, which thus had 10-15 high-end out-lets each—supplied by one huge centralkitchen! At Burj al Arab (the ‘seven-star’luxury hotel), for example, you had chefsfrom 17 different cultures, preparing foodfrom various countries. Nothing reallytasted authentic. So our products werewell received, not only by the many Eu-ropeans working there, but by well-trav-elled locals who were comfortable at theworld’s top restaurants.

Eventually I became restaurant reviewerfor Time Out Dubai—and the industrywas growing so fast that I was reviewingabout 50 restaurants a month! In my firstyear in Dubai we were trying to enter themarket, and by my second we could seethe results. Now of course Dubai is asought-after chef destination, with nameslike Gordon Ramsay and Alain Ducasse;and the delicatessen line is so acceptedthat it’s sold in upscale supermarkets.

Clearly it’s even more important thesedays that one’s name – or brand – hasglobal appeal. For example, one of yourfirst projects (for your brand The RoyalTouch) is in Japan.Yes, it’s a great first project, a gourmet bak-ery in Osaka. It will be like walking into aBritish tea room, with traditional recipesadapted to local Japanese ingredients.We’ve just finished training some of the

chefs. The Japanese do everything sowell, they take real care and do thingsso beautifully. It’s a great first project tobe doing along those lines.

You are also developing products forthe home cook, right?We are talking South Korea, Germany,representatives in Australia and theUK. Various products, but we knowthat the food will be authentic; as closeas possible to home-cooked food, withthe best-quality ingredients. If it is ashop it will be fresh product that canbe made on premise, with well-sourced ingredients.

I think that is what is often missingin products: authenticity and an under-standing what the ingredients are andwhy. Many product developers do nothave the time, the funds, or even thechance to go to the source. For examplepesto really only needs four ingredients.Yet quite often you find twelve, withthings like sunflower oil, or the wrongcheese. It’s the simplest things, but theymust be right. The challenge is to createin greater quantities, economically.

I think that as more people read labelsand cook at home—whether they want toor have to—there’s a greater understandingof what belongs in a dish. You don’t have tobe a chef to wonder, “Why is there sugarand oil in this soup?”

This is one reason I got involved in theAcademy of Culinary Art. This involvedabout 100 well-known British chefs; we vis-ited less privileged schools and made foodwith the children. It was great—we mixedup gelatin’s colors and flavors to show chil-dren that what you see and what you tastecan be quite different; we made it fun. Farmtrips, gardening, pesticides and fungicides,gardening – by the end of the year the chil-dren had taught their parents quite a lot.

Your own childhood was spent in SouthAfrica, right?Yes. My mother was a wonderful cookwith British food; but thirty years ago youcouldn’t easily visit local restaurants. Nowit’s great to see local cuisines and flavorsbeing appreciated and exported. Visitorscan now experience the true African cui-sine and culture. For example, it’s interest-ing to see one ingredient—corn—used sodifferently in Africa and America. In Africait is seldom eaten on the cob, but driedinto a fine cornmeal, something like a rus-tic polenta; and there are different grades

of coarseness or fineness, depending onthe use. Why throw out the cob? This isone reason we’re also looking at ingredi-ents, as well as packaged foods.

Does that include classic British food?In the past 20 years British cuisine has comeon enormously. There are a lot of more con-temporary products with new influences,but British classics are being re-inventedand appreciated as well. Lamb, mint, freshgarden greens, beef, Scottish salmon—won-derful products that people may have put tothe side for a bit, but that they’re now ap-preciating on the level of fancy food. Afterfusion and nouvelle cuisine, people see thevalue of a simple meal with ingredients youcan trace down to the estate.

At The Royal Touch, we’re doing manythings in different fields and markets. Wehave the chance to work with specialistsin different countries to see what’s neededand relevant, and work on developingthose. It’s not just specialty food, thoughof course we are looking at that, but retailconsultancy, ingredients, cookware... Intime, I would love to do an exclusive or-ganic range, but it is very important to methat our products be accessible to the per-son cooking at home. Carolyn Robb’s The Royal Touch

Gourmet Bakery opens in Japan at the end ofSeptember. For more information visitwww.theroyaltouch.com. GN

Lehman’sContinued from PAGE 1

intention,” said Lehman Ervin. “We wantto make it worth the customer’s while.”

When shopping for kitchenware atLehman’s, customers will find productsthat focus on the entire lifecycle of food:from growing to harvesting and preparingto preserving. No longer serving only anAmish clientele, Lehman’s today serves alarger customer base, selling products thatmimic what the Amish use: well-crafted,timeless and essential kitchen necessities.In fact, today the Amish make up a signif-icant portion of Lehman’s vendors.

For many, Lehman’s has become some-what of a destination shopping experience,drawing visitors from throughout Ohio andbeyond. This is partly due to the store’sidyllic locale. “We’re very fortunate to drawpeople from all over the country. We’re sur-rounded by beautiful Amish country … It’spositive. It’s wholesome. It’s beautiful,” saidLehman Ervin. In fact, just a short drivefrom Lehman’s are the tourist towns ofBerlin and Sugarcreek, drawing thousandsof visitors annually to their Amish-themedshops, restaurants and flea markets. Formany, a visit to Lehman’s is a key part of alarger Amish country vacation or day trip.

However, its location is not the onlything drawing visitors to Lehman’s. “Much

of what we sell depends on the customerand where they’re coming from,” saidLehman Ervin. Today, Lehman’s attracts adiverse customer base, including locals andtourists, but also foodies, environmental-ists, homesteaders, missionaries, hunters,those who live in remote locales, PeaceCorps volunteers and members of DoctorsWithout Borders. Lehman’s retail store, aswell as its catalogs and website have be-come staples for many who are opting fora simpler lifestyle, either by choice or ne-cessity. Hollywood set designers even reachout to Lehman’s when looking for set piecesfor pre-Civil War era films.

Lehman’s also offers a number of specialevents to attract customers interested in ex-

ploring and learning more about historic liv-ing. The store has something for everyone, in-cluding classes and demonstrations, as well asseasonal festivals and celebrations, fun eventsfor the whole family. Perhaps the biggest drawof Lehman’s, however, concerns the quality ofthe products the store offers. Lehman’s focuseson selling only the highest quality, mostdurable and reliable pieces on the markettoday. Selling American-made items wheneverpossible, the shelves at Lehman’s are stockedwith timeless goods that are in turn destinedto stand the test of time.

For more information on Lehman’s, toshop online for high quality nostalgicwares, or to subscribe to the company’s catalog, visit www.lehmans.com. GN

http://www.jellybelly.com

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGENERAL NEWS8

Trade Show Buzzthan the 200 miles that’s typical for a re-gional merchandise mart show. She wastoo nice to point out that those vendorsmight also be eager to offer their waresin a venue not known for indoor rainshowers—but then, Las Vegas isn’t muchknown for rain showers in any case.

Maricich says IMC, which also oper-ates facilities at the High Point Market,has spent months in intensive strategiz-ing about how they’re going to develop avenue in the western U.S. where buyerscan go to see a wide variety of giftware,tabletop accessories, kitchenware andgourmet products, and where buyers forbusinesses that used to see themselves asfurniture stores can find the merchandiseto reinvent themselves as lifestyle stores.

The Las Vegas market expects tolaunch its market for gourmet and spe-cialty housewares vendors in 2014 or2015, during Phases II and III of the

BY LORRIE BAUMANNBob Maricich, International Market Cen-ters CEO, was bubbling with enthusiasmas he and Dorothy Belshaw announcedplans to make the Las Vegas World Mar-ket Center a super-regional gift andhome décor marketplace to dominate thewestern U.S. You’ll remember DorothyBelshaw as the former show director forthe New York International Gift Fair, be-fore she left George Little Managementto join IMC following GLM’s acquisitionby a company led by Charles McCurdy.

During the announcement, Belshawmade a pointed jab at Javits Center,NYIGF’s home, by pointing out that theLas Vegas World Market Center is newerand purpose-built as a merchandisemart. She believes that the facility willattract manufacturers who are eager tooffer their wares in a venue that will at-tract buyers from a radius of much more

project. Belshaw’s planning to draw buy-ers from across California and the PacificNorthwest, including retailers from thehardware stores that are reinventingthemselves as trendy neighborhood des-tinations by adding coffee shops andcafés, garden shops for the urban home-steaders who’ve rediscovered canningand pickling, or prepper supplies for thefolks who believe in being ready for an-archy or a natural disaster, whichevercomes first. Lots of folks are rediscover-ing their kitchens these days, and retail-ers are falling over themselves tocompete for those dollars.

Giftware, tabletop, and home décor re-tailers go to The Chicago Market in Janu-ary; they’ll go to Atlanta’s AmericasMartin January; they’ll go to Frankfurt for Am-biente in February; and it stands to reasonthat the buyer who’ll go to Chicago inJanuary might very well go to Las Vegasin July. International buyers have alreadystarted coming to the Las Vegas WorldMarket Center. Belshaw’s been workinghard to pick dates for the Las Vegas tem-porary markets that overlap as little aspossible with other major gift shows.

Neither Maricich nor Belshaw is let-ting the current economy dampen theirspirits. As Maricich noted, this recessionmay have forever changed the nature ofshopping in the U.S., and neither he noranyone else knows yet how that’s allgoing to turn out. What he does know isthat history has shown that recessioncreates some unfulfilled hankerings, andas soon as there’s money floating aroundin the economy, consumers generallystart buying again. And when there arepeople with money who want to buy,there’ll always be retailers who want tosell to them and those retailers are goingto need merchandise. “We have every be-lief that the retail channel is going tobackfill very quickly,” Maricich said. Hewas standing in Las Vegas, which hasbeen hard-hit by the bursting bubble ofthe housing crisis, when he said it, andhe added that he also believes we’regoing to see another housing boomwithin the next five years. He says he’sgot financial support for these ideas fromfolks who’ve made a lot of money beingright more often than they’re wrong. Lotsof optimism there. GN

A MONTHLY UPDATE ON THE GOINGS-ON AT INDUSTRY-RELATED SHOWS

Las Vegas Market Center Plans Giftware MarketBY LORRIE BAUMANNInternational Market Centers has an-nounced plans to make the Las VegasWorld Market Center a premier destinationfor the giftware and home décor market.The organization recruited DorothyBelshaw, formerly director of the New YorkInternational Gift Fair, from GLM Shows tolead the effort to turn 13 floors of BuildingC of the World Market Center, comprising1.7 million square feet of space, into a Gift+ Home Decor Market that will help alignthe Las Vegas market as the dominant mar-ket center in the western U.S.

The transformation will take place in athree-phase approach, wrapping up in early2015. “This is meant to be an evolution,not a revolution,” Belshaw said. The Gift +Home Decor Market will widen the hori-zons of the merchandise categories repre-sented at the World Market Center, toinclude categories that are currently under-represented in the western U.S., includingtabletop, home textiles and gourmetkitchenware. Belshaw even expects to at-tract some jewelry designers into the mar-ket, and that array of merchandise willcreate a great opportunity for retailers whoare looking to expand their offerings.“Everyone sells jewelry today,” she says.

The Market Center’s leasing agents arebeing careful and thoughtful about whereto place the various vendors, and vendorswho are already leasing showrooms withinthe new Gift + Home Decor Market areawon’t be required to move out unless theywant to. The idea is to give buyers a mar-ketplace within the Center, a chance to seewhat’s new and do a little treasure-huntingas well, said Bob Maricich, CEO of IMC.“We’re in the busines of highlighting what’snew,” he said.

Maricich pointed out that the furnitureindustry faces a fundamental problem inthat consumers generally replace any par-ticular item only every several years or so,

which means that the furniture retailerdoesn’t get many chances to sell somethingto any one of those consumers. By contrast,a consumer will buy gift and home decoritems more often than, say, a new bed, soadding these items into themerchandise mix helps fur-niture retailers to attractpeople into their storesmore often. This plan is de-signed to help furniture re-tailers find the merchandiseto do that.

Belshaw expects that theWorld Market Center willbe able to leverage LasVegas’ status as a world-class destination, with gam-ing and cultural activities aswell as affordable hotelrooms to attract buyers, andthat in turn will draw ven-dors into a modern facilitythat is purpose-built tohouse temporary as well aspermanent showrooms.

Phase One strategic planscontinue at the summer2013 Las Vegas Market,with the introduction of twodynamic new categories. “c-ONE”—a new, cross-cate-gory showcase of directionalresources, presented in a cu-rated collection on the firstfloor of Building C—will in-clude tabletop, gift, andhome resources in both per-manent and temporary pre-sentations. Also debuting insummer 2013, the Lifestyle Collection onC10 will feature suppliers of on-trend re-sources from in-demand categories such asfashion accessories, personal care and fra-grance, stationery, juvenile merchandise,and technology accessories. The addition

of these category presentations will createcompelling “neighborhoods” of high-endmerchandise throughout the building.“We’re going to roll out something withballast, critical mass and that offers real ap-

peal,” Belshaw promised.Phase Two includes the expansion of so-

phisticated home décor resources on C4and C5 to include the addition of specialtyhome textiles resources. Also in Phase Two,Las Vegas Market will launch gourmet,

kitchenware and casual tabletop categorieson C11 designed to provide a viable, re-gional resource for the extensive specialtygourmet retail audience in the West.

Finally in Phase Three, Las Vegas Mar-ket’s tradeshow component,which has experiencedsteady growth over the lastthree years, will relocate toC12 and C13. This reloca-tion will allow for expansionopportunities on C14 to in-clude new merchandise cate-gories to further enhance theoverall assortment.

Gift + Home at Las VegasMarket is a leading gift andhome décor marketplace inthe western U.S., presenting800+ gift and home décor re-sources in an unrivaled mar-ket destination. Las VegasMarket features thousands offurniture, gift and homedécor lines across 5 million-plus square feet, allowing forcross-category commerceamong the gift, furniture,home décor and accessoryindustries.

In 2013, Las Vegas Mar-ket will take place Jan. 28-Feb. 1, 2013, and theSummer Las Vegas Marketwill be held July 29-Aug. 2,2013. In 2014, the wintershow will be held Jan. 27-31, 2014, and the Sum-mer Market will occur July 28-Aug. 1, 2014.

Market dates have been carefullyplanned to optimize opportunities forgift suppliers and buyers, avoiding sig-nificant overlap with established gift andhome shows. For more information, visitwww.giftandhomelv.com. GN

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

GiftwareGIFTWARE 9

Merchandising to maximize holiday salesBY ANA VENNEWith the holidays around the corner, retail-ers will begin getting their stores ready forthe big rush of holiday shoppers. And withsuch a large variety of gift options availablein more and more stores, as well as online,it takes effort to make your business standout as a shopping destination. Once thecustomers are in the store, you need to sell,and one way of the best ways to do just thatis to have a good display.

Chris Wiedemer, owner of Rochester,N.Y. based Cooks’ World, says that hisstore’s layout allows him to create displayssuited to every section. Each section of hisstore is themed, with areas for cookware,cutlery and what he calls “Giftware Galley,”a grouping of maple shelves that feature col-orful and functional pottery from variouscountries. “People want more than just giftsfrom China,” he says about his gift section.

Within each of his sections, he has a dis-play with items from within that departmentand relevant items from other departments.By cross-merchandising his displays, hedrives traffic to other parts of the store thatpeople might not have thought to visit ini-tially. He also stocks his displays with giftsets, some put together in-house using prod-ucts from different vendors and some thatcome straight from the vendor, like sets fromWüsthof or Le Creuset. Wiedemer also hasa display of goods that are specifically holi-day themed, containing hostess gifts andvarious tabletop accessories.

On the other hand, Laura Havlek, ownerof Sign of the Bear Kitchenware of Sonoma,Calif., does not focus so much on holiday-specific goods in her displays. She puts thespotlight on items that are geared towardholiday entertaining. Her holiday displaysoffer many options for roasters and dinner-

ware, as wellas items thatshe believesare going to bebig for the sea-son. “Color isstill really bigin entertain-ing,” says Havlek. Cookware by Le Creusetis a big seller in this category.

Havlek offers a large variety of big-ticketitems like cookware, but also many smallitems like gourmet sea-salts, which makeperfect upsells and stocking stuffers forfoodies. Freshness is also something thatshe believes to be important for her dis-plays, which she re-arranges regularly.“Every holiday should be different,” Havleksays, “as should the shopping experience.”By changing out her displays on a regularbasis, she is able to offer a fresh shopping

experience to customers.Providing a good shopping expe-

rience is just as important to yourstore as a good display. Havlek usesher displays as well as lighting andsigns to set a pleasant mood, whilegiving a hands-on customer serviceexperience. “I want this to be a storefor every cook,” says Havlek, whomakes sure her holiday stock isabundant enough to fill that need.

Wiedemer offers many extras toenhance the shopping experience,such as free gift-wrapping, brewingfresh coffee, demonstrations, knife

sharpening and offering special orders forall of the brands his store carries. “If youare looking for a specific knife that we don’thave in the store, we can order it for you,”he says, “it’s not as easy to do that at a bigbox store.” By offering extras that a cus-tomer may not be able to get anywhere else,Weidemer has been able to establish hisstore as a holiday destination. With the useof eye-catching displays and a unique cus-tomer service experience, one can create aloyal customer base that will return againand again. GN

PRODYNEEnjoy refreshinglemon water, rasp-berry iced tea andmore with Prodyne’sFruit Infusion Pitcher.The crystal clearacrylic pitcher has aremovable fruit infu-sion rod that can eas-ily be filled with cutlemons, limes or rasp-berries. Open slots inthe rod allow liquidsand fresh fruit to mixnaturally and giveyour beverages afruit-infused flavor. With this ingenious feature, thepitcher can continually be refilled without having toreplace the fruit. It measures a generous 92 oz./2.9qt. (80 oz./2.5 qt. with tube).

For more information call 800.822.4776 or visitwww.prodyne.com.

VITA CRAFTThe Wahaus Collection by Vita Craft is a true gem.This deep, stainless steel chef set can go fromrange top to tabletop in minutes. The Wahaus Col-lection is made up of a set of three Deep ChefPans, an 8" Deep Chef, a 10" Deep Chef and a 13"Deep Chef. The series comes with stainless steelcovers with optional stainless steel knobs andflame guards. Glass covers are also available. TheWahaus Collection features waterless, greaselesscooking and carries a true Vita Craft Lifetime War-ranty. This fine cookware is made in the U.S.A.

For more information call 913.631.6265 or visitwww.vitacraft.com.

Specialty food usuallyfeels like an urban indus-try, but this issue has astrong heartland feel to it.Our retailer profile is on Lehman’s, an old-fash-ioned kitchen, garden andgeneral store in the heart

of Amish country. As Williams-Sonomaintroduces Agrarian, a line whose im-agery and products lets urbanites samplethe dream of living close to the land,stores like Lehman’s are finding new fansand remain a destination for their time-less American goods. The story is bycontributor Lucas Witman, an Ohio native who grew up visiting the store.

Gauzy images aside, reality is a bitharsher on many of America’s farms. Thedrought’s effect on corn and soybean cropswill raise prices in the rest of the foodchain, starting with meat but soon ripplingout elsewhere. Specialty food producers noteven on the U.S. mainland are being af-fected, having to scramble to meet ordersfor the make-or-break holiday season. Or-ganic produce may be relatively unaffected,and packaged food should stay levelthrough the holidays. But by 2013, con-sumers will again be carefully reconfigur-ing their shopping lists, and looking toretailers to help them stretch their budget

to accomodate both necessities and treats.All this is happening as the Farm Bill—notperfect by any means, but the only onewe’ve got—sits in a Congress that will bepreoccupied with elections.

Nature may be challenged, but the nat-ural products industry is bigger andhealthier than ever. We’ll scout the latestthis month at Natural Products ExpoEast, which gets bigger and more main-stream each year. If you’re unable tomake it to Baltimore, our insert Natu-rally Healthy gives you a good view ofthe products on offer. Also check out ourBuyers Guide for some of the alternativegrains, flours and rice varieties that areadding a gourmet touch to healthymeals. Go to page 38 and see how an-cient grains fit in to the modern table.

Also in this issue: big things happeningin Las Vegas tradeshow space (page 8),consolidation in specialty food distribu-tion, holiday merchandising, new trendsin Spices (page 31 – check out the pack-aging!), a roundup of products from theSummer Fancy Food Show (page 15), andan interview with former chef-to-royaltyCarolyn Robb, whose career illustratesthe fascinating variety possible in today’sfine food industry.

Back in store, holiday orders may bedone, but there’s always time to work in

that special item that will get the registersringing. We hope you find some great options here. Enjoy! GN

– Rocelle Aragon, Editor520.721.1300

rocelle_a@oser.com

BRIEFS

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comEDITORIAL10

WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM

PUBLISHER

Lee M. Oser

SENIOR ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Kate Seymour

520.721.1300

kate_s@oser.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Lorrie Baumann

520.721.1300

lorrie_b@oser.com

EDITOR

Rocelle Aragon

520.721.1300

rocelle_a@oser.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Ana Venne

ana_v@oser.com

CONTRIBUTOR

Lucas Witman

lucas_w@oser.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Yasmine Brown

art@oser.com

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Product Wrap-up & Classified Sales

Tara Neal

520.721.1300

tara_n@oser.com

TRAFFIC MANAGERS

Selene Pinuelas

520.721.1300

PUBLISHING OFFICE

1877 N. Kolb Road

P.O. Box 1056

Tucson, AZ 85715

520.721.1300

Fax 520.721.6300

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES

Gourmet News

P.O. Box 30520

Tucson, AZ 85751

520.721.1300

GOURMETNEWS®

PRESIDENT

Lee M. Oser

MEMBER OF:

FROM THE EDITOR

Corrections:We printed the wrong URL forthe Pasta Shoppe last month. Check outwww.pastashoppe.com for fun election yearpasta and their top-selling college line. Also,readers have pointed out that one of ourAugust photos is captioned for a turkey, butshows a rooster. Clearly we have much tolearn about farming.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

Specialty RetailersSPECIALTY RETAILERS 11

BRIEFS New York specialty grocerFairway to go public

The Cheese Shop of Concord marks 45th anniversary

Williams-Sonomaappoints Julie Whalenas EVP, CFOWilliams-Sonoma Inc. has appointed JulieWhalen as its Executive Vice President andChief Financial Officer. Whalen had served asVice President and Acting CFO for five months,following the unexpected retirement of longtimeChief Operating Officer and CFO SharonMcCollam in March.

Whalen joined the company in 2001 as aleader in the Financial Planning organization,and was promoted to Vice President, CorporateController in 2003, Senior Vice President in2006 and Treasurer in 2011. She began hercareer in public accounting with KPMG. She isa Certified Public Accountant and holds a lawdegree from Pepperdine University.

The Pasta Shop bringssauces from the KaldesBros. to the Bay AreaKaldes Brothers Trading Company is proud toannounce that top specialty retailer The PastaShop of Oakland and Berkeley, CA, has addedKaldi Tomato Sauces to their selection.The Shop has long served as the East Bay’ssource for the best specialty groceries,prepared foods, cheeses and handmade pasta.“The Bay Area loves Greek food and culture,so we’re excited to be in The Pasta Shop,”says Kaldes Brothers co-owner Greg Kaldes.

Less than two years after launching, KaldíTomato Sauces from Greece are availableonline, and at more than 35 high-qualityretailers and restaurants nationwide. Theproducts have been highlighted in theWashington Post, on tv and radio, as well as atthe Summer Fancy Food Show. Moreinformation can be found atwww.kaldesbrothers.com.

A Southern Seasonopens wine tasting bar,soda fountainChanges are clearly afoot at A Southern Season,the award-winning gourmet emporium inChapel Hill, N.C. The retailer has opened awine- and beer tasting bar, following an icecream parlor in July, a coffee and tea tastingbar in May and a Kitchen Showroom in March.The ongoing renovations aim to create a moreinteractive shopping experience for customers.

The Wine Bar will offer flights and tastings,as part of a reorganized beer and winedepartment. The Ice Cream Parlor was designedwith a nod to old-fashioned soda fountains ofthe 1950s, with a marble countertop and tallstools for seating. The menu offers classic sodafountain concoctions, ice cream made in nearbyWake Forest, N.C., by Lumpy’s Ice Cream,gourmet cookie and candy toppings, andspecialty milkshakes such as BalsamicStrawberry or Chocolate Peanut.

Retailer benefits from shorter disclosureperiod under new procedure

Fairway Group Holdings Corp. has filedpaperwork to sell shares of its commonstock to the public. The influential upscalegrocer operates 10 stores around the NewYork area, with another three set to open byyearend, and launched its e-commerce sitethis year.

The company is majority owned by eq-uity firm the Sterling Investment Group,which bought a controlling interest in2007. Founding family the Glickbergs arestill very involved, with Howard Glick-berg and Dan Glickberg serving as CEOand executive vice president respectively.The firm has been advised not to com-ment on the offering.

Stock analysts greeted the news with op-timism, citing the strong performance, evenin a recession, of specialty grocers WholeFoods (up 33 percent this year) and TheFresh Market (up 50 percent this year) andnatural food maker Annie’s.

Commenting in Crain’s New York Busi-ness, supermarket consultant BurtFlickinger noted that with Fairway’s com-petitors closing stores and selling theirleases, “America is more under-stored infood retailing than any time in its history....Fairway is doing about 60 percent ofFresh Market’s sales with just 13 stores [vs.115 stores in 20 states for The Fresh Mar-ket]. The Fairway IPO could be one of thegreatest food retail IPOs since Whole Foodswent public 20 years ago,” said Flickinger.

Fairway’s registration is for a

“confidential IPO,” the term used for apublic offering made under conditions ofthe JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Start-ups) Act. The six-month-old regulation al-lows companies with less than $1 billionannual revenue to disclose key financialinformation––such as debt level, assetsand prospects for long-term growth––21days before presenting to investors, and tofile only two years’ worth of results ratherthan three. The company also has fiveyears to bring its accounting proceduresinto compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley.

The regulation was enacted in the wakeof the financial crisis, when financial insti-tutions expressed concern that stringent re-porting requirements would discouragesmall companies from raising money onthe stock market. GN

The Cheese Shop of Concord celebratesits 45th anniversary in October with amemorable promotion: More than adozen custom-cut cheeses will be offeredat their original 1967 prices on Saturday,Oct. 6.

Among the deals are Brie and Jarlsbergfor $2.49/lb. St Andre, Stilton, DanishBlue, Locatelli Romano, plain and fla-vored Havarti, Chaumes and Roquefortwill all be at ‘throwback” prices. A selec-tion of wines will also be sold at $3 to$3.50 per bottle.

In 1967, The Cheese Shop of Concordwas considered a culinary pioneer. Todayit is one of the top three cheese retailersin the greater Boston area, known for itsannual parade of a giant wheel of Italiancheese through Concord’s streets.

The shop is also the exclusive NewEngland merchant for Xavier David Fro-mages Affines, France’s premium ex-porter. Among the cheeses stocked areXavier David Roquefort, a brisk seller thatwas named France’s first AOP cheese in1921; Tomme Fermiere, Comte AOP fromthe Jura and Epoisses from the Cote d’Or.

An anniversary release from ConcordCheese Shop provides an interesting lookback at changes since 1967, not only forshop but for the U.S. specialty cheesemarket as a whole.

“In 1967, there were not 1,000-pluscheeses being exported to the UnitedStates. In fact, domestic cheese was pro-duced in just a handful of states (NY, Wis-consin, Vermont, California). MostAmericans’ cheese consumption was lim-

ited to processed cheese, or to mass-pro-duced cheddars and Colby Longhorn. ...‘Fancy’ imported cheeses were Jarlsberg,Havarti, Danish Blue, Provolone and Brie,although a few others began arriving inthe ‘70s. These cheeses were available atspecialty cheese shops only, not super-markets. Those who could find them,purchased, even at $2 to $5/lb., althoughauthentic Parmigiano-Reggiano sold foras much as to $10/lb. even then.” GN

Central Market relaunches website Texas-based specialty food retailer Cen-tral Market has re-launched its website,www.centralmarket.com, in a robust newform designed for its core shoppers, de-scribed in the store’s slogan as “ReallyInto Food”.

“We’ve created a really fun, dynamicspace to make our customers’ mouthswater,” said Cory Basso, Group VicePresident of Marketing and Advertisingfor H-E-B, the parent company of Cen-tral Market. “This is not your typical gro-cery store website—we wanted to extend

the personalized experience of shoppingin our stores to online. We’ve createdeasy access to weekly specials, recipes,entertaining inspiration and our cookingschool. It reads like a foodie’s paradisefull of ideas and news.”

Readers can customize the site to showonly deals, menus, and events for theirhome store (Central Market has nine lo-cations around Texas). Users also canalso access more than 1,500 recipes,searchable by keyword, meal type, sea-son or cuisine. The new site also in-

cludes “More, Please!”, a blog with dailyposts on everything from seasonal ingre-dients to entertaining tips to specificvendors. The site was created and devel-oped by independent branding agencyThe Richards Group.

The website launch follows a new cre-ative campaign launched earlier thisyear. Inspired by Central Market’s owncustomers, the campaign includes radiospots, print ads, online and mobile adunits, in-store and environmental sig-nage and even a new catering van.GN

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

Grocery & Department StoresGROCERY & DEPARTMENT STORES12

BRIEFS

Hit L. L. Bean ice cream flavor comes to New England groceriesMuddy Bean Boots, a limited-edition flavor createdfor the 100th anniversary of outdoor retailer L.L.Bean,has been so successful that producer Gifford’s IceCream has packaged it in quarts for sale in grocerychains throughout New England, New York state,New Jersey, Maryland and eastern Pennsylvania.

“Muddy Bean Boots has been an instantsuccess at our stands. The new flavor sold out onopening day in March, and demand remains strongand is higher than I’ve ever seen for a new flavor,”said Gifford’s Ice Cream Vice President of SalesLindsay Gifford-Skilling. “Now fans of the flavorwill be able to buy [it] at grocery stores and enjoyit at home all year long.”

The flavor combines Gifford’s award-winningOld-Fashioned Vanilla ice cream, sweet caramelripple and chocolate brownie bites. It was originallysold mainly at Gifford’s five ice cream standsthroughout Maine.

“It’s terrific to see the response to Muddy BeanBoots,” said L.L.Bean Partnership MarketingManager Kelly Warsky. “What started as apartnership to celebrate L.L.Bean’s 100thanniversary will continue to be produced righthere in Maine and enjoyed all year long.”

Supervalu appoints Wayne Sales as CEO, Philip Francis as lead directorSupervalu, the debt-laden parent com-pany of such banners as Albertsons,Jewel-Osco and Save-a-Lot, has namedWayne C. Sales as President and CEO,replacing Craig R. Herkert. Sales willcontinue to serve as chairman of theBoard. Director Philip L. Francis hasbeen elected lead director.

“We will take significant cost out of thebusiness, and move with urgency in ourretail food business to lower prices andcreate points of sustainable differentiationfor our customers. We will work closelyand collaboratively with independent re-tailers to ensure that they continue to re-ceive the superior service they need toincrease sales and profitability,” said Sales

in a statement. “We will strengthen ourengagement with our Save-A-Lot licensees– leveraging their expertise, enhancingour collective performance, and ensuringour ability to grow a nationwide networkof hard discount stores. As we execute ourbusiness plan, the Board will continue itsreview of strategic alternatives, and I amstill leading that process.”

Sales had earlier been named as oversee-ing Supervalu’s possible sale of all or partof the company, and he confirmed that hewould continue to lead that process.

A director of SUPERVALU since 2006and non-executive chairman of the Boardsince 2010, Sales brings extensive retailexperience to his new role, including an

acclaimed turnaround for Canadian TireCorp. Ltd., Canada’s most-shopped gen-eral merchandise retailer and largest inde-pendent gasoline retailer. Sales wasPresident and CEO for Canadian Tirefrom 2000 to 2006, and retired as vicechairman, and also serves on the board ofcoffee chain Tim Horton’s.

Philip Francis has been a Supervalu di-rector since 2006 and is the retired execu-tive chairman and former CEO of retailerPetSmart Inc. Prior to joining PetSmart,Francis was the President and CEO ofShaw’s Supermarkets. He also continues tobe a director of PetSmart, as well as Care-Fusion Corporation, a leading global med-ical device company. GN

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

Specialty Distributors & BrokersSPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 13

BRIEFS

Simpli OatShakes signsup Canadian distributionSimpli OatShakes, winner of BevNET and sofiawards for best new beverage will soon bedistributed in Toronto and Vancouver throughPacific Bottleworks Company Ltd (PBWC), afull service beverage importer and distributorbased in Langley, British Columbia.

“Canadian oat-lovers have been askingwhere they can buy GMO-free SimpliOatShakes, so we are pleased to start sellingour award-winning oat-smoothie north of theborder. Of the several distributors that weconsidered, we felt that Pacific Bottleworks isthe best fit for us,” commented Helena Lummeand Mika Manninen, Co-Founders of Simpli/OatSolutions LLC.

PBWC works with top brands in eachcategory, has warehouses in both Eastern andWestern Canada, and a proven sales anddistribution network throughout the country.

Introduced to the United States from Finlandabout 16 months ago, Simpli OatShake iscurrently sold in 38 states and 1200 stores,with a total of 2,000 U.S. stores expected byend-2012. The single-serve drink comes inchocolate, coffee and tropical fruit flavors,and has won three major U.S. food industryawards: BevNET’s Best New Smoothie, theNational Restaurant Assn. Food & BeverageInnovation Award, and NASFT sofi Gold forBest Cold Beverage.

Melt organic spread growsdistribution nationallyMelt® Organic Buttery Spread, the naturallyhealthier butter alternative, has announced itsexpansion into the natural food sections ofJewel-Osco, The Fresh Market and WegmansFood Markets. Each retailer offered MeltOrganic and/or the new Honey Melt variant bylate July. The product is now available in nearlyhalf of the top 100 metro markets.

Developed by avid home chef Cygnia Rapp,Melt is made from a blend of organic virgincoconut oil and other plant-based organic oils.The product spreads, sizzles, drizzles, sautés,bakes and melts just like butter, but with halfthe saturated fat and fewer calories. Theproduct is certified organic and kosher, madewith Fair Trade ingredients, and is free of transfat, gluten and soy. Honey Melt is naturallysweetened with organic wildflower honey andcoconut nectar for two grams of sugar perserving for both varieties. Melt is sold in 13-oz. packages, with an MSRP of $4.99.

“We look forward to continuing ourexpansion, and anticipate national andCanadian distribution by the end of 2012,” saidMelt CEO Meg Carlson.

CWI Specialty Foods announces new CEO, Peter HausinCWI has appointed Peter Hausin as thefirm’s new Chief Executive Officer.Hausin has had a distinguished career incheese and specialty food, notably as thepresident of renowned specialty food im-porter Harry Wils & Co. During his ca-reer, Hausin has established a successful

network of distributors and manufactur-ers in Europe, Asia and throughout the country.

“With the appointment of Mr. Hausin,we truly believe we have a strong man-agement team. We are confident and ex-cited about restoring CWI to a prominent

position within the specialty foods indus-try and remain committed to buildingour business responsibly,” the companysaid in a release.

Formerly Cheeseworks, the companychanged its name and began its revampunder new ownership last year. GN

Nicky USA expands to SeattleSpecialty game and meats distributorNicky USA has opened a Seattle office,headed by longtime Nicky USA sales rep-resentative Ben Childs and culinary con-sultant Joseba Jimenez de Jimenez.

The Portland, Ore.-based Nicky USAhas been delivering to Seattle since 2007.The new outpost will allow the companyto further integrate into the Seattle culi-nary scene and expand their service inthe market. The office will continue toserve Seattle’s top restaurants whileadding additional delivery days and on-the-ground support.

In a time when many companies are

downsizing, Nicky USA continues to grow.In addition to their Seattle expansion, thecompany has hired two new employees, ex-panded their Portland office, and began ex-pansion of their butchering facility. Thecompany’s annual signature event, the WildAbout Game cooking competition and fes-tival, takes place on Sept. 9 with a “Port-land vs. Seattle” theme.

The company’s main lines of businessinclude promoting game in specialty mar-kets and fine restaurants, a specialty linecalled Nicky Farms that features North-west-raised game and a line of specialtysausages based on regional ingredients.

They are also the exclusive Northwest dis-tributor for Fermin’s line of fresh Ibericopork from Spain. For information, visitwww.nickyusa.com. GN

Nicky USA founder/owner Geoff Latham

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

Supplier BusinessSUPPLIER BUSINESS14

BRIEFS

WhiteWave files for IPOWhiteWave Foods Company, maker of the Silk®

brand of almond, soy and coconut milks and awholly-owned subsidiary of Dean Foods, hasfiled a registration statement with the U.S.Securities and Exchange Commission for aninitial public offering (IPO) of its Class Acommon stock.

The IPO will effectively spin off the division—a leader in a fast-growing category—whileraising an estimated $300 million to helpmanage debt at parent company Dean Foods.Following the IPO, The WhiteWave FoodsCompany will own Dean Foods’ WhiteWave-Alpro business, while Dean Foods will still ownat least 80 percent of WhiteWave’s commonstock. Dean Foods’ remaining interest inWhiteWave will be distributed to shareholdersin a tax-free distribution, no earlier than 180days following the close of the IPO.

WhiteWave-Alpro manufactures, markets,distributes and sells branded plant-based foodsand beverages, coffee creamers and beveragesand premium dairy products throughout NorthAmerica and Europe. Its other product linesinclude Horizon Organic® milk and dairyproducts, International Delight creamers andcertain Land O’ Lakes dairy products.

Fresca Foods chosen to manufactureProgresso frozen line Boulder, Colo.-based natural foods contractmanufacturer Fresca Foods Inc. has announcedits partnership with General Mills as a licenseeto Progresso Foods.

Fresca will manufacture a new line underthe Progresso brand: Frozen Specialty Saucesand Pastas. With three sauces and tvvwopastas, the line features all-natural ingredientsand will be available in Albertson’s-Arizona,Dierberg’s and Meijer stores, with distributionexpanding throughout the year.

Mayorga Coffee amongTop 500 Hispanic-Owned CompaniesMayorga Coffee has once again been listed inthe top 500 Hispanic-owned companies byHispanic Business Magazine. The company’smulti-year presence on the list comes on theheels of continuing expansion with nationalgrocery and foodservice companies, as wellas specialty grocers and coffee shopsthroughout the East Coast.

"Being on this list is always an honor,"stated Martin Mayorga, the company’sPresident and Founder. "Over the next year, we are working to greatly expand the collaborative relationships we havedeveloped with coffee farms in Central and South America with the ultimate goal ofbringing specialty coffee into the majority ofAmerican households."

The company also recently acquired themicrolot of El Porvenir coffee, recently judgedEl Salvador’s top coffee during the recent Cupof Excellence® competition.The 3,200 poundlot of Pacamara and Bourbon varietal coffee isfrom the family-owned farm El Porvenir, in theSan Miguel region of El Salvador, and arrivedat the company’s roasting facilities in August.

Almond Water™ sees rapid regional expansionNatural refresher now available inArizona, Oregon and Washington

Victoria’s Kitchen, an innovative brandof almond water, plans rapid expansioninto key and core markets. BeginningAugust 2012, the beverage is available ingrab-and-go coolers at upscale naturalchains in the west, such asAJ’s Fine Foods in Arizona,Metropolitan Market andYoke’s Fresh Markets (both inWashington state).

The company is alsoadding more upscale retailersin its home state, California,with a launch at BristolFarms, Lazy Acres, BerkleyBowl and New Frontiers Nat-ural Marketplace. Owner andFounder David Menianeshared, “We are very excitedabout the amazing growth weare experiencing but we still try to becareful in controlling where our productis being sold.”

“Over the last few years, the naturalbeverages category has opened up tomany interesting and eclectic flavors.The industry has embraced the flavorednatural waters, kombuchas in many sizesand flavors, chia beverages, adult sodas,

aloe drinks with and without the‘chunky bits,’” shared Yvonne Galliani,Store Manager/District Buyer for HarvestMarket in Fort Bragg, California. “We’reexcited to have Victoria’s Kitchen and Al-mond Water on board. It’s delicious, re-freshing and being loved by all.”

Currently distributed in specialty mar-

kets including Draeger’s, Mollie Stone’s,and Oliver’s Market, Victoria’s Kitchenhas also signed expansion agreementswith Presence Marketing to help intro-duce the brand in the Pacific NW region(Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montanaand Alaska), focusing on natural and up-scale chains. Victoria’s Kitchen has alsoplanned expanded distribution in the

Southern California regions via LA Dis-tributing and Nature’s Best. Currently thebrand is available throughout the WestCoast and in select retailers throughoutthe country, including Giant Eagle’s Mar-ket District and World Market.

Made from simple ingredients (purecane sugar, natural almond flavor andcitric acid), Victoria’s Kitchen AlmondWater is free from high fructose cornsyrup, dextrose, artificial colors, preser-vatives or synthetic flavors. The brand’spopularity has rested on the product’s re-freshing taste and all natural ingredients.Victoria’s Kitchen is also Kosher and ismade from gluten-free ingredients.

“I’ve been drinking Almond Water™longer than I can remember and 29 yearslater, I’m still drinking it,” shared OwnerDavid Meniane. “The difference is it does-n’t take five hours to extract the flavorfrom the almonds and infuse the waterwith it. I now drink it straight from thebottle or in the glass mixed with ice.”

Originally from France, Victoria’sKitchen Almond Water is based on Me-niane’s grandmother’s recipe, and pre-pared in respect to the traditionaltechnique of creating almond water. It iscurrently distributed by UNFI, Nature’sBest, Crown Pacific Fine Foods andother regional distributors. GN

Domestically-grown, fresh organicherbs soon to be more widely availableShenandoah Growers, Sunfest Organicin exclusive partnership

Autumn and holiday shoppers will enjoy anexpanded selection of fresh organic herbs inmore than 4,000 groceries this year, due toa new partnership between two leading cer-tified organic greenhouse growers.

Virginia-based Shenandoah Growershas entered a formal and exclusive part-nership with Sunfest Organic Herbs ofFlorida, to secure an expanded and reli-able supply of fresh-cut, U.S.-grown andcertified organic herbs.

Sunfest will provide the vast majorityof Shenandoah Growers’ supply of U.S.grown fresh cut herbs for the eastern,Midwestern and southern United States.Highlights of the partnership includeEnviroPure, Sunfest’s proprietary foodsafety technology, and a total combinedground logistics network to get highlyperishable herbs on shelves within daysof harvest.

“When we looked at combiningShenandoah Growers’ experience in themarket and innovation in organic greenhouse growing, with Sunfest’s sus-tainable organic farming and industry-leading food safety innovation, it wasobvious that this would be a win foreveryone from our employees to our val-ued customers, and ultimately and mostimportantly, to the con-sumers of fresh herbs,” ex-plained Tim Heydon, CEO ofShenandoah Growers.

Cliff Rosen, CEO of Sun-fest, added, “We just knewthat there was a better wayof farming and ensuringfood safety, and withShenandoah, we are excitedto offer what we truly be-lieve to be the absolutefreshest, safest, organicallygrown herbs to millions ofconsumers. We, too, share in

the belief that fresh herbs are the health-iest way to improve the taste of food nat-urally, and we are excited to be part oftransforming the way the fresh culinaryherb industry works.”

The partnership will allow retailers toenjoy herbs grown closer to their loca-tion, for greater freshness and a lowercarbon footprint. GN

Jelly BellySEE PAGE 18 SEE PAGE 23

Buddy SquirrelSEE PAGE 25

Beach PlumPeppadewSEE PAGE 24

GOURMETNEWST H E B U S I N E S S N E W S P A P E R F O R T H E G O U R M E T I N D U S T R Y

®SEPTEMBER 2012SUPPLEMENT TO

SFF Wrap up2012 UPDATE

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comSFF WRAP UP16

Summer Fancy FoodShow remains essentialfor doing business During the whirlwind that is the Fancy Food Show, it is difficult to even stop by all the exhibitors, muchless see beyond the flurry of taste and texture. The NASFT’s post-show report provides some numbers to helpput it in context.

According to the report, this year’sbuyers included representatives from Whole Foods, Eli’s Manhattan,Bed, Bath & Beyond, Central Market,Straub’s, Sodexo Education Market, The Chef’s Warehouse, The Pasta Shop, West Point Market, Zingerman’s,Bi-Rite Market, Taste Unlimited, ASouthern Season, The World Residenceat Sea, The Cosmopolitan Las Vegasand many more.

They were not just any buyers, either. More than 80 percent of all show attendees reported they either authorize or recommend purchasing decisions, with every industry segment

represented. Foodservice buyerstopped out attendance at 16.3 percent, possibly indicating the growingefforts of restaurant and institutionalvendors to distinguish themselves with specialty food rather than commodity purchases. (Another indicator may be the number of specialty distributors being absorbed as specialty units within larger food-service operations.) Specialtyfood retailers were next, at 9.3 percent, followed by distributors to retailers, at8.1 percent; and importer/exporters at6.2 percent.

In terms of individual contacts,NASFT’s Business Builders 1-to-1hosted more than 1,100 ten-minute pre-show sessions, and arranged more than 300 private buyer/exhibitor meetings during the show proper. The program continued to draw more participants, reflecting a gradual

changing of the guard as a small,closely knit specialty food industry adjusts to blurring channel categoriesand searches for untapped markets.

A panel of trendspotters picked five food trends for 2012 at the show:small batch mixers, such as syrups anddrinking vinegars; “local global” foods,ethnic dishes or seasonings recreatedand updated in American city kitchens;the sweet hybrid known as “cookiecracker crunch”; the culinary NewSouth, with traditional favorites similarlyupdated, upgraded or made healthier;and “chocolate change-ups”, withchocolate showing up in novel formslike jam and tea.

Equally significant were trends

from 2011 shows that grew to full forcethis year: grains such as farro and seeds such as chia crossed from thehealth food aisle into pasta and fancy side dishes; and foods andsnacks that strove to be both indulgentand gluten free.

Several exhibitors have said that while traffic seemed lighter than someyears, they felt their time there wasworthwhile because of the contacts and orders gained. A representative of Mediterranean Gourmet, a sofi finalist for its Argan Oil, said that simplybeing a finalist had been extremely helpful, generating curiosity for thenominated product and encouragingbooth visits.

Courtesy NASFT

Among the interesting options at theFancy Food Show was the Marley CoffeeMarley Coffee RealCup, the newest variantfor the sustainably grown, ethically farmedand artisan roasted gourmet coffee brand.

“Over the pastyear, we’ve gonefrom selling one linein the U.S. to be-come an interna-tional gourmetcoffee companywith a portfolio ofexceptional, distinc-tive coffee and teaproducts,” saysRohan Marley,chairman. CurrentU.S. retailers in-clude Fresh & Easy,Whole Foods Mar-kets, Mollie Stone’s, New Leaf Markets,Andronico’s, Dean & Deluca, and many in-dependent gourmet specialty shops.

“Our goal is to make Marley Coffee uni-versal and give coffee lovers and those in-vested in the success of the industry theopportunity to provide and enjoy our prod-ucts whenever, wherever and in whateverformat they prefer. We look forward to con-tinued growth,” says Brent Toevs, CEO.

For sales inquiries and to see the entireMarley line, please contact sales@marley-coffee.com or visit www.marleycoffee.com.

K-cup compatible Marley Coffee RealCup™introduced for September shipping

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 SFF WRAP UP 17

Stonewall KitchenStonewall Kitchen continues to draw on a20-plus-year heritage of producing highquality foods, using the best possible ingredients to create its unique flavor combinations. This year was no different—as seen at this past Summer Fancy Foodshow. Stonewall Kitchen not onlylaunched 21 new products and show-cased its 2012 Holiday Collection, but alsowon the 2012 Sofi Gold Award for its Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Mix .

Customers were buzzing about an ideathat owners Jonathan King and Jim Stottrecently brought back from Europe.Stonewall Kitchen launched three new de-licious chocolate jams, including Choco-late Strawberry, Chocolate Raspberry andChocolate Banana. They are a deliciouscombination accented by creamy choco-late that melts right into breads, wafflesand crepes, or paired with peanut butterfor a fun back-to-school sandwich.

In addition to the Chocolate Jams,Stonewall Kitchen launched several newbreakfast items including a StrawberryChampagne Jam, Maple Pancake & Waffle

Mix, Buttermilk Doughnut Mix, GingerbreadDoughnut Mix and a Gingerbread Syrup.

Dessert offerings included four newcupcake baking mixes, a Seven Layer BarMix and a Pumpkin Cheesecake Bar Mixfor the fall season. Dark Chocolate OrangeSauce and Dark Chocolate CoconutSauce were added to the collection ofdessert toppings, and for those who preferto drink their dessert, a ChocolateEspresso and a Chocolate PeppermintMartini Mixer were introduced! For confec-tions, three new flavors were introduced:Sea Salt Toffee Bars, Chocolate CoveredGingerbread Boys and Chocolate MintBrownie Cookies.

Stonewall Kitchen also debuted freshnew holiday packaging created by in-house designers. This year, nostalgic de-signs were paired with bright colors tocompliment an array of products in theseready-to-give packages.

For more information on StonewallKitchen’s product line, please visitwww.stonewallkitchen.com or call888.326.5678.

Seattle Gourmet FoodsBorn out of a 10th floor candy-kitchen be-longing to a flagship Seattle departmentstore, Seattle Gourmet Foods actuallybegan as Frederick’s Fine Chocolateswhen it incorporated itself in Kent, Wash.in 1993. The company began expandingopportunistically, purchasing Maury IslandFarms, a local jam and preserve manufac-turer, followed by the purchase of ParadiseFarms, a producer of chocolates.

In 1999 Buckeye Beans & Herbs joinedthe family with its excellent soup and cornbread mixes, and the company officiallychanged its name to Seattle Gourmet Foods(SGF) to better reflect its diversity. 2002 sawthe additions of Coy’s Country baking mixesand Quinn’s salsas and pepper jellies.

2003 brought bakery capabilities intothe mix with the purchase of Biringer’sFarm Fresh NASFT award-winning teacookies. 2004 was the year that Anna’sHoney came on board, followed in 2005by Innovative Cookies.

In 2006 SGF acquired Dilettante, a pre-mium confections, bakery and coffee line

with a rich local history and broad nationalreach. This move turned SGF into a signif-icant panning manufacturer as well as ahighly efficient truffle and truffle crèmemanufacturer. Today, Dilettante still main-tains its local roots through six MochaCafés located throughout the Seattle areaand supports its many national retailerswith year-round programs.

Following the purchase of Dilettantewas the acquisition of Vitech Corp, themanufacturer of Myntz! SGF was able tostreamline the process and is one of thelargest domestic breath mint manufactur-ers today. Finally came Merlino BakingCompany, a large bakery manufacturer ofprimarily hand-decorated cookies.

With its continued growth and improve-ments, SGF has proven to be a trustedsupplier across the gourmet food industry,offering flexibility, innovation and account-ability to its broad customer base.

For more information, call 800.800.9490ext 100, email sales@seattlegourmetfoods,or visit www.seattlegourmetfoods.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012SFF WRAP UP18

Vanns Spices introduces shapely Gourmet Spice bottlesAn elegant and stylish option for retailers

Recognizing a need for innovation on thespice shelf, Vanns Spices brings eleganceand individuality to the flavorings market-place with its stylish new spice bottle.

These eye-catching bottles are distin-guished by their shape (shorter and widerthan traditional spice bottles) along witha bold, easy to grip copper lid. This re-markable new spice bottle, coupled witha timeless, graceful and eye catchinglabel, cuts through the visual clutter andbrings welcomed vitality and excitementto the spice shelf.

With its longstanding reputation for con-sistency, integrity and overall excellence,Vanns offers an impressive selection ofspices and spice blends in this new line.While Tellicherry Black Peppercorns,Saigon Cinnamon, Herbes De Provence,Mild Madras Curry and Fleur De Sel aresome of the more recognizable offerings,there is also the more exotic Red Wine

Juniper Smoked Salt, Garam Masala, Pi-ment D’Espelette, Harissa, Zahtar andHawaiian Aleae Sea Salt. With an encyclo-pedic collection of spices to choose from,there’s something for everyone.

The good news it that, with the intro-duction of their Gourmet Spice bottles,Vanns gives food retailers, professionalchefs and dedicated home cooks a newway to enjoy the spices they use and thefoods they prepare.

“Our reputation for quality, variety andreliability is something we’ve worked hardto achieve,” says Mick Whitlock, Presidentof Vanns Spices. “We are constantly re-searching, innovating and working closelywith our clients and suppliers to ensure thebest possible outcomes.”

Vanns will be showing their new GourmetSpice bottles, along with their impressiverange of spice and flavor solutions at the Natural Products Expo East - Booth 648. Alternatively, visit Vanns online atwww.vannsspices.com or call 800.583.1693.

Jelly Belly unveils fun and fabulous gift ideas at Summer Fancy Food ShowJelly Belly Candy Company celebratedseveral product introductions at SummerFancy Food Show 2012. The first beingthe much-anticipated reveal of its newestJelly Belly® jelly bean dispenser, the Mr.Jelly Belly Bean Machine.

A push of Mr. JellyBelly’s handle turns thereal working gears, anddispenses Jelly Bellybeans through the chute.The base features theinner workings of the ma-chine, and on the side,Mr. Jelly Belly himselfcranks the whole thinginto action.

Each Mr. Jelly BellyBean Machine is boxedand ready for giving, witha 1-oz. sample of As-sorted Jelly Belly beans.Incremental sales of JellyBelly beans to fill the dispenser add veloc-ity to bulk and packaged Jelly Belly beans.Mr. Jelly Belly Bean Machines are pack-aged in open-style gift boxes that show offthe machine inside and are stackable, tocreate attention-grabbing displays.

Also new at this year’s show were theindustry’s first candy-themed cardgames. In partnership with Mattel, JellyBelly has sweetened the play of two ofthe country’s top-selling card games:UNO™ and Apples to Apples™. TheseSpecial Edition Jelly Belly card games in-corporate Jelly Belly® jelly beans into theplay of the games, and jelly bean-shapedplaying cards and new rules follow thesame theme.

UNO is the best-selling branded card

game in the United States. The fast-pacedgame appeals to all ages, and for the firsttime includes a stash of Jelly Belly beansto match the color of the playing cards!Apples to Apples has been a top 10 game

for the past three years. It is “a game of hilarious compar-isons” and now features redand green bean-shaped cardsand a collection of Red Appleand Green Apple flavors ofJelly Belly beans. Let the battlefor beans begin!

Jelly Belly was the talk ofthe Summer Fancy FoodShow with the debut of newGift Bags, a specialty pack-age that will appeal to a widerange of adult consumerslooking for a “grown-up”treat to enjoy themselves orto give as gifts. Jelly Belly in-troduced glitz and glamor

especially for specialty and gourmet retailers in an extensive selection ofJelly Belly beans and Confections.

Jelly Belly Gift Bags are easily spottedstanding upright on shelves thanks to theflat bottom design. A colorful and vibrantfinish draws attention to the deliciouscandy in the window on the front. Eachcollection of Jelly Belly beans has its owncolored bag, along with the company’sbest-selling Confections range in evenmore dedicated Gift Bags. Collected to-gether on the shelf, the effect is a beautifulcandy display, and when Gift Bags areadded to custom gift baskets, the effect isjust as eye-catching. To order, contactJelly Belly Customer Service at800.323.9380.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com SFF WRAP UP 19

Ariston Specialties: A History of Excellence in Olive OilBy Stacey Doukas, Account Manager,Ariston Specialties LLC

Here at Ariston Specialties, we are im-porters, producers and distributors of thefinest olive oils from Greece and we im-port the finest balsamic vinegars fromModena, Italy. We started in 1998 as asmall family business, first bringing Con-necticut cold press extra virgin olive oilthat was and still is produced by our fam-ily in the Kalamata region of Greece. Welater added balsamic vinegar from Mod-ena, Italy. Our mission has been to pro-vide the American food market andeventually the world with premium oilsand vinegars at an affordable price.

Ariston’s products have been well re-ceived by the public. They have beenfeatured on the Faith Middleton show“Food Schmooze” on NPR and The Hart-ford Courant. National Public TV has fea-tured our products for fundraisers, andwe have also been featured several times

in the “Boston Globe” as well as the“Westchester County Magazine” in NY. Inthe winter of 2007, Ariston was featuredon PBS WGBY’s “Making it Here inAmerica.” Ariston’s olive oil and balsamicreceived several Best in ConnecticutAwards from 2001 to 2009. Ariston’solive oil has also received two goldmedals and a bronze medal at the FortLauderdale International Olive Oil Festi-val and now the silver medal in 2012 In-ternational Olive Oil Competition in LosAngeles. Ariston’s extra virgin olive oil re-cently won the silver medal at the Inter-national Extra Virgin Olive OilCompetition 2012 in Los Angeles and“Most Favorite” Olive Oil in the SIALCanada 2012 Olive d’Or Competition.

The word “Ariston” in Greek means thevery best, which is why we make sure ouroils and vinegars are of top quality. Ourolive oil is unique in that it is low in acidity,thus high in quality. This low acidity iswhy the oil is so rich in color and tastes

so delicate and fruity. The oil is amazingnot only for bread dipping, but over sal-ads, grilled or sautéed vegetables andgrilling meat and seafood. The balsamicvinegar is outstanding, aged in oak bar-rels in traditional Modenese methods,giving the vinegar a fruity taste with a bal-ance of sweet and sour. The balsamicvinegar is great as a salad dressing, mari-nade and over grilled meats, vegetablesand over portobello mushrooms. Some ofour customers drizzle the balsamic vine-gar over fresh cut strawberries, and evenvanilla ice cream or gelato!

The Ariston Refill & Save Program is abulk program since 1997 that we haveimplemented in several different types

The Peanut Shop of WilliamsburgThe Peanut Shop of Williamsburg intro-duced their new line of honey roastedseasoned nuts at the Summer FancyFood Show. The expanded line includesHoney Roasted Almonds, Cocoa DustedHoney Roasted Almonds, HoneyRoasted Cocoa Dusted Virginia Peanuts,Honey Roasted Chipotle Spiced VirginiaPeanuts, and the surprise hit, HoneyRoasted Apple Spiced Walnuts. Tender

walnut halves are roasted with natural light amber honey and seasonedwith a fragrant apple spice blend. “Buyer response to the Apple Spiced Walnuts was phenomenal at the show,”mused Michael McDonald, Director ofSales. The nuts are available in both 5.5ounce and 9 ounce tins.

For almost four decades, The PeanutShop of Williamsburg has been promoting

the simple goodness and healthfulness oftheir home-style peanuts. Every batch isvisually inspected, taste tested, and heldto their gold standard of perfection. Customer satisfaction is guaranteed. Inno-vation, Quality, Consistency, Service... justa few of the reasons their icon brand hasbecome the standard by which all finepeanuts are judged.

For wholesale inquiries and orders, con-tact Michael McDonald at 800.831.1828ext 1, or visit www.thepeanutshop.com.

of stores all over Con-necticut and New Eng-land. This bulk programallows customers to buya glass bottle once andfill the bottle with theproduct. The customercan come back to thesame store to refill thebottle only paying for the

product itself and not the packaging.The Refill & Save Program is profitableto the retailer—the retailer doubles theirmoney on the olive oil and nearly triplestheir money on the balsamic vinegar.Reusing a glass bottle saves landfillspace and conserves energy.

This program also keeps premium oiland vinegar at a reasonable price—theprice range for Greek cold press extra vir-gin olive oil is $11.99 and then only $9.99for refills. The traditional balsamic vine-gar’s first purchase is $10.99 and only$8.99 for refills.

For more information, visit www.aristonoliveoil.com, email aristonspecialties@hotmail.com or call 860.224.7184.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comSFF WRAP UP20

Mantova Spray Extra Virgin Olive OilMantova Spray Extra Virgin Olive Oil iseasy to use: the olive oil is contained in aspecial bag inside the can and the bag isfilled with compressed air. The olive oil isnever in contact with light or air that coulddilute it. You simply press down the valveand compressed air forces out a fine sprayof Mantova Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

To help consumers use less oil andenjoy the perfect taste of olive oil, we areusing a Mantova Golden quality, 100-per-cent Italian extra virgin olive oil. This finequality of olive oil that the Mantova familyhas created during five generations of tra-dition uses less oil, has more taste for the

quantity that is used, relies on less sea-soning, stays fresher as it is not in contactwith light, costs less, and is more conven-ient to use.

Recently, Mantova has added othersprays to its extra virgin olive oil. There areother three flavored oils that are available:garlic, truffle and chili.

Flavored Spray Extra Virgin Olive Oil ispart of the long tradition of our flavoredcategory. Mantova flavors are first-flavoredproducts in the olive oil category andtoday our line of Grand’Aroma FlavoredExtra Virgin Olive Oil and Mantova OrganicFlavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil are best

sellers in this category.For more information, visit our website

www.fineitalianfood.com or contact us at 630.904.0002.

Tortuga Rum Cake Company Introduces Jamaica Blue Mountain CoffeeBringing you an authentic taste of theCaribbean, the Tortuga Rum Cake Com-pany introduced Tortuga 100 percent Ja-maica Blue Mountain Coffee at theSummer Fancy Food Show.

One of the most sought-after coffees inthe world, Tortuga Jamaica Blue MountainCoffee is handpicked in the Blue Mountainsof Jamaica and roasted by the finest localroast masters just before shipping. It istreasured for its balanced blend of richness,sweetness and perfect acidity, with an ex-otic and enticing aroma only found in 100percent Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee.

Choose Ground Jamaica Blue MountainCoffee, vacuum packed immediately afterroasting and grinding to seal in the aromaand freshness; or enjoy Roasted WholeBeans, frequently preferred by coffee afi-

cionados who want to grind their own. Cer-tified by the Coffee Industry Board of Ja-maica, each seven-ounce bag brews 16 to25 cups. Available in August, 12 per case,foil sealed and packaged in burlap bags,with a suggested retail price of $21.99.

Imported Tortuga Rum Cakes are bakedin the Cayman Islands, Barbados, Jamaicaand the Bahamas, from a generations-oldisland family secret recipe. Made with thefinest ingredients and special oak-barrel-aged Tortuga gold rum, each cake is handglazed and vacuum sealed, locking in thedelicious freshness. The cakes have ashelf life of up to 12 months, or indefinitelyif refrigerated or frozen.

The company’s other products includeTortuga Chocolate Rum Turtles with SeaSalt, three flavors of rum fudge, truffles, a

full line of hot and savory Caribbeansauces, rum-flavored coffees, pepperjelly and more.

For more information, see www.tortugarumcakes.com, call 305.378.6668or 877.486.7884, or email sales@tortugaimports.com.

Kane Candy Chocolate Party CupsKane Candy Chocolate Party Cups were ahuge hit at the recent NASFT SummerFancy Food Show!

Expanding on national distribution oftheir award winning line, KBC Kane FoodGroup teamed up with Gourmet Interna-tional and Niche Gourmet at the show.

The line is now available in five scrump-tious varieties, in new, eye-catching retailpacks for premium quality retailers nation-wide. Varieties now include the award win-ning Kane Candy Chocolate Tuxedo Cups,Chocolate Pastel Flower Cups, ChocolateCordial & Toasting Cups, Chocolate PartyCups and New Chocolate Heart Cups.

Serving is quick andeasy! Simply fill KaneCandy Chocolate Cupswith your favorite filling–– such as chocolatemousse, sorbet, gelato,or whipped cream––andadd fresh berries or chocolate decorationsfor a unique and tasty dessert. The line ap-peals to food lovers who love creatingtheir own desserts.

Great new retail line for gourmet stores,quality grocers, boutique shops, candystores, wedding shops, liquor outlets,party stores, e-retailers, culinary stores

and specialty food outlets. Visit Kane Candy on the web at

www.kanecandy.com or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kanecandyshoppe

Order now from Gourmet Internationalat 800.875.5557, or emailinfo@kanecandy.com.

The Tao of Tea®, one of the nation’s truepure-leaf specialty tea companies, haslaunched 11 flavors of ready-to-drink icedteas and herbs. The bottled drinks, a lineof iced tea and a line of Tulsi, are organicand unsweetened, freshly and carefullybrewed in craft-style batches at The Taoof Tea’s own tea brewery in Portland, Ore.,without any added juices, powders, ex-tracts or flavorings.

The iced tea line includes eight refresh-ing varieties: Darjeeling, Osmanthus Oo-long, Lapsang Souchong (Pine SmokedBlack), Tippy Assam, Gunpowder Mint,Oregon Berry Black, Lemon Myrtle (caf-feine free) and Cape Town Rooibos (caf-feine free).

Pure Leaf Iced Teas & Distinctive Herbs from The Tao of Tea

The Tulsiline offersTulsi Pure,Tulsi Laven-der and TulsiGinger. Tulsi,also known as Holy Basil, is a caffeine-freeAyurvedic herb from India that has beengaining popularity in the United States.The Tao of Tea grows Tulsi in parts of Indiaby supporting small farmers and promot-ing organic cultivation.

Most varieties are currently available at select Whole Foods Market stores,Zupan’s Market, New Seasons, inde-pendent co-ops and other natural foodsstores in the Pacific Northwest and

California, and soon nationwide. Bottlesare 11.5 fluid ouncesand shelf-stable. SRP$2.99. All drinks have zero sugar and zero calories.

The Tao of Tea wonthe Best Packagingaward at the 2011North American Bot-

tled Tea Championship. The OsmanthusOolong and Darjeeling varieties wereamongst the top three winners in theReady-to-Drink category.

Founded by Veerinder S. Chawla in1997, The Tao of Tea is one of the leadingtea purveyors in the country promoting or-ganic loose leaf teas, handcrafted teawareand organic, pure leaf bottled teas. Formore information, call 503.736.0198 orvisit www.taooftea.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 SFF WRAP UP 21

Sierra Soups: Treasured recipes from the Robert Sorrenti familyIn 1993, at the Sierra Nut House, our staffwas preparing French Style Bean soupfrom an old family recipe. Customersloved the soup, so we packaged the mixof beans for them and gave them a recipeto put this fabulous soup together athome. That started the train rolling and thebeans flying!

That was the beginning of Sierra Soups.We had a food scientist on staff, and wesent her to Mom’s kitchen to figure outwhy everything from her kitchen had suchfabulous flavors. Our goal was to capturethe same delicious flavors, while providinga clean product and a hearty home-stylemeal that would be cost-effective andeasy for the average cook. With the spicesand vegetables already included, youwon’t have to make a trip to the store. Thehardest thing you may have to do is sautéan onion and sometimes not even that!

Our marketing research showed thathousehold cooks did not mind a slow-cooking product such as beans; however,they did want left-overs. With this in mind,we developed recipes that served fromeight to sixteen servings. They can befrozen for later meals and still retain theirmarvelous flavor and nutrition.

Sierra Soups are Vegetarian, Vegan,Gluten-Free and taste fabulous. Eachsoup includes cooking suggestions on thepackage, such as adding ham or bacon tothe split pea soup, chicken to the FrenchStyle 5 Bean soup or Italian sausage to ourMama Sorrenti’s Minestrone. Our soupsare equally delicious whether cooked withthe suggested additions or as vegetarian,vegan or gluten free.

From our family at Sierra Soups to yourfamily, buon appetito!

For easy ordering or to find out moreabout us, call 800.397.6887, visitwwwsierrasoups.com or email sierranut-house@yahoo.com.

Mediterranean Gourmet produces anddistributes gourmet products of high-endquality at reasonable prices. The com-pany’s diverse product range includescondiments that enhance any dish. Theproducts carry the distinctive palette ofpremium tastes and flavors, coupled witha sense of uniqueness that is infusedthroughout the product line.

Their carefully selected exoticcondiments enrich the quality ofevery meal. The company carries awide variety of colorful and flavorfulcondiments, such as aromatic Mo-roccan Harissa and traditional grilledpepper salad from Tunisia. To savortheir products is to transport yoursenses to a new world of luxuriousflavors. The company works withproducers who have been develop-ing these products in a rich history ofexperience and practice extending

Authentic flavors from Mediterranean Gourmetover several centuries.

Mediterranean Gourmet’s sumptuouslyrich products continue to please retail cus-tomers and individual consumers. Theirexquisite condiments include StuffedCherry Peppers, Dry Cured Olives, andMeat Blend Spices. For more information,visit Mediterranean Gourmet online atwww.mediterranean-gourmet.net.

A Wisconsin original developed in 1877 bya Swiss immigrant named John Jossi, thetraditional cheese is truly pressed withbricks, hence the name. Unfortunatelyonly a tiny percentage of what is sold inthe country as “Brick cheese” comes fromtraditional production.

For years, Joe Widmer was the only oneleft making the cheese. A third generationcheesemaker, whose Swiss grandfatherended up as a cheesemaker in the tinytown of Theresa in southeastern Wiscon-sin a century or so ago, Joe’s passion fortraditional cheesemaking runs high. Hespent years arguing with the agriculturedepartment to be able to continue to usehis grandfather’s bricks on the cheese.

Aside from the obvious emotional ele-ment of it all, the bricks carry the bacteriathat are so critical to developing the fullflavor of the cheese. Like Limburger, it’s a

Traditional brick cheese from Joe Widmer washed rind cheese, and like Limburger itdeserves to stand with the fanciest ofFrench washed rind offerings. It’s greatwith beer, on a sandwich, with snacks ormaybe with a spicy Gewurztraminer wine.

“Brick cheese is a winner in my book,”says Joe Widmer, Owner of Widmer’sCheese Cellars. “I’m big on Brick meltedover boiled potatoes, with a few caraway orcumin seeds sprinkled over top. Stickingwith my sports metaphor for the moment, it’sa veteran player that adds depth and char-acter, one that I go back to over and overagain and count on to come through in anyclutch-eating situation. Brick cheese rarelycauses ripples in the cheese world I sup-pose, but I believe it’s still one of best evercontributors to the country’s culinary lineup.”

For more information, visit www.widmerscheese.com or call toll-free at888.878.1107.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012SFF WRAP UP22

Each summer, the place to be for innova-tive and tasty new food products is the in-dustry’s signature trade show, the FancyFood Show. One of the usualparticipants is Wind & Willow,an innovative and industryleading gourmet seasoningcompany that provides quickand easy seasoning mixesused to make cheeseballs,dips, hot dips, soups,desserts, and appetizers.

For Wind & Willow, theFancy Food Show is a plat-form to introduce their newproducts. “Each year we de-velop products around theWinter & Summer FancyFood Shows so we can intro-duce them to our customers,as well as the food industry,”says Pete Hood, NationalSales Director. “We have so many differentproducts from cold dips to hot dips,cheeseballs to soups, that the show is thebest opportunity to showcase them all.”

“Without a doubt, the one product linethat garnered the most excitement and

attention was our one-cup microwavesoups, specifically our Grilled Cheese & Tomato flavor,” says Hood. “We had

customers see our ads and hunt us down so theycould see the soups. It wasvery encouraging.”

Hood says the one-cupsoups were a big hit withcustomers, but they werejust as excited to samplethe newest cheeseball(Farmers Market) and hotdip (Mountain Inn). “As acompany, we are known forour cheeseball mixes andour customers expect us tokeep churning out great fla-vor profiles in [that] cate-gory,” Hood says. With theSummer Fancy Food Showbehind them, Wind & Willow

has already started working on new prod-ucts for next January.

For more information, please visitwww.windandwillow.com, contact yourlocal rep, or call them toll-free at888.427.3235.

For those producing a Caribbean or tropi-cal-themed basket, Caribbean Dreams isa must-see. The company was born in1996, the brainchild of Adeeb and his sonJohn Mahfood. At the time, the companyonly produced traditional black tea underthe Tetley Brand, but soonafter, both men saw theopportunity to introducetraditional herbal teas tothe Jamaican market.

Caribbean Dreams,now the largest teapacker in the Caribbean, produces morethan 100 million teabags each year andcurrently has in its inventory almost 20 dif-ferent types of traditional Jamaican teas,including Bissy, Ginger, original Pepper-mint, Noni-ginger, Jamaican Sorrel andGinger and Ginger mint.

The company has also expanded itsproduct line to include “healthy teas” suchas Cleansing Tea, Slimming Tea, Cinna-

Caribbean Dreams: a quality line of authentic Jamaican tea and chocolate

mon Mint Diabetics Tea, Cranberry Teaand Instant Ginger (sweetened andunsweetened). Jamaicans can also lookforward to trying their newest addition, Jamaican Old Style Chocolate, a favoriteof many for decades.

Since 2000,Caribbean Dreamshas been exporting toa number of coun-tries in the English-speaking Caribbean,as well as the United

States and Canada. Approximately 40 per-cent of the company’s sales are repre-sented by exports.

According to John Mahfood, this is a“perfect way to get a piece of Jamaicaabroad. The teas are so authentic, all youhave to do is add water.”

For more information, visit their websiteat www.jamaicanteas.com or call them at 876.928.5863.

A summer to remember

Wabash Valley Farms 14" Tall Jumbo Size Party-In-A-BoxFrom the company that’s been deliveringpremium popcorn poppers for over 30years, Wabash Valley Farms is now intro-ducing their new, ready-to-give, JumboSize Party-In-A-Box. The product was cre-ated to allow customers to be great giftgivers while still shopping within theirbudget. Retailing at only $19.99, this 14"tall gift set really pops and is priced to sell.The reusable popcorn container is jam-packed with all of your favorite movie nightessentials, including delicious butterypopcorn, movie-sized Skittles®, movie-sized Mike and Ikes® and Twizzlers®.Every jumbo popcorn tub comes pack-aged with a snap-on lid for convenientstacking. Decorative, sturdy and ready-to-give, it is the perfect gift for the popcornlover on anyone’s list. For information, call

Wabash Valley Farms at 877.888.7077, orvisit www.wfarms.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 SFF WRAP UP 23

ALO Drink rolls out ALOtones™―free music inside every bottleALO Drink, the makers of the #1 ready-to-drink aloe vera beverage in the U.S.natural market, debuted a new QR-Codecampaign called ALOtones™––freemusic inside every bottle with a great re-sponse from attendees at SummerFancy Food Show.

“We’re keeping up our brand’s momen-tum and helping ALO drinkers feel goodfrom the inside out. We’ve added freemusic inside all of our new ALO drinks.Every bottle lets consumers unlock andshare their flavor’s track. We call thesetracks ALOtones™––matching the ‘tonesof flavor’ found inside of our drinks. We’revery excited about this new concept andhope our consumers will be too”, saidHenry Chen, President, ALO Drink.

In addition to the QR-Code down-loads, we have created full length CDswhich contain all of the eight ALOtonessongs. The CD will be used as a promo-tional giveaway and sold on music sitessuch as the iTunes store. We’ve also cre-ated music videos to go along with twoof the ALOtones songs. We hired artiststo draw what inspired them as they drankALO Drink and listened to ALOtonesmusic. You can see them both on our

website http://alodrink.com/alotones.ALO Drink blends are made with real

aloe vera pulp and juice straight from theleaf. ALO’s beverages are available in bothmainstream and natural markets in theU.S. and Canada and many other coun-tries around the globe.

Coming this Fall: ALO Drink introducesits brand new flavor: ALO COMFORT––blending watermelon and peach alongwith aloe vera!

For wholesale and ordering information,please visit www.alodrink.com.

Buddy Squirrel expands product lineDid you have the chance to stop by theBuddy Squirrel Premium Nuts and Choco-lates booth at the Summer Fancy FoodShow? If you did, chances are you had theopportunity to sample a variety of ourmost popular bulk chocolate and nutmixes. The sweet and savory productssampled are available for order throughour wholesale catalog.

Additionally, we took the opportunity tointroduce our brand new bulk candy bars,offered in five delectable flavors includingMilk Chocolate Butter Almond Toffee,Milk and Dark Chocolate Sea SaltCaramels, Mint Meltaways and PeanutButter Caramel. All flavors date back toour company’s original 1916 QualityCandy recipes and are based on our mostpopular chocolates.

We also brought back our seasonalChristmas Tree Pretzels and MarshmallowSantas, which are now available through

the wholesale catalog, just in time to placewinter holiday orders. Finally, we show-cased two of our bestselling classics,miniature Whipped Créme Eggs andMarshmallow Eggs.

For more information, to request awholesale catalog or to place an order,please contact Buddy Squirrel’s customerservice department at 414.483.4500.

Introducing Cholent—another creative se-ries of salt-free dinner kits from PurelyAmerican Foods.

What exactly is Cholent? It’s a tradi-tional Jewish meal that, for generations,has been prepared on Friday before theSabbath begins. Slow cooked all night,this savory stew is the main course at Sat-urday’s noonday meal.

Now, busy health-conscious consumers

CHOLENT—Kosher meals made easyof all faiths can enjoy these time saving,salt-free meals any day of the week.Gluten-free, salt-free, all-natural, no MSG,Kosher-certified.

The Cholent kits are just one amongmany delicious and healthy meal solutionscreated by Purely American. Check themout at www.purelyamerican.com and contact Ray Leard at 740.592.3800 for information and orders.

For Christmas 2012, Gourmet du Villageis introducing a “Country Village Collec-tion” of gourmet tastes and matchingkitchenware. Packaged in exclusivecountry fabric bags, this nostalgic col-lection brings back many all-time clas-sic favorites from the days when thebusiness began as a cottage industry 30years ago. Products range from theirbest-selling dips and tastiest AppleSpice Pancakes to their Hot Apple andCranberry cider mixes.

To go with this collection, the com-pany is also introducing a “Country Cot-tons” collection. The warm Cranberry

Gourmet du Village goes nostalgic for the holidaysRed fabric goes beautifully with Gourmetdu Village’s bestselling red ceramic BrieBakers, Dip Chillers, Casseroles andother tableware. The “Country Cottons”collection includes aprons, oven mittsand pads, tablecloths, table runners andmore—all perfect gifts, bringing the verybest of the country look with festive col-ors for the holiday season.

“From our Village to yours for 30years,” is the headline in the company’slatest catalogue featuring this new nos-talgic collection. 2012 marks the 30thanniversary of Gourmet du Village cre-ating their very first herb and spice

blends to sell in the nearby country mar-ket, and today their products can befound in fine food and gift stores allacross North America. Visit www.gourmetduvillage.com for information.

Sticky Fingers Gluten-Free Scone MixesSticky Fingers Bakeries introduced anew line of four flavorful Gluten FreeScone mixes at the 2012 Summer FancyFood Show. These mixes’ high qualityand striking packaging undoubtedlycomplemented this successful introduc-tion, creating an outstanding amount ofbuyer interest.

At Sticky Fingers Bakeries, we knowscones. Since 1987 we’ve offered a pre-mium line of all-natural scone mixes thatare incredibly easy to make and impossi-ble to resist. Our new line carries thatsame commitment to quality, certified bythe Gluten-Free Certification Organization(GFCO) and produced according to GFCOstandards in a dedicated gluten-free facil-ity using only Kosher certified all-naturalingredients. GFCO takes away the worryfor both food manufacturers and theircustomers, by requiring facilities to main-

tain these incrediblyhigh standards.

Enjoy the delicate,crumbly texture withjust a touch of sweet-ness that our GlutenFree Scone line of-fers. A quality tasting product using onlythe highest quality ingredients is how wehave built our reputation over the last 25years. With four varieties (Original, WildBlueberry, Meyer Lemon and Apple Oat),there’s a flavor for every taste.

Thomas Owens and Ted Vogelman,the two men behind the success ofSticky Fingers Bakeries, started the proj-ect in San Diego, California, providingmuffins and scones to individuals, hotelsand coffee shops. By the late 1980s,Owens and Vogelman decided to craft apowder scone mix that would only re-

quire adding some water, while stillmaintaining a delectable consistencyand taste—the rest is history.

Sticky Fingers Bakeries now offers animpressive range of products: premiummixes for Irish soda bread, scones, andmuffins; Northwest Jams, English Curds,Fruit Butter, Pepper Jellies and, of course,their best-selling Chocolate FudgeBrownie Mixes.

Please visit us at www.stickyfingersbakeries.com or e-mail sales@stickyfingersbakeries.com to learn more aboutour delicious products.

The House Of Caviar and Fine FoodsThe House of Caviar and Fine Foods of-fers more than 20 kinds of caviar—someimported and some domestic. These in-clude their flagship Imperial Ossetra,River Beluga/Kaluga, Royal Imperial,Crown Russian Ossetra, Royal Siberian,White Sturgeon, Hackleback, Paddlefishand more.

“The Imperial Ossetra is particularlygood this year. It continues to be a hitwith buyers preparing for the holidays,proving that there is still a market forfine caviar even in difficult economictimes,” says Zoe Moghaddam, the com-pany’s President.

A symbol of distinction since 1984,

House of Caviar and Fine Foods is a spe-cialized importer/exporter and distributorof caviars and gastronomic products.The company’s experts select, prepareand pack a range of products accordingto CITES, FDA and HACCP. Traditionally,the finest caviar was from Iran, Russiaand other countries surrounding theCaspian Sea; since these countriesstopped production in 2010, the com-pany’s specialists now travel the world tosource caviar from environmentallyfriendly aqua farms whose product issimilar to the finest wild production.

The company also offers smoked fish,gourmet seafood, foie gras, truffles,

wild mushrooms, fine spices, honey vand chocolate. They have supplied themost famous chefs, and are ready toserve your business as well. Visitwww.houseofcaviarandfinefoods.com,call 954.462.0533 or fax 954.462.2488.

The first truly new fruit to be launchedsince the kiwi, the story of the Peppadew®

is as intriguing and endearing as its taste.Only 15 years ago, businessman andfarmer J.S. was in the garden of his holi-day home in South Africa, when he spot-ted an unusual bush laden with small,bright red fruit. Gingerly, he bit into one. Ithad a unique, delicious taste—both pep-pery and sweet, but with a distinctive fla-vor. Rightly believing that he had hit uponsomething really new, he saved someseeds, cultivated the seedlings, developedthe secret recipe to process the fruit andnamed the result Peppadew.

Worldwide research, global registrationof the trademarks and international solerights, setting up farms and a dedicatedfactory followed. Now the little mystery

fruit is being savored by discerningpalates in 27 countries, from South Africato Britain, Europe, Canada and as faraway as Australia. Deli-cious on sandwichesand salads, stuffed withcheese to make a trulyunusual appetizer, andused as a pizza top-ping—we say “Put themon *everything!*”

At the SummerFancy Food Show, thePeppadew USA team introduced thePeppadew Fresh Vineyards and Winery,New Jersey’s newest winery. A memberof the Garden State Wine Growers Assn.,Peppadew Fresh is the closest NJ wineryto the NY metropolitan area. It is spread

over 15 acres, with four acres plantedwith Cabernet Sauvignon, CabernetFranc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Chardonnay

and Pinot Gris. Theproperty of Pep-padew Fresh Farms,it was—and still is—aworking flower farm,growing pussy wil-low, quince and hy-drangea. PeppadewGoldew fruit is alsonow growing on the

property, providing a New Jersey-grownand processed product.

For more on Peppadew, PeppadewFresh Farms, and the culinary and educa-tion center, visit www.peppadew.com andwww.peppadewfresh.com

Peppadew opens vineyard, culinary center and farm in NJ

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comSFF WRAP UP24

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com SFF WRAP UP 25

Beach Plum Specialties of Cape MayFor anyone who has spent time on theNew England or Mid-Atlantic Coast,the Beach Plum is a popular andtasty sign of late summer, where thecolorful shrubs pop up along the sanddunes all along the shore from Maineto Maryland.

Now people every-where can enjoy thisdistinctive regional fruitthrough the uniquefoodstuffs offered byBeach Plum Specialtiesof Cape May. BeachPlum Specialtiesproudly produces deli-cious jam, jelly, wine vine-gar and vinaigrette, all made from the tastylittle Beach Plum. All products are made

from hand-picked, local wild and culti-vated Beach Plums. The taste is unique,reminiscent of cherry and traditionalplum with just a hint of cinnamon.

This product has been locally famousnot only in Cape May, NJ, but across the

entire Northeast Coast for decades,with locals devoting a greatdeal of time to foraging forthe plum and finding thebest spots for the fruit.

Now you don’t have totake to the dunes yourselffor a taste of Beach Plum.Contact Michael Craig atBeach Plum Specialties of

Cape May, 609.425.9057 or via beach-plumspecialties@gmail.com, for informa-tion on the company and its products.

v Add a European touch to your freezer case!The Original Munich Oktorberfest Pretzel isnow available in the United States.

The Bavarian Pretzel recipe is more thana thousand years old, with a rich flavor andtaste that cannot be duplicated. Their pret-zels are made from the finest natural ingre-dients, including pure, chemical-free Munichwater and a secret assortment of gourmetspices. Available in three sizes: Regular 3-oz; King size 5-oz; and Giant 10-oz.

Also available are a unique pretzelHoagie (4 oz.) from the same dough, andthe Party Mix (1.6-oz. versions of the MiniHoagie, Mini Bun and Mini Knot).

The company’s Bavarian fare would notbe complete without authentic German

Wolfgang’s Bavarian Pretzels: pretzels and desserts, authentic from Munich

desserts: flaky,multilayered Appleand ApricotStrudels, feather-light Apple Ringsand Original Ger-man Potato Pan-cakes, exclusiveto them in theUnited States.

All specialtiesare fully baked inMunich and require no additional baking.Just open, heat and enjoy.

For more information or to order online, visit www.wolfgangspretzels.comor call 209.295.4664.

Mia Dolci: A different kind of cookie from PARTNERSToday’s consumers are looking for all-nat-ural, high quality products that taste greattoo. When it comes to savory snacks,PARTNERS, a tasteful choice company,has delivered time and time again withwholesome and delicious cracker vari-eties. PARTNERS continues to make itsmark in the world of sweet specialty foodswith its unique offering of all-natural MiaDolci Gourmet Cookie Crisps.

Thin like a cracker, sweet like a cookie,these crispy treats are available in four de-licious flavors: Chocolate Vanilla Swirl,Lightly Lemon, Toasted Hazelnut and Cin-

namon Crisp. Sweet but not too sweet,Mia Dolci cookie crisps are superb aloneor excellent paired with your favorite cof-fee, tea, sorbet or ice cream.

Consumers have enthusiasticallypraised this innovative cookie alternativesince they made their debut in October2010. Perfect for when you’re cravingsomething sweet, Mia Dolci cookiecrisps contain only 120-150 calories perserving. As with all PARTNERS products,they are certified kosher and contain nopreservatives, hydrogenated oils, artifi-cial flavors or trans-fats.

Consumers have also praised MiaDolci’s elegant packaging. Designedwith versatility in mind, Mia Dolci areavailable in 6.5-ounce or two-ounceboxes. Each box has two front facingsides, allowing for either vertical or hor-izontal display. The rich, earth-tonedpackaging features easily identifiableflavors and looks appealing grouped to-gether on a shelf, in a display rack or ina gift basket.

In addition to being mindful of whatgoes into their all-natural products,PARTNERS takes pride in its reputation

as an environmentally friendly and responsible company. One hundredpercent of the company’s purchased energy comes from green powersources and is safe, clean and renew-able. Product cartons are made usingsustainable paperboard materials thatare Forest Stewardship Council certi-fied, all food waste is sent to a localchicken feed producer and nearly allmaterial waste is recycled.

For more information about PARTNERS,a tasteful choice company, please visit www.partnerscrackers.com, call800.632.7477, or e-mail service@partner-scrackers.com. You may also find PARTNERS on Facebook.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comSFF WRAP UP26

Cupcake kits, new cake flavors from The Invisible ChefIntroduced at the Summer Fancy FoodShow, The Invisible Chef’s new Frosted& Fabulous Cupcake Kits will put a smileon everyone’s face. Each beautifullypackaged kit makes 12 cupcakes, and iscomplete with an all-natural cupcake mixand frosting packet that just needs a fewbasic ingredients. Flavors include ChaiLatte, a unique blend of spices bothsmooth and sweet; Dark Chocolate, richand satisfying; Salted Caramel, butterycaramel with a touch of salt to highlightthe sweetness; and Limoncello, a mild,sweet flavor with the perfect zing oflemon. Just bake, frost, serve and smile!The kits will retail for $9.99.

The already popular Coffee and Tea

Cakes Collection was expanded, withthree new flavors that have one thing incommon: chocolate! Who can resist any-thing that starts with chocolate, especiallywhen it is accompanied by flavors likeHazelnut, Peanut Butter and Mocha?

Invisible Chef prides themselves onusing all-natural ingredients in all of theirbaking mixes, so your customers knowthey are serving the very best to family andfriends. Delicious and fresh-baked, theirpremium baking mixes stir a little home-baked goodness in every mix they blend.They start by using the very best ingredi-ents, and offer flavor combinations that in-clude classic standbys everyone loves, aswell as unique offerings for the sophisti-

cated inner chef in all of us. Their mixesare so easy to make, using a few staple in-gredients. From the box, to the oven, tothe table in just minutes.

For more information, call The InvisibleChef at 800.456.7115 or visit them onlineat www.theinvisiblechef.com.

Formaggio®, owned and operated by An-thony Mongiello, a.k.a The Big Cheese™,has been changing the face of the freshmozzarella case for over twenty years.First came the pioneering venture of bring-ing pre-tossed cilliegine salads intoa retailvenue. Then it was transforming the tradi-tional cheese and meat roll, from whatlooked like a hockey puck into a spiral logwith the meat on the outside. These prod-uct innovations created the landscape fortoday’s fresh mozzarella case.

A couple of years ago, Formaggio answered another big question: how tooffer pre-sliced fresh mozzarella with apalatable appearance. This was achievedwith the two compartment tray—slicedfresh mozzarella with a topping alongside.The Contemporary Classics™ tray line is

growing in popu-larity, and For-maggio willreveal more fromit later this year.

The newestfresh mozzarellainnovation is Arti-san Wraps™:premium Italian-style deli meat, wrappedaround a finger-size stick of award-win-ning fresh mozzarella. The concept is sim-plicity itself, the result absolutely delicious.The meats—highest grade pepperoni, pro-sciutto and soppressata—are sliced to amost satisfying thickness.

Anthony Mongiello explains it himselfon the package. “These meat andcheese wraps are hand-rolled with love,

so you can enjoy the com-bination of the savorymeats wrapped around thesoft, creamy center of ourFresh Mozzarella. So lovelyto look at; so delicious totaste! We roll our award-winning hand-stretchedFresh Mozzarella with thefinest, most genuine Italianmeats available, for a trulysavory experience of hon-

est-to-goodness Italian cuisine.”Artisan Wraps will be available in two

sizes. The 22-ounce version includespepperoni, prosciutto and soppressata,while the seven-ounce version featuresone of four meats (Genoa salami is com-ing soon) individually. Coming soon toclubs and retail stores.

For information, call 845.436.4200 orvisit www.formaggiocheese.com.

New Artisan Wraps from Formaggio

Sarabeth’s Kitchen: The anatomy of a cookieA question we have heard many, manytimes at our Sarabeth’s restaurants is “Isthere really a Sarabeth?” Consequently,you may have seen one of our ads withthe headline, “Yes, there really is a Sara-beth” with a smiling portrait of Sarabeth,in her whites, holding a bowl of fruit.When people do learn that this personexists, they conjure up an image ofsomeone sitting in a board room with abunch of directors planning global strat-egy or making TV appearances, sched-uling the next press interview andphoto-op or traveling to each of herrestaurants to make sure the cooks arekeeping up the quality of her food. Well,

yes, that last part is true, but most daysyou will find her in anapron, working along-side her bakers in herstate of the art bakeryat the Chelsea Marketin New York City. Sheis doing what sheloves to do—bakingand creating some-thing delicious,whether it be a newjam, pastry, cake,dessert or cookie.

Her latest creation iscalled the “Morning Cookie.” Being a

Weight Watcher’s member herself, it washer intention to create a “WeightWatcher-friendly” cookie having no more

than three PointsPlus values.Using a combination of shred-ded wheat, oatmeal, coconutand other basic ingredients, sheproduced a cookie that not onlyis delicious but nutritious at thesame time. It is a crisp andcrunchy high fiber snack thatcan be breakfast on-the-go or alight dessert after lunch.

Sarabeth recently was filmedby “New York Live” while mak-ing the Morning Cookie. A videocan be viewed on Sarabeth’s

website, www.sarabeth.com.

For more than 25 years, Boyajian Inc hasproduced the finest, all-natural specialtyfoods. Today, the line has grown to includeinfused oils, dipping oils, vinegars, vinai-grettes, Asian oils, citrus oils and ex-tracts.  As the offerings evolved, so did thelook. Now the line’s new labels includefresh photography, usage suggestions,and information about the product andcompany. While these products are spe-cial enough for hostess or holiday gifts,they are also pantry must-haves.

The From the Garden oils are fresh andcrisp, signature infused oils made in smallbatches.  The all-natural slow infusion re-sults in a balanced aroma and a full spec-

trum of flavor. They are idealfor grilling, roasting, sautéing,drizzling and dipping. Offer-ings include: Garlic, Basil,Oregano, Rosemary, Scallion,Chipotle, Habañero, RoastedChili and Jalapeño .  

The World Vinegars are de-signed for cooking or simply drizzling onfresh fruit or vegetables. Offerings include:Balsamic, Cherry Balsamic, Fig Balsamic,Coffee Balsamic, Cocoa Balsamic, SweetCider Vinegar, Maple Vinegar, RaspberryVinegar and Pomegranate Vinegar.  

The exotic Asian flavors are aromaticand potent. Products include: Hot Chili Oil,

Plum Vinegar, WasabiOil, Wasabi Sesame Dip-ping Sauce, ToastedSesame Oil and FragrantPeanut Oil.  

The dipping oils arepacked with colorfulherbs and spices andbest served with crustybreads, olives andcheese. The vinaigrettestransform the salad

course into a main event. Flavors are: Ital-ian Herb Dipping Oil, Moroccan Blend Dip-ping Oil, Herbes de Provence Dipping Oil,Balsamic Vinaigrette, Pomegranate Vinai-grette and Raspberry Vinaigrette.  

Please visit www.boyajianinc.com orcall 800.965.0665. Orders can be placedonline or by phone.

Fresh look and new offerings from Boyajian Inc this holiday season

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 SFF WRAP UP 27

Rubschlager Rye-Ola Flax BreadRubschlager Baking Corporation’s newestRye-Ola® variety is Flax. Rye-Ola breadshave the true taste of Northern Europeanbreads, baked in Chicago for a fresher fla-vor than imports. The product is made of100 percent whole rye and is also, ofcourse,100 percent whole grain. Flax seedis the richest source of Omega 3s in theplant kingdom.

Because the product is 100 percentwhole rye, it has no wheat, making it ac-ceptable to many with wheat gluten intol-erance. Serving suggestions for Rye-OlaFlax Bread include open-faced, as a sand-wich, cut into smaller pieces to serve withsalmon and cream cheese as an appetizer,or toasted and served with butter or jam.

Rubschlager Baking Corporation,founded in 1913, is a family-owned busi-ness located in Chicago, with distributionthroughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexicofor its bread products. Best-known for theircocktail breads, Rubschlager also pro-duces a quality line of European-stylebreads in shapes known as Squares andRye-Olas. The Squares, dense and fairlysmooth in texture, are available in seven va-rieties. The Rye-Olas are a group of fourbreads (including the new Flax Bread)made with 100 percent chopped, whole

rye, in a style usually produced only inNorthern Europe. Additionally, the companyproduces an all-natural line called NaturalPreference, that includes Cocktail breads,Rye-Ola breads and Toasted Mini Chips.Rounding out the Rubschlager line are din-ner and sandwich rolls, giant (ten-pound)loaves, sandwich breads, and a group ofhalf-loaf cocktail breads in controlled at-mosphere packaging for use in the gift bas-ket trade. Rubschlager breads are usuallysold in the deli section of supermarkets andspecialty stores. Distribution is generally bydeli and specialty distributors.

For further product information contact sales@RubschlagerBaking.com,visit www.RubschlagerBaking.com, orcontact them at 773.826.1245.

Rabbit Creek Products introduces “Flavor It Up”Here at Rabbit Creek Products we prideourselves in two things, quality productsand customer service. Having beenaround since 1984, we feel that we havehad time to excel on both of theseterms. Another side to being in businessfor 27 years is being able to come upwith over 250 different gourmet drymixes, ranging from breads and brown-ies to soups and desserts, with dipsthrown in for good measure.

Located thirty miles south of KansasCity in the bucolic town of Louisburg, wehave been family-run going on threedecades. Blending, packaging, labels, anddecorating are all in house, to assure cus-tomers the freshest products available.

We also offer private labeling for theminimal fee of $20, which is onlycharged for the first run. After setup thecustomer is not charged for the private

labeling as long as they order in fullcase (12) quantity.

New for this year is “Flavor It Up” aline of compound butter mixes that isgreat on everything from popcorn tosteak. We also have new products in thebread and brownie lines as well as oth-ers out this summer. Contact RabbitCreek Products at 800.913.3073, orwww.rabbitcreekgourmet.com.

CookieZen BitesCookieZen Bites are our new line ofgrab-and-go gourmet cookies. Thesecookies were launched at the 2012 Sum-mer Fancy Food Show with great suc-cess. Gift baskets, hotel amenity bars,gift shops and general retail buyers wereall interested in this clean-looking, delicious, grab and go item.

CookieZen Bites are cookies from ouraward-winning line Cookies & Corks.We’ve packaged our fan favorite ZestyLemon and Sea Salt Chocolate Oatmealcookies in convenient four-cookie twoounce packages.

We were channeling our inner “Zen”when creating the perfectly balanced, nottoo sweet not too tart Zesty Lemoncookie. It is refreshingly delicious! The SeaSalt Chocolate Oatmeal cookie is light andcrispy. This cookie’s bittersweet chocolatechips, hint of vanilla and sea salt sprinkleprovide a heavenly experience for yourtaste buds!

Our cookies are free of artificial preser-vatives, colors, flavors and trans-fats.They have a nine-month shelf life and arecertified Kosher by the Chicago RabbinicalCouncil. CookieZen Bites will ship startingSeptember, and will be sold as individualunits in cases of 36 or in 12-count caddiesthat can be placed on a counter or shelf.

For more information please contact Laura Englander, lenglander@cookiezen.com or 703.389.9274.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comSFF WRAP UP28

Busha Browne brings the heat to the Fancy Food ShowThe Summer Fancy FoodShow was a success forBusha Browne, the award-

winning brand of Jamaicansauces, preserves and

seasonings. Tap-ping into thefood world’ssearch for vari-ety and com-plexity in theirspice choices,the brand’s

“Intensify YourFlavor” campaign drew strong interestfrom buyers and attendees.

“[We] have had great success in reach-

ing out to new markets and consumers,”said a spokesman for the brand.

The show was also an opportunity fordaily sampling of Busha Browne’s JerkSeasoning, Jerk Sauce and Pukka HotPepper Sauce. Jamaica has long en-joyed an enviable reputation for qualityindigenous herbs and spices, with thepimento berry considered the secret in-gredient. The crushed berries are a keyingredient in jerk seasoning paste,which combines the berries with herbsand spices including escellion (springonion) and the country’s well-knownscotch bonnet peppers.

Jerk is the authentic Jamaican methodof grilling meats, combining highly

spiced seasonings and cooking over apimento wood fire. The slow, savoryprocess traps spices and juices, for anaromatic smoked flavor. There are threewidely accepted methods of “jerking”:pit grilling; pan jerk; and oven bakedjerk, now taking hold in North America.This method allows the cook simply toseason meat, fish, vegetables or tofuwith Busha Browne’s Jamaican JerkSeasoning, add cooking oil and bake tothe required doneness.

Busha Browne’s—fresh ingredients, artisan quality … tradition preserved.

Visit www.bushabrowne.com for infor-mation, and contact Source Atlantique at888.470.0626 for U.S. orders.

Robert Rothschild Farm Gourmet SpreadsRobert Rothschild Farm launched two newand three new and improved GourmetSpreads along with a new seasonal dip atthe Summer Fancy Food Show. Theseproducts were well received by the retailers.The new products are a complement totheir array of award-winning dips, sauces,mustards, condiments and preserves.

The two completely new spreads will re-ally excite your palate: Fire RoastedMediterranean Vegetable Spread and HotPepper Sour Cherry Ginger Spread. Theyalso re-introduced three top selling currentspreads, that have been reformulated andperfected: Artichoke & Aged ParmesanSpread, Balsamic Caramelized OnionSpread and Smoky Fig & Roasted GarlicSpread. These all natural, gluten free andkosher spreads offer incredible taste andconvenience to enhance any dish. They alsointroduced a Limited Edition Red Velvet

Sauce seasonal dip that is the perfect sweetaddition for the upcoming holidays.

Robert Rothschild Farm is extremely ex-cited to also introduce seventeen newproducts that were not seen at the Sum-mer Fancy Food show but are now avail-able. This Harvest Launch is packed withnew products and new categories that willdefinitely increase retail sales this fall. Thenew categories include meal starters,ketchups and chutneys. They are alsobroadening their offering in gourmetsauces, mustards, condiments andspreads. These delicious new productswere inspired from many sources, includ-ing the Fancy Food Show.

The company strives to provide Enter-taining Made Simple for the host, andachieves that with creations that are full offlavor and can be used in a variety of ap-plications, allowing the host to prepare

simple appetizers, entrées or side dishes.Not only do they create new products, butthey also continually evaluate their currentoffering and explore ways to enhance theirdelicious products.

For more information, call 800.356.8933,e-mail info@robertrothschild.com or visitwww.robertrothschild.com.

Modena Fine Foods: Creating a buzz with authnetic Italian productsModena Fine Foods, Inc.is an importingand marketing company of innovative spe-cialty food products, including BalsamicVinegar of Modena P.G.I., specialty winevinegars, seasonings, jams, sauces, tape-nades, and more. The company prides it-self on not only importing and sellingproduct, but also providing continuoussales and educational support to its dis-tributor and retailer partners.

"Our product offering breaks awayfrom other products in their categories,"says Michael Giaimo, VP of Sales andMarketing. "For example the vinegarshelf, which for many years now has re-mained the same in many retail loca-tions; frankly, not many retailers havemoved away from a “standard” selec-tion. Our offering provides a lot moreopportunity for selection and differenti-ation on that shelf, including manyhigher quality level balsamic vinegars,certified by a very recognized and pro-fessional product grading system (the“Leaf System”), balsamic glazes/reduc-tions of many varieties, truly better andunique quality types of wine vinegar,and more."

Modena had a successful year at theclose of 2011, with many products show-ing positive growth not only in sales num-bers but in retailer data as well. Forexample, “Blaze,” the first balsamic glazeproduct, showed positive growth in IRIdata, once again proving to be a leadingbrand for this type of product.

That was followed up in 2012 withover ten new products from the com-pany’s various brands. "Some expandon existing product lines, others arecompletely new. This is really exciting,because the retailers who carry them aretruly the first ever to show these in theNorth American market," says Giaimo."We are re-introducing and revitalizingcertain products which have done wellbut with new packaging. With that pack-aging, we look forward to an even bettershowing in 2012."

Retailers will want to take note ofModena’s hottest products for the year:“Blaze" Glazes; the favorite BalsamicVinegar of Modena P.G.I.; Seasonello, aunique aromatic herbal sea salt fromBologna, Italy; and a new high qualityselection of Italian wine vinegars thatGiaimo feels "will really spark excite-ment in what can easily be considered adull category."

The products areunique, both in theirsubstance and in theway they are pre-sented on the shelf.Take in exampleMazzetti BalsamicVinegar of Modena,one of the originalbrands of balsamicvinegar ever exportedfrom Italy. Today it isone of several compa-

nies/brands that use the “Leaf System”,which certifies the product based on laband sensory analysis, versus misleadingclaims of age or technical aspects (den-sity alone) that are not prime factors ofthe quality. This system really setsMazzetti Balsamic Vinegar apart fromthe rest (and also other companies thatuse the system), because it’s reliable.Giaimo feels it to be the most consistentin the industry, and most importantly itprovides consumers a guide to whatbalsamic vinegar is best for what theyare cooking on any given day.

All this is reaching a growing audience."[Our audience is] primarily foodies. I feelthis is a growing group, as TV and socialmedia are opening people’s eyes to theworld of gourmet food that had never hadtoo much exposure to it previously," saidGiaimo. For information, visit www.modenafinefoods.com, call 201.842.8900 or emailinfo@modenafinefoods.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 SFF WRAP UP 29

Fever-Tree wins Gold at Summer Fancy FoodFor the third straight year Fever-Tree haswon the sofi ™ Gold for Outstanding ColdBeverage at the Summer Fancy FoodShow, with Fever-Tree’s MediterraneanTonic Water winning top honors this year.

Mediterranean Tonic is the newest inFever-Tree’s full range of cocktail mixers,making its official debut at this year’sSummer Fancy Food Show. Specificallydesigned to pair with vodka, Mediter-ranean Tonic blends the soft bitterness ofreal quinine with the full bodied flavor oflemon thyme, rosemary, and citrus, as wellas small champagne bubbles to enhancearoma and texture. Made by blending theessential oils from flowers, fruits, andherbs sourced from the shores of theMediterranean, this delicate, floral tonic isdelicious in a cocktail or on its own.

The addition of Mediterranean Tonic isproof of Fever-Tree’s innovation—thevery reason it is the leader in the pre-mium mixer category today. Foundedwith the simple idea that premium spiritsdeserve the best quality mixer, Fever-Tree now offers a complete range of all-natural cocktail mixers. Fever-Tree hasalways gone to great lengths to ensurethe best quality products are produced,which is why every ingredient is hand-picked from the best suppliers aroundthe world for optimum flavor, texture, andaroma for mixing with spirits.

Designed with the spirit drinker inmind, the entire Fever-Tree range in-cludes: Tonic Water, Naturally Light TonicWater, Mediterranean Tonic Water, BitterLemon, Club Soda, Sparkling Lemon,Ginger Ale, Ginger Beer and NaturallyLight Ginger Beer.

Fever-Tree’s previous winners for Out-standing Cold Beverage include GingerBeer in 2010 and Ginger Ale in 2011.Fever-Tree is imported by Brands ofBritain, LLC. For more information, pleasecall 800.646.6965, email info@brandsofbri-tain.com or visit www.brandsofbritain.com.

With the holidays right around the corner,Bakto Flavors has everything you need tomake the best holiday treats. You’re sureto find the right ingredients from our 40 dif-ferent natural extracts and flavors. Add adrop of Peppermint Extract to your favoritehot chocolate recipe or a dash of Rum Fla-vor to your next rum cake. Our uniquePumpkin Pie Flavor works great in holidaydrinks, cakes, cookies, and pies. Yourmom’s ginger snaps won’t be the samewhen you add any of our newest line ofginger products, including Ginger CaneSugar, Gourmet Ground Ginger, and Natu-ral Ginger Flavor. Don’t forget to spice upthe holidays with our Gourmet Cinnamon,Nutmeg, and Cloves; available both wholeor ground. And finally, our specialty Vanillais perfect in just about any dessert―

Bakto Flavors Holiday Extracts and Flavors

available in extract, whole beans, powder,and golden cane sugar. Did we also men-tion they make the perfect gifts? Theseproducts are all available in attractive holiday gift boxes. With Bakto Flavors,your holidays will be happy, healthy, andsimply delicious. For more info, please visitwww.baktoflavors.com.

Private Spring WaterPrivate Spring Water is the leading national supplier of premium quality,custom pr vatelabeled bottled water inthe U.S. Its vertically integrated services include an in-house label de-sign team, advanced nine-color labelprinting press, bottling and distributionwith a network of delivery trucks andfreight partners with whom it has nego-tiated outstanding shipping rates. Pri-vate Spring Water offers the highestquality bottled water, guaranteed, andwith your custom private label. This iswhy Private SpringWater has the bestpackage available.

Private Spring Water has collaboratedwith the leading national suppliers ofbottled water and beverages to createpromotional products for some of NorthAmerica’s largest retail outlets. Havingsuch relationships allows Private SpringWater to offer customers comprehen-sive design services, a national distribu-

tion range, industry-leading quality as-surance, national customer service andsupport, and the ability to pass alongextremely competitive pricing points.Private SpringWater is the perfectchoice for organizations looking for ef-fective and affordable promotion withunmatched service.

Its national customer service offers sup-port for all of its products. A single toll-freephone number ensures a Private SpringWater representative is ready to provideevery customer prompt service solutionsat every step of the way. Call toll-free from8 a.m.–5 p.m. PST at 877.664.1500, orvisit www.privatespringwater.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comSFF WRAP UP30

Frontier SoupsCooler weather is on the way, and FrontierSoups™ has two new gluten-free soups inits lineup of 33 all natural mixes, along withnew display shippers that provide versatileoptions for cross-merchandising sales.

“With the holidays just around the cor-ner, the new Hearty Meal Holiday Gather-ing Sausage and Bean Soup is aparticularly merry addition to a holidaymeal with its distinctively festive coloring,”said Trisha Anderson, founder of FrontierSoups. “Warm curry spices give the brotha golden color and highlight the red cran-berry beans and fresh spinach added tothe mix. Chicken apple sausage gives aseasonal flavor profile,” Anderson said.

Also new is the Homemade-In-Min-utes™ Carolina Springtime AsparagusLemon Soup. “All Frontier Soups gourmetmixes incorporate fresh ingredients forhomemade taste, and with the new As-paragus Lemon Soup, consumers havethe choice of adding a splash of lemon

juice and fresh asparagus, spinach or fen-nel to enhance the freeze-dried asparagusand tarragon in the mix,” Anderson said.Authentic Italian risotto thickens the soupfor a sophisticated presentation.

“These new soups are updates of tworecipes and reflect consumers’ desires formore vibrant and assertive flavors,” Ander-son said, “but they still are faithful to theregional American recipes on which all ofour soups are based.”

Retailers now can receive a stand-aloneshipper with an order of 48 Hearty Meal orHomemade-In-Minutes bestsellers. Bothshippers stand 5 feet tall and are madefrom sturdy, easy-to-assemble cardboard.“They may be used as an end cap orcross-merchandising display in the meatand produce departments to encouragepurchase of the fresh additions that helpthe soups taste like they simmered allday,” she said. All Frontier Soups mixesare all natural, with no added salt, preser-vatives or MSG.

Visit www.frontiersoups.com for more information.

Not your average cookie straw...J&M Foods continues their traditionwith the introduction of their all newCookie Straws at the 2012 SummerFancy Food Show. These new cookiestraws are definitely not average. Withsimple, all-natural ingredients, nopreservatives, and real butter, thesestraws stand above all the rest. Avail-able in four flavors: Key Lime, Lemon,Vanilla, and Black Walnut.

Although the attendance at the showwas down a little, the uniqueness of theBlack Walnut Cookie Straw made it verypopular. This is a delicious flavor that isn’tbeing made by any one else in the indus-try. The same goes for the new Apple Cin-namon cookie that was also unveiled atthe show.

Janis Thibault, co-founder of Janis &Melanie (a.k.a J&M Foods), offered thisstatement: “It’s always fun to have new

products to share at the Summer FancyFood Shows, and we are definitely look-ing forward to being back in New Yorknext year.”

The savory Cheese Straws are alwaysa big hit. These scrumptious straws are available in Cheddar, Asiago, Bleuand Jalapeno.

The delicious crisp cookies are a surefavorite, available in Chocolate Chip,Chocolate Chip Pecan, White ChocolateMacadamia Nut, White Chocolate KeyLime and Triple Chocolate. Continuing theexcellence, Apple Cinnamon and OatmealRaisin Pecan are now a superb addition tothese unsurpassed treats.

Tea cookies are available in Raspberry,Lemon, Key Lime, Cranberry and HolidaySpice. These are an enchanting taste of di-vine pleasure; delicate and sweet.

J&M provides beautiful and elegantly

designed packaging in a variety of colorsthat would be perfect for gift baskets orself sets alike. See the complete line atwww.jm-foods.com.

Mooney Farms: Maximum Mediterranean QualityMary Mooney, Partner of Mooney Farms,talks about the company’s new items atthe Summer Fancy Food Show

Built on a foundation of family values,quality, and integrity, over the past 20years Mooney Farms has grown into thelargest producer of sun dried tomatoes inolive oil in the United States.

Mooney Farms has invested in our com-pany’s technology and packaging capabil-ities so all of our orders are packed freshdaily to order, allowing for the longest shelflife in the industry. Our state-of-the-art,kosher, and Silliker-audited facility sup-plies sun dried tomatoes to more than 20countries annually.

With strict attention to tradition, BellaSun Luci sun dried tomatoes are onlypacked in 100 percent pure olive oil. Un-like many brands that are co-packed, weare vertically integrated, allowing for alower cost that we can pass on to the con-sumer. Since we focus on one core item,our economy of scale allows us to usehigher quality ingredients, including oliveoil. We never use any low-end oils likecanola or sunflower seed in our jars.

We also feel it is important to be innova-tive and introduce new ways to merchan-

dise and create sales for our Bella Sun Luciline. We are excited to introduce a new ex-citing flavor added to our dry-bagged line,along with three new display options.

Our new 3.5-ounce Julienne Cut withGreek Oregano, Basil and Garlic is hand-selected and carefully dried to perfection.We have combined our premium sundried tomatoes with a delicious Greekblend of flavors ready for your nextrecipe. Our sun dried tomatoes arepacked in convenient re-sealable ziplockbags to lock in the delicious flavor andfreshness. Other varieties in this line in-clude Julienne Cut with Italian Basil, andJulienne Cut with Zesty Peppers, alongwith the two original products: PremiumSun Dried Tomato Halves and PremiumSun Dried Tomatoes Julienne Cut.

We offer a full color single 6-pack tray–a convenient size perfect for fitting virtuallyanywhere in your store! This item can bestocked with any of our five varieties. Ourmetal floor display offers a small footprint,full color graphic header, and holds onecase of all four dry varieties. You can alsomix the bagged flavors custom to yourstore’s needs. Newly launched is ournewest floor rack that will accommodatecases of both our dry-packed and oil-

packed products, creating a sun driedtomato “destination” for your customers.We would be happy to add any of thesenew displays or racks onto your next orderat no charge!

We believe the most interesting foodtrend has been the re-discovery of theMediterranean diet. The “Med Mark” logoenables the consumer to identify foodsthat are part of a healthy Mediterraneanlifestyle. Our products bear the Med Marklogo and represent one of these corefoods. Sun Dried Tomatoes are also rich inlycopene, a proven antioxidant.

At Mooney Farms we recognize thatgreat brands don’t just happen, they arebuilt on many years of hard work and con-sumer education. Our newly redesignedweb site www.mooneyfarms.com edu-cates consumers about the Mediterraneandiet and offers many delicious recipe ideas.

SEPTEMBER 2012SUPPLEMENT TO

Vanns SpicesSEE PAGE 33

eSutrasSEE PAGE 36SEE PAGE 36

Pepper Creek Busha BrowneSEE PAGE 38

GOURMETNEWST H E B U S I N E S S N E W S P A P E R F O R T H E G O U R M E T I N D U S T R Y

®

Spices2012 UPDATE

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.comSPICES UPDATE32

Seasonings and spices add flavor to the bottom lineBY ROCELLE ARAGON

“When this recession came, we were re-ally worried. But sales went up big time.People are eating at home more, butmaking an effort to use the higher end in-gredients and exotic spices to duplicatethe restaurant experience.” — Gary Wool-ley, Pollen Ranch

Buoyed by adventurous palates andthe rise in home cooking—for fun, not justnecessity—seasonings and spices re-main a strong category, especially as hol-iday baking and entertaining approach.Gourmet salts remain entrenched in thegift category, and that interest is spread-ing to exotic peppercorns and blends thatcan be packaged into affordable yet at-tractive gift items.

As a crop like any other, though, spiceswill be affected by the drought over thenext few months. Recipes will benefit fromexceptionally fiery and concentrated pep-pers, but producers are also bracing them-selves for the rising input costs.

Pricing issues aside, though, the searchfor flavor will continue. In a June report, re-search company Packaged Facts andforecaster the Center for Culinary Devel-opment identified five trends in spices and

seasonings: smoke in unexpected places;Aleppo peppers; the Korean sauce go-juchang, kimchi’s unheralded co-anchor;health benefits (led by cinnamon andturmeric), and, the most mainstream, theuniversally beloved buffalo flavor.

African and Middle Eastern accents Syrian Aleppo peppers, the spice powder/snack known as dukkah and Ethiopianberbere are the next steps in the trailblazed by za’atar, harissa and ras al-hanout. Chef Salt incorporates spices withunrefined, mineral-rich salt for its intense,complex Tunisian Fire blend; producersVanns, Victoria Gourmet and eSutras areall reporting strong interest in these fla-vors, which are novel and exciting even topalates accustomed to Latin, Asian andEuropean dishes.

Spices go artisan.Premium lines like See Smell Taste (repre-sented by Viola Imports) and Le Boite NY(owned by custom blender Lior Lev Sercarz) promote spices and blends withlimited quantities, artisan productionmethods and painstaking provenance.Created for chefs but available retail,

these are aspirational ingredients for theconfident cook.

Also in the premium vein is Laura San-tini’s Taste #5 line of umami seasonings,which expands this September with twonew products: Far Eastern Vegetarian, created with no less than Chef Nobu Matsuhisa; and Umami Dust, a powder alternative to the original paste.

Health, flavor and low sodiumThe vegetarian variant hints at a key driverfor spices: flavor without sodium and fat.Award-winning line Victoria Gourmet, forexample, is seeing strong sales from itspremium low sodium line. As more con-sumers turn to healthy plant-based diets,demand will grow for spices to add com-plexity and depth without meat, not just inretail but on menus. “My business hasgrown significantly in the foodservice andclub store channels in the last two years,”said Victoria Gourmet’s Victoria Taylor. Or-ganic spices are also seeing growth, withcustomers conscious of traceability evenin previously commodity categories.

Kits put flavor adventure within reachOther products take an extra step andpackage the spices, with the right quan-tities or proportions for specific uses.Colorado-based company The Pursuit ofSpice sells complete seasoning mixes forspecific global dishes, such as its best-selling Ethiopian Doro Wat. TSP Spiceshas The Scoop, a kit of spices for icecream that comes with six recipes, whileUrban Accents’ line of seasoning mixesfor specific entrees was a 2012 sofi Fi-nalist. Sales of specific blends, such asfor seafood or poultry, have also taken offfor both Pollen Ranch and Tricky DixMojo. These appeal to consumers whoare ready to experiment, but want some

guidance—and prudent spending ratherthan a cupboard of stale unused pow-ders—before they set out.

Cross merchandise for use in desserts,cocktails; create signature dishes forprepared food counter.Used like rim salt in a margarita, spicescan give cocktails an unexpected salty orsavory kick. Several producers featuredhere are seeing strong sales from craftbrewers and mixologists. Spices that areintense rather than sweet are makingtheir way into dessert mixes as well, in-cluding chili to go with chocolate,Bakto’s newstrong gingerline and PepperCreek’s SaigonCinnamon. Re-tailers with pre-pared foodcounters shouldalso considerusing spices tocreate signa-ture dishes—cookies or hotdrinks in winter,a secret sand-wich sauce orsalad dressingin summer, forexample—thatcan becomeidentified withthe store.

Complex flavors, made easy for cooks.Courtesy of Victoria Gourmet

Nobu Matsuhisa’s blend makesumami safe for vegetarians.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 SPICES UPDATE 33

Vanns Spices digs deep with authentic ingredientsCulinary trends lean towards ethnic spicesand flavors.

From restaurants to supermarkets, it’shard to miss the growing number of exoticfood experiences and flavor sensationsbeing offered to an ever expanding andmore adventurousconsumer audience.

That’s why Vannstravels the world,seeking out new in-gredients for their al-ready impressiverange of spices,spice blends and fla-vors. From AleppoChili to Zahtar,African Bird Pepperto Wasabi Powder,Vanns has an ency-clopedic range ofspices to satisfyevery culinary need.

“We understand that culinary trendsand flavor preferences are constantlychanging,” says Mick Whitlock, Presi-dent of Vanns Spices. “That’s why we’re

constantly researching, innovating andworking closely with our clients andsuppliers to ensure variety, authenticityand consistency.”

Vanns also specializes in customblends and flavor formulations. With ateam of experienced spice professionals,

Vanns has theresources tocreate distinc-tive flavors,translating smallbatch recipesinto larger scaleconfigurations.That’s why somany chefsacross the na-tion rely onVanns for theircustom blends.

Vanns will beshowing theirrange of spice

solutions at the Natural Products ExpoEast - Booth 648. Alternatively, visit Vannsonline at www.vannsspices.com or call800.583.1693.

The holidays aren’t far... Soon it will be theseason for weekends away, time with fam-ily and friends and plenty of great food forsharing. It’s the season everyone looks for-ward to—and for that special event toreach top-notch perfection, the food musttaste phenomenal! Slap Ya Mama’s newbox sets have everything you need to accomplish just that. From their three seasoning blends, pepper sauce, fish fry, seafood boil and etoufee sauce, these Slap packs cover all your gifting andculinary needs.

Slap Ya Mama offers three differentpack sizes: the “Everything Slap Pack,”“The Essential Slap Pack” and “TheTraveler’s Slap Pack.” To check out theirnew box sets, please visit slapya-mama.com. For the masters of the grill,these Slap packs have everything youneed! Also, be on the lookout for an

Boxed and ready-to-ship ‘Slap packs’ from Slap Ya Mama

expansion of Walker & Sons’ productline throughout the year. They are doingeverything possible to make your lifeeasier while standing at the stove,burner, pit or grill.

Slap it, Eat it, Love it!

For the barbeque expert who has every-thing, try New Zealand Pacific Sea Salt. The outstanding sweet salt flavorbrings out the very best in favoritedishes, without the bitterness found inhighly mineralized salt or plain sodiumchloride sea salt, that may contain freeflowing anti-caking agents, yellow dyesand even dextrose.

New Healthy Mesquite Smoked Pa-cific sea salt is great for that down-home barbeque flavor. Available in Fineor Coarse (best for rubs). The secretLvouisiana mesquite-smoked familyrecipe, combined with the sweet salt fla-vor of New Zealand Pacific Sea Salt, willimpress any recipient.

Pacific Resources also imports the finestall natural New Zealand Honeys, includingBio Active and UMF Manuka Honey. Thesehelp with digestive problems but are also

good friends in the kitchen, delicious incooking, on cereal or yogurt or to sweetenyour favorite hot beverage.

Improve your health and treat your tastebuds with these great New Zealand products. Email info@pri-nz.com or visitwww.shoppri.com.

Light up the Barbeque! New Mesquite SmokedNew Zealand Pacific Sea Salt

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012SPICES UPDATE34

Caribbean Reef Sea Salt & Spice Co.Caribbean Reef Sea Salt & Spice Co. of-fers a combination of six sea salts, sea-soned sea salts and spice rubs.

The lower sodium sea salts come fromthe Caribbean, where islanders harvest thelocal salt ponds by hand. Salt ponds arecommon to most islands as these brack-ish waters are shallow, receive lots of sun,and are free of pollution. The ponds areundisturbed by humans and boaters.

Sea salt flourishes in these conditions,and has since the beginning of time. Thewind and the sun evaporate the oceanwater, leaving mineral-rich brine to con-centrate. Local hand processors brisklystimulate this live mixture and dazzling saltcrystals form. After cleaning and grinding,these sea salts are mixed with an array of

spices, ending in great seasoned sea saltsand spice rubs used for cooking, grillingand smoking.

For information and to order, call303.279.1634, email jollymon@q.com orvisit www.caribbeanreefspice.com.

Victoria Gourmet: Lower salt content is now a realityWith the health department pointing to-ward a goal of 1,500mg of salt per day, Vic-toria Gourmet, Inc. recently added No SaltLemon Pepper as the latest of many no-salt blends in its extensive seasoning line.

“I love salt. I have four sea salts in myline. But I also recognize how important itis to offer my customers incredible flavorwith the least sodium possible,” said com-pany founder Victoria Taylor.

Low salt blends appeal not only tohealth-conscious individuals, but to foodcompanies and restaurant chains as well.Low/no salt seasoning blends in recipes

are a success-ful tactic tomaintain flavor.

“My foodservice cus-tomers loveour productsbecause they have great flavor and a lowsodium level,” said Victoria. “I am partic-ularly happy with the No Salt LemonPepper. It’s got such a strong lemon fla-vor and tastes fresh and natural. It’s beenvery popular.”

Find out more at www.vgourmet.com.

Spices, extracts and a new strong ginger line from Bakto FlavorsBakto Flavors proudly presents a line ofgourmet spices perfect for the holidayseason. From tra-ditional standards like Cinnamonand Nutmeg, tothe less commonbut equally deli-cious additionslike Mace, BaktoFlavors has all the stock for your customers’baking needs.

This year, Baktoalso introduced two new excellent gingerproducts: Ginger Cane Sugar and GourmetGround Ginger. They also carry a Natural

Ginger Flavor, which is a customer favorite.The line extension comes as demand

grows for ginger flavorsthat are strong and in-tense, but without theharshness and addi-tional liquid that cancome from using fresh.Great for baking andpacked with health ben-efits, these deliciousnew products makeGrandma’s gingerbreadcookies taste betterthan ever before. For

information and to order, call 732.354.4492, email info@baktoflavors.com or visitwww.baktoflavors.com.

Tricky Dix Mojo: Lick It & Love It! Finally, an allspice whose only limitationis your imagination. Touted as “the littleblack dress for the kitchen”, Mojo takesfood from boring toflavorful and from or-dinary to gourmet inone simple step.

Our original blendof 19 gourmet herbsand spices fromaround the worldenhances every-thing, from meat tochicken and fish tovegetables, with sa-vory ingredientsthat are hand-

packed to ensure the highest quality. Iteven turns favorite snacks like popcornand edamame into a unique and won-

derful new flavor expe-rience.

Use it as a rimmer onyour favorite adult bever-age, or as a substitutefor salt and pepper inyour favorite recipe. WithTricky Dix Mojo and itssiblings Chix Dix, HottDix and Porky Dix, greattaste is only one simplestep away. Call888.399.6007, or visitwww.trickydixmojo.com.

Gourmet du Village introduces Tropical Village SeasoningsGourmet du Village makes it easy to bringthe distinctive taste of beach barbequeinto your kitchen. Caribbean Curry is a fla-vorful, sweet-spiced, aromatic all naturalblend of herbs and spices. Jamaican JerkSpice Blend has allspice, thyme and citrusas keynote flavors. Jambalaya is spicy,tasty, straight from the south.

See the new line, along with Gourmet duVillage’s entire new collection of gourmetgifts, at the company’s showrooms in Dal-las and Atlanta. The line debuted at thisyear’s Winter Fancy Food Show in SanFrancisco. Contact them at 800.668.2314,e-mail lindaz@gourmetduvillage.com, orvisit www.gourmetduvillage.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com SPICES UPDATE 35

DennyMike’s ‘Cue StuffDennyMike’s award-winning, gluten-freeand all-natural seasonings are hand-crafted in Maine in small batches, usingonly the finest ingredients. Whether cook-ing in the kitchen or at the pit, Den-nyMike’s seasonings are a tasty way tostart any recipe and make an equally im-pressive finish to any meal. From Fintastic,Chick Magnet and Sublime Swine, to CowBell Hell and Pixie Dust, DennyMike’s revsup beef, pork, chicken and fish, along withveggies, breads and casseroles...a flavor-ful addition to every recipe.

Try them and find out why Den-nyMike’s is in specialty retailers such asWhole Foods, Hannaford Bros. and QFCstores throughout the Northeast, NorthAtlantic and Mid-Atlantic states, andthroughout the West Coast. Also avail-able online. Call 207.591.5084, emailinfo@dennymikes.com or complete anenquiry form at www.dennymikes.com.They know you’re gonna love ‘em!

Mom’s Gourmet: Artisan seasonings and spice blends that sell, and we have the proofRepeat performers in national and regionalgourmet food specialty stores, largechains and small independents, theMom’s line of seasoning blends makesfood taste great. These vibrant, unique,coarsely ground blends marry complex in-gredients for unforgettable flavor. Smallbatch processing, ground-to-order, keepsthe rubs fresh.

As good for you as they are good to eat,Mom’s Gourmet rubs are the healthy fareyou’d expect Mom to prepare. No salt andlow salt blends. Plus every rub is 100 per-cent gluten-free, with no MSG, preserva-tives or fillers.

Now sold in over 350 stores, includingFresh Market, Heinen’s, Orvis, PlumMarket, and Whole Foods Market, theseshake-on rubs are literal movers and

shakers. Standout names and packag-ing spur sales, and a recipe-packedwebsite keeps customers coming backfor more.

Call Sally Koepke of Mom’s Gourmet at 440.564.9702 or visit www.momsgourmet.net. At Expo East, visit them atbooth 259.

Spice rubs from Stonewall Kitchen Stonewall Kitchen’s collection of spicerubs are influenced by the regional tradi-tions of American BBQing. Add great fla-vor to grilled and roasted meats andseafood with this complete collection ofrubs, full of honest-to-goodness simpleherbs and spices.

Stonewall Kitchen sourced flavors from all over the countryto bring the best regional offer-ings, as well as the award-winning Espresso Rub and an old

favorite and pantry must-have, Chickenand Pork Rub. For more information,please visit www.stonewallkitchen.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012SPICES UPDATE36

Sous Chef Collections from eSutras OrganicseSutras Organics creates ethnic rubs andgourmet salts called ‘sous chef collec-tions’. Small batch, artisan-made to retainuniqueness and ethnicity, each blend isbased on familiar classics, with twists tocreate new flavor combinations.

Berbere from Africa, Chinese Five spice,Vindaloo from India, French Four Spice orChili spices represent a myriad of flavorsto jazz up any dish.

“eSutras Organics blends are great forcooking, but have so many other uses. Weuse them to add a bit of excitement tosandwiches and salads, on fish beforebaking or even stirred into hot pasta,” saysowner A’isha Bauer, a biochemist.

If there’s one component that epito-mizes a good meal, it is flavoring. eSutrasOrganics have taken this essence andadded unique elements to create a range

of hard-to-beat specialty products. Theyhandpick and shade-dry the best herbsand spices, for natural flavors that enrichany meal and tantalize any palate.

Call 773.583.4850 or visitwww.esutras.com to see the entire line.Mention ‘Gourmet News’ and receive 10 percent off.

Sweet Spices from Pepper Creek FarmsStock up for holiday baking with PepperCreek Farms’ Sweet Spices collection.The range includes nine items: ApplePie Spice, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Cinna-mon Supreme, Cinnamon Sticks,Cloves, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice, andVietnamese Cinnamon.

The Apple Pie Spice (cinnamon, nut-meg, mace and cloves) is great not only onpies, but also on muffins and cookies. Tryit on pancakes and waffles for an unex-pected treat.

Pumpkin Pie Spice (cinnamon, allspice,nutmeg, ginger, mace, and cloves) is asweet and spicy all-purpose baking ingre-dient. Use in a pie, or in smaller amountsfor banana bread, carrot cake, muffins andcoffee cake.

Our Vietnamese Cinnamon is more thandouble the strength of standard store-bought cinnamon, which normally origi-nates in China. By “strength” we mean the

percentage of volatile oil, which is 5 per-cent for our Vietnamese Cinnamon. Thisgives it a wonderful aroma and flavor likeno other.

All items are pure spice, with no fillersor soluble spice flavors, and packagedin Pepper Creek Farms’ signatureFrench Square jar with silver metal lid.For information and to order, visitwww.peppercreekfarms.com.

The Spice Hunter’s Fresh TwistGrinders introduce the newest addi-tion of flavorful blends, the 100%Organic Grinder, available January2013. Aromatic and fresh, thesegrinders release more pungent flavorwith just a twist. 100% Organic fla-vors include Spicy Garlic, Black &White Pepper, Peppercorns, LemonPepper and Mediterranean. Withconvenience at your fingertips youcan finish your dishes with flair! At

The Spice Hunter introduces 100% Organic GrinderThe Spice Hunter, they carefullysource all of their herbs and spicesfrom the most ideal growing regionsthroughout the world and bottlethem at their peak of flavor. 100%Organic ensures strict growing con-ditions free from harmful chemicals,while preserving the Earth. All jarsare 4¾" tall by 1¾" wide. For moreinformation, call 800.444.3061, visitwww.cfsauer.com or stop by booth510 at Natural Products Expo East.

Gourmet rubs from Robert Rothschild FarmRobert Rothschild Farm offers gourmetrubs to enhance the dining experience.Bold and flavorful, the rubs are the perfectseasonings for any grilled, baked, roastedor smoked poultry, seafood or meat. Theyare simple to use–try sprinkling them onpasta salad for a delicious unexpectedblend, or use these intense rubs to seasonhealthy grilled vegetables.

Two varieties are available, Chop HouseSteak and Beef Rub and Limon PepperMeat, Fish and Poultry Rub. Chop HouseSteak and Beef Rub will add some flavorto hamburgers on the grill, or season apremium cut of steak. Grilling your favoriteseafood with the Limon Pepper Meat, Fish

& Poultry Rub will add a flavorful zest thateveryone will love.

For more information, call 800.356.8933,e-mail info@robertrothschild.com or visitwww.robertrothschild.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 SPICES UPDATE 37

Entertaining with Wind & WillowWind & Willow is the perfect addition toany entertaining menu. The company isknown for their legendary Cheeseball Ap-petizer and Dessert mixes. But did youknow that each mix has an alternate recipeon the box that gives the consumer a dif-ferent recipe to impress their guests? Therecipes are a favorite with shoppers, whoenjoy the versatility, value and creativeideas they represent.

For a savory appetizer that’s perfectfor entertaining, the Wind & Willow OldSanta Fe Cheeseball & Appetizer mix canalso be used to make stuffed jalapeñossure to spice up any gathering. Or createthe easiest and tastiest stuffed mush-rooms using one of Wind & Willow’s bestsellers, Bacon Stuffed Mushroom. Simplymix the seasoning with cream cheese,stuff medium sized mushrooms, sprinklethe topping on the mushrooms, and bake

in the oven.Other great quick and easy appetizer

ideas are vegetable pizza, bruschetta, andspinach-artichoke dip. The recipes areendless, and the best thing is they’re deli-cious and easy to make.

For these and other great recipes, visit www.windandwillow.com. To order,please contact your local rep or call directly at 888.427.3235.

New handcrafted chais showcase unique spices, herbs from The Tao of TeaIn addition to its pure leaf teas, The Tao ofTea® offers fresh, organic, small farm-grown herbs and spices for purchase. Cin-namon sticks, cloves, dried ginger, wholegreen cardamom, orange peel and redrose petals are available, as well as a widearray of herbs and herbal blends, fromlemongrass to lesser-known and unique-tasting tea flowers. To ensure ethical, fairfarming, the company pays a premium di-rectly to growers and is involved in proj-ects to help create marketing avenues fornative herbs.

Many of these herbs and spices areshowcased in The Tao of Tea’s new line ofhandcrafted Chai concentrates. Freshlymicrobrewed at the company’s own Port-land brewery, the five varieties––500 MileChai, Red Bush Chai, Tulsi Chai, YerbaMaté Chai and Herbal Java––have an up-lifting, well-rounded taste and are ready to

drink warm or iced, by the addition of milkor non-dairy. Ideal for cafés and restau-rants, they are USDA-certified organic,certified kosher, contain no added juicesor flavorings and are lightly sweetenedwith low-glycemic coconut sugar or blueagave. Bottles are 32 fl.oz. and shelf-sta-ble, with an SRP of $5.50. For informationand tea spice pricing, call 503.736.0198 orvisit www.taooftea.com.

SEE SMELL TASTE the differenceViola Imports now carries an extensive se-lection of ultra-premium spices, herbs,unique sea salts and estate grown pep-pers from See Smell Taste.

This line of spices caters to fine diningrestaurants and professional chefs. The producers source the world’s highest quality herbs, spices and molec-ular gastronomy ingredients. Traceabilityand research are central. They studyhow each spice should be planted, har-vested and processed to achieve thehighest quality, and select only the bestof the best.

An example is See Smell Taste’s Tahit-ian Vanilla Beans. The flavor is com-plex—rich and sweet, floral andsmoky. The beans ripen on the vineover nine months, followed by amanual, all-natural curingprocess that gives them araisiny exterior and concen-trates the flavor of the thou-sands of seeds inside.

Blends such asVadouvan Golden,Harissa Mix andShichimi Togarashiare always madeto order and in small

batches, to ensure optimum quality con-trol, maximum freshness and authenticity.

See Smell Taste is now available infoodservice sizes of 32-oz. and one-galloncontainers. Retail packaging is in mini 1-oz. containers.

To bring See Smell Taste and other superior products to your store, call ViolaImports at 847.690.0790 or visit www.violaimports.com.

Busha Browne’s Pukka Hot Pepper SauceThe ultimate sauce for devoteesof wickedly hot food, this is madefrom fragrant red and yellowscotch bonnet peppers, crushedwith Jamaican cane vinegar toadd a real bite with deep flavor.

West Indian food in general isspicy, but Jamaican cuisinecalls for a unique combinationof “seasonings” for meats and savories, including limejuice, garlic and the incompa-rable–very hot but elusivelyflavorful–Jamaican scotchbonnet pepper.

The Taino Indians would havebrought the peppers with themin their migration from the north-ern part of South America nearly2,000 years ago, and the scotch

bonnet remains a staple spice in Jamaicato this day.

Busha Browne’s Pukka Hot PepperSauce was originally used as a tablesauce, and in the preparation of traditionalhot dishes. Today our Pukka Hot PepperSauce has special application in Cajun

and Creole cooking.The term “Pukka” comes from

India, and means authentic, genuine and first class–truly applica-ble to this prize winning sauce. As we like to say it, “Pukka does notburn in the mouth, it warms the heartand soul.”

Busha Browne’s—fresh ingredients,artisan quality...tradition preserved. Visit www.bushabrowne.com or con-tact importer Source Atlantique at 888.470.0626.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012SPICES UPDATE38

Seasonest Spice BlendsBring gourmet taste to everyday mealswith Seasonest All-Natural Spice Blends.Inspired by a family recipe, Seasonestblends are hand-crafted and bursting withflavor to complement a variety of dishes.

The current product line includes fiveblends: Mild, Original, Spicy, Adobo andItalian. Any meal, any time of day—there’sno limit to the uses for these versatileblends. Seasonest is all you need to createa delicious and healthy meal. Customerscome back because the blends can beused for breakfast sausage, chicken, steakfajitas, pork loin roast, spicy crab dip andmany more appetizing dishes. SeasonestSpice Blends satisfy the desire for great

taste and always hold a front row seat inthe spice cabinet. Make every day flavorfulwith Seasonest!

For more information about getting theseblends in your store, contact Seasonest byemail at wholesale@seasonest.com or call 678.353.3377.

Pereg Gourmet SpicesPereg Gourmet produces more than 60varieties of spices, spice blends andherbs. They use only fresh, pure, and 100percent natural spices; additionally theyrefrain from using additives, preservatives,food coloring or fillers. The end result is aproduct that is full of flavor and will en-hance any dish.

Pereg offers all of the spices in a rangeof sizes for both retail and bulk, in jugs aswell as foodservice sizes.

A variety of Pereg’s most popular spicesare Zaatar, Sumac, Curry, Cajun, SmokedPaprika, Lemon Pepper, Herb Provence,Paprika in Oil, Jerusalem Grill, B.B.Q.,

Spice for Shawarma and many more. Cus-tomers will love using them, to inspire newdishes or in their favorite classic meals.

All of Pereg’s products are OU Kosher.They have been creating gourmet naturalfood since 1906. Call 718.261.6767 or visitwww.pereg-spices.com.

Pollen RanchAs one of their favorite chefs once said,“You don’t have to cook fancy or compli-cated masterpieces—just good food fromfresh ingredients.” That was Julia Child.

Fresh and flavorful is exactly whatPollen Ranch set out for with its WildCrafted Fennel Pollen, Dill Pollen andGourmet Fennel Pollen Spice Blends.

The company’s Fennel and Dill Pollensare the essence of their flavor profiles,concentrated in the pollen. Fennel Pollenenhances the flavor of any dish, whethermeat, vegetables, fruit, pasta or bread,while the Dill Pollen is 10 times as intenseas what is usually found on retail shelves,and is used on potatoes, eggs, vegeta-bles, fish and by far the favorite, salmon.

Pollen Ranch Gourmet Spice Blends arepure genius flavor combinations. They are

created by Chef Bernard Guillas, one ofonly three American chefs to receive theprestigious Master Chef Of France awardand author of the award-winning cook-book Flying Pans. For information andrecipes, call 800.821.5989 or visitwww.pollenranch.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 SFF WRAP UP 39

Sophisticated, Unrefined Seasoning from CHEF SALTCHEF SALT seasoning blends featureunrefined sea salts and volcanicsalts, hand-harvested from mineral-rich oceans and salt depositsaround the globe. Each salt hasbeen carefully chosen for its out-standing flavor and color as well asits unique mineral content, moisturecontent, and crystal shape.

CHEF SALT founders AndrewSchloss and David Joachim used their 50years of combined culinary expertise tocarefully match each salt to the herbs andspices in each blend. Choose from 7 Salt,

Bacon BBQ, Tuscan Herb, NY Steak,Bamboo Curry, Tunisian Fire, andthe newest flavor, Holy Mole.

Each CHEF SALT blend effortlessly seasons beef, pork,poultry, seafood, pasta, grains,beans, vegetables, sauces, and stews with outstanding flavorand aroma.

To learn more about CHEF SALT, see the full product line, and get wholesale pricing, visit www.chefsalt.com, email dave@chefsalt.com,or call 610.967.6031.

Rabbit Creek ProductsRabbit Creek Products is a family ownedbusiness located in the heart of the USAin Louisburg, Kansas. Having been con-ceived in 1984 as bean soup mix sold toJack Daniels Distillery for their generalstore, 28 years later Rabbit Creek hasgrown to carry over 250 different items intheir catalog.

Louisburg, a town that recently got itssecond stop light and where people waveto everyone they pass on the road, lendsthe people at Rabbit Creek a small townperspective on dealing with customers.Namely, they care.

“Flavor It Up” butter seasonings arethe main new spices for this season.Easy to make compound butter mixes

are fantastic on everything from popcornall the way to steak and vegetables, and can be ready to use in minutes. Yourfood won’t know what hit it. Feel free tocall us at 800.837.3073 or email atrcreek@mokancomm.net. We are alsoonline at www.rabbitcreekgourmet.com.

Pursuit of SpiceBorn from a love of great food, travel andspices, Pursuit of Spice seeks out the ex-otic and exquisite flavors that define a re-gion, and brings them to you in their newCulinary Spice Kits.

Inspired by the spice markets of Mar-rakech and India, the lavender fields ofProvence, cacao plantations of Mexico,the crocus fields of Spain and the commu-nal feasts in Ethiopia, these spices repre-sent the heart of cuisine in their cultures.

Enjoy each spice for its aesthetic quali-ties—color, aroma, texture, taste—withoutadditives or fillers. They provide you thespices, you decide what else goes in. Thismakes the kits perfectly adaptable to veg-etarian and other special diets. Every cookcan make it their own.

Each kit contains pre-measured, individ-ual packages of pure and natural spices,

a pantry list for easy shopping and easy-to-follow directions to customize the dishin a home kitchen.

Bring the joy of spices, great food andtravel into your kitchen. Available in six se-lections: Ethiopian Doro Wat, FrenchHerbes de Provence, Indian Curry, Mexi-can Puebla Mole, Moroccan Tagine andSpanish Paella. Contact Pursuit of Spice at303.888.601, via info@pursuitofspice.comor at www.pursuitofspice.com for more information or to place an order.

Aromatica Organics: Artisan-crafted from Real IngredientsProven sellers with great value for yourcustomers and your store. AromaticaFresh Pak™ , spices and blends make abeautiful, colorful display. Create a Fla-vor Center with 100 percent organic, re-closeable, value packaged spices.Eye-catching displays in aisles or endcaps via pegboard or slat wall.

Capture the health wave with dynamicflavor profiles perfected in Aromatica NoSalt Flavor Blends. gourmet varietiesprovide zest and pack a flavor punch—who needs salt! Our custom blends weredeveloped over years of taste testing byour staff chef and numerous foodies withoutstanding reviews.

Every kitchen needs these superiorblends in its “spice toolkit.” Aromatica

Skillet or Grill It™ sell best at the meat,seafood or deli counter. Let departmentmanagers test free samples to spice upsales and inspire great home cooking.

100 percent certified organic, ethicallytraded and sustainably produced.

Call 775.971.8550 or visit www.aromaticspice.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

BUYERS GUIDEBUYERS GUIDE40

A L T E R N A T I V E G R A I N S & F L O U R SThis listing is compiled from a survey conducted by Gourmet News and sent to all manufacturers known to the staff. Inclusion in this section is based on a company’s response to our request for information. Information included in this listing is provided by the featured companies.

eSutras OrganicsKnown for unique herbs, spices and ingredients,eSutras Organics also supply super food grainssuch as non GMO organic Amaranth, Chia seed,Flax, Red Rice and Sesame to name a few. Alsoavailable are flours, meals and oils. These are ofthe highest quality, obtained from the least pro-cessing, and hand sorted for quality in our ware-house in Chicago. Wholesale and bulk sizes foringredients, botanicals and finished products areavailable, as well as custom blending, private la-beling and contract packaging. SRP: $6.99 (12 ounces)

eSutras773.583.4850www.esutras.com

Superfood Mixes: Quinoa, Couscous and Basmati Pereg Gourmet Natural Foods has launched its Quinoa,Rice, Couscous and Toasted Pasta line, “superfood”mixes that combine major health benefits with inter-national flavors. Pereg reinvents superfoods, addinglife, flavor and variety with 27 unique blends—includ-ing Quinoa Southern Style, Quinoa Italian, QuinoaSpinach, Basmati Rice Lemon & Herbs, and IsraeliCouscous with Pumpkin Seeds. All Pereg products areOU kosher and 100 percent natural, with no additivesand no preservatives. Pereg sets a new standard forwholesome, delicious and flavorful food.SRP: $3.49No. of grains/flours offered: 27

Pereg Gourmet Natural Foods718.261.6767www.pereg-gourmet.com

Antica Riseria Tarantola della BruciataLocated in the Po Valley plains of Lombardia, the his-toric rice mill Tarantola della Bruciata is internationallyacknowledged as one of the first Italian rice factoriesto receive the Demeter control and quality mark fortheir biodynamic farming. Tarantola della Bruciata’spremium selection of traditional rice—Carnaroli, Ar-borio and their Bio (organic) variety—contain the rightproportion of proteins, vitamins and elements such aspotassium, calcium and phosphorus, as well as 18 es-sential amino acids. Certified Euro Kosher, double-vac-uum wrapped. 1 kilo. SRP: $6.50 No. of grains/flours offered: 3 varieties of Tarantoladella Bruciata rice

Po Valley Foods Corp. 516.801.4688 www.povalleyfoods.com

le 5 Stagioni Gluten-free Pizza FlourLe 5 Stagioni has been producing high quality flourfor more than 150 years and is Italy’s leading brandof flour for pizza. The gluten-free flour is composedof naturally gluten-free and milk-free raw materials,including rice flour, corn starch and potato starch,and is suitable for the production of pizza and fo-caccia. Le 5 Stagioni are masters in the art of millingand their commitment to research and developmentcontinues to ensure a product that offers traditionalflavors and aroma—appreciated by top pizza mak-ers all over the world. Available in 500 gr. bags.SRP: Approximately $9 No. of grains/flours offered: 3 (le 5 Stagioni glutenfree flour, farro flour and chickpea flour)

Viola Imports Inc.847.690.0790www.violaimports.com

Prairie Gold Flour100% Whole Grain Hard White Spring Wheat Flour.Literally thousands of bakers have told us that theywouldn’t use anything else. This flour, ground fromour Prairie Gold® wheat, will delight your customersin every way. It’s so versatile it can be substitutedfor white flour in some recipes, giving your bakedgoods unique flavor plus all of the benefits of wholewheat. 100 percent whole wheat. Chemical Free.GMO Free. Available in 5- and 10-pound plastic bagswith zipper seal for re-sealable storage. Visit theirwebsite for the complete line.SRP: $5.00No. of grains/flours offered: 15, incl. whole wheat pastry flour, organics, spelt flour and Kamutkhorasan wheat.

Wheat Montana Farms800.535.2798www.wheatmontana.com

Maftoul (Palestinian couscous)Organic, whole grain, hand-rolled and sun-dried cous-cous. Handmade by fair trade women’s cooperatives, thisproduct extends economic opportunities to Palestinianwomen producers as well as their organic farmers. Pales-tinian couscous is made like rice, with no special pansneeded, and is ready in 15 minutes. Certified USDA organic and fair trade, packaged in a 250g window box.SRP: $4.99No. of grains/flours offered: 1

Canaan Fair Trade LLC360.980.2580sales@canaanfairtrade.comwww.canaanusa.com

Rainbow Royal QuinoaThis pearl-shaped, nearly perfect nutrition source wasso revered by the Incas that they called it “chisayamama” or “mother grain.” We call it nutty, deliciousand endlessly versatile. Our Royal Rainbow Quinoaadds color, crunch and creativity to any plate. Madefrom Royal quinoa, a variety that has a bigger grainthan regular quinoa and is grown only on the 13,000feet high Bolivian Altipano. Hand-cultivated by small-scale farmers, carbon neutral and certified organic,fair trade and gluten free (no cross-contamination). In14 ounce pouches. SRP: $6.59No. of grains/flours offered: 7 - 4 quinoas (black, red,pearl and rainbow), 3 rice (white, ruby red and purple)

Alter Eco415.701.1212www.alterecofoods.com

AprèsVin Riesling Grape-Seed FlourAn antioxidant-rich, gluten-free flour that adds nutrition,flavor and an artisan quality to your baking. Made exclu-sively from dried Riesling grape seeds separated from thewinemaking leftovers of Washington State’s renownedYakima Valley wineries, this flour imparts a toasty, butter-scotch flavor to breads, cakes, biscuits, cookies, pan-cakes, waffles, cornbread and pie crusts. Recentlyfeatured on popular blog The Cupcake Project, for RieslingCupcakes with Pear Mascarpone Frosting. Use as a nutri-tious, all-natural baking additive by adding 1 tablespoonper cup of dry ingredients. AprèsVin…more goodnessfrom the grape since 2007.SRP: $6.50No. of grains/flours offered: 4 varietals (Riesling,Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot)

AprèsVin Inc.509.531.1293www.apresvin.com

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

BUYERS GUIDEBUYERS GUIDE 41

A L T E R N A T I V E G R A I N S & F L O U R SThis listing is compiled from a survey conducted by Gourmet News and sent to all manufacturers known to the staff. Inclusion in this section is based on a company’s response to our request for information. Information included in this listing is provided by the featured companies.

RITROVO SELECTIONS 100% Organic Farro GrainFor centuries farro has been a revered and vital part of regional Italian cuisine.RITROVO SELECTIONS™ 100% Organic Farro Grain is great as a vegetable pro-tein source and adaptable to various uses, such as in frittatas, soups and salads.Top with honey, brown sugar and milk or soy milk for a tasty breakfast treat.Also available in bulk. Product No. 9105FIOR, 1.1 lb. package.SRP: $8.95Specialty grains/flours offered: They carry Farro Grains and Flours; specialtynut flours such as Hazelnut, Chestnut, and Chickpea; Farro and Corn-Rice Couscous, Black Rice, and Artisan Polenta

RITROVO® Italian Regional Foods LLC206.985.1635 / 866.RITROVOwww.ritrovo.com

M’Hamsa Hand-Rolled Whole Wheat Couscous Winner, 2012 sofi™ Gold for Outstanding Pasta, Rice orGrain, and a staple in Tunisian cuisine for thousands ofyears. Les Moulins Mahjoub produces this couscous usingthe original large grain method, with exceptional respectfor the ingredients and environment. Whole grain semolinais mixed with water, salt and extra virgin olive oil and thenpushed through screens. The grains are preserved by dry-ing them under the desert sun, which lends a rich andtoasty flavor. Also available from Les Moulins Mahjoub:M’Hamsa Hand-Rolled Couscous and M’Hamsa Hand-Rolled Couscous stored with peppers. Unit size 500g, 12 units per case.SRP: $8.00No. of grains/flours offered: 3 varieties from LesMoulins Mahjoub

The Rogers Collection 207.828.2000jen@therogerscollection.comwww.therogerscollection.com

Salute Santé! Chardonnay Grapeseed Flour Salute Santé!’s® delicious, gluten-free addition to yourbaking. Great for sweet as well as savory baked goods—from fruit breads, muffins, bars and granolas to grainbreads, focaccia, pizza and homemade pasta. Simply add1 tablespoon per 1 cup of flour, or substitute 10-30 percent in your favorite recipe. Adds a nuttiness and crispytexture, even just sprinkled over yogurt. Cold pressed fromthe seeds of chardonnay grapes, this flour is rich in an-tioxidants, calcium and potassium, high in dietary fiber,and sodium free.SRP: $6.50 /8oz packet No. of grains/flours offered: 2 varieties to start,Chardonnay and Merlot

Salute Santé!707.251.3900info@grapeseedoil.comwww.grapeseedoil.com

TruRoots Accents Sprouted Quinoa Trio A colorful blend of Sprouted White, Red, and BlackQuinoa, available in 8-ounce retail size stand up pouchor in bulk. Quinoa is a complete protein grain that iseasy to digest and gluten-free. It cooks in about 15 minutes. Since it is sprouted, this can also be enjoyed as a raw food upon re-hydration. SRP: $5.49No. of grains/flours offered: 12 grains and 4 flours

Enray Inc925.218.2205www.truroots.com

Freekeh FoodsFreekeh Foods’ all-natural, ancient grain freekeh isavailable in original, rosemary sage and tamari. Eachlow-fat serving contains 8 grams of protein, 4 grams offiber and only 130 calories. In addition to being chockfull of diet-friendly protein and fiber, freekeh is easy tocook in a variety of recipes. Carried at major retailersincluding Whole Foods and Wegmans. Each 8 oz. bagincludes four servings.SRP: $3.99 No. of grains/flours offered: 3

Freekeh Foods612.839.5587www.freekeh-foods.com

Mitica Calasparra RiceA premium grade of Spanish rice, cooperatively producedin Murcia along the Mundo and Segura River valleys.Granted DOP in 1996, and still the only protected rice inthe European community. It needs 2.5 times as muchwater than standard Spanish rice, but holds up very wellfor less risk of getting soggy or overcooked; it is like Ar-borio to Italians. In the centuries-old tradition, fresh riverwaters are channeled through the rice fields near Calas-parra, and the area’s cooler summer climate results inslower ripening grain with elevated starch content. Twosizes: 20/1kg, 3/5kg.SRP: $6 (1kg)No. of grains/flours offered: 5 types of rice—Calas-parra, Arroz Negro Japonica; for preorder—semi-wholegrain (partially hulled), whole grain and bomba

Forever Cheese 718.777.0772www.forevercheese.com

PASTA

THAI KITCHENThai Kitchen’s Specialty Rice Noodles are avail-able in three gluten-free varieties: Brown Rice,Red Rice, and Purple Corn & Rice. Ideal foradding variety and personality to favorite noodlerecipes. The last two are first-to-market, madewith all natural ingredients, and packaged in fourindividual servings for easy use and freshness.Just launched in June, the noodles are now inmajor grocery chains and smaller specialty/all-natural supermarkets including Kroger, Harris-Teeter and Wakefern, with availability projectedin more than 35 states. SRP $3.79.

For information, call 800.967.8424 or visitwww.thaikitchen.com.

ACCOMPANIMENTS

GRACE&IDistinguish the cheese board with unique cre-ations from Grace&i. The Fruit+Nut Press Col-lection combines striking appearance withexquisite flavor. Similar to a fig loaf in concept,its combinations set it apart: the HawaiianPress, Napa Port Fig Press, Fruit+Nut Press,Harvest Press (persimmon, quince and nuts),Fig+Nut Press and a limited-edition HolidayPress. No flour, no added sugar, and no dairy––simply the purest fruit and nuts, uniquely pre-sented. Each comes on its own wood cuttingboard, for easy serving paired with cheese, as asnack or a dessert alternative.

The company completes its offering with arange of small-batch preserves and savorycondiments, in boundary-pushing flavors likeour award-winning Raspberry Peach Cham-pagne, Ghost Pepper Peach and Mango Turshi.For the adventurous, the Turshi series––close tochutney, but definitely different––is inspired bydecades of family tradition, and an obsessionwith bold flavor profiles with their roots in ancient times.

Perfect for the die-hard food enthusiast, Grace&icreations are guaranteed to leave a lasting impres-sion. All products, 12/case.

For wholesale inquiries call 800.584.1736 or visitwww.graceandi.com.

BEVERAGES

GOURMET DU VILLAGERight in time for autumn, Gourmet du Village’s latest addition to their line of hot chocolates is aCinnamon Bun flavor, featuring sweet cinnamonand chocolate with mini-marshmallows.

Gourmet du Village is the premier hot chocolatesupplier in North America, with 25 different flavorsincluding dessert flavors, no sugar added flavorsand rich dark chocolate flavors. More than 50 dif-ferent packaging designs are available, includingsingle serve, mug gifts, cones, stockings and more.This new product along, with their entire new col-lection of gourmet gifts, can be seen at Gourmetdu Village showrooms in Dallas, Atlanta, Philadel-phia and Chicago.

For more information, please contact Gourmetdu Village Morin Heights, 800.668.2314, or visitwww.gourmetduvillage.com.

TEA & COFFEE

HARNEY & SONSAward-winning chef Marcus Samelsson has cre-ated Ambessa, a line of four whole leaf tea blendslaunched with Harney & Sons. “Ambessa” meanslion in the Amharic language, and represents thetraditional emblem of Ethiopia.

Each flavor evokes the taste and aroma of a dif-ferent place that informs Samelsson’s cuisine: Sa-fari Breakfast is a robust blend of Kenyan andTanzanian estate teas, redolent of East African ter-roir and the chef’s birthplace; Lingonberry Greenblends two northern cultures, Japan and Scandi-navia, that both revere simplicity and balance, ref-erencing Samuelsson’s Swedish childhood; ChocoNut acknowledges his Swiss apprenticeship withan aromatic black tea blend with velvety under-tones of dark chocolate, caramel and peanuts; andThe Earl of Harlem, a tribute to the original HarlemRenaissance that adds a wisp of smoke to the tra-ditional Earl Grey and celebrates Samuelsson’sAmerican coming of age. Each tin contains 20silken sachets and retails for $9.

Available for wholesale order through www.harney.com or by email chris@harneyteas.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

NEW PRODUCTSNEW PRODUCTS42

SAUCES & SPICES

PO VALLEY FOODSCasarecci di Calabria is an artisan company pre-serving the typical flavors of Calabria, locatedabout 800 meters above sea level in the mountain-ous ‘la Sila’. It’s where nature has remained intactand untouched, and where these all-natural, metic-ulously selected herb and spice blends areprocessed by hand.

These blends are designed to allow home chefsto quickly recreate traditional Italian dishes simplyby adding a few common ingredients. Dishes in-clude Zucchini and Onion Frittata, Pesto alla Gen-ovese, and Tomato Bruschetta, as well as saucesAglio, Olio e Pepperoncino, Spaghettata, Calabreseand All’Arrabiata. These delicious spice blends alsoenhance any recipe with just a sprinkle. They areavailable in 0.60-0.80g packages, SRP $4.95.

Imported exclusively by Po Valley Foods,Casarecci di Calabria Spice Blends are beautifullypackaged and perfect to display on the shelf or ingourmet gift baskets. Free counter display casewith initial order of 48 units, mix and match. Po Valley Foods. All natural. All Italian.

For information, call 516.801.4688, email povalleyfoods@gmail.com or visit www.povalleyfoods.com.

DRESSINGS

MEADOW LAKE DRESSINGSAdd variety to holiday salads with Meadow LakesDressings. Fruit-based, all-natural, fat free and lowcalorie, in four unique flavors: Pear, Strawberry,Pomegranate Pear and Elderberry Vinaigrette. Min-imal ingredients of the highest quality create tastyalternatives to everyday dressings. In 12-oz. glassbottles, with an SRP of $4.99 to $5.99. MeadowLakes Dressings is a division of Sierra Foods.

For information, call 800.397.6887 or visitwww.sierranuthouse.com.

BEVERAGES

VIGNETTE WINE COUNTRY SODAVignette releases its wildly popular Pinot Noirvariety in a new, larger 750 ml bottle. Perfect forsharing at harvest picnics, weddings, holidaygatherings, dinner parties, etc. Lightly sweet-ened with the juice of California varietal winegrapes, this uniquely sophisticated non-alco-holic beverage is available at the company’s siteand in select specialty stores in the San Fran-cisco Bay Area. All natural, with no added sugarand no high fructose corn syrup.

For more information, email info@winecoun-trysoda.com or visit www.winecountrysoda.com.

SYRUPS

KEEP IT SIMPLE SYRUP®

Kiss your old drinks goodbye! This all-natural,spearmint-infused simple syrup (known as Kiss®)began as the quintessential solution to coffeehouse syrups loaded with artificial ingredients andbars lacking fresh mint for their Mojitos.

President Susan Martinson, a former barista,developed the recipe at home. This premium top-shelf mixer hit the market in late 2011 at state-runliquor stores in Virginia, known for its high stan-dards for Sweet Southern Tea and Mint Juleps. Byearly May, most stores had sold out.

Steeping spearmint leaves sets Kiss apart frombasic, unflavored simple syrup, gives it its distinc-tive color and aroma, and eliminates the need tomuddle. With more sugar than water, it’s sweeterthan other brands (so you use less) and free of artificial additives.

Kiss is shelf-stable, fat free, gluten-free, HFCSfree, certified kosher by the OU, and a Virginia’sFinest® product. Add a Kiss to cocktails, non-alco-holic beverages, desserts, even salad dressings.With many uses for the creative cook, it is perfectfor gourmet retail stores and coffee shops. De-mand more in your drinks—you deserve a kiss™! Available nationally.

For more information, call 888.949.KISS (5477),email kiss@keepitsimplesyrup.com or visitwww.keepitsimplesyrup.com.

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

MARKETWATCHMARKETWATCH 43

Store brands thriving for perceivedquality as well as price—Accenture A recent study from research consultancyAccenture finds that the threat of store-brands—also known as private-label orgeneric products—to brand-name productsis not going away. Out of 500 consumerssurveyed by the firm, two thirds (64 per-cent) said their grocery carts were at leasthalf full of store-brand products, and 39percent said they have increased their pur-chase of store-brands in recent years as a re-sult of the tough economic times. The studywas conducted in May and June 2012.

“Consumer goods companies must re-spond to the threat of increasing competi-tion from store-brands as market positionand profitability are at stake,” said BobBerkey, from Accenture’s Consumer Goods& Services practice.

“Extreme competition between retailersand consumer goods companies can result ininefficiencies and waste for manufacturers andretailers, and undifferentiated products for the

consumer. Consumer goods companies mustdevelop a balanced strategy of collaborationwith retailers in some areas and competitionin others. This new dynamic—where com-petitors become partners—will require a con-sidered focus from manufacturers.”

Price remains the key factor, with twothirds (66 percent) of the shoppers sayingthey buy store-brands because they arecheaper. Also, while 87 per-cent of shoppers said theywould buy more brand-nameproducts if they were thesame price as the comparablestore-brand, more than half(51 percent) said that itwould take a permanentprice reduction of the brand-name product—to the same price as thestore-brand—to win back their business.

The Accenture study concludes that thegrowing perception of trust, quality and

preference for private-label products shouldbe of most concern to consumer goods com-panies that compete with stores for the sameshelf space. Half (50 percent) of consumerssurveyed perceive store-brand qual-ity to be just as good as the brand-name equivalent; 42 percent buy aprivate-label product because they“trust” that particular store’s brand;

and 28 percent simply prefer thestore-brand to the brand-nameproduct. In fact, only nine per-cent claimed not to buy store-brands because they felt that thequality or taste was inferior.

Consumers also believe that storeshave improved the variety and appeal oftheir store brands. Almost half (48 per-

cent) of shoppers believe that stores nowoffer a greater number and variety of store-brand products, and more than one third(36 percent) see store-brand products as

simply another brand on the shelf.Even more concerning to consumer

brands companies—but encouraging to re-tailers—77 percent of shoppers said they

would not decrease the amount ofstore-brand products they buy evenif their disposable income were to re-turn to the same level as it was beforethe economic downturn.

“Undoubtedly, uncertain eco-nomic times are a major factor inthe growth of private label, but it isthe increased sophistication ofstores’ own brands that has helpedthem retain customers,” Berkey

said. “Consumer goods companies mustcreate a clearly defined private-label strat-egy that understands the unique attributesthat drive preference and loyalty in theirconsumer, engages with them across mul-tiple channels and creates an excellentcustomer experience.” GN

GO

UR

MET

MA

RK

ETP

LACE

A S

pec

ial A

dve

rtis

ing

Sec

tion

A S

pec

ial A

dve

rtis

ing

Sec

tion

For more than 100 years, the Mantova family has been dedicated to producing high quality Italian products. Recently, we have brought to market a new spray technology with only one ingredient: Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Fine Italian Food630.904.0002 www.fineitalianfood.com

Velvety So cracker bread for foolproof sandwiches and wraps, its thintexture and flavor complement any filling. Unlike tortillas or otherflatbreads the Hye Roller will not split, crack or turn soggy. Naturalingredients, unbleached flours no transfats or preservatives. Will hold48 to 72 hours before serving. White, Wheat and Pesto for foodservice.

Hye Quality Bakery, Inc. Since 1957877.445.1778 www.hyequalitybakery.com

Harvest Launch from Robert Rothschild FarmEnjoy a bountiful harvest of sales this fall with the Robert Rothschild Farm Harvest Launch of seventeen new items. ey are offering new products along with new categories.

Robert Rothschild Farm800.356.8933 www.robertrothschild.com

A sweet way to build the immune system and treat sore and scratchythroats for Children of all ages. Manuka Honey & Lemon Lollipops withpropolis and a hint of menthol is a cool way to tackle the tickle or a greateveryday treat. New Mesquite smoked Pacific Sea Salt is the perfect spicefor scrambled eggs, pizza, steak, fish and chicken.

Pacific Resources International805.684.0624 www.shoppri.com

New for 2012, a versatile cast iron skillet originally designed as a pizza page. Cast iron is an ideal cooking utensil for its heat retention qualities. It can also be used on the BBQ for burgers, chicken,etc..; they won’t dry out or lose their juices. Try using it to cook shrimp & vegetables, as they can’t fall through the grill anymore.

Gourmet du Village, Inc.800.668.2314 www.gourmetduvillage.com

For one hundred years, La Campofilone has used only simple natural ingredients like eggs from free-range hens fed exclusively with non-GMOcereals and non-genetically-modified, high protein durum wheat grownexclusively in Le Marche region of Italy. e result is light, delicious, highprotein authentic pasta which rivals most homemade egg pastas.

Po Valley Foods Corp.516.801.4688 www.povalleyfoods.com

American Vintage is thrilled to present our NEW BEER BISCUITS,handmade with real American beer. 3 FLAVORS: Smoky Chipotle, Lime& Beer – Mild; Smoky Chipotle, Lime & Beer – Hot Hot Hot; and Pizza &Beer. No preservatives, no cholesterol and no trans fat. Free consumer samples are included with each retailer’s order.

American Vintage 718.361.1003 www.americanvintage.com

American Vintage Wine Biscuits are cracker snacks made withwine and pepper. The striking flavor combinations and eye-catchingartwork of framed grapes create customer interest and add rich colorto any counter display or gift basket. Contains no preservatives or cholesterol.

American Vintage Wine Biscuits718.361.1003 www.americanvintage.com

Beano’s Deli Condiments is the number one selling brand nationally. Our products come in a wide variety of unique flavors that are specifically created to enhance the flavor of food. Whether used as a sandwich condiment, a dip, or a marinade Beano’s always makes it better! 

Conroy Foods, Inc.800.317.8316 www.conroyfoods.com

Private Spring Water…Bottle your business with style, elegance, and sophistication. Unmatched Client Services. State-Of-e-Art Comprehensive Design Solutions. Customized Label Packages & Programs. We are an environmentally conscious, company with a big cause. Our sustain-able practices significantly reduce our carbon footprint. Be a part of the solution…. “Responsible Hospitality.”

Private Spring Water877.664.1500 www.PrivateSpringWater.com

Our individually wrapped TruffleCreme® chocolates are made with anall-natural truffle ganache, and enrobed in selected blends of cacao.The TruffleCremes were created by Master Chocolatier, Dana TaylorDavenport, who was inspired by recipes from his great uncle, JuliusFranzen, a royally appointed Master Confectioner to the crowned headsof Europe. TruffleCremes are available in six flavors.

Dilettante800.800.9490 www.dilettante.com

Greek For the Very Best! Come try our Award Winning EVOOs & Balsamic Vinegars! Ariston’s Select EVOO just won Attendees’ MostFavourite Olive Oil at the SIAL CANADA’s OLIVE D’OR COMPETITIONin Montreal & Silver in the International EVOO Competition in LA! Visitus at UK Specialty Fine Food Shows in London Sept. 2-4. Or at Atlanta’sAmericasMart Sept. 21-23 Delectable Samplings Showcase Room.

Ariston Specialties LLC860.224.7184 www.aristonoliveoil.com

www.rubschlagerbaking.comBest-known for their cocktail breads, nowavailable in four varieties, Rubschlager also

produces a quality line of European-style breads in styles known as “Squares” and “Rye-Olas.”

www.herbspicetea.comSan Francisco Herb & Natural Food Co.

offers more than 1,000 culinary herbs and spices,botanicals, essential oils and more, in

single herb and custom blends.

GO

UR

MET M

AR

KETP

LACE

A S

pecial A

dvertising S

ection

Beach Plum Specialties Cape May New Jersey offers unique products that will sell well in your retail store. The beach plum is a native American fruit that grows on the coast of the eastern seaboard. We make delicious jam, jelly, vinegar & vinaigrette. For more info contactMichael Craig 609.425.9057.

Beach Plum Specialties Cape May New Jersey609.425.9057

Blue Crab Bay Co.’s Surf Doggies™ has ridden the wave to a silver sofi™!

Our latest snack wows with its spicy, honey-mustard punch.

Bay Beyond Inc./Blue Crab Bay Co.800.221.2722 www.baybeyond.net

Aloha Shoyu’s soy sauce in 6-24 oz. bottles are great for trial sizes, giftbaskets and tabletop or prepared foods use. Three flavors: the sweet,subtle Regular, which built our company and our customers still askfor; Lower Sodium with a softer taste; and Aloha Gold, for bold flavorwith low sodium and no MSG.

Aloha Shoyu808.456.4519 www.alohashoyu.com

Mix, Bake and Enjoy! e D.I.Y Granola kit includes all the necessities to create a tasty batch of homemade granola. e gi ready presentationwith its pre-measured ingredients combined makes 12 serving of zesty dried fruit and natural oat granola. Great for all ages, seasons and occasions-2012 sofi™ Awards Outstanding Food Gi Finalist

Arnabal International, Inc.949.861.8820 www.arnabal.com

Caribbean Dreams herbal teas are a favorite form of hot beverage for Caribbean people and Caribbean Dreams produces a wide range of unique blends. e company, based in Jamaica, sells almost one half of its products to other Caribbean markets as well as North America.

Jamaican Teas Limited876.928.5863 www.jamaicanteas.com

If only the finest caviar will do... the House of Caviar and Fine Foodsis an importer and distributor of caviar (both imported and domestic),fish roe, foie gras, truffles, smoked fish and other specialty foods,sourced from around the world by our experts. Contact us for yourcaviar and gift basket needs.

Bemka Corp.954.462.0533 www.houseofcaviarandfinefoods.com

Eat Better. Live Better. Be Better. It’s a simple promise, but it’s whatwe’re all about. Our Sprouted Tortilla Chips are bursting with goodnessbecause we’ve unlocked the powerful nutrients found in perfect, unprocessed ingredients. We’re proud to be certified Gluten Free, Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher and Vegan.

Way Better Snacks631.761.6950 www.gowaybetter.com

Sierra Soups are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free mixes, complete withvegetables and spices in every package. ese treasured recipes arehearty and large enough to serve a whole family as a complete mealand still have leovers. e most difficult step is to sauté an onion,and sometimes not even that.

Sierra Soups, Inc.800.397.6887 www.sierrasoups.com

Busha Browne’s, the award-winning Jamaican specialty food manu-facturer, reflects on 25 years in business with a range of authenticcondiments, preserves (pepper jellies, chutneys, marmalade) sauces(jerk, pepper and barbecues) and seasonings. Fresh ingredients, artisan quality…tradition preserved.

Busha Browne201.947.1000 www.bushabrowne.com

HOME PAGES

www.herbspicetea.comSan Francisco Herb & Natural Food Co.

offers more than 1,000 culinary herbs and spices,botanicals, essential oils and more, in

single herb and custom blends.

www.rubschlagerbaking.comBest-known for their cocktail breads, nowavailable in four varieties, Rubschlager also

produces a quality line of European-style breads in styles known as “Squares” and “Rye-Olas.”

www.klondikecheese.come Klondike Cheese Factory has a tremendous

dedication to the art of cheesemaking.High quality Feta, pre-cubed in brine in its

Odyssey line, is now available..

A Special Advertising SectionA Special Advertising Section

GOURMET NEWS SEPTEMBER 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

SMORGASBORDSMORGASBORD46

Periodicals postage paid at Tucson, AZ, and additional mailing office. Gourmet News (ISSN 1052-4630) ispublished monthly by Oser Communications Group, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715;520.721.1300. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or prices quoted in newspaper.Contributors are responsible for proper release of proprietary classified information. ©2012 by Oser Communications Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, withoutwritten permission of the publisher, is expressly prohibited. Back issues, when available, cost $7 each withinthe past 12 months, $12 each prior to the past 12 months.

Back orders must be paid in advance either by check or charged to American Express, Visa, or Master Card.Gourmet News is distributed without charge in North America to qualified professionals in the retail anddistribution channels of the specialty foods and hardgoods trade; paid subscriptions cost $65 annually to theU.S. and Canada. All foreign subscriptions cost $150 annually to cover air delivery. All payments must bemade in U.S. funds and drawn on a U.S. bank. For subscriber services, including subscription information,call 520.721.1300.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gourmet News, 1877 North Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715.

TruSweets LLC names Director of Sales, Western Regional Sales ManagerTruSweets LLC, maker of Surf Sweets® and TruJoy Sweets™ organic and natural candies, announced two key appointments in its sales staff: Jeffrey S. Thornberry has been promoted todirector of sales, and Todd R. Mancuso namedwestern regional sales manager. Both new posi-tions were created to support the fast-growingcompany’s sales efforts.

As director of sales, Thornberry is responsible forthe overall coordination, functional management andleadership of all of TruSweet’s sales activities. Thorn-berry had served as eastern regional sales managersince joining the company in 2011.

As western regional sales manager, Mancuso is responsible for sales in all channels for TruSweetsbrands in the western United States and westernCanada. Before joining TruSweets, Mancuso served aswest and midwest regional sales manager for WhollyWholesome, a national leader in frozen retail desserts,where he worked since 1998.

Welch’s continues global growth with new International VPWelch’s, the leading marketer of Concord and Niagaragrape-based products, announces the appointment ofWayne D. Lutomski as Vice President, International. Lu-tomski joins Welch’s following three years as the VicePresident of International Development of Just Born Inc.,the company best-known for MIKE & IKE® and PEEPS®.

“Welch’s is a beloved American brand, with strongfootholds in several international markets,” said Lutomski. “I am delighted to join Welch’s at this criticaltime of global developments, to help expand existingmarkets and build new ones.”

Previously, Lutomski spent eight years with Pepsi,launching SoBe in 35 countries and propelling the newAdrenaline Rush to market leadership in several coun-tries. He also built international markets for Gatorade,successfully driving Korea to become the largest non-U.S. market. In addition, Lutomski introduced the Snapple brand in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kongand the Philippines after beginning his career with E. & J. Gallo, the world’s largest winery.

CALENDARSept. 20-22Natural Products Expo EastBaltimore, MD, www.expoeast.com

Oct. 21-25SIAL Pariswww.sialparis.com

Oct. 26-28PMA Fresh SummitAnaheim, www.freshsummit.com

Nov. 11-13Private Label Manufacturers’ ShowChicago, IL, www.plma.com

Nov. 13-14KosherfestNew Jersey, www.kosherfest.com

Nov. 16-18National Chocolate ShowChicago, IL,www.thenationalchocolateshow.com

2013Jan. 9-16Atlanta International Gift, Home Furnishings & Holiday MarketAtlanta, www.americasmart.com

Jan. 20-22Winter Fancy Food ShowSan Francisco, www.specialtyfood.com

Jan. 28-Feb. 1Las Vegas Market (Winter)Las Vegas, www.giftandhomelv.com

ADVERTISER INDEXADVERTISER PAGE WEBSITE PHONECALENDAR

PEOPLE WATCH

ADVERTISER INDEXAloha Shoyu 45 www.alohashoyu.com 808.682.2820American Vintage Wine Biscuits 44 www.americanvintage.com 718.361.1003Ariston Specialties 44 www.aristonspecialties.com 860.224.7184Arnabal International 45 www.arnabal.com 949.861.8820Bakery on Main 44 www.bakeryonmain.com 860.895.6619Beach Plum Specialties 45 beachplumspecialties@gmail.com 609.425.9057Carolyn Saucier 10 www.carolynsaucier.com 510.336.9403 Conroy Foods 44 www.conroyfoods.com 800.317.8316Fine Italian Food 44 www.fineitalianfood.com 630.904.0002Hye Quality Bakery 44 www.hyequalitybakery.com 877.445.1778 Jamaican Tea Co. 45 www.jamaicantea.com 876.928.5863Jelly Belly 7 www.jellybelly.com 800.323.9380Pacific Resources Int’l. 44 www.shoppri.com 805.684.0624Pereg Gourmet 43 www.pereg-gourmet.com 718.261.6767Robert Rothschild Farms 44 www.robertrothschildfarms.com 800.356.8933San Francisco Herb 45, 46 www.herbspicetea.com 800.227.2830Sierra Soup Co. 44 www.sierrasoups.com 800.397.6887Society Hill Snacks 9 www.societyhillsnacks.com 800.595.0050Sticky Fingers Bakery 12, 25 www.stickyfingersbakeries.com 800.458.5826Stonewall Kitchen 2 www.stonewallkitchen.com 888.326.5678The National Chocolate Show 13 www.thenationalchocolateshow.com 786.588.3234

SUMMER FANCY FOOD WRAPUPAntichi Sapori 22 antichisaporius@gmail.comAroma Ridge 29 www.aromaridge.com 770.421.9600Bemka 18, 45 www.houseofcaviarandfinefoods.com 954.462.0533 Boyajian 24 www.boyajianinc.com 800.965.0665Brands of Britain 21 www.brandsofbritain.com 800.646.6974CookieZen 28 www.cookiezen.com 888.499.3677Crunchies 19 www.crunchiesfood.com 888.997.1866Frontier Soups 21 www.frontiersoups.com 800.300.7687Gourmet du Village 23, 44 www.gourmetduvillage.com 800.668.2314The Invisible Chef 20 www.theinvisiblechef.com 800.456.7115J&M Foods 26 www.jmfoods.com 800.284.2278Java Frost 30 www.javafrost.com 800.676.3661KBC Kane Food 18 www.kanecandy.com 800.875.5557Marley Coffee 28 www.marleycoffee.com 866.489.8999Mediterranean Gourmet 30 www.mediterraneangourmet.net 703.880.4236New Hope Natural Media 16 www.newhopenaturalmedia.com 303.939.8440Norseland Inc. 27 www.norseland.com 203.324.5620Peppadew 17 www.peppadewfresh.com 908.580.9100Private Spring Water 23 www.privatespringwater.com 877.664.1500Rubschlager 22 www.rubschlagerbaking.com 773.826.1245SPI West Port 20 www.alodrink.comTao Of Tea 24 www.taooftea.com 503.736.0198 Viola Imports 29 www.violaimports.com 847. 690.0790Way Better Snacks 27 www.gowaybetter.com 631.761.6950Wheat Montana Farms 41 www.wheatmontana.com 800.535.2798

SEASONINGS & SPICESAromatica Organics 32 www.aromaticaspice.com 760.840.0580 Busha Browne 37 www.bushabrowne.com 201.947.1000Bakto Flavors 34 www.baktoflavors.com 732.626.5677CF Sauer 39 www.cfsauer.com 805.748.0058ChefSalt 36 www.chefsalt.com 610.967.6031DennyMike’s 39 www.dennymikes.com 207.251.0023 eSutras 38 www.esutras.com 773.583.4850Mom’s Gourmet 37 www.momsgourmet.net 440.564.972Pepper Creek Farms 32 www.peppercreekfarms.com 580.536.1300Pollen Ranch 36 www.pollenranch.com 800.821.5989Purely American 33 www.purelyamerican.com 800.359.7873Pursuit of Spice 36 www.pursuitofspice.com 303.888.6014Rabbit Creek 33 www.rabbitcreek.com 800.837.3073Seasonest 36 www.seasonest.com 678.353.3377Tricky Dix Mojo 38 www.trickydixmojo.com 903.231.3491Vanns Spices 34 www.vannsspices.com 503.736.0198 Victoria Gourmet 38 www.victoriagourmet.com 781.935.2100Walker & Sons 35 www.slapyamama.com 800.485.5217

ADVERTISER PAGE WEBSITE PHONE

Seeking individuals to rep our line ofgourmet jerky across United States who have experience selling food to retail establishments. Contact: rance@divinebovinejerky.com or 760.202.3015

BUSINESS WANTEDI’m a well-capitalized individual (not abroker) who is interested in acquiring abusiness in the specialty food industry.The right candidate will possess the fol-lowing: sales of $500K to $5M, positivecash flow, management to mentor me,significant growth potential, non-retail.Respond to classifieds@gourmetnews.com.

CLASSIFIEDS

http://www.forevercheese.com

http://www.sarabeth.com