Ginger-pear sorbet, Vermont dairyline win top awards

Brisk order-writing balanced whatappeared to be lighter traffic at thisyear’s Summer Fancy Food Show,held June 17-19 in Washington D.C. “The exhibitors seemed pleased.

One of the challenges was to movethe traffic evenly through bothfloors, but even on Tuesday at 2 p.m., the aisles seemed to be fulland writing business,” said RonTanner of the NASFT. Preliminary audience numbers

were not yet available at presstime, but many exhibitors felt thatattendance was lower than last

CCOF and Oregon Tilth, the coun-try’s largest and third-largest or-ganic certifying bodies, are mergingthis year. Together, the two organi-zations, as CCOF Tilth, willstrengthen the visibility and voiceof organic. Members of both organ-izations will be asked to ratify themerger before October 31, 2012. It is hoped that the merger will

enable a more affordable, more ef-ficient process that will make or-ganic certification easier andfaster for those who qualify. For

Leading organic certifiers CCOF and Oregon Tilth to merge

Continued on PAGE 5

BUYERS GUIDE:SweetenersSEE PAGE 35

MARKETWATCH:Grassfed BeefSEE PAGE 36

INSIDE:

GIFT BASKET

UPDATEUPDATE:Heat & Serve SEE PAGE 29

Continued on PAGE 4 Continued on PAGE 6

retailers, this may allow organic-certified products to get to storesfaster and at a price closer to thatof non-certified items. “The merger will create the

strongest mission-driven certifi-cation program in the country,”said CCOF Executive DirectorCathy Calfo, “supported by atrade association of nearly 4,000certified farmers, ranchers, andprocessors, and a robust educa-tional foundation.” The two organizations have a

long history of collaboration.During the past decade, organi-cally grown products have be-come the fastest growing sectorin agriculture, with sales increas-ing by as much as 20 percent an-nually to represent a $31 billionagricultural sector. “A united organization will

strengthen our advocacy efforts,expand educational programs, andimprove certification services. To-gether, our highly engaged mem-bership of over 4,200 organic

farmers, processors, handlers, retailers, and 600 supportingmembers will cultivate change,advocating on behalf of organicand sustainable agricultural practices,” said the group’s release. Farmers and food processors

who currently use CCOF or Oregon Tilth labels on their prod-uct can continue to so, withouthaving to print new labels andpackaging. A new CCOF Tilthlabel and branding will be releasedthis fall. Both offices will be retained, with the LLC headquar-tered in Corvallis and the founda-tion in Santa Cruz. For information, visit

www.ccoftilthmerger.org.

From the Huffington Post andWall St. Journal to tv chefs Bour-dain and Zimmern, buzz is build-ing for Philippine food. With aslot in Whole Foods, RamarFoods’ appetizer and ice creamlines are in a good spot. VP forMarketing PJ Quesada chats withus about representing one’s culturethrough food, working with family and venturing out from acomfortable niche.As of 2012, we’ve been in the

One on One:

Philippine food makes its way mainstream

Expo East adds value forretailers withVIP HostedBuyer program,workshop

Summer Fancy Food Show successfully concludes DC run

Filipino food business in the U.S.for 44 years, and Filipinos are thesecond-largest Asian sub-groupin the U.S.––more than four mil-lion in the last census. Yet whenwe looked at the internationalfrozen food category offering inmainstream supermarkets, wesaw little sign of the demo-graphic’s size.Usually, an ethnic food category

grows in retail through a networkof restaurants; we’re trying to do

it the opposite way. We are tryingto create Filipino food as an op-tion for everyday American fami-lies, in the same way that youdon’t have to know anyone Chi-nese, Indian or Thai to buy thatfood in the supermarket. Even though the Filipino demo-

graphic is one-tenth the size of theLatin one, we’ve observed thatwhile Latino buyers tend to stay

year. Having the show open on Father’s Day did not help.Despite this, many smaller

exhibitors did draw a steady crowd,and the business-building pro-grams for brokers and distributorshad their highest participation ever.The seminars for those entering theindustry were highly successful, anindicator of the number of peoplestill keen to enter the industry.One highlight this year was “A

Visual Feast”, an exhibit which usedthe occasion of the NASFT’s 60thanniversary to chronicle the growthof the U.S. specialty food industryand recognize some of the pioneerswho built it. The exhibit, with

extended articles, can be viewed online at www.specialtyfood.org. Among the tasting sessions,

Korean cuisine drew the biggestresponse. Tanner speculates thatthis may be due not only to the rel-ative novelty of the cuisine, but toa recently signed free trade agree-ment between the U.S. and Koreathat will be conducive to newproduct sourcing. A U.S.-made Korean hot sauce, KimKim, alsowon a sofi Gold for Best CookingSauce, while CJ Foods drew trafficto its booth with a range of heat-and-serve Korean barbecue meals.

This year’s Natural Products ExpoEast, set from Sept. 19-21 at theBaltimore Convention Center, of-fers natural retailers additionalvalue with an evening workshopkeynoted by business consultantGerry O’Brion. With the VIP Hosted Buyer

program providing airfare and accommodation for qualified buy-ers and a conference keynote byrestaurateur and activist AliceWaters, this indicates a show onthe upswing, toward becomingmore like its high-profile WestCoast counterpart. The workshop is set for Sept.

19, at $95 ($75 for members ofthe Natural Products Assn. East).It will be followed by a BusinessForum focused on retail con-cerns such as staffing, marketingand pricing.The event is on top of Expo

East’s VIP Hosted Buyer program,through which primary buyersfor natural products can get theirregistration, airfare and hotel (upto four nights) paid for by theshow. The show will also set up

VOLUME 77, NUMBER 7JULY 2012 n $7.00

SPECIALTYRETAILERSn Putnam Market opens

new cheese room PAGE 9n Oregon specialty store launches its

newest exclusive: compost PAGE 9

GROCERY &DEPARTMENTSTORESn Wegmans launches new

gluten-free pasta, mixes PAGE 10n A&P announces comprehensive

store investment strategy PAGE 10

SPECIALTYDISTRIBUTORS& BROKERSn UNFI Q3 results: net income up

24 percent to $29 million PAGE 11n Organic hard candy line rapidly

gains distribution PAGE 11

SUPPLIERBUSINESSn Gourmet du Village turns 30 PAGE 12n Farley's & Sathers, Ferrara Pan

Candy merge PAGE 12

News..............................................2New Section:Giftware..........................................7Ad Index .......................................39Smorgasbord/Classifieds ..............39

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General NewsGENERAL NEWS 3

BRIEFS

La Tienda announcesnew COO, Jim EastonLa Tienda, the Virginia-based specialtyimporter of gourmet foods from Spain, hasannounced Jim Easton as its new ChiefOperating Officer.

For the previous ten years, Jim was VicePresident of the Products Division with ColonialWilliamsburg, andprior to that he waswith Toys R Us,Lord & Taylor andDayton Hudson.

“We are thrilledto have Jim onboard, given hisvast experience inconsumer productmarketing andbusinessdevelopment,” saidCEO and co-owner,Tim Harris, “He’s aterrific addition to our passionate and talentedstaff at La Tienda.”

La Tienda just celebrated its 15thanniversary as an online retailer withdistribution channels through the internet,catalog and a retail store on 1325 JamestownRoad in Williamsburg. The family-owned andmanaged business offers a selection of morethan 800 gourmet items from artisan and smallfamily businesses in Spain.

Sweet Shop USA names Michael Moss as new PresidentSweet Shop USA, a family-owned manufacturerof gourmet, all-natural and OU Kosher certifiedhandmade chocolate, recently named MichaelMoss as president and member of the Boardof Directors. 

"As we celebrate our 40th year in craftingAmerican handmade chocolates, I am delightedthat Michael has joined Sweet Shop USA,” CEOKrista Webb said. “His experience with growingnational brands in the retail specialty foodsegment will be key to our future success.With his leadership experience and strongoperational background, Michael has theexperience and drive that will prove invaluableas we continue to grow Sweet Shop USA."

Moss has more than 10 years ofexperience developing, operating andsuccessfully growing retail brands. He wasmost recently the Vice President of HeritageFamily Specialty Foods, and a key memberof the company’s leadership team for morethan nine years. During that time, HeritageFoods saw rapid growth, expanding into retailfrozen food production and multiple specialtybrands, including the Country LivingCollection, the Brack Ranch Collection andthe Vintage Farms Collection.

Based in Mount Pleasant, Texas, SweetShop USA is known for its handmadechocolate truffles, toffee, Famous Brags® andFudge Love®.

Smart Balance to buy Udi’s Healthy FoodsFurther consolidation in natural foods;signals bid to lead gluten-free market

Leading natural food brand Smart BalanceInc. has agreed to acquire gluten-free bakedgoods leader Udi’s Healthy Foods for $125million cash. The deal comes just 10months after Smart Balance boughtGlutino, a leader in gluten-free snacks andgrocery items, and marks the brand's bidfor leadership in the expanding category."This portfolio...will enable us to offer all

retailers in North America a one-stopstrategic partner to address the growth ingluten-free,” said Smart Balance Chairmanand CEO Stephen Hughes. “Udi’s leading bread and bakery portfolio

is the perfect complement to Glutino’s widerange of [snack and] grocery products." Furthermore, Hughes stated, “This

acquisition will be transformational to ourcompany, as it will position Smart Balanceas a leader in gluten-free, accelerate ourgrowth rate, and further diversify our mix

toward high-growth natural brands. Thegluten-free category is now a corner-stone within our corporate vision,”Hughes remarked.Based in Denver,

Colo., Udi’s is aleading brand ofgluten-free breadand bakedgoods in the re-tail market, andin foodservicesince mid-2011.Its other prod-ucts includefrozen pizzaand granola. Inthe twelvemonth periodended March31, 2012, Udi’ssales doubled to $60.9 million.

Smart Balance purchases Udi's from ma-jority shareholder Hubson AcquisitionLLC, an affiliate of E&A Industries, thefamily of founder Udi Bar-on, and other mi-nority holders. Considering future tax ben-efits, the effective purchase price isapproximately $103 million.

“Regarding Glutino,” Hughes con-cluded, “we are beginning to see benefitsassociated with the consolidation of this ac-quisition and, while reduction of distribu-tor inventory impacted our sales to

customers inthe pasttwo quar-ters, inven-tory levelsare now sta-

ble. As ex-pected, Glutino

net sales are now tracking retail sales.”Smart Balance will take on long-term

debt of approximately $240 million to fi-nance the buy, expected to close by July. GN

become familiar with the wide variety ofwonderful cheeses from around the world,”Gellert added.The trip is part of the CIAA’s Qualified

Importer Program. Through this program,importers of products containing cow’s milksolids pay an assessment of 7.5 cents perhundredweight of imported products, andnotify the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to send2.5 cents per hundredweight to the CIAA;the remaining 5 cents goes to the NationalDairy Board. The Qualified Importer Pro-gram creates events and opportunities topromote consumption of imported dairyproducts, as well as fund research and con-sumer education aimed at increasing con-sumption of imported dairy products.Formed more than sixty years ago, the

CIAA comprises the majority of firms en-gaged in importing, selling, promoting, anddistributing cheese and cheese products inthe U.S. GN

U.S. cheese retailers can enter to win a trip to SIAL ParisOnline applications are due by July 30

Qualified U.S.-based cheese retailers are in-vited to join a lottery for a rare chance tojoin the Cheese Importers Association ofAmerica (CIAA) on its all-expenses-paidtrip to Paris to attend SIAL, the world’slargest food show, from Oct. 20-24.In order to qualify, a retailer must either

have 20 retail establishments or buy500,000 pounds of wholesale cheese annu-ally. Retailer applicants should be categorymanagers or cheese buyers, and the CIAAreserves the right to ask for validation.The trip will be open to ten representa-

tives from retail companies, which will be

drawn by lottery. Retailers must apply byJuly 30 via the CIAA’s website: www.the-ciaa.org/news/05-16-2012_1.html. According to CIAA President Tom

Gellert, retailers can benefit tremendouslyfrom the chance to network and connectwith international food manufacturers andprofessionals, allowing them to better pro-mote specialty cheeses. Attendees will notonly visit the SIAL Show, but also enjoyspecial events and dinners for CIAA mem-bers, visit a French hypermarket and toura French cheese plant.“This trip will be a real educational

experience for many cheese buyers. As U.S.cheese importers, we want retailers to

Data released in June from Mintel’sGlobal New Products Database (GNPD)spotlights 2011’s most frequent health-focused on-package claims for new foodand beverage products.Topping the list by a large margin

was “kosher,” which appeared on 27 percent of new products, more than twice as often as the second mostcommon claim, “all natural product.”Rounding out the top five were “no additives/preservatives,” “low/no/

reduced allergen,” and “gluten-free.”Near the bottom of the list was “no-HighFructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)” which appeared on only 2 percent of product introductions. “New product introductions in the US,

across all categories, usually total morethan 20,000 in most years,” says LynnDornblaser, director, innovation and in-sight at Mintel, a leading consumer re-search company. “Those with ‘no-HFCS’claims only accounted for about 400 new

product intros in 2011, or 2 percent. Bycomparison, they’re a very small part ofthe market.”The results align with a separate con-

sumer study conducted by Mintel lastyear that shows HFCS to be a low prior-ity when grocery shopping. The 2011 re-search found that only four percent ofconsumers indicated they were lookingto avoid HFCS, and only three percentindicated that they were reading labelsfor HFCS. GN

Mintel reveals top five new product claims in 2011

4 GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGENERAL NEWS

Ramar FoodsContinued from PAGE 1

loyal to their own shops, second-genera-tion Asian Americans go to Americanshops, like Whole Foods, HEB and Safeway.We have tremendous interest from theseplayers, and expect to be in Safeway in theWestern U.S. soon. We’re also working onthe North- and Southwest. But it’s definitelyan uphill battle, especially at the higherlevel of the buying chain.

What do you think is behind the growing interest in Filipino food?People are always looking for new flavors,and this is still largely undiscovered –– unless you have a Filipino friend, in whichcase you grew up eating it and you wantmore! In a traditional Filipino cookbook,most recipes are for big groups. We makeproducts with authentic taste but fortoday’s lifestyle and households. Plus the American palate is becoming

more appreciative of the sour side infood, and marinating in vinegar is a bigpart of our cuisine. Our chicken adobo isclassic, but we use gluten-free soy sauceand highlight the protein content perserving. Core flavors like coconut andmango are also trending.

You’re the third generation in this business. Tell us a bit about that.My grandparents started the business, butmy parents brought it here when they mi-grated during the late 1960s. They startedselling imported food in the San Jose fleamarket, but by the 1970s my father decidedto start manufacturing – because he realizedthat we had to become producers, not middlemen, or else we could always be

squeezed out. Now we build our own ware-houses and factories, because while we’re aFilipino food brand we make everythinghere in the USA. We’re now building ourbiggest facility ever in Hawaii, and lookingto open that by October.Of course, the staff has known all three

of us since we were toddlers. As kids wewent our own ways––Susie became ateacher, my brother a musical anthropolo-gist and I’m a filmmaker––but we foundourselves drifting back. But it still takes allthree of us to do what my dad did, seem-ingly part time!My thesis was on succession in family

businesses. About 80 percent of all busi-nesses in America are family owned andrun, which affects not only finances butalso culture and people issues. The three ofus have plenty of room to be creative, butour parents are still the sounding board andthe big picture.When Susie was in kindergarten, the

teacher recommended that we stop speak-ing Filipino at home. Many immigrantsinstruct their kids to be more American,and as these kids grow up they have lessand less foundation for preserving theirparents’ cultures. At Ramar we’re trying to figure out

how to move forward, and food is a greatway to do this. If the kitchen is the heartof a home, food is at the heart of the cul-ture. This is why we put fun facts aboutPhilippine culture, history and languageon our packaging, and why we sponsorevents ranging from food symposia tothe Philippine Independence Day paradein New York.

You have ice cream as well as heat-and-serve. Our ice cream brand is Magnolia.

Filipinos will recognize this it fromhome, but here in the U.S. we’ve grownit in a different direction. We took thetop flavors and made them all natural.Texas was our first market, and the milkbars recently debuted in Whole FoodsNorthern California. We have ube (thetaro-like purple yam), coconut and ofcourse Philippine mango, but alsoadzuki red bean and Thai iced tea. It’stypical of the integration of flavors inSoutheast Asia. That’s also why our iden-tity here is as a tropical ice cream.

What’s it like going from a strong base in ethnic stores to the big mainstream chains? Last year (2011) was our year of provingthat our concept is real. We went from zeroto nearly a hundred mainstream stores. It’sbeen a major learning experience. We’re in1,500 Asian markets, with two or three ofthe top Filipino brands. But with the main-stream stores and major national distribu-tors, we’re at the stage of buildingcredibility. It helps that we have a 40-yearhistory of doing our own manufacturingand distribution. This gives them a lot ofconfidence. We’ve got something new, yetwe also have data and a track record fromdoing it ourselves. GN

During May’s Sweets & Snacks Expo® inChicago, the National Confectioners Asso-ciation awarded 40 nominations for MostInnovative New Product in eight categoriesof confectionery and snacks. A panel of experts made up of retail

customers, food industry icons and trendexperts, helped NCA narrow down the fieldof entrants. Nearly 200 products were submitted for consideration. The panel an-alyzed packaging, concepts and salability ofeach entry, andhad the opportu-nity to taste theproducts in theireffort to selectthe top 40 items among eight categories. Fi-nally, retail and wholesale trade customershelped selected the category winner. “The Expo’s new product tasting session

has been not only one of the most uniqueand diverse as far as product submissions,but also one of the most fun and flavorfulevents to collaborate on,” said Phil Lem-pert, food trends editor for NBC’s TodayShow and panel moderator.

“Where else but at the Sweets &Snacks Expo will you find cocoa-flavored freezer pops up against habanero corn nuggets, bacon andchocolate-flavored popcorn and sour gel-filled pens? All of the Expo’s panel partici-pants were true professionals who were notafraid to infuse a little fun in the process.”Announced at a keynote session during

the Expo, the winners in each category are as follows:

Chocolate winner: Hammond’s Candies – Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Milk Chocolate BarNon-chocolate winner: Wm. WrigleyJr. Company – Skittles® Riddles™

Sweet snacks winner: Ferrero U.S.A., Inc.– Nutella® & Go!Salty snacks winner: Mars ChocolateNorth America – M&M’S® Brand Snack MixSavory snacks winner:Nopal Bros. – NopalBros. Sweet & Spicy Dried Cactus SnackNovelty and licensed winner: JellyBelly Candy Company – Jelly Belly UNOGame BoxSeasonal winner: Mars Chocolate North

America – M&M’S® Brand Candy CornWhite Chocolate CandiesGourmet & premium winner: Brown &Haley – Dark ROCA

“The Awards nomination really did drivetraffic to our booth,” commented MargieWalter about Haribo’s nominated Lemon-Ginger Gummi Candy. “Attendees werecoming up saying, ‘I want to try that newproduct.’ It was really valuable for us.” Meanwhile, Brown & Haley’s new Dark

Roca won top honors in the gourmet cate-gory. Brown & Haley CEO Pierson Clairsaid of the nomination, “Being recognizedby our peers speaks volumes about our

Sweets & Snacks names most innovative new products in eight categories

Continued on PAGE 4

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com GENERAL NEWS 5

Summer FancyContinued from PAGE 1

TrendsA panel of trendspotters picked the fivefood trends for 2012 at the show: smallbatch mixers, such as syrups and drinkingvinegars; “local global” foods, ethnic dishesrecreated or updated in American citykitchens; the sweet hybrid known as“cookie cracker crunch”; the culinary NewSouth, and “chocolate change-ups,” withthe ingredient showing up in unexpectedforms like jam and tea.Other trends identified for 2012 are pis-

tachio in butters and desserts; beer as an in-gredient in jams, chocolates and crackers;coffee and chocolate combinations; androsemary in sweets. Trends from last yearthat came to fruition included grains andseeds, like quinoa and chia; along with pre-mium gluten free foods and snacks.

Award-winnersThis year was certainly memorable for

the winners of the sofi™ (Specialty Out-standing Food Innovation) award, presented this year by keynote speaker and D.C. resident Chef Jose Andres. Rick Blakeney, of California's Cable Car

Delights, topped a record 374 entries towin Outstanding New Product for his Ginger-Pear Sorbet. The night's other top prize, Outstanding

Product Line, went to Vermont Butter &Cheese Creamery. The company won twoother awards: Best Cheese or Dairy Productfor its flagship cheese Bonne Buche, andtied for Best Perishable Foodservice Prod-uct for its Cultured Butter Mini. Winnerswere selected by a panel of more than 200retail buyers. The complete list is availableat www.specialtyfood.com.The Summer Fancy Food Show returns

to New York City next year, June 30-July 2, 2013. GN

Whole Foods Market nameswinners of Supplier AwardsTop award goes to Italian food exporter Agritalia

Whole Foods Market recently announcedthe winners of its inaugural SupplierAwards, spotlighting natural and organicvendors who best embody the grocer’s mis-sion and core values. The highest honor, Top Supplier of the

Year, went to Italian food exporter Agri-talia, for “outstanding all-around per-formance, including commitment toquality, consistent customer service andtransparency.” The company has been aWhole Foods supplier for 15 years,working with them in pasta, olive oil andbalsamic vinegar.“Working with [Whole Foods] has been

a tremendous privilege for us since the veryfirst day,” said Sergio Massa, founder andpresident of Agritalia, in a release followingthe award. Awardees were chosen by the grocer’s

global buyers and experts, who work side-by-side with national vendors to bringproducts to market. Supplier partners were recognized in

nine other categories: Best in Class, Best New Product, Cheese, Environmental,Quality Assurance, Special Achievement,Innovation, Wine and the company’s ethical sourcing program, Whole Trade® Guarantee.“We’re excited to spotlight our out-

standing vendors whose shared passion,hard work and true partnership is help-ing us set the industry gold standard—forquality, ethical sourcing, environmentalstewardship, and more,” said Jim Speirs,global vice president of procurement,non-perishables.“We launched these awards to honor

partners who not only exemplify our corevalues, but who also demonstrate true com-mitment to growing with Whole FoodsMarket,” said Edmund LaMacchia, globalvice president of procurement, perishables.“We’re always challenging our suppliers to

deliver superior quality products. Their ea-gerness to innovate makes these supplierstrue partners in defining Whole FoodsMarket’s mission. We are proud to celebratetheir accomplishments.”

Top Supplier of the Year:• Agritalia – for best overall performance,including superior product quality, consis-tent delivery and leadership in the industry.

Best in Class:• Garden of Life (Non-Perishable) – forconsistently launching products with a“Whole Foods Market first” strategy, forstrong training support, and for joiningWhole Planet Foundation’s Supplier Alliance for Microcredit. • Cox Seafood (Perishable) – for deliver-ing premium quality seafood from boat tostore in record time, and for pioneeringMarine Stewardship Council (MSC) certi-fication for pink shrimp.

Best New Product:• Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurts (Non-Perishables) – for delivering a humanely-sourced, organic product that has drivenexplosive sales in a competitive category. • OLLI Salumeria’s Organic Prosciutto(Perishables) – for producing the first or-ganic and most authentic-tasting pro-sciutto outside of Italy, as well assourcing from family-owned farms thathave been certified by Global AnimalPartnership’s (GAP) 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating program.

Cheese:• Crave Brothers Farmstead – forstrongest alignment with Whole FoodsMarket’s mission, including green practiceslike water conservation and achieving negative carbon status through the use ofbio-digesters to power production facilitiesand 300 surrounding homes. The companymakes award-winning artisan cheeses, including two 2012 sofi™ finalists.

Environmental:• Boiron Homeopathic (Non-Perishable) – for environmen-tal stewardship on all levels,from green packaging andwaste recovery to land conser-vation. • Mood Fisheries (Perish-ables) – for reviving the NovaScotia sword fishery and helpinglocal harpoon fishermen bringthe industry’s first MSC-certifiedsword fish to Whole Foods Market.

Innovation:• Jasper Products, Stremicks HeritageFoods (Non-Perishables) – for creating aline of organic nondairy beverages thatnot only exceeds Whole Foods Market’sstrict Quality Standards, but helps meetconsumers’ growing demand at greatvalue prices. • Lady Moon Farms (Perishables) – forbecoming the first Florida farm to sign withthe Coalition of Immokolee Workers(CIW), an organization supporting increased rights and pay for Florida farm workers.

Quality Assurance:• FGF Brands, Inc. (Non-Perishables) –for upholding thorough, third-party verified quality and process control programs to help meet and exceed shop-pers’ expectations. • IMI Global, Inc. (Perishables) – forplaying a crucial role in the launch andcontinued success of GAP’s 5-Step programat Whole Foods Market.

Special Achievement:• Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative(Non-Perishables) – for providing WholeFoods Market with a steady organic milk

supply during the 2011 industry-wideshortage, while upholding ethical sourcingand sustainable farming practices. • Durst Organic Growers/Organic Harvest Network (Perishables) – for implementing farming techniques thatboost soil fertility and balance wildlife andinsect ecology – all creating soil thatsprouts exceptional produce.

Whole Trade Guarantee ethical sourcing:• Theo Chocolate (Non-Perishables) – fornot only supporting ethical sourcingthrough the Whole Trade program, but forcreating high quality products that aresparking consumer demand for ethically-sourced cocoa. • The Elite Flower (Perishables) – forstrong commitment to workers, environ-ment and community in Facatativa, Colom-bia. Through Whole Trade, Elite nowsupports education for more than 300 localchildren and adults, programs for morethan 500 adolescent women and housingopportunities for more than 50 families.

Wine:• The Wine Group – for delivering diverse, complex and high quality varietalwines at great value prices, and for offeringshoppers a new, lightweight bottle that lowers waste without raising costs. GN

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGENERAL NEWS6

Trade Show Buzzshows all across the country.“People are coming back be-cause the dollars are coming in,”Jordan says.A lot of giftware retailers are

finding that these smaller regionalshows are great places to finditems that are different fromwhat’s on display at the shopdown the block from them. That’swhat consumers are looking fortoo—things their friends and family mem-bers can’t just buy for themselves at theirlocal Target or Walmart.“Made in the USA” isn’t all that’s selling

these days. Although color doesn’t seem tobe quite the driver for the kitchenwaremarket that it was last year, buyers are stillexcited about items in the vibrant orangesand reds. “No one wants to go back to ablack and white kitchen,” Jordan says.Products to help consumers control their

food portions are selling strongly also. Inparticular, there’s a new generation of peo-ple in their 20s and 30s who are bakingnow, and they want to bake tiny treats theycan enjoy without too much guilt. The cup-cake craze isn’t necessarily over, but nowhome bakers are eagerly adopting the ideaof cake-on-a-stick, so they’re buying thepans for that.The same folks who are looking for

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Seems like these days we’re all keeping oureyes peeled for the “Made in the USA” signswhen we’re walking the aisles at tradeshows. There are a couple of good reasonsfor that. Good old-fashioned patriotism isone of them, of course, but beyond that, wetrust that American products are safe andmade with high-quality materials withoutraping the environment. We don’t feel thatsame assurance when we’re looking atitems shipped in from countries where itseems like quality control isn’t held in suchhigh esteem. The trend is so strong thatwe’ve started to see retailers who are stock-ing their shops entirely with American-made goods.On top of all that, we have American un-

employment rates that have left some smartcreative people with time on their handsand ideas in their heads. They’re startingbusinesses to make products—in theUSA—that they’re bringing to the marketnow. “A lot of them are driven by youngpeople—young people coming up withthese great ideas,” says Jhana Jordan, BuyerRelations Director for Urban Expositions.These new companies that are popping

up all over the place are part of what’sbringing buyers in flocks to the Urban Ex-positions shows, where attendance hasbeen up, sometimes way up, at Urban’s 25

“Made in the USA” labels are also lookingfor all-natural and organic products, some-times with the idea of private-labeling themfor their chain of retail shops. “Fair trade”is important to them too, Jordan says.“They don’t want it if it isn’t fair trade.”Altogether, it’s a pretty exciting time for

the giftware industry. Americans are travel-ing and buying souvenirs, and althoughthey’re being careful about how they spendtheir money, they’ll part with it when theyfind products that offer quality and thatline up with their moral compass. GN

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

See two Made in the U.S.A.gift manufacturers on page 31, in our section

on the Dallas Marketplace.

Expo EastContinued from PAGE 1

one-on-one meetings with industry pro-fessionals and exhibiting manufacturersaligned with buyers’ needs. Qualifying buyers are selected according

to criteria such as individual purchasingauthority and annual purchasing budget.An application can be downloaded fromthe show site, www.expoeast.com. Formore information, please contact theshow’s Retail Account Manager, Mary BethCatapano, at 603-672-2765 or via mcatapano@newhope.com. GN

Sweets & SnacksContinued from PAGE 4

commitment to quality and our desire todelight consumers throughout the world.”NCA President Larry Graham noted that

that in any given year, about 30 percent ofall confectionery sales are attributed toproducts launched in the previous 24months. “Innovation is an essential part ofthe confectionery and snacks industry,”said Graham. “Last year there were nearly4,800 new candy and snack items launchedin the U.S., many of them making theirdebut at the Sweets & Snacks Expo.” Confections and snacks are two of the

fastest growing categories in the market,helping make up the $80 billion U.S.sweets and snacks industry. GN

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

GiftwareGIFTWARE 7

Gift Basket MakersOpting for Classic,Well-Made ProductsBY LUCAS WITMANOver the past several years, many peoplehave made concerted moves toward sim-plifying their lives. People are not onlyeconomizing in their day-to-day activi-ties, but they are actually taking greaterpleasure in the simple, the classic, thehomemade and the repurposed. Thistrend has impacted not only the ways inwhich individuals shape their ownlifestyles, but also the gifts they give one another.The gift basket industry in particular

has certainly evolved over the past fewyears in response to this larger trend to-ward downsizing and simplifying.Jennifer Simon, founder and owner of

online gift basket retailer Simon & Co.said that whereas a few years ago, themost popular gift baskets were thosewith elaborate and kitschy themes, todayher company has the most success inmarketing smaller, more simple baskets,full of higher quality gourmet snacks anddesserts. “For us what’s most importantis the quality of the food. We neverskimp,” said Simon. “There’s nothingthat we carry that doesn’t meet our tastetest, our taste standards.”“We carry a lot of higher end brands,

and I’ve noticed that other companies aresort of doing the same thing,” Simonadded. For example, she pointed out onehigh-end item in particular that her com-pany first began including in gift basketsseveral years ago, and which she has since seen explode in popularityacross the industry: Creminelli gourmetsalami. When she first made the movetoward including this pricey gourmetsnack in her baskets, she was not surehow consumers would respond, but the item not only became popular withher customers, she noticed other retail-ers including the item in their own gift baskets.Simon also said that she has noticed an

increase in retailers including organicand all-natural products in their gift bas-kets. Simon herself seems to be innovat-ing within the larger industry in relationto including more fresh and homemadeitems in gift baskets. “We have a bakerysection that’s constantly growing becauseof its popularity,” said Simon. “Not everygift basket place deals with perishables. For me it all goes back to the quality

of the food and what people want. People would rather get something

that’s good and that’s homemade. That’s

what makes us different.”Simon also shared another popular

characteristic of today’s gift baskets: the move toward turning the basketsthemselves into high quality, reusablecontainers. Consumers purchasing gift baskets today want to know that thebaskets themselves will have a contin-ued life after the tasty contents havebeen devoured.Regarding the overall popularity of gift

baskets, and the occasions for whichpeople are purchasing them, the classicoccasions continue to be the most popular. “The popularity of giving andreceiving gift baskets is grounded in tra-ditional occasions, from new births andbirthdays to bereavements, and holidayssuch as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, andMother’s Day,” said Shirley George Frazier, Author and Gift Basket IndustryExpert at giftbasketbusiness.com. LikeSimon, Frazier agrees that it is not necessarily giving occasions that arechanging within the industry, but ratherthe quality and diversity of products thatgift baskets contain.In addition, Frazier identified the

growing role of gift baskets as a corpo-rate gift as important to the continuedgrowth of the industry. “Thankfully, corporations and institutions are now onboard as part of the industry’s expansion,as both entities fully recognize gift baskets as the gift of choice when a wristwatch or gift card is too small or not astasteful to express appreciation to clientsand benefactors,” she said.GN

WABASH VALLEY FARMSThe company that’s been delivering premium pop-corn poppers for more than 30 years now intro-duces their top-quality popcorn accessories andunique gift sets for all occasions.

Wabash Valley Farms Inc. introduced more than25 NEW products at the Fancy Food Show. Start-ing with 11 Fresh & Natural Gourmet Popcorns, to10 creatively designed Ready-to-Give gift sets, toseven Sweet & Savory Flavors, they have enoughto keep customers coming back all year long.

Plus, with over a dozen unique bowls, WabashValley offers an array of options for building yourown distinctive gift set. Everything from wood toplastic, interactive to glow-in-the-dark, from serv-ing to individually sized, the opportunities andchoices are endless.

Choose between 60+ different products, and let them help you with their proven winning combinations.

Contact Wabash Valley Farms Inc. at 877-888-7077 or via www.wfarms.com.

PAPA BEN’S KITCHENPapa Ben’s sweet, crispy twice-baked Mandel-bread or Mandelbroyt, the Eastern Europeancousin of the biscotti, is a delectable anytime treat,low in calories and made with all-natural products.That’s why this delicious delicacy is an ideal addi-tion to any gift basket or gift in general!

These anytime treats are prepared using simple,fresh and natural ingredients, and are bursting withmouth-watering flavor. How could anyone resistsuch a scrumptious gift? In five flavors, the delec-table Mandelbroyt are Kosher, Pareve (non-dairy)and complement any sweet tooth. Flavors includeOriginal Family Recipe, Lemon Blueberry withPoppy Seeds, Minty Dark Chocolate, ChocolateEspresso Bean and a unique new flavor, SpicyChipotle with Ginger and Dark Chocolate.

Papa Ben learned the art of baking as a youngboy while helping his father in their family kitchenin Eastern Europe. Using the ancient stone ovenin their cottage, they worked together to preparethe finest baked goods for family, friends and theirsurrounding village. At the age of 80, Ben redis-covered his passion for baking and is excited toshare his cherished family recipe with families allover the country.

Contact Papa Ben’s at 888-233-1072 or visitwww.papabenskitchen.com.

SIERRA FOODSAt Sierra Foods they take great pride in creatingdistinctive ready-made gifts. Whatever the senti-ment being expressed—Happy Birthday, Get Well,Congratulations, Thank You or I Love You—theyhave the perfect gift to convey the thought.

For those occasions when only custom will do,their fine selection of products allows the creationof one-of-a-kind gifts for a more personal touch.They are continually seeking out the highest qualityproducts, with a particular focus on providing thebest of California agriculture.

Their specialty food product lines are the perfectaddition to any type of gift basket, from corporategifts to housewarming gifts.

Sierra Soups Inc. is a line of vegan, vegetarianand gluten-free soups, created from traditionalrecipes. Great for food lovers' or vegetarian-themed gift baskets.

Sierra Harvest (a division of Sierra Nut House, Inc.)is an organic grain line featuring hard-to-find itemslike tri-colored couscous and quinoa, and a wholegrain bulgur wheat pilaf mix made from their ownspecial blend. Ideal in organic-themed gift baskets.

Meadow Lakes Dressings (a division of SierraNut House, Inc.), features all natural, fruit-baseddressings with fabulously unique flavors.

Contact Sierra Foods at 800-397-6887, or via www.sierrasoups.com and www.sierranuthouse.com.

AROMA RIDGEOffering a slate of creative gift options for coffeelovers, artisan coffee company Aroma Ridge’sgourmet gift baskets feature Jamaica Blue Moun-tain Coffee, Wicked Jack’s Tavern Jamaican RumCakes, handmade biscotti and a wide variety offreshly roasted coffees that have been harvestedfrom around the globe and conveniently packagedin 2 oz. single pot sizes. Aroma Ridge will also pri-vate label coffees and biscotti. Call for samples.

Contact Aroma Ridge at 770.421.9600 or viawww.aromaridge.com

BRIEFS

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comEDITORIAL8

BRIEFS

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FROM THE EDITOR

We are just back from the Sum-mer Fancy Food Show, wherewe saw firsthand the creativity,

excitement and the passion for both foodand business that make specialty food sointeresting. For me, the show is not onlyfor discovering new food favorites, butalso talking with producers and seeingbusinesses grow and partnerships formedin a few hectic days.

As a bit of a food history geek, I partic-ularly enjoyed being able to go from“What’s New, What’s Hot” to “A VisualFeast” in just a few steps. I’ve never hadthe privilege of meeting any of the pio-neers profiled in the exhibit, but one canimagine their amazement (and surely,amusement) at the size and participationthe industry has achieved. One only needsto listen to speeches like that of Chef JoseAndres to remember that while it is justfood, it will always have the potential tobe much more.

Gift and holiday orders are always animportant part of the show, as buyers tryto pick sales winners for the big season.For a look at the trends here, check outour Giftware feature on page 7, and ourGift Basket supplement starting on page13. This month’s Trade Show Buzz is onthe gift market as well, looking at the new

vitality and interest in “Made In theU.S.A.” Check it out on page 6.

Our other supplement, Heat & Serve(page 29), looks at healthy, high-qualitynew options for the time-pressed cook,while Marketwatch (page 36) looks at thegrowing popularity of grass-fed beef.

In time for the holiday home bakingseason, don’t miss our Sweeteners guide, on page 35. Home-business bakinglooks to be big this year, so make sure you’re well-stocked with the gluten-free flours, dairy substitutes and alternative sweeteners that the new waveof healthy bakers will be looking for. Once your orders are in, don’t forget your staff―there’s still time to make surethey have both the allergen-free knowl-edge and basic baking chops to keep customers coming back.

With that, it’s time to start on August’sHoliday issue. If you have some greatpasta or pasta sauce, a winningjam/jelly/chutney or holiday item to share,now’s the time to drop us a line―don’twait for fall. I look forward to hearingfrom you! GN

– Rocelle Aragon, Editor520-721-1300

rocelle_a@oser.com

GOURMETNEWS®

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Lee M. Oser

MEMBER OF:

Italian floral honeys from Viola Imports, page 25.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

Specialty RetailersSPECIALTY RETAILERS 9

BRIEFS Putnam Market opens new cheese room

Oregon specialty store launches its newest exclusive: compost

A Southern Seasonopens coffee and tea bar Charlotte, N.C.-based specialty food emporiumA Southern Season has opened a new Coffee& Tea Bar, coming full circle from its beginningsin 1975 as an 800-square-foot coffee roastery.

Whether providing a quick java fix on theway to work, or aleisurely cup oftea while touringthe store’s60,000 feet ofspace, the coffeebar is the perfectaddition. Besidesmore than 20different coffeeand tea varietieson the menu,customers canchoose from anyof the coffee orteas sold in the store and have a customizedbeverage freshly made for them. The bar alsofeatures a brew rail, which uses the pour-over method of brewing.

Caroline Cahan, Southern Season’s Coffeeand Tea Merchant stated, “This exciting newaddition completes the coffee and teaexperience by offering a wide selection of ourlocally roasted, freshly brewed coffees andcustom steeped fine teas by the cup or pot.”

The store also announced new coffee-friendly hours, opening at 8:00 a.m. fromMonday to Saturday. Sunday openings remainat 10:00 a.m.

Retailer TASTE namedNorfolk’s SmallBusiness of the YearTASTE, a family-owned specialty food store,restaurant and catering company, has beennamed Norfolk, Va.’s Small Business of theYear by the Hampton Roads Chamber ofCommerce and the Small BusinessDevelopment Center of Hampton Roads.

TASTE President Jon Pruden commented,“We are thrilled to be recognized by theChamber as the Small Business of the Year forNorfolk. This honor validates all the hard workand commitment of ‘TEAM TASTE’ membersand their dedication to making the customerexperience at TASTE the best it can be.”

Businesses were evaluated based onfinancial performance, business history, stafftraining and motivation, communityinvolvement, business plan, growth andcustomer service.

TASTE employs 125 people at its sixlocations. Sales have increased by more than60 percent in recent years (26 percent in 2011),and the retailer continues to re-invest inlocation improvements and customer serviceexcellence.

TASTE was also honored as 2009 HamptonRoads Retailer of Year by Retail Alliance, andwas named one of five “Outstanding SpecialtyFood Retailers” in the nation for 2009 by theNational Association for the Specialty FoodTrade. Founder Peter Coe, who passed awaylast year, was a pioneer in building Virginia’sspecialty food industry.

Putnam Market, an independent specialtyfood retailer in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., hasbuilt a cheese room that the owners believeis the first of its kind in the United States––and customers are loving it.“They’re flipping out,” said co-owner

Cathy Hamilton of early response to thecheese room, which opened in June. Inspired by the cheese room at Lon-

don’s La Fromagerie, Putnam Market’sroom is a chilled space where staff can ac-company customers to walk in, sampleand explore the store’s artisanal and rawmilk cheese up close. As such, it promotes greater customer

interaction and one-on-one service, whileproviding cheese fans an experience thatcannot be duplicated at an online vendor

or a big-box store. “It’s not about aging, it’s about retail,” said

Hamilton. “The [typical] experience andconversation is across a cheese counter.[Here] we’re standing next to them, walkingaround and giving them tastes. They learnhow the cheese is made, who the cheese-maker is, etc. To some extent it’s more the-atrical, and the cheese is right there.” The cheese room is about 100 square feet

in size, with controlled temperature and hu-midity. Shelving is designed to promote aircirculation. Whole cheeses are unwrapped,but cut cheeses are wrapped to control evap-oration and follow New York state foodsafety rules.The cheese room is a longtime dream for

Hamilton, who opened the market in 1995

with her sister Gloria Hamilton Griskowitz.Adjacent is Putnam Wine, run by Hamilton’shusband William Roach. Located in a smalltown with an active tourist business, thestore ultimately hopes to triple the amountof cheese they sell. GN

Customers invited to fill five-gallon bucketsfor free at program launch

In the annals of store brands, it is probablya first. Bend, Ore. specialty grocery New-port Ave. Market has launched its newestexclusive—ReGrow Compost, in partner-ship with Deschutes Recycling.The compost is the by-product of New-

port Avenue Market’s one year participationin Deschutes Recycling’s food compostingcollection project. Customers were invitedto bring and fill a five-gallon bucket, free ofcharge, with ready to use, nutrient rich soil.The Market will now carry one cubic yardbags of ReGrow Compost for purchase.A local business in Bend, Deschutes Re-

cycling receives and processes approxi-mately 10 tons of compostable food

material weekly from food stores, hospitals,restaurants and schools. ReGrow Compostis a result of the collected food materials,mixed with yard debris compost, resultingin soil to be used as an exclusive supple-ment to the sandy Central Oregon soils. “The initial response to our ReGrow

Compost product has been much moresuccessful than we ever thought,” saidBrian Stone, Deschutes Recycling Opera-tions Manager. “People in this area recog-nize the importance of organic matter intheir garden mix and are excited to pur-chase a product that is produced locallyand completes the recycling circle.”Newport Avenue Market launched its

composting program in partnership withCascade Disposal in May 2011. Today, morethan 2,000 pounds of food waste is collected

each week. The composting program hasreduced the Market’s garbage contributionby nearly 60 percent, from 251 yards ofgarbage each month to only 104 yards.“We are absolutely thrilled to bring the

composting program full circle by offeringthe exclusive ReGrow Compost soil,” saidRudy Dory, Owner of Newport Ave. Mar-ket. “We have significantly reduced landfillwaste and save approximately $100 permonth, but more importantly, we have thesatisfaction of knowing we are helping re-duce the amount of waste going into thelandfill. It is helping to create jobs anddoing the right thing for the neighborhood,community and environment.”Newport Avenue Market was founded by

Dory in 1991, and offers specialty food andwine in a fun, relaxed environment. GN

Organic chocolate maker NEWTREE opens San Francisco cafe/shop Gourmet Belgian chocolate makerNEWTREE has opened its first retail loca-tion in downtown San Francisco, acafe/chocolate shop featuring healthy Bel-gian treats and serving as a showcase forthe brand’s sustainable philosophy.Among the highlights are a wall of

chocolate, where shoppers can sample thecompany’s award-winning chocolate bars,spreads and soft waffle cookies, all devel-oped with strict requirements on taste,quality and ethical sourcing. Patronsstand on flooring made of reclaimed peb-bles, and look up at a striking canopy ofhandcrafted bamboo.The cafe menu is Belgian-inspired,

featuring signature items such as saladdressings, sandwich spreads, brownies,mousses, mi-cuits (similar to moltendesserts), mendiants, speculoos, florentins

and hot chocolate and other beverages.Classic recipes are made healthier withlocal and organic ingredients, responsibleportions and less fat and sugar. Crafted with organic and fair trade cacao

from the Dominican Republic and Peru,NEWTREE chocolate is a proprietary blendwith intense cacao flavor, fruity notes andsustainable ingredients. Distinctive flavorssuch as Lavender, Ginger or Chili Pepperare combined with beneficial ingredientslike grape extract or flax seeds for addednutrition. The chocolate also has reducedsugar content and two to five times morefiber than regular chocolate.The shop is open weekdays, from 7:30

a.m. to 4:30 p.m. NEWTREE products areavailable in more than 5,000 grocery andspecialty markets across the United Statesand Europe. GN

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

Grocery & Department StoresGROCERY & DEPARTMENT STORES10

BRIEFS

Sprouts, Sunflowermerger completedSprouts and Sunflower Farmers Markets haveformally completed their merger, announcedin March. With 144 locations and six moreplanned within the year, the combined SproutsFarmers Market will be one of the larger grocersin the Western United States. Projected 2012revenues are about $2 billion.

All Sunflower stores will be re-branded underthe Sprouts banner, beginning in July andcontinuing in phases through the end of theyear. The stores will receive new interior andexterior signage, updated fixtures and anexpanded merchandise mix.

Sprouts will remain headquartered inPhoenix, while Sunflower’s corporateheadquarters in Phoenix and Boulder will beconsolidated into the Sprouts office.

The merger completes the reunification ofthree natural foods chains—Sprouts, Sunflowerand Henry’s Farmer’s Markets—founded bythe Boney family in California before being sold and merged with other entities in the lasttwo decades.

New healthy features draw crowds to new Kings Food Markets storeUpscale grocer Kings Food Markets(Kings) opened its second renovated storein May, in Livingston, NJ. The location isthe second of the chain’s 24stores to undergo major renova-tions as part of a company-widere-launch of the brand andwebsite. The initiative will con-tinue over the next few yearsacross the company’s footprintin New Jersey and New York.The Livingston store has

been reinvented with uniqueofferings designed for the area’supscale customer. The producedepartment has doubled in size,with a broader organic andlocal selection that includesfresh-squeezed juice. Two features are unique in

quickly channeling food trends:Customers can create their own parfaits at aGreek yogurt bar, with two kinds of yogurtand a changing menu of toppings, or pickup healthy, bean-based options at the pre-

pared-food Grain Exchange. A Neapolitan-style pizza can be cooked in two minutes ina special Italian-style wood oven. Also fea-

tured are chef-inspired prepared foods,freshly-rolled sushi, an olive and pickle barand more than 400 international cheesesand a Wi-Fi enabled café.

“Greek yogurt sales have been tremendousrecently, and we saw an opportunity to capi-talize on this craze,” said Tom McNerny, Area

Director for Kings. “TheGrain Exchange was intro-duced in our Bedminsterstore and has been very suc-cessful.” Recent choices atthe bar have included cur-ried cauliflower and basmatirice with toasted cashewsand currants; small graincouscous with raisins, redpeppers, turmeric and curry;and Mediterranean farrosalad with green beans, Kala-mata olives, shaved parme-san and red bell peppers in abalsamic vinaigrette.“Customer response

has been fantastic so far,”McNeary said. As of the first month, thenew features have made the store a des-tination for lunch as well as take-homedinner traffic. GN

Wegmans launches newgluten-free pasta, mixesRochester, New York-based retailer Weg-mans Food Markets has launched a storeline of gluten-free foods, featuring pastaand mixes for cake, brownies and cookies. The line is the result of a year of recipe

testing, toward developing items that“everyone at the table can enjoy...[withoutrealizing that] they’re eating a gluten-freeversion of a much-loved food,” accordingto the company’s release.Customers will find new items in both the

Nature’s Marketplace section and in regularpasta and baking aisles. Key items includegluten-free spaghetti, fusilli, penne and el-bows, as well as four mixes for key homebaked items: vanilla and chocolate cake, sugarcookies and double chocolate brownies.“We see more gluten-free products every

year and the quality keeps improving,” saidCharlie Gardner, category merchant for Na-ture’s Marketplace. “The gluten-free areahas grown from a 12-foot section to severalaisles in the Nature’s Marketplace depart-ment. In fact, gluten-free foods are foundall over our stores—there are about 1,700different Wegmans brand items alone, fromorange juice to ketchup, and they’re easy tospot because there’s a gluten-free wellnesskey on the package.”When Wegmans decided to bring out its

own brand of gluten-free pasta, the company

asked customers to help with a taste test.“Last July, about 100 customers tasted currentproducts and ones we had in development.The winner was a corn-based pasta we chosefor our own gluten-free pasta line,” said Gard-ner. “Not only are the flavor and texturepleasing, but we think home cooks will havemore success with it. When we tested variousother brands, we saw it could be tricky to getthings just right—a bit undercooked, and thepasta was grainy; a bit overcooked, and it wasmushy. Our corn-based pasta keeps a nicetexture even if it sits in the pot a little past rec-ommended cooking time.”Also launched were Wegmans brand

gluten-free mixes. Patty Fowler, one of theretailer’s artisan bakers, worked for nearly ayear testing the formulations for the mixes.“Whenever Wegmans develops a productfor its own label, we want it to be as good orbetter than national brands,” Fowler said.The mixes are very simple to use, calling

for adding just a couple of fresh ingredi-ents, perhaps an egg and some butter. Thebatter or dough is easy to work with. “Wethink home cooks will have a lot of successwith these mixes,” Fowler said.Wegmans Nutritionist Trish Kazacos,

RD, ACE-CPT follows a gluten-free dietherself and cooks for her family. “Wheneveryone around the table eats the same

foods, it makes the meal a better experi-ence,” she said. “And when gluten-freefoods taste this good, everybody can enjoythem. You can make and bake a dessert inless than an hour that’s so delicious nobodywill even realize it’s gluten-free.”Growing awareness of celiac disease and

other related health conditions has height-ened interest in gluten-free versions offoods over the last decade. The researchfirm Packaged Facts calculates that U.S. re-tail sales of gluten-free products have risenfrom just under $1 billion in 2006 to an es-timated $2.6 billion this year. There are nowthousands of gluten-free foods available instores or online from specialty websites. GN

Harris Teeter, LowesFoods agree to swapvarious locationsHarris Teeter plans new upscale format in three stores

Grocery chains Harris Teeter and Lowes Foodshave agreed to swap a total of 16 locations in the Carolinas, with Harris Teeter acquiring10 Lowes locations in the central Carolinas,including Charleston area, and Lowes acquiringsix Harris Teeter locations in western North Carolina as well as a cash payment. The move allows both chains to geographic-ally consolidate.

Three of the stores acquired by Harris Teeterwill be converted into a “new innovative formatfeaturing a worldwide variety of wine, beer,specialty foods and other selectedmerchandise,” according to the company.

In addition to turning over the six stores,Harris Teeter has agreed to pay Lowes Foods $26.5 million in the transaction, whichwas expected to close July 1. The acquiredstores will be closed for five to 16 weeks for remodeling, stocking and training. Three of the stores will be converted to the newHarris Teeter format, and one is expected tobe subleased.

Harris Teeter expects to record pre-tax non-cash impairment losses and other relatedexpenses totaling between $23 and $26 millionduring the second half of fiscal 2012.

“This transaction aligns with our strategicplans to replace rural store locations with moreurban locations, with higher density of ourtarget demographic groups. It provides us withthe opportunity to explore in selected locationsan innovative format that we think ourcustomers will find exciting,” said Thomas W.Dickson, Harris Teeter Chairman and CEO.

Lowes Foods also plans to reopen the sixstores after a brief closing for remodeling,stocking and training of employees.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

Specialty Distributors & BrokersSPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 11

BRIEFS

Innovative FoodHoldings buys Chicago’s ArtisanSpecialty Foods Inc. Innovative Food Holdings, parent company ofFood Innovations Inc. and direct-to-consumerwebsite www.forthegourmet.com, has agreed toacquire Artisan Specialty Foods, a Chicago-basedgourmet foodservice distributor whose customersinclude some of the city’s top restaurants.

Artisan Specialty Foods CEO David Vohaskawill join Innovative Food Holdings as ExecutiveVP of Artisan Specialty Foods. He will continueoperating Artisan as a wholly-owned subsidiary,reporting directly to senior management ofInnovative Food Holdings.

In 2011, Artisan had estimated unaudited salesof over $5.6 million (including sales to InnovativeFood Holdings and affiliates) and adjustedestimated EBITDA of approximately $360,000.

Associated Buyers signsup Canaan Fair Trade Natural and specialty foods wholesalerAssociated Buyers has partnered with CanaanFair Trade to distribute the company’s organicolive oils, couscous, za’atar, olives and spreadsin New England and the Hudson River Valley. The products have been added to AssociatedBuyers’ warehouse and were introduced at the2012 Table Top Show and in the AssociatedBuyers Catalog in May.

“Associated Buyers ‘seeks to build sustainablerelationships, both ecological and economic, byproviding healthy products and personalservice’,” said Nasser Abufarha, Founder andDirector of Canaan Fair Trade. “They ‘strive tosource products of quality, distinction,authenticity, originality and nutritional value.’You can see why they are a great fit for Canaan.”

Produced by small-farmer cooperatives inPalestine, Canaan Fair Trade products are soldin 15 countries. The company is the largestexporter of olive oil from Palestine to Europeand North America.

KeyImpact entersArizona market viaacquisition of CreativeFood Service, LLC KeyImpact Sales & Systems Inc., the U.S.’slargest independent foodservice sales andmarketing agency, enters the Arizona marketwith the acquisition of Phoenix-based CreativeFood Service LLC.

“We at KeyImpact are delighted to welcomeBill Donelson and the entire Creative Food Servicemanagement, sales and administrative teams toour family,” said Dan Cassidy, President and CEOof KeyImpact. “They have a proven track recordof success as a result of their knowledge,dedication and core values which mirror ourshere at KeyImpact.” Creative Food Service LLCwas founded in 1997 by George Navratil, JenniferPeterson, Eric Nelson and Bill Donelson.

KeyImpact was formed in 2000, through themerger of Key Brokerage in New Jersey andImpact Sales in Maryland. The companyprovides sales and marketing to distributorsand operators across all segments offoodservice. Its supermarket division representsmany of the nation’s leading manufacturers atover 1,200 supermarkets in at least 12 states.

UNFI Q3 results: net income up 24 percent to $29 millionTimes are good in natural food. Leadingdistributor United Natural Foods Inc.(UNFI) has reported net sales of $1.39 bil-lion for Q3 of fiscal 2012, up 15.3 percentfrom this time last year. Other financial highlights of the report

are higher earnings per share ($0.59, up 22percent compared to $0.48 last year) and ahigher operating margin at 3.5 percent, anincrease of 27 basis points compared withthe prior year.“Continued demand for UNFI’s prod-

ucts and services drove our net salesgrowth during the fiscal third quarter,”said Steven Spinner, UNFI’s President

and CEO. “Our results demonstrateUNFI’s continued commitment to grow-ing at a rate that exceeds the industry,while delivering exemplary customerservice to the organic and specialtyfoods retailer.” Gross margin was 17.6 percent for the

quarter, representing a 53 basis point de-cline from the prior year comparable pe-riod. In the third quarter, this figure wasaffected mainly by the continued shift incustomer mix to the conventional super-market channel. Total operating expenses as a percentage

of net sales were 14.1 percent for Q3, a

decrease of 81 basis points compared withlast year. This improvement was driven byUNFI’s ongoing initiatives to enhance pro-ductivity and reduce operating expenses asa percentage of net sales.“Our associates’ continued efforts to-

wards productivity improvements com-bined with our strong sales volumecontributed to our operating margin ex-pansion in the quarter,” added Spinner.“We believe our year to date results haveleft us in a solid position to achieve ouroperating result targets for fiscal 2012,which supports our revised fiscal 2012guidance.” GN

Organic hard candy line rapidly gains distribution Fourteen distributors and six brokerssigned up

Torie & Howard is rapidly gaining distri-bution for its new line of USDA Organicand Kosher-certified hard candy, with theaddition of UNFI, Haddon House and 14other distributors. The line is also nowbeing represented by six brokers.All four flavors of Torie & Howard 2-oz.

recyclable steel tins of candy are being car-ried by UNFI East and the Hawaiian re-gion, with headquarters in Providence,R.I.; Haddon House, Medford, N.J.; WytheWill, Toano, Va.; Daprano & Co., Char-lotte, N.C.; Redstone Distributing, Carroll-ton, Texas; European Imports, Chicago;Imperial Foods, Glendale Heights, Ill.;Renaissance, South San Francisco; Sos-nick, South San Francisco; Nassau Candy,

Hicksville, N.Y.; Quality FrozenFoods, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Associ-ated Buyers, Barrington, N.H.;Paradigm Food Works, Lake Os-wego, Ore.; Crown Pacific, Kent,Wash.; McClain’s Old FloridaGourmet, Sarasota, Fla.; andGourmet Trading, Ontario, Canada, ac-cording to Torie Burke, company co-founder. In addition, UNFI East, Redstone Dis-

tributing, Paradigm Food Works and Mc-Clain’s Old Florida Gourmet are carryingTorie & Howard’s new 6-oz. gift handbag,Burke said. Haddon House is including thehandbag in its holiday calendar.Representation includes the following

brokers: H&H Specialty Food Associates ofRed Bank, N.J.; Building Food of West New York, N.J.; The Cristol Group,

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.;Maria Green & As-sociates, Inc., Rich-mond Heights, Mo.,and ExclusivelyGourmet, Chicago.Berry’s GourmetSpecialties of Dis-cover Bay, Calif., ishandling the or-ganic candy in bulkfor hospitality andother markets.

The jewel-shaped treats are available infour flavors: Italian Tarocco Blood Orangeand Wildflower Honey, California Pome-granate and Sweet Freestone Nectarine,D’Anjou Pear and Ceylon Cinnamon, andPink Grapefruit and Tupelo Honey. All arefree of preservatives, additives and artificialflavorings. The 2-oz. recyclable steel tinshave a $4.99 SRP, with the handbag giftpackage at $8.99. The candy also is sold in bulk. More information is available bycalling 888-826-9554 or online at www.torieandhoward.com. GN

Global Specialty Foods Inc. signs up sweet potato crackersGlobal Specialty Foods Inc., a nationalleader in the distribution of gourmet spe-cialty foods, has become a distributor ofPolka Dot Bake Shop’s Sweet PotatoCrackers in the Southern region of theUnited States. Global Specialty has placed the crackers

in the South region locations of WholeFoods Markets. The crackers will hit theshelves within July, in 17 stores in Alabama,Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolinaand Tennessee. “We are very proud to be distributing

Polka Dot Sweet Potato Crackers to ourcustomers. Our company values are in linewith the quality and value offered by Polka

Dot. It is a great fit for us,” said John Mag-nuson, Founder and CEO of Global Spe-cialty Foods Inc. “We are excited to be working with

Global Specialty Foods,” added MichelleMiller, co-owner at Millchap Purveyors,makers of Polka Dot Bake Shop’s Sweet Po-tato Crackers. “They are respected in thespecialty food industry and we feel likethey are the right distributor to help usgrow our presence in the South.” Since its founding by Magnuson in 1989,

Global Specialty Foods Inc. has focused onniche products from around the world,many of them natural and organic foodsfrom small producers who are the best in

their respective categories. Their website iswww.globalspecialtyfoods.com. GN

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

Supplier BusinessSUPPLIER BUSINESS12

BRIEFS

J&J Snack Foods to buy Kim & Scott’sGourmet Pretzels J & J Snack Foods Corp. has acquired theassets of Kim & Scott’s Gourmet Pretzels, aChicago-based brand of all-natural, premiumfrozen soft pretzels.

“For the past 16 years, we have put ourheart and soul into this small business,” saidCo-founder Scott Holstein. “We sought out this opportunity from J & J to ensure biggerand better for our brand, our company and our family.”

Holstein will remain with the company asSenior Vice President.

Each Kim & Scott’s pretzel is twisted byhand and made from scratch. In flavorsincluding stuffed grilled cheese and stuffedpizza, the pretzels are a good source of wholegrains and are free from trans fats,preservatives and hydrogenated oils. A gluten-free version was introduced in March 2011.

Gerald B. Shreiber, President and CEO of J & J Snack Foods Corp., commented, “We arepleased to welcome the Kim & Scott’s familyinto our organization. We look forward toexpanding the brand in the future.”

J & J Snack Foods Corp. is a publicly-tradedcorporation whose principal products includeSuperpretzel, Pretzel Fillers and other softpretzels, Icee and Slush Puppie frozenbeverages, frozen snacks, biscuits anddumplings, churros, funnel cakes and severalcookie brands. The company has manufacturingfacilities in 10 states.

“The biggest celebration will be theopening this spring of our flagship Gour-met du Village retail store, right here inMorin Heights. It will feature all of ourproducts, along with complementaryproducts from the many friends in the in-dustry whose products we admire andwant to share with our local market,”Mike Tott summarized. Tott said he wants to use the new store

“to learn more about retailers’ challenges,to test products, to gain more knowledgeto share with [our retail] customers.”The store will also have a cafe, to serve

meals and takeout food inspired by com-pany recipes. The cafe may eventuallygrow into a full-service restaurant, per-haps with a small pub—a nod to Tott’sEnglish roots. GN

Gourmet du Village turns 30“Homemade success story” marks milestonewith its own retail store

Gourmet du Village, a maker of specialtyfood and matching tabletop and cookware, marks its third decade with a series of events, including the opening of their first-ever freestandingretail store in the mountain town ofMorin Heights, Quebec.The cover of the company’s latest

catalog cover reads, “From our Village to yours, for 30 years.” The catalog introduces more than 100 new and im-proved products.Founders Mike and Linda Tott first

started the company as a hobby, making herb and spice blends in theirkitchen to sell at the local farmers

market while Mike continued to work inthe advertising industry. Today the products reach all across

Canada, the United States and Europe,and Gourmet du Village has won numer-ous awards for products (such as dips andhot chocolates), packaging and innova-tion, as the first to introduce items as thenow-classic and still bestselling DipChiller and Brie Baker.The business is now run by Mike and

daughter Ashley, Linda having retired a fewyears ago. Asked about his plans, Mikesaid, “We started this business as a hobby,it still is. I love the creativity, searching outnew tastes to share with our customers,creating new dishes, designing matchingtableware and kitchen accessories. Whywould I retire from a hobby?”

Artisanal Brands launches Owners Club for direct stock ownershipCustomers can invest $500 up to help buildbrand into the Kraft of specialty cheese

Leading specialty cheese name ArtisanalBrands Inc., has launched its Owner’s Club,offering shares of its common stock directlyto individual investors without assistancefrom an investment banking firm. Share price is fifty cents per share, with

customers able to buy from 500 shares($250) to 20,000 shares ($10,000). At presstime the offering was available until Sep-tember 4, or until available shares werefully subscribed. Artisanal has built a loyal direct-to-con-

sumer following via catalog and websitesince its inception in 2003. The “MainStreet not Wall Street” approach is inspiredby crowd-funding sites such as Kickstarter,where consumers who support a project orproduct directly contribute small amountsof capital to the business that provides it.The timing is good. Specialty cheese

sales are growing nearly 10 percent annu-ally; the market size at retail, not including

foodservice and E-commerce, is $3.4 bil-lion. Specialty cheese has been the leadingproduct category in the specialty food sec-tor for three straight years. The growth isattributed to greater consumer demand formore natural products and informationabout the products they consume as part ofa healthier lifestyle. Daniel W. Dowe, President and CEO of

Artisanal Brands commented, “Offering anownership stake to the customers who areour lifeblood is a major step for us. Loyalcustomers that own shares of a companycontribute more in the form of continuedpurchases and referrals. Members of ournew Owner’s Club will have a seat at thetable…with voting privileges and atten-dance at shareholder meetings. Just as so-cial media has transformed E-commerceinto a ‘corner store’ experience, the Owner’sClub will encourage existing and new cus-tomers to become active in our business.Members will also receive enhanced serv-ices, quarterly offers of pre-ordered cheesesnot available in the U.S. market, newslet-

ters about our company and industry, freeshipping and we will look for their input asto what we are doing right and wrong tohelp our business improve. “Under the Artisanal Premium Cheese

brand, we can market an unlimited supplyof artisan, specialty and farmstead cheeses.Our overriding goal is to build one um-brella brand that consumers can trust whenpurchasing specialty cheeses. Just whatKraft did with basic cheeses, we want to ac-complish at the specialty cheese category,”Dowe concluded. According to the company, funds raised

through the Artisanal Owner’s Club is ex-pected to go toward widening it’s the com-pany’s cheese supply, paying down initialdevelopment stage loans, reaching its goalof making the company’s new retail pro-gram available in 500 stores, improving itswebsite and for working capital to ensureits relationships with suppliers remainstrong. Details on the program and purchasing shares can be found at www.artisanalcheese.com/ownersclub. GN

Farley’s & Sathers, Ferrara Pan Candy merge Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company Inc.and Ferrara Pan Candy® Company Inc. inMay announced their merger into a singlegeneral line candy manufacturer. The com-bined company, Ferrara Candy CompanyInc., will maintain the century-old Ferraraname and will be led by Salvatore FerraraII, Chairman and CEO of Ferrara Pan.Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Ferrara Pan manufactures both

branded and private label confections in-cluding Lemonheads®, Red Hots®, BlackForest®, Atomic Fireballs® and Boston

Baked Beans®. Farley’s & Sathers is aleading manufacturer and distributor ofproducts including Brach’s®, Now andLater®, Trolli®, Jujyfruits® and Chuck-les®. The combination will leverage Fer-rara Pan’s and Farley’s & Sathers’combined portfolio of products, collec-tive knowledge of confections, categorymanagement expertise and broad supplychain to offer superior branded and pri-vate label solutions to their customersand consumers. “This transaction brings together two

well-positioned candy companies withiconic brands and loyal consumer andcustomer followings to create a categoryleader,” said Ferrara. “Farley’s & Sathershas significant expertise in confectionsand a strong portfolio of brands that con-nect with consumers, and both compa-nies have outstanding teams of hardworking employees.”Catterton Partners, the consumer-fo-

cused private equity firm which owns Far-ley’s & Sathers, will remain as a majorityinvestor in the combined company. GN

Wind & Willow launches“Soup for One”Wind & Willow, a creator of gourmet mixes forcheeseballs, dips, drinks, soups and otherspecialty foods, expands its bestselling soupline with “Soup for One,” a line of single-portionproducts targeted to the booming camping andoutdoor market.

“Our soupsare awesome,but thetraditional sizemakes six cups,”said Pete Hood,the company’sSales Director.“We’ve alwayshad requestsfrom customersfor a smallersize.” Since theyrequire only hotwater, the soupscan work foroffices as well; instructions for cooking bymicrowave and open fire are printed on eachpack.

The line comes in four flavors: BroccoliCheddar, Tortilla con Queso, Homestyle Potatoand Grilled Cheese and Tomato. All four areavailable in larger sizes as well.

They come in a preprinted display sleeve of12. The sleeve can be placed by the cashregister or counter, and other impulse-friendlyspots. SRP is about $3.50 / $3.75 each.

The line became nationally available on July1, in specialty food and camping/outdoor stores.

Sierra FoodsSEE PAGE 24 SEE PAGE 27

Aloha ShoyuInvisible ChefSEE PAGE 18

Gift Basket2012 UPDATE

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

®

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGIFT BASKETS14

Courtesy of Fresh & Easy

Gift baskets continue to be a holiday staple, whether pre-

assembled in-store or created by customers. See our Gift-

ware story on page 7 to see how food

gifting is shifting from cheap and cheery to

premium and curated, with an eye toward

recipients' diets and environmental impact.

With that in mind, you can return

here to find unusual, well-priced

products to create a striking basket.

Now all you need is a container.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 GIFT BASKETS 15

Add a continental touch to your gift basketwith original German desserts from Wolf-gang’s Bavarian Pretzels. Made from tra-ditional recipes, using ingredients simplyunavailable elsewhere: pure, chemical-freeMunich water, and tart cold-weather ap-ples from Bavaria.

Their Apple Strudel is not a single bur-rito-like roll; it is multilayers of pastrydough, painstakingly rolled with richapple filling in between. (Also availablein Apricot.)

Their Apple Rings are coated in afeatherlight eggwhite batter, delicious asa snack but also an eye-catching

Authentic Munich desserts from Wolfgang’s Bavarian Pretzels

base for originaldesserts.

Plus of course Original German Po-tato Pancakes, which are exclusive tothem. Enjoy them with jam, as a sidedish with applesauce—they particularlylove them with shrimp! Combine withunusual jam for a memorable European-themed gift basket.

All of their specialties are packed fullybaked and require no additional baking. To order online or find out more, please

visit www.wolfgangspretzels.com or call209-295-4664. Taste the difference thatonly Munich-baked can make!

Gloria’s Gourmet Cookies uses simple,fresh, and timeless ingredients, from oursignature sandwich cookies to newgluten-free almond cookies. Each is ascrumptious confection, from our originallemon raspberry to award-winning choco-late orange with raspberry. Priced andpackaged to delight cookie connoisseursand aficionados alike. We created the per-fect package to add the right sweetnessto any gift basket. We offer four differentcombinations of sandwich cookies, sixdistinctive varieties of gluten-free almondcookies, two combinations of cookie bites,and the classic chocolate chip. For whole-

Sweet treats from Gloria’s Gourmet Cookies

sale pricing and to receive a sample, weinvite you to contact Gloria’s at 949-861-8820 or email us at sales@gloriasgourmetcookies.com. Come taste the difference!

Artisan bread is back in a big way for theholidays––and what goes better with a su-perior bread than a superior dipping oil?

Add Old World elegance to holiday giftswith dipping oils from Boyajian Inc. Hand-crafted in small batches, 100 percent pureolive oil and extra virgin olive oil arepacked with fresh herbs and spices.

Three offerings include MoroccanBlend, Herbes de Provence and ItalianHerb. Arrange any of these dipping oils ina festive basket with a crusty loaf or flat-bread and a shallow dish for the perfectholiday or hostess gift.

Founded in 1981, Boyajian Inc. is afamily business based in Canton, Mass.,near Boston. Boyajian products are foundin top retailers throughout the United

Boyajian Inc.

States and several other countries, and the brand has long been a favorite offood-service professionals, cookbook authors and consumers.For wholesale information and

inquiries, contact 781-828-9966 orwww.boyajianinc.com.

Busha Browne’s complement of award-winning product offerings includes a trio ofdistinctive pepper jellies. This is a tradi-tional spicy-sweet condiment based onthe hot and flavorful Jamaican ScotchBonnet pepper, and combined with sweetpeppers and aromatic cane vinegar.

Original Hot Pepper Jelly is the perfectaccompaniment for all meats, hot or cold,and excels when mixed with cream cheesefor canapes or used as a spread or dip.

Lime Hot Pepper Jelly blends their fa-mous Jamaican Scotch Bonnet pepperswith lime pulp and peel, for an extra tarttouch to their classic flavor profile. The cit-rus tang perfectly sets off fish or seafood.

Ginger Hot Pepper Jelly utilizes thewonderful flavor of their Jamaican Ginger,globally recognized as the best. This classic condiment enhances Chinese orIndian dishes and makes a

Jamaican hot pepper jellies from Busha Browne superb glaze for meats and vegetables.

All of their Busha Browne products aremade utilizing the fresh bounty of localfruits, vegetables and spices, and are pre-pared and bottled in small batches as theywere 200 years ago.

Celebrate with the classic BushaBrowne taste enhances, favored for entertaining and gifting. Busha Browne’s—Fresh Ingredients, ArtisanQuality. Tradition Preserved. For wholesale inquiries, please visit

www.bushabrowne.com.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGIFT BASKETS16

Introducing CookieZen Bites from CookieZen LLC. They have it on good authority—from the mouths of their consumers—that their Sea Salt Chocolate Oatmeal and Zesty Lemon are two very popular cookies!

If they look familiar, it’s becausethey’re the stars of their product lineCookies & Corks, —sweet and savorycookies for wine pairing. Everybody toldthem how much they enjoyed theircookies, not just with wine, but withbeer, coffee and even milk. So they de-cided to put their two most popular fla-vors in a new convenient, affordablegrab-n-go package.

Sea Salt Chocolate Oatmeal is light and

Introducing CookieZen Bites!crisp with delicious bittersweet choco-late chips and a light sea salt topping,while Zesty Lemon is a perfect balance:not too sweet, not too tart, just right. Each2-oz. package contains four cookies.

Their cookies contain no artificialpreservatives, flavors or colors. There areno hydrogenated oils or trans-fats, onlydelicious ingredients. They have a nine-month shelf life and are certified Kosher bythe Chicago Rabbinical Council.

These cookies are the perfect additionto any gourmet basket, amenity bar or delicounter. Available in a counter POP Dis-play or sold by the case in individual units.

Give yourself a cookie break…relax, nibble, smile!

Crunchies® Food Company LLC(www.crunchiesfood.com), the leadingproducer of all-natural freeze-dried veg-etable and fruit snacks, has launchedthe new single-serving pack for some ofits most popular flavors. These individ-ual-serving pouches of all-natural,freeze-dried fruit, otherwise known asthe *Munch Pak*, are perfect for a snackon the go, as a stocking stuffer or in agift basket to add a healthy and tastytreat to any gift. They are currently avail-able in six different flavors: Strawberry,Mixed Fruit, Mango, Pear, CinnamonApple and Pineapple. Soon to be addedare four veggie flavors, a novel optionfor savory baskets.

Nutritious and delicious replacementsfor high-calorie sweets or chips,Crunchies contain no fat, cholesterol,

Crunchies single-serve pack is ideal for healthy gift basketsodium or added sugars. The conven-ient single-serving size makes fitting inthe recommended five servings of fruitsand vegetables easy as crunch!

Crunchies are made in the UnitedStates through a unique freeze-dryingprocess, in which individually frozenfruits are placed in a refrigerated vacuumchamber that removes around 97 per-cent of the moisture. This specialprocess gives Crunchies their crunchytexture and a great concentrated flavorthat explodes in your mouth. Thisprocess also allows them to retain a highpercentage of the nutritious enzymesthat are invariably lost through traditionalheat drying, making Crunchies both atasty and wholesome snack. For information, visit www.crunchies

food.com.

Marley Coffee, a sustainably grown, ethi-cally farmed and artisan-roasted gourmetcoffee, has started taking orders for itsnewest product offering for home and of-fice: Marley Coffee™ RealCup™.

Marley Coffee RealCup will be compat-ible for use with most models of Keurig/K-Cup brewers, the leading single-cupbrewing system in North America. Thenew products are expected to start ship-ping in September 2012.

At launch, Marley Coffee RealCup isexpected to be available in four varieties:Get Up, Stand Up (light roast), One Love100% Ethiopia Yirgacheffe (medium),Lively Up 5 Bean Espresso (mediumdark), and Talkin’ Blues 100% JamaicaBlue Mountain®] (medium).

Marley Coffee RealCup stirs up single-serve“Our vision is to give coffee lovers an

opportunity to enjoy Marley Coffee wher-ever, whenever and however theychoose,” said Rohan Marley, Chairmanand Co-founder, Marley Coffee. “MarleyCoffee RealCup will help us expand ourmovement even deeper into homes andoffices around the country.”

Marley Coffee currently offers two newvarieties of Jamaica Blue MountainGround Coffee roasts and six varieties ofcertified USDA Organic Ground Coffee, aswell as Whole Bean Coffee and earth-friendly, compostable Single-Serve At-Home Pods in an array of roasts.

To order Marley Coffee RealCup or otherproducts, call 323-556-0746 or emailsales@marleycoffee.com.

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 holidays Red fabric goes beautifully with Gour-met du Village’s bestselling red ceramicBrie Bakers, Dip Chillers, Casserolesand other tableware. The “Country Cot-tons” collection includes aprons, ovenmitts and pads, tablecloths, table run-ners and more—all perfect gifts, bring-ing the very best of the country look withfestive colors 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.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 GIFT BASKETS 17

Founded in 1886, Taylors of Harrogate isan independent family business dedicatedto the pleasures of premium tea and cof-fee. Offering an enormous amount ofchoice, all personally selected by in-houseexperts, the Taylors’ range of high-qualityteas consists of seasonal, hand-pluckedblack teas, light green teas blended withnatural fruit flavors and naturally caffeine-free herbal infusions.

In every cup of Taylors, you can taste theskill, creativity and craftsmanship of itsblenders. All of its teas are 100 percentnatural and do not include any artificial col-ors, flavorings or preservatives. Taylorsnever compromises on quality. Available ina variety of formats, Taylors’ premiumloose teas in decorative tin caddies makefor the perfect gift. Veteran tea drinkers andnovices alike will immediately taste the dif-ference and quality that Taylors offers.

Taylors’ wide selection––including

Taylor’s of Harrogate

classic offerings like English Breakfast,Earl Grey and Afternoon Darjeeling––makes for beautiful gift items anyone willenjoy. Taylors’ caddies offer rare loose leafblack teas and premium quality loose leafgreen teas. For more information, please contact

Brands of Britain at 800-646-6974, byemail at info@brandsofbritain.com or visitwww.brandsofbritain.com to view their entire range of premium products.

Conroy Foods, the makers of America’snumber one brand of deli condiments, of-fers a variety of flavors that perfectly com-pliment a wide variety of gift baskets. Asan example, Beano’s Deli Mustard wouldbe perfect with summer sausage, pepper-oni, cheese and crackers, while Beano’sOriginal Submarine Dressing is great in atailgate or holiday basket. All of Beano’sproducts are made with only the highestquality ingredients. Many products areKosher as well.

Complement gourmet baskets withBeano’s Deli Bistro Sauces. Available infour ethnic flavors: Cilantro & Lime, SweetChili Pepper, Mesquite Smoked andRoasted Chipotle.

A pizza-themed basket may include aBeano’s White Pizza Sauce––available inOregano, Sun Dried Tomato, and Basil––while a seafood themed basket may in-clude a Beano’s Seafood Sauce Party

Beano’s makes gift baskets betterPack, which combines Tartar, Cocktail,and Lemon Butter Dill Sauces.

Beano’s website, www.conroyfoods.com, provides a quick and easy referencepoint to see all of the varieties of Beano’scondiments and sauces. They also havea link so you can follow them on Facebookand Twitter. For more information, contact Conroy

Foods at 800-317-8316. Remember!Beano’s Makes It Better! Live, Love, GetSauced with Beano’s Deli Condiments.

First impressions are as important in mar-keting products as they are in life, andnothing says “quality” like specialty glasscontainers that allow the consumer to eas-ily view the contents. Whether you packspices, jams, skin care lotions, candies,nuts, sauces or baking mixes, the newestproduct offerings will catch the con-sumer’s eye if packaged in the sophisti-cated French jars knows as Le Parfait—“the perfect.”

Let your imagination be your guide forways to bring your product to marketusing the classic Le Parfait jars and ter-rines—containers that have been widelyused in Europe for more than 70 years.The clarity of the glass allows easy identi-fication of the contents and makes this aninventive packaging solution for supplierslooking for a way to present products con-taining the latest ingredients and usingcurrent technologies.

Products packed in Le Parfait will ap-peal to consumers who recognize the en-vironmental value of this packaging; oncethe original product is consumed, the jarscan be recycled for many household stor-age uses and can be resealed again and

Pack your products in Le Parfait for a unique gift idea

again. Reusable packaging allows con-sumers to be proactive for a green envi-ronment even as they are embracingtop-quality foods or other specialty items.

Great products deserve great packag-ing, so whether yours is a new brand orone that is well-established, look to glassand let them explore with you its possibil-ities in packaging and presentation. Withtheir wide variety of applications, Le Par-fait jars and terrines are sure to make amemorable impression on your customersand boost consumption of your products. Bannex International Inc. is the importer

of these classic containers. For more infor-mation, visit www.bannex.com or contactthem at sales@bannex.com.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012GIFT BASKETS18

Gluten free leader Bakery On Main has re-cently unveiled Truebar, a new fruit and nutbar with nothing to hide. Clear packagingallows consumers to see the all-natural in-gredients. The bars come in six exotic fla-vors: Hazelnut Chocolate Cherry, WalnutCappuccino, Fruit & Nut, RaspberryChocolate Almond, Coconut Cashew andApricot Almond Chai.

This is good news for on-the-go healthconscious consumers, including anyonewho follows a gluten free diet, and that’sa growing population. Now it’s not onlyindividuals with Celiac disease (whomust adhere to a lifelong gluten free diet),but also people with gluten intolerances,those with autism who eat a gluten freecasein-free (GFCF) diet in an attempt toreduce symptoms, a growing number ofathletes who have adopted a gluten free

diet to improve performance, and evenpeople who have tried it and stuck withit because they report feeling better eating less or no gluten.

Truebars are a good source of fiber andomega3s, made with many low-GI ingre-dients, are dairy and casein-free and lowin sodium with no transfat or cholesterol.The bars are also GFCO-certified, KosherParve and Non-GMO Verified.

Contact Bakery on Main at 888-533-8118 or visit www.bakeryonmain.com.

Truebar

The Invisible Chef (800-456-7115 orwww.theinvisiblechef.com) has a Chef’sPromise in every box! They pride them-selves on using the finest all-natural ingre-dients in every mix they make, socustomers know they are bringing the verybest to their family and friends. Their flavorcombinations include classic standbyseveryone loves, as well as unique offeringsfor the sophisticated inner chef in everyone.

Party Planning Made Perfect! The Invis-ible Chef’s newest collection, the Frosted& Fabulous Cupcake Kits, will put a smileon everyone’s face. The collection in-cludes Chai Latte, Dark Chocolate, Limon-cello and Salted Caramel. Every kit ispacked complete with an all-natural cup-cake mix and frosting packet that justneeds a few basic ingredients to com-plete. All you have to do is….bake, frost,serve and smile!

Gourmet cupcake kits from The Invisible Chef Other products offered by The Invisible

Chef include Coffee & Tea Cakes, Bake ItQuick Breads, Bed & Breakfast Favorites,Savory Muffin Cakes, Sweet Muffin Cakesand Cookie Jar Classics. With so manycategories and flavors to choose from,your customers are sure to find a favorite.To learn more about setting up a whole-sale account, email contactus@theinvisi-blechef.com or call 800-456-7115.

Known worldwide for their authentic andoriginal Tortuga Caribbean Rum Cakes,the company also offers hot and savoryScovie-Award winning sauces, rum fla-vored gourmet coffees, rum fudge, truffles,honey, pepper jelly, conch chowder and itslatest product, Tortuga Chocolate RumTurtles with Sea Salt.

This wide selection provides a deliciousarray of tasty tropical treats with colorful,distinctive packaging—ideal for gift bas-kets and holiday gift displays.

Baked in the Caribbean from a four-generation old island family secretrecipe, Tortuga Rum Cakes are madewith the finest ingredients and special

Authentic Caribbean gift ideas from Tortuga Rum Cake Company

oak-barrel-aged Tortuga gold rum. Eachcake is hand glazed and vacuum sealed,locking in the delicious freshness andgiving the cakes a shelf life of up to nine months, or indefinitely if refriger-ated or frozen.

Flavors available in Tortuga’s traditionalsix-sided 4-oz., 16-oz. and 33-oz. boxesinclude original golden with walnuts, coconut, chocolate, banana, key lime andpineapple, with Blue Mountain coffee offered in 16-oz. and 33-oz. sizes.

For more information, call 305-378-6668 or 877-486-7884, or emailsales@tortugaimports.com. Online, visitwww.tortugarumcakes.com.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com GIFT BASKETS 19

Spice up a gift basket with incrediblycrunchy Virginia “homestyle” peanuts,made from the company’s own time-hon-ored recipe. They select the largest Virginiapeanuts, water blanch them and thencook them in pure peanut oil. The moisturethat’s trapped inside attempts to escape,creating the crunchy “blisters” you see onthe surface of the nuts any time you crackopen a can. Still made by hand in smallbatches, these are available in 12 flavorsincluding the two newest—Margarita! (cit-rus flavored) and Sea Salt & Black Pepper.Other best sellers include Spicy VirginiaCrabbin’, Garlic & Herb, Salt & Vinegar andTexas Mesquite BBQ.For information, please contact Ray

Leard at 740-592-3800 or viawww.purelyamerican.com. Also great forgift baskets are the company’s signature“storytelling” soup and stew mixes.

Gourmet VirginiaPeanuts from Purely American

Dilettante offers a large variety of items that would be great for gift basket inclusions.

Their individually wrapped TruffleCremechocolates are made with an all-naturaltruffle ganache, and enrobed in selectedblends of cacao. The TruffleCremes werecreated by Master Chocolatier, Dana Taylor Davenport, who was inspired by formulas from his grandfather and great uncle who were Master Confection-ers to the crowned heads of Europe. The TruffleCremes are available in theseflavors: Peppermint, Toffee Crunch,Ephemere, Raspberry, Peanut Butter, andMocha/Latte/Espresso Blend.

Their new line of Meltaway Truffles usesthe same delicious formulations as the

TruffleCremes, and are packaged in beau-tifully designed gift boxes.

Other gift basket items from Dilettanteinclude the gourmet hand dipped truffles,dragees, biscotti, cookies, foil wrappedchocolate and chocolate molds. For wholesale inquiries, please call 800-

800-9490, or visit www.dilettante.com orwww.seattlegourmetfoods.com.

Dilettante

They specialize in high-elevation cherriesthat are tree-ripened to perfection. Theirorchard is located high in the valley nearthe base of Mount Hood, Ore., and theircherries are consistently praised as thesweetest and best tasting in the market.

Since cherry season is short—Julythrough the beginning of September—they found the perfect way for their cher-ries to be enjoyed year round by creatingBing Cherry Jam, Bing Cherry Spread,Dark Cherry Salsa and Cherry Chutney.

Enjoy the Bing Cherry Jam or BingCherry Spread over ice cream, or pair withcheese and crackers for a sweet taste ofsummer. With just the right amount ofheat, their Dark Cherry Salsa is sweet withan irresistible zing. With a crisp bite andpeppery finish, their addictive CherryChutney is delicious with pork or withcheese and crackers. For information or to order online,

please call 800-709-4722 or visitwww.hrcherrycompany.com.

Introducing Hood RiverCherry Company

Rubschlager Cocktail Breads in all four va-rieties—Rye, Pumpernickel, Whole Grainand Sourdough—are now available in half-loaf (8-oz.) atmosphere-controlled pack-aging, giving them a shelf life of sixmonths.

These little breads are the perfect com-plement to gifts containing cheese,smoked fish, deli meats, preserves—al-most anything—and offer a nice alterna-tive to the traditional cracker productsfrequently used in gifts. Like all Rub-schlager products, these breads are 100percent whole grain, OU kosher pareveand provide a flavorful and healthful addi-tion to almost any gift, large or small.Write to them at 3220 W. Grand Avenue,

Chicago, IL 60651, call 773-826-1245 orvisit www.rubschlagerbaking.com.

Rubschlager vacuum-packs for gifts

What do you get when you add sproutedingredients to a tortilla chip? A Way BetterSnack! Bursting with goodness, becausethey’ve unlocked the powerful nutrientsfound in germinated (or sprouted) seeds,grains and beans. They maintain only thehighest sprouting standards to offer a waybetter snack, and they didn’t compromiseon taste—these chips are delicious! Thecompany offers six varieties: SimplySunny Multi-Grain, Unbeatable Blues,Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Sweet Chiliand No Salt. The chips are available in afull-size 5.5-oz. bag and a 1.25-oz. singleserve size that is perfect for gift baskets.

Certified Gluten Free * Non-GMO Proj-

Way Better Snacks

ect Verified * Vegan * Certified Kosher *Certified 100% Whole Grain * Low Sodium* No Trans Fat, Artificial Colors, Flavors orPreservativesFor information and to order, call 631-

761-6950 or visit www.gowaybetter.com.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGIFT BASKETS20

Be ready for the changing of the seasonsthis fall with Wind & Willow Cider Mixes.With three flavors to choose from, eachmix will make you feel like you’ve been ona hayride. The Original Mulled Cider Mixwill take you back to your childhood.Sugar, cinnamon, cloves and other naturalflavors make this the perfect treat to shareas you snuggle in front of the fireplace.Caramel Apple Cider Mix combines two fallfavorites, caramel apples and cider! Trytopping with whipped cream and caramelto create a new favorite fall tradition. Eng-lish Wassail Cider Mix is a balanced blendof cinnamon and spices with a hint of or-ange, perfect for a Christmas Eve fireplace.

Of course as with every Wind & Willowproduct, each box has an alternate recipeprinted on the back. Try delicious OrangeSpice Cookies, Caramel Apple Smoothieor Incredible Apple Cake.

With the simplicity of their recipes and thedecadent results they produce, Wind & Wil-low mixes are a must for any kitchen pantry. For more information on these and other

products from Wind & Willow, contactthem at 888-427-3235 or visit their websiteat www.windandwillow.com.

Wind & Willow

The world recognizes Jamaican rum asthe best in the world, and Wicked Jack’sTavern rum cakes more than live up to the reputation.

Rum lovers and cake lovers alike willfall for the exquisite, rich full taste ofWicked Jack’s Tavern True JamaicanRum Cakes. Carefully crafted recipes,derived from generations of tradition,have produced a cake so flavorful thatit’s quickly gained a reputation as thetastiest rum cake available anywhere!Moist, buttery texture and a rum-soakedglaze add delicious detail that makes allothers just walk the plank. Baked in fourdistinct, unforgettable flavors: ChocolateRum, Caramel Rum, traditional ButterRum and Red Velvet Rum Cake, each

with their own unique taste characteris-tics, but all with the unmatched flavor oftrue Jamaican rum.

Wicked Jack’s Tavern also offers a lineof small batch, hand-roasted coffees,with taste profiles designed to enhancetheir rum cakes. Pirate’s Blend and SilverOar Estate are skillfully blended androasted for a bold flavor; in flavored cof-fees, choose from Ol’Gran Butter Rum,Three Barrel Chocolate Rum and Cap-tain Jack’s Red Velvet Brew. Each coffeeis outstanding in its own right, but com-bined with Wicked Jack’s Rum Cake,they’re unbeatable.

Wicked Jack’s Tavern Rum Cakes are baked in the USA for quality controland freshness.

For information and to order, visitwww.wickedjackstavern.com.

Wicked Jack’s Tavern knows: It’s the rum that makes a rum cake!

Jelly Belly Candy Company brings a luxu-rious look to your favorite Jelly Belly® JellyBeans and Confections, with a stunningnew line of gift bags ideal for the gift-givingseasons. With a polished exterior in a vi-brant collection of colors, these bagsstand upright, making them a perfect ad-dition to gift baskets for holidays, andother special events.

With the variety of colorful bags in thisnew line, retailers will find it easy to in-clude a variety of Jelly Belly candy intheir custom gift baskets. For instance,the Jelly Belly jelly beans 49 Flavors bagis a brilliant classic red color, while the

Jelly Belly introduces new package line, ideal for baskets and gift-givingRaspberries and Blackberries are pack-aged in a rich royal purple bag. An arrayof Gift Bags with classic and seasonalproducts will be available beginning thisholiday season.

Jelly Belly Candy Company makesmore than 90 flavors of Jelly Belly jellybeans, the largest selection on the mar-ket, plus 100 other gourmet candies in-cluding jells, gummies, chocolatecovered treats and seasonal sweets forthe major holidays. For informationabout ordering the new Jelly Belly GiftBags, please call Jelly Belly at 800-323-9380 or visit www.jellybelly.com.

In business since 1905, Fratelli Mantovaoffers a wide range of premium specialtyproducts. Born from the long experienceof a master oil producer and from the an-cient Italian cooking tradition, they areavailable in several product lines to satisfythe most discerning customers.

The Grand’Aroma line offers balancedblends of herbs and spices in high quality,extra virgin olive oil, designed to makecooking favorite dishes easier. Specificblends are available for use in differentrecipes to restore the taste of typical Italiancooking. Art&Taste is a line of special gifts,developed to combine product quality withthe elegance and functionality of attractivepackaging—unique, original and fine. Thelabel can be customized to mark specialevents, express the giver’s style or as apersonal touch for highly original presents.

For more information, call them at 630-904-0002 or view their online catalogue at www.fineitalianfood.com.

Fine Italian Food offerscustomized-label gifts in the Italian tradition

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com GIFT BASKETS 21

Create magic in your kitchen! CarolynSaucier offers five, all-natural, gourmetsauces and marinades that are bold yetversatile: Tornado Dijon, Earthquake Gar-lic, Monsoon Chinese, Volcano Italian andWildfire Hot Sauce. Whimsical disaster-themed packaging hints at the whirlwindof fresh flavor inside. All five sauces aregreat for vegans.

What can you use them for? Anything!Add some chopped onion, cilantro and asplash of Volcano Italian Sauce to groundturkey; then fire up the grill for terrific turkeyburgers. For a quick and easy stir-fry, tosssome freshly grated ginger and MonsoonChinese Sauce with your favorite seasonalveggies—you can’t go wrong. Short ontime and ingredients for a weeknight din-ner? Squeeze fresh lemon on salmon, coatwith Tornado Dijon Sauce, grill and top withcapers—outstanding!

For ideas, recipes and more, visitwww.carolynsaucier.com. Special whole-sale pricing available. For inquiries, call510-336-9403.

Carolyn Saucier makeshealthy cooking…easy!

Gift baskets are an excellent gift for theupcoming holidays. Everyone enjoys re-ceiving delicious gourmet products thatthey can sample. Robert RothschildFarm offers a selection of their con-sumer’s favorite products in a smaller 4-oz. jar that makes it perfect to include ina gift basket. You can easily create asavory, a sweet or a combination basketthat will delight the recipient. Some ofthe flavors available include RaspberryHoney Mustard Pretzel Dip, Onion Blos-som Horseradish Dip, Raspberry WasabiDipping Mustard, Chocolate Caramel &Sea Salt Sauce and Seedless Red

Robert Rothschild Farm introduces customer favorites in new smaller, 4-oz. jars

Raspberry Preserves.To complete the basket, add snacks

which will allow the consumer to beginenjoying the gourmet products immedi-ately. Robert Rothschild Farm has a va-riety of snacks that pair perfectly witheach of the basket size jars. The PretzelTwists or Pretzel Dippers are deliciouswith savory and sweet products, or tryincluding the Chocolate Dipping Pret-zels or Cinnamon Honey Dipping Pret-zels in the basket.

Create the perfect gift basket by pair-ing the Robert Rothschild Farm gourmetproducts. Selections of gluten-free

products are available as well.For more information, call 800-356-

8933, e-mail info@robertrothschild.com or visit the website at www.robertrothschild.com.

By Rabbit Creek ProductsGift baskets—everyone wants them.From a young age, human beings areconditioned to lust after gift baskets theway kitties lust after tummy rubs. Therehas always been one hiccup in the matu-ration of the gift basket though, and thatis what to place inside its wicker womb ofwonder. Well wait no longer, because likea lightning strike upon Castle Grayskull,Rabbit Creek Products has the answer:Soups for One!

Born amid the bountiful array of quick,delicious meals, Rabbit Creek’s Soups forOne transforms your daily ritual, much asthe sword of power transforms Prince

Adam into He-Man.Coming in five wonderful flavors—

cheesy broccoli, cheesy potato withbacon, chicken noodle, hearty vegetable,and potato—ready to assault your tastebuds like a rollerblading Jesus and ChuckNorris love child.

“What if I don’t feel like a cornucopia ofsoup?” you ask. In that case, Rabbit Creekhas more than 200 different products run-ning the gauntlet from breads and brown-ies to dips and cheeseballs. No matter theoccasion demanded from a gift basket,Rabbit Creek is here to help fight the evilof hunger. Contact them at 800-837-3073or visit www.rabbitcreekgourmet.com.

Rabbit Creek Products introduces Soup for One

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGIFT BASKETS22

Sticky Fingers Bakeries, known for all-natural, premium scone, muffin andbrownie mixes, has lots of news for giftbasket season: a new flavor, four gluten-free options and a recently expandedline of sweet and savory jams, curds,fruit butters and jellies.

Debuting this year are Vanilla Chaiscones—a new flavor joining recent in-troductions like Carrot Spice, Straw-berry and decadent Raspberry WhiteChocolate. Special holiday options in-clude Pumpkin Spice, PeppermintChocolate Chip and Spiced EggnogScones. Retailers will also want to stockup on Merry Eggnog Muffins, which aresold only for the season and muchawaited all year. For the gluten-free bas-ket, the brand is also introducing certi-

Holiday flavors, jams and gluten-free options from Sticky Fingers Bakeriesfied gluten-free versions of four best-selling scone mixes: Original, Wild Blue-berry, Meyer Lemon and Apple Oat.

The company now has 12 varieties inthe jam line, which are made in smallbatches with all-natural ingredients:fresh (never frozen) eggs, Wild Maineblueberries, Northwest red raspberries,Oregon blackberries and Washingtonapples. There are no artificial flavors andno corn syrup. Traditional flavors likeBlueberry Jam and Lemon Curd joinnew savory choices. Tomatillo PepperJelly with Fire Roasted Jalapenosmakes a terrific base for a marinade ora filling for burritos or omelets. Paircrackers and cream cheese with theRaspberry Chipotle Jam. There alsosome unique and some more traditional

takes on the fruit butter category, likeCranberry Apple and Pumpkin Spice.Call 800-458-5826 or visit www.stickyfingersbakeries.com to learn more.

It’s summertime, and we all know what thatmeans: Time to grill. Time to scrape offthose charred racks, buy some beautifulsteaks, chicken, pork, fish or vegetables,load up on charcoal or propane, invite yourfriends over and have a barbecue.

Grilling is one of the simplest ways tocook almost any kind of food. Althoughthe steps and ingredients required are notcomplicated, the components must be topquality. Meat must be juicy, vegetablesmust be fresh and the seasonings must bejust right to allow the main ingredients toshine through.

That’s where Vanns Spices comes in.With a commitment to procuring only thebest herbs and spices for their all-naturalblends, Vanns’ grilling spices are the per-fect complement to whatever it is youwant to cook on the barbecue. From theirclassic Quebec Steak Seasoning, whichworks equally well on steak and vegeta-bles, to their smoky Chipotle BarbequeRub, which complements just abouteverything (even potato salad!), Vanns’blends make grilling easy and delicious.

SQF-certified, Vanns cares as muchabout the quality of your grilling season-ings as you do, and with their wide vari-ety of blends, rubs and spices, there’scertain to be something that will appealto every palate. For more information, call 800-583-1693

or visit www.vannsspices.com.

Light up the grill withVanns Spices

The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg nowoffers a 4-oz. tin! Great for gift basketsor personal consumption. Their extra-large Virginia peanuts are selected andhand-cooked according to their old, tra-ditional, homestyle recipes and lightlyseasoned with sea salt. Also available in32-oz., 20-oz. and 10.5-oz. tins. For in-formation or to order, contact MichaelMcDonald at 800-831-1828, ext. 1, orvisit www.thepeanutshop.com.

New size tin from the Peanut Shop of Williamsburg

Ariston’s name is Greek for “the verybest” —not just in quality but in price.Whether you are creating your own bas-kets or stocking your shelves withready-made gift items, Ariston’s fineolive oils and balsamic vinegars are theperfect present.

The four-pack shown is just one ex-ample, including the company’s pride:Ariston Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil, arecent award-winner at Montreal’s SIAL2012 Olive d’Or Competition and at theInternational Extra Virgin Olive Oil Com-petition in Los Angeles. Produced from

Ariston: Greek for “the very best”Koreneiki olives in Kalamata, Greece bythe Doukas family (owners of Ariston),this is the company’s flagship product.Pair it with a dipping or herb-infused oil,balsamic vinegar and intensely fruitybalsamic *condimenti* for a gift that willbe appreciated year-round.

Also available are savory fruit pre-serves (fig, strawberry, apricot, orangeand peach) and many varieties of jarredolives––low in sodium so you taste theolives, not the salt. Both are excellenteither combined with the oils and vinegars, or completing a basket with

fine crackers, cheese and sweets. To see the full range, visit www.aristonoliveoil.com or www.facebook.com/aristonoliveoil, or contact Ariston Specialties at 860-224-7184.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com GIFT BASKETS 23

Most gift baskets are eye-catchers, buthow many sound as good as they look?ALO Drink, the makers of the number oneready-to-drink aloe vera beverage in theU.S. natural market and a 2012 BeverageInnovation Functional Drink award winner,adds free music inside every bottle.

“We’re 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. Theycan be easily unlocked and shared fromany bottle [via QR-Code],” said HenryChen, Founder, ALO Drink.

ALO drink launches ALOtones“ALOtones deliver on our brand’s

promise of Goodness From Inside Out™ and add value to every bottle.They’re also a tremendous boost for ourbrand ]—engaging our drinkers in amemorable way,” said Brian Choi, SVPSales, ALO Drink.

ALO Drink blends are made with realaloe vera pulp and juice straight from theleaf. ALO’s beverages are available in bothmainstream and natural markets in theUnited States, Canada and other countriesaround the globe.To enjoy better refreshment naturally,

plus a positive boost to your body’s karma,visit www.alodrink.com and www.facebook/ALOdrink.

Need something new to spark up the oldreliable baker’s basket? Bakto Flavors’ re-tail line includes 40 different natural flavorsand extracts—from exotic fare like laven-der, rose, mango, cardamom and berg-amot, to classic bestsellers such ascoconut, orange, almond, lemon, lime, rumand coffee. All come in 1-oz. bottles and insets such as extract trios and boxes of 12.

All of their products are natural, kosher(OU), GMO-free and gluten-free, with nosugar or color added.

Bakto’s vanilla extract is made from 100percent Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, in 2-, 4-, and 8-oz. bottles. The companyalso carries beans of different origins,Golden Vanilla Cane Sugar, and Ground

Bakto Flavors: Vanilla, spice and flavors—gift baskets aren’t just for wine and cheese anymore

Vanilla Beans, which are made with a pro-prietary drying technique for a flavor supe-rior to typical beans.

New this year are antioxidant-rich bak-ing spices and herbs––including Cinna-mon, Nutmeg, Cloves and Mace, all fromIndonesia, in 3-4-oz. retail pouches.

Committed to high quality, Baktotakes raw material sourcing very seri-ously. The entire line can be beautifullydisplayed in gift baskets, on its own orwith other products. This family-ownedcompany is a top seller on www.ama-zon.com and sells to the highest qualitygourmet bakeries, hotels and restau-rants around the world.To see the range and create your own

collection, visit www.baktoflavors.com oremail info@baktoflavors.com.

For anyone who has spent time on the New England or Mid-Atlantic Coast,the Beach Plum is a popular and tasty sign of late summer, where the colorful shrubs pop up along the sanddunes all along the shore from Maine to Maryland.

Now people everywhere can enjoythis distinctive regional fruit through theunique foodstuffs offered by BeachPlum Specialties of Cape May. BeachPlum Specialties proudly produces deli-cious jam, jelly, wine vinegar and vinai-grette, all made from the tasty little

Beach Plum Specialties of Cape MayBeach Plum. All products are made fromhand-picked, local wild and cultivatedBeach Plums. The taste is unique, rem-iniscent of cherry and traditional plumwith just a hint of cinnamon.

This product has been locally famousnot only in Cape May, NJ, but across theentire Northeast Coast for decades, withlocals devoting a great deal of time toforaging for the plum and finding thebest spots for the fruit.

Now you don’t have to take to thedunes yourself for a taste of Beach Plum. Contact Michael Craig

at Beach Plum Specialties of Cape May, 609-425-9057 or via beachplumspecialties@gmail.com, for informationon the company and its products.

The Tao of Tea®, one of nation’s true pure-leaf specialty tea companies, has launched11 flavors of ready-to-drink iced teas andherbs. The bottled drinks, a line of iced teaand a line of Tulsi, are organic and unsweet-ened, freshly and carefully brewed in craft-style batches at The Tao of Tea’s own teabrewery in Portland, Ore., without any addedjuices, powders, extracts or flavorings.

The iced tea line includes eight refreshingvarieties: Darjeeling, Osmanthus Oolong,Lapsang Souchong (Pine Smoked Black),Tippy Assam, Gunpowder Mint, OregonBerry Black, Lemon Myrtle (caffeine free)and Cape Town Rooibos (caffeine free).

The Tulsi line offers Tulsi Pure, TulsiLavender and Tulsi Ginger. Tulsi, alsoknown as Holy Basil, is a caffeine-freeAyurvedic herb from India that has been

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

gaining popularity inthe United States. TheTao of Tea grows Tulsiin parts of India bysupporting small farm-ers and promoting or-ganic cultivation.

Most varieties arecurrently available atselect Whole Foods Market stores,Zupan’s Market, New Seasons, independ-ent co-ops and other natural foods storesin the Pacific Northwest and California,and soon nationwide. Bottles are 11.5 fluidounces and shelf-stable. SRP $2.99. Alldrinks have zero sugar and zero calories.

The Tao of Tea won the Best Packagingaward at the 2011 North American BottledTea Championship. The Osmanthus

Oolong 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 JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comGIFT BASKETS24

An irresistible addition for a cook’s giftbasket is the Victory Garden Pickle Kitfrom Pepper Creek Farms. Addressingboth the interest in pickled foods and the make-at-home/gourmet DIYtrend, the kit contains four seasoningpackets: Kosher Dill, Bread & Butter,Polish Dill and Sweet. Each packetmakes four pints, making a total of 16 pints of pickles.

Simply dissolve the seasonings inwater and vinegar (possibly sugar, de-pending upon variety), add sliced or

Pick a perfect present: Pepper Creek Farms’ kit combines two trends

speared cucumbers and refriger-ate—and find wonderful tasting,crisp and crunchy pickles thenext day. It is also suitable forcreating unique pickles with other veg-etables like carrots, green beans, as-paragus, broccoli and cauliflower.

But more than just seasonings, the kitis a complete package that also makesa great gardening project. It also in-cludes a seed packet to grow your ownpickling cucumbers, 16 blank labels withspecial adhesive and a handy tip sheet

to assist with packing. Display near theproduce or gardening gift sections aswell for a versatile product that reachesmany markets.For information and orders, visit

www.peppercreekfarms.com or call 800-526-8132. Pepper Creek also has a widerange of other beautifully packaged fooditems for gifting and baskets.

For more than 20 years, Stonewall Kitchenhas provided customers with high-qualityproducts that make cooking and entertain-ing easy and delicious.

Stonewall Kitchen offers a large assort-ment of gift options at various price points,making it easy to select the perfect gift forall occasions. The “Grab and Go” gift of-ferings include two products matched witha high-quality cooking tool and wrappedin cellophane and grosgrain ribbon ready

to treat someone. Stonewall Kitchen also offers timeless

collections incorporating its highlysought-after products that have madethe Maine-based company one of themost awarded specialty food makers inthe nation. The in-house designers cre-ate new holiday packaging each year,making gift-giving even easier—nowrapping needed at all.

The gift of food is always a welcomed

Grab and go gifts from Stonewall Kitchen

treat, and is a nice way to introduce some-one to Stonewall Kitchen’s great tastesand good food. For information and orders, visit www.stonewallkitchen.com.

At Sierra Foods they take great pride in creating distinctive ready-made gifts. What-ever the sentiment being expressed—Happy Birthday, Get Well, Congratulations,Thank You or I Love You—they have theperfect gift to convey the thought.

For those occasions when only customwill do, their fine selection of products al-lows the creation of one-of-a-kind gifts fora more personal touch. They are continu-ally seeking out the highest quality prod-ucts, with a particular focus on providingthe best of California agriculture.

Their specialty food product lines are theperfect addition to any type of gift basket,from corporate gifts to housewarming gifts.

Sierra Soups Inc. is a line of vegan, veg-

Distinctive, natural gourmet gifts from Sierra Foodsetarian and gluten-free soups, createdfrom traditional recipes. Great for foodlovers' or vegetarian-themed gift baskets.

Sierra Harvest (a division of Sierra NutHouse, Inc.) is an organic grain line featur-ing hard-to-find items like tri-coloredcouscous and quinoa, and a whole grainbulgur wheat pilaf mix made from theirown special blend. Ideal in organic-themed gift baskets.

Meadow Lakes Dressings (a division ofSierra Nut House, Inc.), features all natural,fruit-based dressings with fabulouslyunique flavors.

Contact Sierra Foods at 800-397-6887, or via www.sierrasoups.com andwww.sierranuthouse.com.

Papa Ben’s sweet, crispy twice-bakedMandelbread or Mandelbroyt, the EasternEuropean cousin of the biscotti, is a delec-table anytime treat, low in calories andmade with all-natural products. That’s whythis delicious delicacy is an ideal additionto any gift basket or gift in general!

These anytime treats are prepared usingsimple, fresh and natural ingredients, andare bursting with mouth-watering flavor.How could anyone resist such a scrump-

tious gift? In five flavors, thedelectable Mandelbroyt areKosher, Pareve (non-dairy)and complement any sweettooth. Flavors include Origi-nal Family Recipe, LemonBlueberry with Poppy Seeds,Minty Dark Chocolate,Chocolate Espresso Beanand a unique new flavor,Spicy Chipotle with Gingerand Dark Chocolate.

Papa Ben learned the artof baking as a young boy

while helping his father in theirfamily kitchen in Eastern Europe.Using the ancient stone oven intheir cottage, they worked togetherto prepare the finest baked goodsfor family, friends and their sur-rounding village. At the age of 80,Ben rediscovered his passion forbaking and is excited to share hischerished family recipe with fami-lies all over the country.To bring this unique treat to your

store shelf, contact 888-233-1072 orvisit www.papabenskitchen.com.

Papa Ben’s Kitchen

MarDona Specialty Foodsand Wild Forest Productsare all about great taste,great prices, convenienceand consistency. That isespecially true of their Asi-ago-Parmesan CheeseDip, a new item that is theperfect addition to a 2012holiday basket.

MarDona merges thefinest extra virgin olive oil

MarDona introduces Asiago-Parmesan Cheese Dip with the finest Asiago andParmesan cheeses and selectspices, to create a year-roundsavory treat whose umami-richParmesan content enriches the flavor of everything youhave it with.

Enjoy it straight from the jar,dip in your chips, spread onyour favorite focaccia, onbread, crackers, raw vegetablesor sliced apples. Spread it on

sandwiches, top a steak or baked potato,mix it into an omelet. Change up your fa-vorite garlic bread by adding their dip ontop, then slightly broiling, for a wonderfulnew taste experience. Add to hot pastaand toss for an easy yet deluxe MarDonaversion of pasta and cheese. Let yourimagination fly––it will complement any-thing you can think of! Your recipients willhave fun discovering their own specialuses for this dip that enhances any foodyou add it to. Visit them at www.mardonaspecialty

foods.com, call 855-OIL SPRAY or fax646-619-4640.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 GIFT BASKETS 25

Look no further than Java Frost’s seasonalgift canisters filled with gourmet holidaydrink mixes. Three delicious flavors de-signed to delight, each packaged in a caseof eight enchanting, 8-oz. gift canisters.Java Frost canisters are the perfect addi-tion to corporate or holiday gift baskets.Available July 2012.

Usher in fall with the perennial favorite,Pumpkin Cheesecake. Made with realpumpkin and aromatic spices, this ultimateindulgence is sure to please. Your cus-tomer will enjoy this rich and creamy cup.

Then, capture the nostalgia of the holi-day season by adding Candy CaneCrème. Experience the delight of your firstcandy cane, in a cup. Candy Cane Crèmedelivers real mouth-watering candy canebits with every sip.

Finally, spice up your Christmas sales

Looking for the happiest holiday gift?with Red Hot Cinnamon. Real CinnamonImperials make this wonderful cinnamonsmoothie more fun than Santa’s reindeerprancing on the roof!

All Java Frost products are carefullycrafted with quality and value in mind. Call Java Frost today for sales, samples

and product information. Call 800-676-3661 or visit www.javafrost.com.

J&M Foods is family owned and operated,serving the gift packing and gift basket in-dustry for more than 25 years with thehighest standards of product quality andcustomer satisfaction.

The award-winning product line contin-ues the tradition with the newly introducedCookie Straws, offered in four indulgentflavors: Cinnamon Black Walnut, Lemon,Key Lime and Sugar. Continuing the excel-lence, Apple Cinnamon and OatmealRaisin Pecan are a welcome addition tothe line of crisp Traditional Cookies andare sure to satisfy. Using the 100 year old,southern inspired, family recipe, J&MFoods’ scrumptious Cheese Straws con-tinue to be a favorite of all connoisseurs,in Original, Asiago, Bleu and Jalapeno.J&M Foods’ Tea Cookies are a little tasteof heaven, delicate and sweet in four fla-vors: Raspberry, Chocolate Orange,

J&M Foods Inc.

Lemon and Key Lime.These gourmet delicacies are baked to

perfection using only the finest, all-naturalingredients. With beautiful and elegant de-signs, the 2.5-oz. boxes are perfect forevery basket and all occasions. The sa-vory treats are available in 1.5-oz. snackbags, 6-oz. boxes, and 10- or 16-oz. tins.Private labeling options are offered as well.For more information, call 800-264-

2278, email sales@jm-foods.com or visitwww.jm-foods.com.

An excellent choice for any gourmand’sgift basket, Mieli Thun honeys are avail-able in beautifully packaged sets ofthree, five and 10 mini jars of varied fla-vors and colors. Each tube allows thediscovery of the great variety of thesemonofloral honeys. The senses will feaston the individual character of eachhoney—each with its unique color, tex-ture and flavor.

In keeping with his grandfather’s tradi-tion of nomadic beekeeping, Mieli Thun’sAndrea Paternoster travels throughoutItaly, from north to south, following theflowering seasons of dozens of differenttypes of flowers. Andrea’s timing and sen-sitivity allows him to trap the pure fra-grance and flavor of each flower speciesin its respective honey.

The 10 mini gift tube is a collection ofApple, Dandelion, Fir Tree Honeydew,French Honeysuckle, Thyme, Acacia, Sun-flower, Chestnut, Orange and Eucalyptus.Each individual honey provides the recipi-ent numerous ways to enjoy: paired in abasket with cheese or fresh fruit, used asa topping for yogurt—the possibilities areleft to one’s culinary imagination.

Mieli Thun Gift Tube Gift Sets are available in limited quantities. Preordersare encouraged. Please contact Viola Imports at 847-

690-0790, on Facebook and Twitter, andvia www.violaimports.com.

Mieli Thun Monofloral Honeys from Viola Imports

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012GIFT BASKETS26

In a few short years, Po Valley Foods has be-come the ìgo toî company for all things nat-urally Italian. Whether it isspecialties sourced directly fromItaly for the nation’s largest all-nat-ural chain stores, or unique prod-ucts for the gourmet gift shop,they’ve managed to please eventhe most discerning palates.

This year, their selection of importantbrands––like La Campofilone (gourmet eggpasta), Moro buckwheat pasta and polenta,Dolced’olio (extra-virgin olive oil biscotti)and Afeltra pasta from Gragnano––expandsto include selections from Rafaelli (gourmetgift products), Valgri pizza-ready tomatoes,Cararecci di Calabria spices blended to in-stantly recreate famous Italian dishes, Del-laGiovanna specialty and gluten-free flours,

The finest gourmet gifts come from Italy…naturallyBertoni (balsamic vinegars from Modena)and Marchesi flavored organic olive oils.

While it’s true that the path to a per-son’s heart is through the stomach, itis also true that people eat with theireyes. Lucky for them, many of theirproducers expend the extra energy––and equity–– to get their packagingjust right. They’re proud their selec-

tions represent innovation in gourmet foodpackaging. They’re the highest quality all-natural Italian foods they could find. Equallyappealing to the eyes and the stomach!So if you’re looking for something

uniquely Italian to add gourmet glamor toyour gift basket, call 516-801-4688, emailpovalleyfoods@gmail.com or visit them on-line at www.povalleyfoods.com to see theirfull line-up.

Looking for something to lift a gift basketout of the ordinary? Instantly upscale yourbasket with Peppadew. Their intense coloris eye-catching; their sharp-sweet-tangyflavor adds premium appetite appeal. Onsalads, pizza, meat dishes, on appetizertrays, stuffed with goat cheese or in a sig-nature sandwich, these little red fruits adddelight to anything you serve them with.Like the ads say, “Put them on everything!”

Restaurants add Peppadew to theirmenu descriptions and watch their aver-age ticket increase; specialty food pro-ducers partner with them to create foodswith the spicy-tangy flavor profile themarket is looking for. In stores, they area great impulse item as well as a strongseller in salads, deli and condiment

Peppadew: what’s hot (and sweet) in premium gift baskets

aisles. Suitable for healthy,vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free and all-natural gift baskets as well. For information or to order, please visit

www.peppadewfresh.com.

Experts say the trend in gift baskets is to-ward high value and quality over large sizeand flashy packaging. Sounds like the per-fect description for caviar!

At the House of Caviar & Fine Foods, theirinternational experts source the finest caviarfrom the cleanest waters. They offer a se-lection of caviar-based gift baskets, includ-ing American, Imperial/European andSushi/Caviar, all at extremely competitiveprices. Caviar serving accessories completethe gift and add the final elegant touch.

If you prefer to assemble your own as-sortment, you will also find the perfect el-ements here. Visit their website to see theirrange of caviar, truffles and mushrooms,European honeys, foie gras, specialty salts

House of Caviar & Fine Foods and even premium chocolate—everythingyou need to create baskets to please themost demanding clients.

For information and orders, call 877-462-0533 or visit www.houseofcaviarandfinefoodscom.

Widmer’s Cheese Cellars, purveyor ofartisan cheeses, offers the perfect andmost unique addition to your retailcheese collection.

If you’re a retailer putting together yourown holiday baskets, do not hesitate to in-clude their award-winning cheeses. It is thesure way to please the discerning palate.

Great products to consider are:Widmer 1, 2, 4, 6 or 10 Year Cheddars

available in (20 8-oz.), (10 1-lb.) or (2 5-lb.) sizes.

Widmer’s Aged Brick available in (10

Great gift basket selections from Widmer’s Cheese Cellars

1-lb.), (4 2.5-lb.) or (2 5-lb.)

W i d m e r ’sAuthentic Colby available in (10 1-lb.) or (2 5-lb.)

Widmer’s Washed Rind Cold Pack BrickSpread Available in (12 8-oz.)

Pre-pack labels are available for agedbrick, cheddar and colby cheeses. For more information, contact Kristine

Miescke at 888-878-1107 or emailkristinem@widmerscheese.com.Visit themonline at www.widmerscheese.com.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 GIFT BASKETS 27

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 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, Ja-maican Old Style Chocolate, a favorite ofmany 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 website

at www.jamaicanteas.com or call them at 876-928-5863.

Ask anyone who’s lived in Hawaii, andthey will recognize the name AlohaShoyu. The company’s signature blend isa zestful combination of soy sauce, gin-ger, garlic and sugar, a longtime island fa-vorite for marinating and basting. It isready for use “as is” or as a foundationfor other recipes, as a marinade forsteaks, poultry or seafood or as a saucefor vegetables. The company’s line alsoincludes low-sodium soy and other

Aloha Shoyu: from the island to the mainlandsauces, plus vinegars (for sushi and oth-ers), marinades and tropical fruit glazessuch as pineapple and mangos.

In 1946, five Japanese families createdthe Aloha Shoyu Company in a small fac-tory in Kalihi, just outside downtown Hon-olulu. The word “Shoyu” originates fromJapan, and is a term widely accepted inHawaii as referring to soy sauce. “Aloha,”while known as a greeting, also signifiesimportant values in Hawaiian culture:

kindness, unity, humility andperseverance.

The company still gets lettersfrom former Hawaii residentslooking for the distinct, slightlysweet soy taste they associatewith the island. With the open-ing of Aloha Shoyu CompanyWest in Hayward, Calif., it’s noweasier than ever for retailers toprovide these delicious condi-ments for their customers. Forinformation, call 808-456-4519or 808-216-6844 or visitwww.alohashoyu.com.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012GIFT BASKETS28

For the barbeque expert who has every-thing, try New Zealand Pacific SeaSalt. The outstanding sweet saltflavor brings out the very best infavorite dishes, without the bitter-ness found in highly mineralizedsalt or plain sodium chloride seasalt, that may contain free flowinganti-caking agents, yellow dyesand even dextrose.

New Healthy Mesquite SmokedPacific sea salt is great for thatdown-home barbeque flavor.Available in Fine or Coarse (best for rubs). The secret Lvouisiana mesquite-smoked family recipe, combined with

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

the sweet salt flavor of New Zealand Pacific Sea Salt, will impress any recipient.

Pacific Resources also importsthe finest all natural New ZealandHoneys, including Bio Active andUMF Manuka Honey. These helpwith digestive problems but arealso good friends in the kitchen,delicious in cooking, on cereal oryogurt or to sweeten your favoritehot beverage. Improve your health and treat

your taste buds with these great NewZealand products. Email info@pri-nz.comor visit www.shoppri.com.

The company that’s been delivering premiumpopcorn poppers for over 30 years now in-troduces their top-quality popcorn acces-sories and unique giftsets for all occasions.

Wabash ValleyFarms, Inc. introducedmore than 25 NEWproducts at the FancyFood Show. Witheleven Fresh & NaturalGourmet Popcorns, tencreatively designed Ready-to-Give gift sets,and seven Sweet & Savory Flavors, theyhave enough to keep customers comingback all year long.

Hot new products from Wabash Valley FarmsPlus, with over a dozen unique bowls,

Wabash Valley offers an array of optionsfor building your own distinctive gift set.

Everything from wood toplastic, interactive to glow-in-the-dark, from servingto individually sized, theopportunities and choicesare endless.

Choose between 60+different products, and letthem help you with their

proven winning combinations. For more information, contact Wabash

Valley Farms, Inc., at 877-888-7077 andwww.wfarms.com

On the heels of two first place awards atthe World Dairy Expo of 2011 in Wiscon-sin, fresh mozzarella innovator Formaggioonce again prepares to go for the gold.

With Anthony “The Big Cheese”Mongiello’s knack for generating trendset-ting food ideas, Formaggio enters the 2012contest season with even more innovativeproduct offerings. First is Wine and Cheese,a whole new twist on enjoying the classics:a two-compartment tray holding sliced agedcheddar and spreadable wine topping.

Other new products include two addi-tional multi-compartment trays: Feta withMediterranean topping and Fresh Moz-zarella with Rustica topping.

Also up for 2012 is Artisan Wraps. TheBig Cheese says, “I feel that finger-size

Formaggio goes for the gold with new tray products, artisan wraps

appetizers with genuine Italian meatswrapped around the soft creamy center offresh mozzarella is a truly savory experienceof honest-to-goodness Italian cuisine.” Visit them on the web at www

.formaggiocheese.com, or contact Ricky Pagan at 845-436-4200 or rickyformaggio@yahoo.com.

With an irresistible smooth, rich and robusttaste, Old Amsterdam is the perfectcheese to include in a gourmet gift basket.Combined with fine condi-ments, nuts, premiumcrackers and wine, a basketwith Old Amsterdam is apremium cheese every foodlover will enjoy.

Old Amsterdam is Hol-land's top selling agedGouda, judged Best inClass at the 2010 Wiscon-sin World ChampionshipCheese Contest. This is tes-tament to Old Amsterdam'staste and quality, proof pos-itive that it is the best aged Gouda in the

world. Old Amsterdam production is con-stantly monitored by master cheese-mak-ers; it is matured until it has reached the

perfect taste and texture,and only then is it packaged.With just the right amount ofripening crystals and asmooth creamy texture, it iseasily enjoyed by all. A pre-mium aged Gouda with anirresistible taste. Available inhalf wheels and 5.2-oz.exact weight wedges.For more information,

contact Norseland Inc. atdseife@norseland.com, bycalling 203-324-5620 or

through www.oldamsterdam.com.

Old Amsterdam Premium Aged Gouda

JULY 2012SUPPLEMENT TO

MTR FoodsSEE PAGE 32 SEE PAGE 31

Kohinoor FoodsStart HealthySEE PAGE 32

Heat & Serve2012 UPDATE

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

®

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comHEAT & SERVE30

Does the increased prevalence of con-sumers cooking at home signal a dip inspecialty frozen food?

Not according to a survey by the National Association for the SpecialtyFood Trade (NASFT). The organization'sState of the Industry 2012 report noted$1.21 billion in sales of specialty frozenlunch and dinner entrees last year, up 3.6 percent from 2009—in contrastto negative sales for the category in thegeneral market.

Frozen breakfast foods are up by 15.3percent (compared to 12 percent overallmarket), perhaps led by the popularity offrozen Belgian waffles that have becomemore widely available. Specialty frozenfruits and vegetables showed strikinggrowth as well, rising 24.6 percent onthe strength of frozen-fruit smoothiesand the demand for organic produce.

Clearly, convenience still counts. But

expectations have been raised by foodmedia and the internet, who prefer toskip the exacting work needed to cor-rectly produce classic French saucesbut are unwilling to compromise withpreviously available versions. Thesauces are gluten-free, which shouldalso contribute to their popularity.

Where else is growth coming fromthen? From the healthy side. While veg-etarian burgers and meals have longbeen a staple of natural food freezeraisles, gluten-free and whole grain op-tions are multiplying, and turkey is alsoshowing up in foods from breakfastsandwiches to all-natural burritos.

Global cuisineLong popular in the frozen aisle for itshigh percentage of vegetarian choices,Indian food is making a big push asAmericans become more familiar with it.The cuisine was named as the No. 2 orNo. 3 fastest growing cuisine for 2011by specialty importers and retailers inthe last NASFT survey. Two recent en-trants, MTR Foods and Kohinoor, areU.S. offshoots of top Indian brands.MTR is strong on heritage, while Kohi-noor's healthy positioning (cooked inolive oil) offers a strong proposition foradventurous specialty consumers.

For Asian food, the dumplings, pot-stickers and steamed pork buns ubiqui-tous in Asian stores are starting totrickle into the mainstream. Interestingoptions include Feelgood Foods'dumplings and egg rolls (gluten-freedown to the soy sauce), and RamarFoods' oven-baked lumpia (Filipinospring rolls), recently declared a low-calorie “hit” by Phil Lempert. The South-east Asian country's cuisine has beengetting a bit of buzz lately, and Ramar'sproduct line is one of the more accessi-ble ways for curious consumers to try it.A likely crossover is adobo, a soy sauceand vinegar stew that can be servedwith rice, vegetables or quinoa.

The rise of 'flexitarian' dietsConsumer interest in plant-based diets,along with advances in freezing technol-ogy, are improving frozen vegetables'questionable reputation. Lisa's Organicshas come out with a line of frozen sidesfeaturing vegetables with sauces, andOtsuka America's Wild Veggie line ispromoted as both frozen soup and acooking ingredient in six variants.

On the whole grain front, rice com-pany Otis McAllister has launched Vil-lage Harvest, a line of medleys that addnovelty to the typical quinoa-couscous-rice-and-beans combinations.

Retailers should expect this category

to grow more, as customers trying to eatmore plants (and less meat) start to de-mand choices that offer heat-and-serveconvenience while still being organicand flavorful.

Frozen pizza Specialty and natural makers are bank-ing on pizza's huge popularity withAmerican families to push new lines withupgraded ingredients and health bene-fits. Frozen Naked, a retail affiliate of thegroundbreaking Naked Pizza restau-rants, was introduced in October 2011,in partnership with Denver neighborSunflower Markets. Their Superbiotic, avegetarian pizza with probiotics and an-cient grains in the crust, began beingheavily promoted in March and April.

Two gluten-free pizzas making theirbid for specialty store presence includeBold and Russo. Natural foods stapleAnnie's also launched their Rising Crustpizza with a food truck at this year'sExpo West.

Luxury in the frozen aisleRising interest in artisan bread shouldyield some interesting parbaked optionsin the year to come. Spanish importer LaTienda is doing well with Barra Gallaga,a Galician bread that ships prebaked tocustomers, while Apex Imports has seenfoodservice and retail interest with itsBavarian pretzels and strudels, bothshipped fully-baked from Munich.

for the specialty shopper, so doesuniqueness. This is one reason thatglobal cuisines are a heat-and-servestaple, as shoppers seek to enjoy newflavors without having to invest in apantry of costly, unfamiliar ingredients.

“Culinary convenience” is also citedas the main trend behind the launch ofChristian Potier sauces, a joint venturebetween the French manufacturer andculinary sauce and stock producer MoreThan Gourmet (MTG). The latter is theexclusive U.S. importer for the line,which is critically acclaimed in Europe.The line includes seven sauces: Bear-naise, Hollandaise, Lemon Dill, RedWine Shallot, Dijon Mustard Wine,Mushroom and Roquefort. The saucescan be ready in less than 15 seconds,and are well-priced at $4.49-$4.99 SRP.

More Than Gourmet is betting that theline will resonate with consumers whose

Healthy revamps, ethniccuisines bring specialty customers to the freezer aisle

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 HEAT & SERVE 31

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.

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.

Eating a healthy diet is a way of living ahealthy lifestyle, especially when cus-tomers can enjoy their favorite foodswhile still keeping their diet.

Kohinoor’s ‘India on Platter’ bringsconsumers selected Indian delicaciesthat preserve the authentic taste butalso contribute to their health. Theirfoods are cooked in olive oil, for rich fla-vor with very low cholesterol contentand negligible trans fat. The perfectblend of authentic taste and health,‘India on Platter’ brings you a range ofReady to Eat Curries, Rice, Rice & Curryand Ready to Cook Sauces, Pastes &Chutneys, providing an excellent at-home eating experience. This range isalso 100 percent vegetarian.

In addition to their shelf stable prod-ucts, Kohinoor combines convenienceand taste in its frozen range, which in-cludes Indian Breads, Snacks, Curriesand Desserts. Specially selected fromIndian culinary heritage, the range offers

Healthy Indian cuisine from Kohinoor Foods

a flavor that’s truly Indian. With a freezerfull of the highest quality, most nutritiousauthentic Indian foods, the range letsyou choose from a wide variety.Processed and packed with up-to-the-minute technology, the range has its nu-tritive value and flavor intact foreveryone to savor.For information, call Kohinoor

Foods at 732-868-4400, email info@kohinoorfoods.com or visit www.kohinoorfoods.com.

Meanwhile Hancock Gourmet Lobsterhas expanded its award-winning line witha new gluten-free version of its bestselling,

not-for-kids Lobster Mac & Cheese. Mac-and-cheese as a whole is a popular heat-and-serve item, upscaled with premiumcheeses and made healthy with vegeta-bles. In appetizers, Saffron Road has anew line that adds novel flavors and an appealing global flair to the typical menu.

Healthy RevampContinued from PAGE 30

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comHEAT & SERVE32

Start Healthy brings the best of all-naturalingredients from the farm to families, sothey can enjoy the wholesome and qualityflavors of home! They are dedicated to de-veloping healthy alternatives to the stan-dard breakfast fare that saturates the fastfood industry today, by using all-natural in-gredients to keep Americans healthy. Theirall-natural sandwiches contain only thehighest quality ingredients, without addi-tives and unnecessary fillers.

They recently introduced their StartHealthy Turkey Sausage and ProvoloneCheese on Whole Grain Bagel, comple-menting their two other sandwiches:

Start Healthy: Breakfast sandwiches done rightTurkey Sausage, Egg and Cheese onWhole Grain English Muffin and TurkeyBacon, Egg and Cheese on Whole GrainEnglish Muffin. To complement the hearthealthy contributions of lean turkey pro-teins, their eggs are cholesterol free andtheir cheese is reduced fat.

Start Healthy is currently embarkingupon new marketing campaigns to drivecustomers to your stores. Over the nextsix months they will do four segments onthe Lifetime Channel’s Balancing Act, amorning program targeting Start Healthy-type customers that reaches over two mil-lion viewers daily. Additionally, Start

Healthy will be attending and promotingtheir products at athletic events across thecountry. A joint marketing campaign withTiger Rock Martial Arts will also reachthousands of consumers in marketsserved by those locations.For information and to order, call 800-456-

0532 or visit www.starthealthyfoods.com.

A tradition that began in 1924 has trans-formed into an illustrious venture today.

A business that brings quality and au-thenticity in Indian cuisine, and thatblends entrepreneurship with originality.

This is the rich legacy of MTR Foods.Standing tall as an Indian heritagebrand, MTR Foods has firmly consoli-dated its market leadership and is ahousehold name in India.

The company’s vision is to be the in-dispensable companion in everykitchen, to help consumers create au-thentic and delicious Indian food, withthe finest ingredients and the most au-thentic recipes.

The product range includes more than

40 varieties of ready to eat vegetariancurries, meals, soups, special spices,South Indian breakfast mixes, vermicelli,pickles, papads, dessert mixes, almondmilk drinks andmany more.

All products areimported byMTR’s exclusivenational distribu-tor, Amtrade Inc.,NY, and are madeavailable at Indiangroceries and se-lected mainstreamstores throughoutthe United States.

For information or to bring MTR Foodsto your store, please call Amtrade Inc. at212-725-0679, email tejensen@aol.comor visit www.amtradefood.com.

MTR Foods: authentic and delicious Indian food for every kitchen

More Than Gourmet launches French sauce joint ventureOhio sauce and stock maker More ThanGourmet has completed a joint venturewith Christian Potier-SA, based in Mon-teux in Southern France. Christian Potierproduces authentic, classic French saucesin heat-and-serve portion packs that havebeen critically acclaimed in Europe.

More Than Gourmet is the exclusiveU.S.importer for this full line of sauces,which currently includes seven: SauceHollandaise, Béarnaise, Roquefort, DijonMustard Wine Sauce, Mushroom, LemonDill, and Red Wine Shallot. The companypresented the line to retailers at the Sum-mer Fancy Food Show in Washington DC.

“Our consumer research points to a highdemand for what we call ‘culinary conven-ience’,” explained Bill Finnegan, Presidentof More Than Gourmet. “An authentic,clean label sauce, gluten-free, and readyto serve in less than15 seconds. With thePotier products,we’ve achieved ourobjective to provideconsumers with aterrific sauce that re-quires virtually notime to prepare.”Each box contains

Hancock's award-winning Lobster Mac & Cheese goes gluten freeHancock Gourmet Lobster Company isespecially excited about the gluten freeversion of their signature Lobster Macand Cheese. The new product matchesthe quality and taste of the original, atwo-time sofi Gold award winner and a2010 Throwdown winner against BobbyFlay. The product is made with AncientHarvest quinoa pasta and Maine lobster,smothered in a mascarpone-cheddarsauce made with gluten free flour. It's alltopped with a crunchy mix of Aleia’sbreadcrumbs (made from corn and rice)mixed with Romano cheese. The textureand taste are very similar to the original.It is shipped frozen and packed in indi-vidual 9 ounce portions.For information, contact them at

800-552-0142 or e-mail cal@HancockGourmetLobster.com.

three pouches, with 12 pouches per case;shipper becomes merchandising tray. For more information, contact Bill

Finnegan, President, at info@morethangourmet.com or 330-762-6652.

Considered the national dish of the Philip-pines, our Kusina ni Maria (Maria's Kitchen)Chicken Adobo is a traditional recipe featur-ing all natural chicken cooked in vinegar andgluten-free soy sauce. Serve over white rice,brown rice or quinoa. Ready in 5 minutes,gluten free, with an SRP of $5.99.For wholesale information, please con-

tact Tom Chisari, National Sales Manager,via tomc@ramarfoods.com, 805-660-6162or visit us at www.ramarfoods.com/kusina.

Ramar Foods

Anne Di Franco, Founder and President ofAnne Koplik Designs, brought three newlines and her popular existing range to thisyear’s Total Home & Gift Market. She satdown with Gourmet News to tell us what’shot—and cool—in costume jewelry.

GN: Can you tell us a bit about the newlines for fall/winter2012?

AD:We are showcasing several new collec-tions this season: a selection of long metalchains designed to be layered; next, a groupof unadorned beaded necklaces and withcomplementary earrings which can beworn for everyday; also, a small group oflimited-edition necklaces, earrings, pinsand rings with vintage stones, sourced fromthe 1920s thru the 1960s. The stones usedin the vintage collection are not replicas,they are the real thing.

I think the unadorned necklaces and ear-rings are going to be really hot this season.They are wearable for every day, you can

throw them onfor yoga and thesupermarket, orwhen you dressup to go out todinner. All piecesare available insilver or gold fin-ish, with andwithout glass beads. I am very excitedabout this new look!

GN: What larger trends do you see in thejewelry and gift industry?

AD: I see costume jewelry looking classic,reverting from using unusual fabrics andother bizarre materials in big, complicatedpieces. The trend is returning to traditionalmetals and stones, which provide the ap-pearance of being designed and made by anexperienced professional. Metal is favor-able because there is a utility. It is easy to

Steve Spatz, CEO, of Homecooked Short-cuts sat down with us to talk about the Corn-n-Tater® Microwave Cooking Bag.

GN: Tell us about the Corn-n-Tater Mi-crowave Cooking Bag.

SS: Crafters and home makers have beenmaking potato bags for years. What we’vedone is some exhaustive laboratory test-ing and we discovered the exact blend ofmaterials that retain the maximumamount of food’s natural nutrients duringthe cooking process––even better than onthe stove-top or oven, and definitely withless energy consumption.

GN: How is that?

SS: How long you cook food significantlydetermines the food’s nutritional value.Foods cooked in the microwave, usingThe Corn-n-Tater bag, retain the maxi-mum amount of their nutritional value.It’s reusable, which makes it a green

product, it’s alsoBPA-free, mak-ing it safer thanusing plastics ina microwave.

GN:How did youget started in this business?

SS: My wife Suzy, the President of Home-cooked Shortcuts, Inc., had been makingpotato bags for years. When she decided tostart a business, together we evolved theproduct and started selling it. We startedthe business from our home in Wichita,Kansas, and now we’ve recently located toa 3,500 square-foot facility. The businesshas 12 employees. We’ve polished ourpackaging, created a cookbook includedwith the bag and completed our researchand testing of our materials. The currentmaterials are custom-made for us (in the

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com DALLAS MARKETPLACE 33

Continued on Page 34 Continued on Page 34

Dallas MarketplaceAnne Koplik Designs:Handmade in the USA

Retailers Welcome Corn-n-Tater®

Microware Cooking Bag

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.comDALLAS MARKETPLACE34

USA). The Corn-n-Tater has been a bigseller at regional markets, and a major re-tailer has picked up the product, to reachtheir shelves early next year.

GN: It sounds like the product is reallytaking off in the market. Why do you thinkthat is?

SS: Well, I think it has something to dowith the ease of use along with its versa-tility, NO cleanup, and most of all, howgreat food tastes when it’s cooked in thebag. Moms have really picked up on theproduct because it makes great natural

baby food. You can actually hold a cryingbaby in one arm and make cooked carrotsfor the baby with the other––as long asyou have the Corn-n-Tater bag to help.No risk of burning the baby on the stove-top or getting splattered by boiling water.

GN: Is the Corn-n-Tater Microwave Cook-ing Bag your only product, or do you haveothers on the market?

SS: Other products are in the planningstages, and we’re excited about launchingthem.

For more information, visit www.homecookedshortcuts.com.

Homecooked Shortcuts (Con’t. from p. 33)

Anne Koplik Designs (Con’t. from p. 33)

maintain. Moreover, of course, it shines!Especially these days, when you need a lifta little ‘bling’ goes a long way. It turns outthat ‘what’s new’ isn’t so new after all!

GN: What else sets Anne Koplik Designs apart?

AD: Our jewelry is completely hand-made in the USA; designed, manufac-tured and distributed in Brewster, N.Y.We exclusively use Swarovski Elementsfor our crystal and pearls. In addition, itis a family-owned, female operated busi-ness: successful for more than 30 years.I have kept it onshore because I believein supporting American workers and

quality manufacturing in this country.

Our friends in the business should alsocheck out our new website. We created thee-commerce site for both retail and whole-sale customers. It’s very user friendly, withmore than 1,600 items which you canbrowse and shop 24/7, and order whole-sale directly. There is also a monthlycoupon to check out. We are also very ac-tive in social media, like Pinterest, Twitter,Facebook and LinkedIn, to engage thefashionable customer.

See the full range from Anne Koplik Designsat www.annekoplik.com. For information,please call 800-542-3134, e-mail info@annekoplik.com or visit them on Pinterest,Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

TRAVELER ZITA BY FINUMA double-wall tumbler for cold and hot drinks. It includes the world-wide patented Tea Control™ Kit (as well as further pending patents), avoiding theweak tea of over packaged tea bags. By simplyscrewing the lid on the tumbler the tea is trapped,thereby containing the brewing of the tea and keeping taste uncompromised. TRAVELERZITA™’s exceptional and appealing look is largelyowed to its lid, which resembles a tea cup. Thisdurable and elegant tumbler is made from BPA-freeTritan™ (FDA approved material). Its brand newCorkmec™ closes the spout with a silicone cork. Asa result, tea leaves can be re-brewed just by addinghot water! Delicious tea is now made to everyone’spersonal taste and the waste of over packaged teabags is avoided. Finum by Riensch & Held.

For wholesale orders contact Ms. Paola Pollmeier,+49-40-734-240-183 or visit www.finum.com.

MEASURYOSHKAAdd a touch of culture to the kitchen space withMeasuryoshka. This is true kitchen “eye candy”that adds vibrant color and fun––no need to hide itin a cluttered drawer. Traditional, hand-painted de-signs in four color variations. Packaged in a beau-tiful gift box, it is the perfect gift even for the cookthat has everything. SRP $34.99, available atwww.ekitchenista.com.

Contact Olesea Svet for additional inquiries at305-400-4992, ext. 1007.

MICRO-GREENS GROW BOX™The perfect gift for urban food lovers: a complete windowsill garden to grow fresh, intensely flavored greensyear-round, in seven to ten days. Picked fresh from the grow box™, these intensely flavored micro-greens offeran inspired addition to sandwiches, soups, salads, hors d’oeuvres, sushi, pastas, rice blends or couscous. Itis available in two varieties: ‘Veggie’ includes seed for three traditional flavors (pea, carrot and cabbage), while‘Spice’ focuses on traditional Japanese flavors (mibuna mustard, shungiku chrysanthemum and diakon radish).

The package includes powder-coated recycled U.S. steel grow box (18 inches long), hand-coiled bam-boo lid (inverts for saucer), three seed varieties (enough for at least two crops), soil and directions forplanting, growing and harvest. Replant kits are available separately.

Wholesale price is $20 per casepack of three grow boxes; replant kits $4.00 per casepack of six. Allproducts are handmade in the U.S.

Contact Ann Killen for more information at 800-505-7496 or via www.pottingshedcreations.com.

GOURMACGourmac’s new Snack Attack line is all about ahealthy lifestyle. The new Apples & Dip To-Go, Carrots& Dip To-Go and Celery & Dip To-Go take healthfulsnacking to a whole new level. Each looks just like itsnamesake, while incorporating a container for cut ap-ples or baby carrots and a sealable container for a fa-vorite coordinating dipping sauce. Nutritious snackingis a lot more fun when you can easily combine applesand peanut butter, or carrots and hummus. The com-binations are endless! Grapes To-Go is a similar con-tainer to protect your grapes and keep them fresh forsnacking, while Kiwi To-Go lets you transport, sliceand eat a kiwi. It even includes a spoon. Perfect forschool, office and road trips, Snack Attack cuts downon packaging waste and are dishwasher safe, BPA-free and lead-free. MSRP: $6.00 each.

Contact Gourmac, the gourmet division of Hutzler Manufacturing Company for more information at info@hutzlerco.com, call 800-243-7700 or visit www.hutzlerco.com.

ZOKU INTRODUCESCHOCOLATE STATIONFollowing up on the bestselling Quick PopMaker, Zoku’s Chocolate Station lets homecooks easily add chocolate shells and sprinklesto create chocolate gourmet pops. Designedspecifically to work with the Zoku Quick PopMaker, the Chocolate Station allows you to dipand drizzle chocolate without mess. Use thedipping cavity to evenly coat the pops withchocolate, the Drizzle Spoon to create fun designs and patterns and the provided SprinkleTrays to top pops with sprinkles and nuts. Withan SRP of $19.95, the Chocolate Station is avail-able now at Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table andat www.zokuhome.com. Includes: 1 ChocolateStation, 1 Drizzle Spoon, 2 Sprinkle Trays, aCover to store unused chocolate and a recipebooklet for pop bases and chocolate shells.

Contact Zoku for wholesale, sales@zokuhome.com or visit www.zokuhome.com

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

BUYERS GUIDEBUYERS GUIDE 35

S W E E T E N E 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.

Sohgave! Blue Agave NectarThere are more than 168 varieties of agave in the world, but only one Blue Wer-ber agave and only one Sohgave. Approximately 30 percent sweeter than sugar,it is a pure, unrefined and economical alternative. Sohgave is the low glycemicagave––tested at 17 in glycemic index labs in Toronto; trustowrthy, being certi-fied USDA Organic and Kosher; trendy in its BPA free bottle; and tasted andtrusted, endorsed by Chef Ania Catalano, author of “Baking with Agave Nectar.”Please see their website for a full line of flavors and sizes.SRP: $4.69-$5.89 per 17-oz. bottleNo. of sweeteners offered: 5 syrups, in a variety of sizes (17 oz., 23 oz., 46oz., 3 gallon and bar mix)

Sohgave LLC480-246-2796 / Lynn Snyder (Sohgave) on Facebook www.sohgave.com

SugarLeafSugarLeaf™ from Wisdom Natural Brands® is an all-new, 100 percent naturallow-calorie sweetener great for baking and cooking, aimed at meeting the de-mands of increasingly health-conscious consumers who want to reduce sugarin their food and beverages without sacrificing taste or texture. Made by bondingSweetLeaf Stevia® and raw cane sugar, SugarLeaf offers the sweet taste andbrowning and bulking qualities of sugar, but has two-thirds fewer calories andcarbohydrates than sugar. SugarLeaf uses a water-only extraction process withno other ingredients added. It’s free of erythritol, chemicals, genetically modifiedorganisms or other sugar alcohols and maltodextrin. SRP: $8.99No. of sweeteners offered: 3

SweetLeaf Stevia480-921-1373 or 800-899-9908www.sweetleaf.com

Madhava Organic Blonde Coconut SugarSince 1973, Madhava Natural Sweeteners has been providing pure natural prod-ucts that offer healthier alternatives to highly processed sugars and artificialsweeteners. Madhava’s delicious, sustainable products include Pure Honey, Or-ganic Agave Nectar and its new Organic Coconut Sugar. Madhava Organic Co-conut sugar is available in two flavors: Original, with a caramelized maple flavorideal for replacing brown sugar in recipes; and Blonde, an easy substitute forgranulated white sugar. It is available in 1 pound bags, 5 oz. shakers, and 4 gramsingle-serve packets, perfect for adding to beverages, for baking or mixing intoyogurt and smoothies. SRP: $4.39No. of sweeteners offered: 3 (Organic Coconut Sugar, Organic Agave and 100%Pure Honey)

Madhava Natural Sweeteners800-530-2900www.madhavasweeteners.com

Navitas Naturals Coconut Palm SugarTropically sweet Navitas Naturals Coconut Palm Sugar has a sweet caramel-likeflavor, and is a 1:1 replacement for cane sugar. It’s naturally low on the glycemicindex, and contains amino acids, minerals and B vitamins. This organic, goldenbrown sugar from Indonesia is sustainably harvested from the nectar of coconutflowers. Like all the products offered by Navitas Naturals, Coconut Palm Sugaris certified organic.SRP: $5.99 for each 16-oz., re-sealable pouch (made from recyclable #4 plastic).No. of sweeteners offered: 3

Navitas Naturals888-645-4282www.navitasnaturals.com

Eden Barley MaltEDEN Barley Malt Syrup is crafted from two ingredients: U.S.A. organic wholegrain malting barley and pure water. It uses only enzymes, created as the grainsprouts, to convert starch to healthy sweet sugars that slowly metabolize anddo not stress us, as do refined sugars. Artisan maltsters finesse this creationusing simple methods and three undeclared ingredients: skill, patience and prac-tice. Its enticing mild caramel flavor and malty fragrance adds complexity tobreads, baked goods, glazes, sauces, cereals and home brews. A non-diastaticsweetener. 76 percent maltose. No additives or preservatives and K pareve.SRP: $6.55 (20 oz.)No. of sweeteners offered: 2

Eden Foods800-248-0320www.edenfoods.com

Hey Shuga!Hey Shuga! (12 fl. oz.) and Lil’ Shuga! (8.5 fl. oz.) are two new sweeteners thatare 100 percent USDA organic, vegan, kosher and are gluten-, GMO- and pre-servative-free. Hey Shuga! is pure sugar cane syrup, while Lil’ Shuga! is a low-calorie blend of cane sugar and Stevia. Both pour more easily than honey andare wonderful for baking, as condiments and effortlessly blend into hot and coldbeverages—a versatile, shelf-stable addition to anyone’s pantry in attractiveglass bottles. The pure sugar cane becomes liquid via a natural enzymaticprocess that mimics the way bees make honey.SRP: $7.99 (Hey Shuga!) / $9.99 (Lil’ Shuga!)No. of sweeteners offered: 2

Caribbean Liquid Sugar585-545-6300www.heyshuga.com

PowderPurePowderPure’s living powders retain the real color, full flavor and 100 percentnutrition of organic fruits and vegetables. Their pioneering technology re-moves water molecules without disturbing the enzymes, antioxidants, phy-tonutrients, vitamins or minerals, enabling them to offer the highest qualitynutrition at competitive pricing. Whether you are looking for products to addto your company’s portfolio or wanting to enhance your existing offerings,their 35 powders can be customized for multiple applications, including nu-traceutical, food, beverage, flavor and color powders. Let them assist you increating a unique product, tailored to your market niche.

PowderPure801-854-9399www.powderpure.com

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

MARKETWATCHMARKETWATCH36

G R A S S F E D B E E F

PREMIER PROTEINSPremier Proteins provides the very best AmericanKobe Beef, Japanese Kobe Beef, 100 percentBerkshire Pork, American Grass-Fed beef andAustralian Grass-Fed beef. Both beef and porkare naturally raised, 100 percent with no addedhormones or antibiotics.

Our grass-fed beef comes from cattle that roamtheir entire lives on open pasture in California andMissouri, eating only fresh grasses and plants, noanimal by-products or grain-based feeds. Theranches make a full commitment to sustainablefarming practices and land management. This results in beef that is lower in calories, fat and cholesterol than grain-fed beef.

Premier Proteins is a family-owned businessthat services retail and distribution markets ofspecialty meat throughout the U.S. and theworld. They provide refrigerated LTL service forpallet quantities, plus a UPS container programoffering overnight and two-day shipping forquick needs. Their patented bag allows UPSground or three-day select for most areas of theU.S. They are based in Kansas City, Mo.

Contact Premier Proteins via 816-628-0078,info@premiereproteins.com or www.premierproteins.com.

TALLGRASS BEEFBy Bill Kurtis, FounderTallgrass Beef arrived in Chicago six years ago, asa new beef product that most people hadn’ttasted before. It was grass-fed and grass-finished.

In fact, grass-fed beef was hardly new. Cattleevolved in pastures eating only grass and forage,and they still do in most countries of the world.

But sixty-some years ago, when corn becameking in America, we started raising cattle ongrain in giant feedlots. We could fatten cattlemuch faster and cheaper, and supply a growingdemand for hamburgers and steaks. But we did-n’t know that we were losing. The starch in cornreplaced the high nutritional content of grasses.

Today, our customers are discovering beef allover again in the robust, original taste of Tall-grass beef. It has significantly higher levels ofOmega-3 essential fatty acids. The British Jour-nal of Nutrition, published by Cambridge Univer-sity, believes that grass-fed beef will be moreimportant in delivering Omega-3 than fish be-cause we eat more beef than fish. Grass-fed beefis also lower in calories, cholesterol and satu-rated fat than a comparable cut of corn-fed beef.

From the days of the Chicago stockyards re-ceiving cattle from the great grass pastures ofthe Great Plains, Tallgrass Beef thanks you foryour welcome home!

For more information, call 312-846-1361, emailbkurtis@tallgrassbeef.com or dstewart@tallgrassbeef.com, or visit www.tallgrassbeef.com.

Grassfed beef is growing in acceptance,expanding the taste profile of premium meat

Lower in fat and higher in omega 3 andother nutrients, grassfed beef is not onlyhealthier than its conventional counter-part, but also benefits from the interest inanimal welfare and antibiotic-free meat. “We can barely keep it in stock,” says

Justin Marx, whose family’s companyMarx Foods imports and distributes Silver Fern, a line of grassfed beef from New Zealand. “We’re seeing it on every level—restau-

rants, consumers, distributors. Everyone’sclamoring for product.” Earlier in the year, leading food trend-

watchers Hartman Research picked grassfedas one of the top trends for 2012. Protein-heavy diets like paleo are trendy, while“flexitarians” are eating less meat but de-manding higher quality. Mike Myers, meatbuyer at independent natural retailer Berke-ley Bowl, cited Michael Pollan’s book “TheOmnivore’s Dilemma” as a driver for inter-est at his store. Others mention e-coli and

pink slime, which made consumers acutelyconcerned about their meat’s origin. While grassfed beef enjoys an ethical

halo, labeling and terminology vary be-tween brands, and retailers should be awareof the differences. In its Guide to Meat Ter-minology, the American Grassfed Associa-tion points out that “Grassfed is a USDAterm that means the animal has been fednothing but grass from weaning to harvest.[This] doesn’t guarantee that the animalwasn’t given antibiotics or hormones, [orthat] the animal was raised without someconfinement. Meat labeled grassfed may beimported. This term has legal standing.”The guide goes on to note that “organic”does not equal grassfed, while “natural”refers to processing and artificial colors, nothow an animal was raised. Fortunately, even with the confusion

there is plenty of business. “In the past, grassfed was what you im-

ported cheap, then cut in-store so it couldbe sold as U.S. beef,” says Marx Foods’Frank Marx, a meat industry veteran. Incontrast, many of today’s producers also ex-port to the European Union, which has sig-nificantly stricter rules for documentation,traceability and animal welfare. As a result,

they are automaticallywell above U.S. certifica-tion standards. But ultimately, it is

about taste.“People are shocked at

how good it is, how flavorful. They wantmore. Yet it’s light. Whenyou eat a grassfed burger,there’s no weight in your chest; you can eat a16-ounce steak withouthaving to take a nap afterward,” says Frank Marx.Grassfed beef also has a nostalgic taste

for older consumers, who remember theflavor of beef from their childhoods, beforegrain-feeding became standard in the1950s and ’60s. Bill Reed, who grassfeedscattle in Uruguay for his label Estancia,says he often hears from European andLatin American consumers that “it tasteslike the meat back home.” “I have a lot of positive response. Cus-

tomers find it tender and flavorful, becausethere’s no starchy taste from corn,” said asenior meat buyer from an regional chainin the Southwest.

The same buyer notes that compared tothe uniform taste of grain-fed cattle, grass-fed beef incorporates some of the same“terroir” concept as wine and cheese, inwhich place of origin and diet – includingalfalfa and a rotating diet of local foragedgrass – influences the taste.The wine comparison is also used by

Estancia’s Bill Reed, in relation to customer expectations. Grassfed’s leantexture and strong grassy taste (somecompare it to venison) can surprise thosewho pay a premium expecting buttery,grain-fed USDA Prime. “But you don’t expect pinot to taste like

cabernet,” Reed says. “I think we’re beginning to see that you can have a rangeof options for beef, with Kobe and Wagyuon one end and grassfed on the other.”Grassfed’s cache and taste have landed it inhigh-end restaurants and cruises, while itshealth benefits draw high-end spas like Estancia client Miraval.The meat’s leanness leads to differences

in cooking and grilling time. Cooked like astandard steak, grassfeed beef would be dryand tough, which put off many consumerswhen it first hit the market years ago. But that was then. Now, consumers

request it specifically, while signage and in-store demos educate customers on cooking.The right demographic at your retailer

is key, according to Dan Stewart of Tallgrass Beef.“We’re starting to see a trend. Grassfed

appeals to a younger group than the hard-core beef people. They’re younger, aged26-45; they read labels for nutritional benefits and environmental impact beforethey buy. Then there’s a group that’s about55-60, who buy it for their health. It’s acrossover consumer, and that’s a pool that’s growing.”Stewart cites Kroger as one retailer doing

an outstanding job with affluent areas inthe Southwest; Bill Reed also reports similar success in the region.“People on low fat diets ask for it

because it’s leaner. Then there are thoseavoiding chemicals and processed foods,who want hypoallergenics and have kidswith sensitivities,” said the regional chain’sbuyer. “We’re here to supply consumerswith what they want, and right now theywant grassfed beef.” GN

Grassfed beef grows greener

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Blue Crab Bay Co.’s best-selling Sea Salt Nuts® are now kosher-certified. Stay tuned, retailers: More nuts are

in the designation process!

Bay Beyond Inc./Blue Crab Bay Co.800-221-2722 www.baybeyond.net

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 sam-ples are included with each retailer’s order.

American Vintage 718-361-1003 www.americanvintage.com

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

Eat Natural offers all-natural, healthy snack bars full of whole nuts anddried fruit. Using simple recipes and produced in small batches so thetrue taste of each ingredient stands out.

Brands of Britain, LLC800-646-6974 www.brandsoritain.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

Baking a homemade pie is as easy as … pie! Using the best all naturalingredients and the sweetest fruits, we create our newest pie fillings;Blueberry, loaded with sweet wild Maine blueberries and Mixed Berry,filled with strawberries, cherries, blueberries and red raspberries.

Stonewall Kitchen888.326.5678 www.stonewallkitchen.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 servings 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

Fresh new look. Same great oil. Since 1986, Boyajian, Inc., has been infusing oil with fresh herbs and spices. Today the oil is still handcrafted in small

batches and always all-natural.

Boyajian, Inc.800-965-0665 www.boyajianinc.com

Robert Rothschild Farm launched five incredible spreads—two completely new spreads that will really excite your palate and three top selling current spreads that they have reformulated and perfected.ese all natural, gluten free and kosher spreads offer incredible taste and convenience to enhance any dish.

Robert Rothschild Farm800-356-8933 www.robertrothschild.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 COMPETI-TION in Montreal & Silver in the International EVOO Competition inLA! Visit us at Atlanta’s AmericasMart July 11-19 Delectable Samplings Showcase Room, 8th Floor West Wing.

Ariston Specialties LLC860-224-7184 www.aristonoliveoil.com

What do you get when you add sprouted ingredients to a tortillachip? A Way Better Snack! Simply Sunny Multi-Grain, UnbeatableBlues, Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Sweet Chili and No Salt.* Certified Gluten Free * Non GMO * Vegan * Certified Kosher* Whole Grains * Low Sodium * No Trans Fats, Artificial Colors,Flavors, Preservatives

Way Better Snacks631-761-6950 www.gowaybetter.com

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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

Vanilla (beans, extracts, sugars and ground vanilla beans), flavors andextracts in classic and exotic flavors, herbs and spices. All natural andkosher, with a customer satisfaction rate close to 100 percent!

Bakto Flavors, LLC732-626-5677 www.baktoflavors.com

Gourmet Sea Salt Collections. Unique sampler sets of 5, 6 or 11Pyrex test tubes with natural cork stopper, each filled with an exoticsea salf from around the world. Attractively displayed in American-made,hand-craed wooded base constructed from recycled lumber. Suggested retail: $24.95 to $ 59.95.

e Spice Lab954-275-4478 sales@thespicelab.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

Sticky Finger Bakeries Scone mixes let customers experience a classic treatthat is always guaranteed to come out tasting great! Our fresh, all-naturalscone mixes enables you to treat your customers to gourmet flavors throughthe most convenient method available. And now Sticky Fingers is intro-ducing two new flavors, Strawberry and Raspberry White Chocolate.

Sticky Fingers Bakeries800-458-5826 www.stickyfingersbakeries.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

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

New from Fire Dancer — Seasoning & Rub! You love our InternationalAward Winning Nuts, now try our spices. Flavor in first bite.

Sweet Heat and great taste are the core of our secret recipe. Spice upmeats, veggies and even popcorn! All Natural & Gluten Free.

Please come visit us at Booth 5026 in D.C. Ford’s Gourmet Foods

919-833-7647 www.BoneSuckin.com

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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

#1 BBQ Sauce – 1st Place Winner Battle of Sauces & Best in Sales#1 Newsweek Magazine! A+ Health Magazine. Western North

Carolina tomato based sauce sweetened with honey & molasses. Best seller in specialty stores, health food stores, grocery stores &

restaurants. All Natural, Gluten Free & Certified Kosher.Please come visit us at Booth 5026 in D.C.

Ford’s Gourmet Foods919-833-7647 www.BoneSuckin.com

Whole Foods names regional Presidents Scott Allshouse, Omar Gaye and Rob TwymanWhole Foods Market©, the world's leading organicand natural foods supermarket, has named ScottAllshouse, Omar Gaye and Rob Twyman as Regional Presidents following the promotion ofDavid Lannon and Kenneth Meyer to Executive Vice Presidents of Operations. Allshouse fillsMeyer’s former role as President of the company’sMid-Atlantic Region. He moves from his position asPresident of the South Region.

Allshouse began his career with Whole FoodsMarket as a store Team Leader in Marlton, N.J. Helater served as Director of Operations for the Mid-Atlantic Region, then as Vice President of theSouth Region, and in 2004, he was named theSouth Region’s President.

Gaye takes the South Region President positionvacated by Allshouse, moving from his position asthe South Region’s Vice President. He started hiscareer with the company in 1992 as a Dishwasherand Sandwich Maker at a Fresh Fields (now Whole Foods Market) store in Tyson's Corner, Va.Since then, Gaye has progressed from buyer to Vice President of the Mid-Atlantic Region, then VicePresident of the South Region.

Twyman is now President of Whole Foods

Market’s Northern California Region. He fills David Lannon’s former role and moves from his positionas Vice President of the Northeast Region. Twymanbegan his career in the natural foods business in1983, working at a Bread & Circus (now WholeFoods Market) store in Wellesley, Mass., in a summer job. He joined Whole Foods Market full-time in 1993, after closing his own natural foods restaurant in San Francisco, and rose fromthe prepared foods team to store leadership, lead-ing nine different stores in four different regionsover a 12-year period.

GOURMET NEWS JULY 2012 www.gourmetnews.com

SMORGASBORDSMORGASBORD 39

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. Contribu-tors 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.

230Number of Target

stores to be remodelledto include 10,000

square feet of freshfood throughout 2012;national total will be

over 1,100.Source: Target

86% 292,048Percentage

of U.S. seafoodconsumption

that is imported

Source: National Oceanic & Atmospheric

Administration

Percentage of U.S. seafood

consumption that is imported

Source: National Oceanic & Atmospheric

Administration

HARD FACTS

CLASSIFIEDS

$19.5 billion

Estimated value for chocolate sold

at retail in the US market in 2011Source: Packaged Facts

150,000 20%Pounds of leftover

food donated to theCapital Food Bank

by exhibitors at the Summer Fancy

Food ShowSource: NASFT

Estimated no. of U.S. consumers projected to own

tablets by yearendSource: eMarketer

HARD FACTS

CLASSIFIEDS

CALENDARJuly 11-18Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings MarketAtlanta, GA, www.americasmart.com

August 1-4American Cheese Society ConferenceRaleigh, NC, www.cheesesociety.org

August 12-15Toronto Gift Show - FallToronto, www.cgta.org

August 19-22The Gourmet Housewares Show atNYIGFwww.nyigf.com

Sept. 19-22Natural Products Expo EastBaltimore, MD, www.expoeast.com

Sept. 19-21Expoalimentaria PeruPeru, www.expoalimentariaperu.com

ADVERTISER INDEXAbdallah Candies** 2 www.abdallahcandies.com 800-348-7328

Aloha Shoyu 22 www.alohashoyu.com 808-682-2820

Amella 18 www.amellacaramels.com 800-205-0080

American Vintage Wine Biscuits 22 www.americanvintage.com 718-361-1003

Arnabal International* 5 www.arnabal.com 949-861-8820

Ashman Manufacturing* 6 www.ashmanco.com 800-641-9924

Bakery on Main 20 www.bakeryonmain.com 860-895-6619

Bakto Flavors 22 www.baktoflavors.com 732-626-5677

Bear Foods* 11 www.bearfoodsinternational.com 206-281-7777

Bellindora Vinegars* 3 www.bellindora.com 209-334-5544

Bemka 8 www.houseofcaviarandfinefoods.com 954-462-0533

Boyajian* 12 www.boyajianinc.com 800-965-0685

Brands of Britain 22 www.brandsofbritain.com 800-646-6974

Carolyn Saucier* 5 www.carolynsaucier.com 510-336-9403

Conroy Foods* 5 www.conroyfoods.com 800-317-8316

CookieZen 7 www.cookiesandcorks.com 888-499-3677

Crunchies 21 www.crunchiesfood.com 888-997-1866

Fair Harvest 20 www.fairharvestfoods.com 888-543-4738

Fine Italian Food* 5 www.fineitalianfood.com 630-904-0002

Ford’s Foods 22 www.fordsfoods.com 919-833-7647

Formaggio 6 www.formaggio.com 845-436-7464

The French Farm* 10 www.thefrenchfarm.com 713-660-0577

Gourmet du Village* 9 www.gourmetduvillage.com 800-668-2314

Grapevine Trading* 7 www.grapevinetrading.com 800-469-6478

Grand-Place U.S. 16 www.grandplacechocolate.com 508-529-6044

Hammonds Candies** 3 www.hammondscandies.com 888-226-3999

Harvest Fresh Farm* 3 www.harvestfreshfarm.com 870-251-1060

Hye Quality Bakery 2 www.hyequalitybakery.com 877-445-1778

The Invisible Chef 7 www.theinvisiblechef.com 800-456-7115

Java Frost 4 www.javafrost.com 800-676-3661

Jelly Belly 3 www.jellybelly.com 800-323-9380

Kidsmania** 4 www.candynovelties.com 562-946-8802

Low Country Produce* 7 www.lowcountryproduce.com 800-935-2792

Mariah’s Chow Chow Relish* 10 www.mariahsrelish.net 203-701-0983

Marley Coffee 7, 22 www.marleycoffee.com 543-841-5783

Mediterranean Gourmet* 12 www.mediterraneangourmet.net 703-880-4236

Middleton Organic Foods* 11 www.middletonorganics.com 509-727-8221

Nunes Farms 20 www.nunesfarmswholesale.com 209-862-3033

Pacific Resources Int’l. 8 www.shoppri.com 805-684-0624

Peanut Shop of Williamsburg* 12 www.thepeanutshop.com 800-831-1828

Po Valley Foods 2 www.povalleyfoods.com 516-801-6488

Private Spring Waters 10 www.privatespringwater.com 877-664-1500

Queen Bee Gardens 17 www.queenbeegardens.com 800-225-7553

Rabbit Creek 9 www.rabbitcreekgourmet.com 800-837-3073

Robert Rothschild Farms 24 www.robertrothschildfarms.com 800-356-8933

The Rogers Collection* 4 www.therogerscollection.com 207-828-2000

San Francisco Herb 23 www.herbspicetea.com 800-227-2830

Sarabeth’s Kitchen 5 www.sarabeth.com 800-773-7378

Seattle Gourmet 22 www.seattlegourmetfoods.com 800-800-9706

Sensational Sweets 17 www.sensationalsweets.com 570-524-4361

Sierra Soup Co. 7 www.sierrasoups.com 800-397-6887

SPI Westport 20 www.alodrink.com 650-616-7777

The Spice Lab* 6 www.thespicelab.com 954-275-4478

Sticky Fingers Bakery 22 www.stickyfingersbakeries.com 800-458-5826

Stonewall Kitchen* 12 www.stonewallkitchen.com 888-326-5678

Tao of Tea 10 www.taooftea.com 503-736-0198

Tortuga Imports 8 www.tortugarumcakes.com 877-486-7884

Vanns 8 www.vannsspices.com 800-583-1693

Victorious Solutions* 4 www.VeriPeriUSA.com 888-688-4781

Viola Imports* 8 www.violaimports.com 847-690-0798

Way Better Snacks 7, 22 www.gowaybetter.com 631-761-6950

Wild Forest* 9 www.truffleoilsandmore.com 866-871-7208

Wind & Willow 9 www.windandwillow.com 888-427-3235

* Featured in Condiments supplement

** Featured in Sweets & Treats special section

ADVERTISER PAGE WEBSITE PHONE CALENDAR

PEOPLE WATCH

ADVERTISER INDEXAloha Shoyu 37 www.alohashoyu.com 808-682-2820American Vintage Wine Biscuits 37 www.americanvintage.com 718-361-1003Anne Koplik Designs 34 www.annekoplikdesigns.com 800-542-3134Antichi Sapori 6 antichisaporius@gmail.com 201-438-7100Arnabal International 37 www.arnabal.com 949-861-8820Ariston Specialties 37 www.aristonspecialties.com 860-224-7184Bakto Flavors 38 www.baktoflavors.com 732-626-5677Bay Beyond 37 www.baybeyond.net 757-787-3602Bemka 6 www.houseofcaviarandfinefoods.com 954-462-0533Boyajian 4, 37 www.boyajianinc.com 800-965-0685Brands of Britain 37 www.brandsofbritain.com 800-646-6974 Conroy Foods 38 www.conroyfoods.com 800-317-8316EU 5 40 www.legendsfromeurope.comFood for Health 35 www.powderpure.com 801-854-9399Ford’s Gourmet Foods 38 www.boneskin.com 919-833-7647Homecooked Shortcuts 33 www.homecookedshortcuts.com 866-844-7070Hye Quality Bakery 38 www.hyequalitybakery.com 877-445-1778 Jamaican Tea Co. 38 www.jamaicantea.com 876-928-5863Marley Coffee 8 www.marleycoffee.com 543-841-5783Mediterranean Gourmet 4 www.mediterraneangourmet.net 703-880-4236 Pacific Resources Int’l. 8 www.shoppri.com 805-684-0624Rabbit Creek 9 www.rabbitcreekgourmet.com 800-837-3073 Robert Rothschild Farms 37 www.robertrothschildfarms.com 800-356-8933Rubschlager 38 www.rubschlagerbaking.com 773-826-1245San Francisco Herb 38, 39 www.herbspicetea.com 800-227-2830Seattle Gourmet 37 www.seattlegourmetfoods.com 800-800-9706Sierra Soups 38 www.sierrasoups.com 800-397-6887The Spice Lab 38 www.thespicelab.com 954-275-4478Sticky Fingers Bakery 38 www.stickyfingersbakeries.com 800-458-5826 Stonewall Kitchen 2, 37 www.stonewallkitchen.com 888-326-5678Tallgrass Beef 36 www.tallgrassbeef.com 312-846-1361Viola Imports 5 www.violaimports.com 847-690-0798Wabash Valley Farms 7 www.wfarms.com 877-888-7077Way Better Snacks 37 www.gowaybetter.com 631-761-6950

Gift BasketsAroma Ridge 17 www.aromaridge.com 800-JAVA-123Bakery on Main 16 www.bakeryonmain.com 860-895-6619Busha Browne 28 www.bushabrowne.com 876-926-6449Carolyn Saucier 16 www.carolynsaucier.com 510-336-9403 CookieZen 18 www.cookiesandcorks.com 888-499-3677 Fine Italian Food 19 www.fineitalianfood.com 630-904-0002Gourmet du Village 15 www.gourmetduvillage.com 800-668-2314Hood River Cherry Co. 28 www.hoodrivercherryco.com 800-709-4722The Invisible Chef 24 www.theinvisiblechef.com 800-456-7115J&M Foods 23 www.jmfoods.com 800-284-2278Java Frost 18 www.javafrost.com 800-676-3661Papa Ben’s Kitchen 22 www.papabenskitchen.com 888-233-1072Peanut Shop of Williamsburg 20 www.thepeanutshop.com 800-831-1828Peppadew 25 www.peppadewfresh.com 908-580-9100Pepper Creek Farms 17 www.peppercreekfarms.com 580-536-1300PO Valley Foods 17 www.povalleyfoods.com 516-803-4688Private Spring Water 26 www.pswaters.com 877-664-1500Rabbit Creek 27 www.rabbitcreekgourmet.com 800-873-3073 SPI Westport 24 www.alodrink.com 650-616-7777Sierra Foods 38 www.sierrafoods.com 800-397-6887Tao of Tea 18 www.taooftea.com 503-736-0198Tortuga Imports 27 www.tortugarumcakes.com 877-486-7884Vanns 26 www.vannsspices.com 800-583-1693Walker & Sons 21 www.slapyamama.com 800-485-5217Wild Forest/Mardona 15 www.truffleoilsandmore.com 855-OILSPRAYWind & Willow 14 www.windandwillow.com 888-427-3235

Heat & ServeAmtrade/MTR Foods 31 www.amtradefood.com 212-725-0679APEX Imports-Wolfgang’s Pretzels 32 www.wolfgangspretzels.com 209-295-4664Kohinoor 32 www.kohinoorfoods.com. 732-868-4400 Purely American 30 www.purelyamerican.com 800-359-7873Start Healthy 31 www.starthealthyfoods.com 800-456-0532

ADVERTISER PAGE WEBSITE PHONE

http://www.legendsfromeurope.com