Gourmet News • June 2020

NATURALLY HEALTHY:

UPDATE:

HOT PRODUCTS:

Riverside Natural Foods

Deliciously New

Bone Suckin’ Mustard

SEE PAGE 18

SEE PAGE 21

SEE PAGE 28

GOURMET NEWS

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VOLUME 85, NUMBER 6 JUNE 2020 n $7.00

NEWS & NOTES n

Mintel and The Hatchery Chicago Form New Partnership to Support Start-ups PAGE 6

RETAILER NEWS n

2020 Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Goes Virtual PAGE 10

SUPPLIER NEWS n

Cheese in a Shelf-Stable Snack Bar PAGE 14

NATURALLY HEALTHY n

Granola Snacks for a Greater Good PAGE 18

N E W S P A P E R

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Living the Keto Life PAGE 26

News..............................................6 Ad Index .......................................30

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I N D U S T R Y

Leaning Hard into Lessons from the School of the COVID-19 Pandemic

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

This was supposed to be a year of celebration for Graeter’s Ice Cream, which is marking its 150th year in business in 2020.

“We had big plans,” said Richard Graeter, President and Chief Executive Officer of the company founded by his greatgrandfather, Louis Charles Graeter, who sold ice cream out of two carts on the streets of Cincinnati, Ohio, after handcrafting it in French pots. After he died in 1920, his widow, Regina, took over the business and carried on.

Like everyone else in the United States now, Regina’s greatgrandson finds himself and the ice cream company enmeshed in the tribulations brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and

the promise of a vaccine in 12 to 18 months, but still, they carried on,” Graeter said. “We were a comfort food then, and we’re a comfort food now. We’re still here.”

Continued on PAGE 8

Continued on PAGE 8

In addition to wholesaling its hand-crafted ice cream, still made in French pots the way Graeter’s great-grandmother Continued on PAGE 12

Experience Culinary Richness Without the Jet Lag Verve Culture offers consumers the opportunity to participate in a foreign culture with a rich culinary tradition without the necessity of a passport, the discomforts of international air travel, the disorientation of culture shock or even the danger of being trapped overseas by a pandemic. The items offered for sale in each of three collections – one for Mexico, one for Thailand and one for Morocco – aren’t just things; they’re artifacts invested with cultural values and history.

They’ll appeal to consumers looking for an experience of connection with a specific place and its people.

Verve Culture was founded by a mother and daughter duo, Jules Vertrees, the daughter, and Jacquie Lewis, who started the company four years ago after selling their previous company.

The two decided that, for their

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

next endeavor, they wanted to offer goods that were more than just commodities – they were looking for meaning and for products that would appeal to consumers who’d moved beyond conspicuous consumption. “We’re not a company that’s

—RICHARD GRAETER, GRAETER’S ICE CREAM

he’s found himself thinking about his great-grandmother, who dealt with the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. “I take a little inspiration from thinking of Spanish flu.... They never had

Cookies to Feed the Homeless and Hungry Mystery novelist Charlotte MacLeod knew that all she had to say to describe a character that she wanted her readers to love was that she looked like a woman who made good cookies and would give you some.

Angela Pepe, Owner of CurlyTop Baker, is a woman who makes good cookies and, if you just needed a cookie, she’s also a woman who would give you some.

If you can afford to buy your cookies, though, she’d rather sell them to you, especially if you’re buying for a specialty grocery store. “Twenty percent of our proceeds go back to feeding the homeless. That’s our big why,” said Mark Pepe, her husband and CurlyTop Baker’s Managing Director. “We also delivered trays of cookies to hospitals last week.

We’re always looking for ways to make an impact in our community.”

Angela and Mark Pepe found a

“We were a comfort food then, and we’re a comfort food now. We’re still here.”

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

SPECIAL FEATURE

F O R

Traditional Spirit for a Sophisticated Palate

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

For Gaston Martinez, a sip of IZO Mezcal is a form of communion with the spirits of his an-

cestors in the Mexican state of Durango, where he was born and raised. An American resident for the past 15 years, Martinez is the

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of IZO Mezcal, which imports the spirit from Durango into the U.S., where it’s distributed in southern California, southern Arizona and in Texas from Houston to San Antonio and Dallas.

“Slowly but steadily, we are reaching the bigger markets in the U.S.,” he said. “Our next target is the East Coast, but we’re putting that on hold until everything gets back to normal.”

Another next step for the company is the launch of a new line of agave spirits that will be reaching the market over the next year, including a Mezcal Añejo aged 12

months in oak barrels and targeted for release to the market in 2021. “It is actually in the barrels as we speak. The magic is happening,” he said. “We’re looking forward to tasting it after 12 months of waiting, and I think it’s going to be spectacular. We’re expecting a seductively rich, smooth and lightly smoked product.”

Mezcal has been gaining popularity in the U.S. over the past few years along with the rise in the craft cocktail movement. It’s been championed by bartenders who Continued on PAGE 17

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FROM NEWS THE & NOTES EDITOR

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

GOURMET NEWS

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FROM THE EDITOR

WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM PUBLISHER

My friends and colleagues: Here in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s hard to find a bright side, but one has found its way to me. The silver lining has been presented by the folks I talk to on the phone each day. Deprived of many of the casual conversations we’d all normally be having with passing strangers, the conversations that have been left to us are more thoughtful, more generous and more loving.

Last year, those conversations would have been all business – we’d have introduced ourselves briefly and then passed quickly to the merits of a new product under consideration. But over the past few weeks, those calls have been about offering recipes, exchanging childhood memories, trading family histories, discussing our coping strategies, confiding our fears and mourning our losses together. We are all just doing our best to help each other get through this together by telling each other our stories. Many of you now know far more about the birds I see coming to the feeder hanging from the

mesquite tree outside my patio door than it ever seemed necessary to mention before. (For those of you who may have been wondering, the roadrunner is back, and the cardinal pair is still in residence.)

We all hope desperately that this pandemic comes to an end soon, soon. But I hope that we’ll remember then the community we’ve shared as we meet once again to celebrate a victory over the virus.

And I hope that we’ll continue telling each other our truest stories. GN

Kimberly Oser SENIOR ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Jules Denton-Card jules_d@oser.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Lorrie Baumann editor@oser.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Anthony Socci anthony_s@oser.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jeanie Catron

— Lorrie Baumann Editorial Director

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NEWS & NOTES

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

News & Notes Mintel and The Hatchery Chicago Support Industry Start-Ups Mintel, experts in what consumers want and why, has partnered with food and beverage incubator The Hatchery Chicago to create Mintel Disruptor, a program dedicated to building deeper relationships with the start-up sector, and to curate and analyze innovations that can help this community.

The Hatchery Chicago, a non-profit food and beverage incubator based in Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood, is dedicated to enabling food and beverage entrepreneurs to build and grow successful businesses through three major areas of need: access to production space, financing and resources. The Hatchery Chicago’s cutting-edge kitchen facilities, robust entrepreneurship curriculum and strategic partnerships support local entrepreneurs, cultivate local job opportunities, and accelerate local

economic growth.

Through The Hatchery Chicago’s Bloom Program, which serves entrepreneurs who are building and growing emerging brands, Mintel is providing members with analysis of consumers, markets, new products and competitive landscapes through a suite of products.

In addition, members will have access to Mintel analysts to help them interpret what the research means for their specific business goals.

“We are very excited to partner with The Hatchery Chicago to enable our analysts and Chicago’s food and drink entrepreneurs to work together and learn from one another,” said Jon Butcher, Chief Executive Officer of Mintel Americas. “Mintel joins The Hatchery in its commitment to Chicago’s food and drink startup community, ensuring its mem-

bers have the consumer and market data and expertise they need in order to make better decisions faster, become successful, and see their businesses grow.”

Through Mintel Disruptor, participating start-ups will have access to Mintel’s data and analysis as they develop new products and services. At the same time, Mintel analysts will have a direct line to the innovations that are disrupting the industries and markets Mintel covers.

This partnership will help The Hatchery support start-ups with the tools they need to launch and grow their businesses. “Our partnership with Mintel will enable our entrepreneurs to advance and accelerate their growth by making strategic, data-informed decisions that will set them up for success,” said Natalie Shmuik, Chief Executive Officer of The Hatchery Chicago. GN

Guittard’s Make it Sweet Program Gives Back to Community Guittard’s new Make it Sweet Program is providing resources and donations to help give back to the community that has provided them so much support over the company’s 150+ year history, and to support hospitality industry professionals, local communities, and cocoa farmers who are struggling in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

The program includes a donation component—Guittard has donated chocolate bars to front-line workers at local hospitals and to meal programs operating around its northern California base of operations, committed a portion of the sales

of its baking kit to support No Kid Hungry, and joined forces with the World Cocoa Foundation to provide relief to cocoa farmers in countries hit heavily by the virus. Additionally, Guittard has rolled out a generous workplace giving program, and will be matching every dollar donated by employees to organizations such as No Kid Hungry, the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco, SF Marin Food Bank, SF New Deal, and Frontline Foods.

Make it Sweet is also providing resources to help guide the community in ways they can take action and help support those

businesses and individuals most affected by the pandemic. These resources include detailed guides on how to support restaurants, bakeries, confectioneries and other small businesses in the hospitality industry as well as ways to support organizations providing food security such as No Kid Hungry, World Central Kitchen, and others. Tips and suggestions on how to support front-line workers such as nurses, doctors, hospital staff, and more are also included in the program, as are ideas for ways to take action and support cocoa industry farmers in countries hard-hit by the pandemic. GN

Family Bakery Rises to the Occasion Toufayan Bakeries, one of the oldest family run bakeries in the US, is supporting their employees and communities during this challenging time. While Toufayan Bakeries is well-known for its pita bread and baked goods, the family-run company also focuses on corporate social responsibility in its daily operations. Headquartered in Ridgefield, New Jersey, with additional factories in Florida, Toufayan Bakeries is helping out in various ways — from increasing wages of front-line workers to donating to food banks and hospitals across the country.

The Toufayan family continues to come to work each day to fill in for em-

ployees not able to come to work to perform what is truly an essential business, making sure American families can put bread on their tables. With a bakery in New Jersey just two miles from New York City, and two bakeries in Florida, the Toufayans take pride in helping dedicated employees to bake and ship the bread but also by increasing everyone’s pay.

In addition to enhanced pay for front line employees, the Toufayans are making meaningful donations to the organizations doing the hard work of supporting families hit hardest. Hundreds of cases of product have been sent in the last few

weeks to food banks and hospitals in New York, Massachusetts and Paterson, New Jersey. Toufayan is also donating to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and nourish.NJ with a $200,000 donation to support their increasingly difficult task of feeding families in need during this time.

“For generations the Toufayan family has prided itself on giving back,” said Karen Toufayan, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Toufayan. “The communities where we operate are like our extended families, and it’s never been more important to support them than during these uncertain times.” GN

BRIEFS Jeff Kent Named VP Sales at Maytag Dairy Farms Maytag Dairy Farms has hired Jeff Kent for the newly created role of Vice President of Sales.

Kent joins the Maytag Dairy Farms team with a career-long experience in sales and the dairy industry. Most recently, he served as the senior vice president of cheese and butter at Foremost Farms, a Wisconsin-based milk products company.

Atkinson Candy Co. Achieves SQF Certification Atkinson Candy Company, known for handcrafted classic candies, has achieved certification under the prestigious Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program in its Lufkin, Texas, facility.

SQF certification assures the most rigorous food safety and quality standards for manufacturing facilities.

Manuel Martinez Joins Del Real Foods As CFO Del Real Foods, a Hispanic refrigerated foods company, has named Manuel Martinez as its new Chief Financial Officer. Del Real is owned by a private fund affiliated with Palladium Equity Partners, LLC in partnership with the Cardenas family, the company’s founders. Martinez most recently served as CFO of Nellson Nutraceutical.

Cornershop Makes U.S. Debut with Launch in Miami and Dallas Cornershop announced its United States debut in May, with Miami, Florida, and Dallas, Texas, as the launch cities. An established player in grocery delivery, backed by investors Uber and Accel, Cornershop is an online and app-based platform that allows consumers to browse and buy products from local supermarkets, independent grocers and specialty stores for on-demand and scheduled delivery.

Founded in Chile in 2015, the company has seen exponential growth and currently operates as one of the largest grocery delivery services in Latin America, with service available in Mexico, Peru, Colombia and Brazil. Miami and Dallas join the company’s North American portfolio, alongside Canada.

Weis Markets Reports First Quarter Results Weis Markets, Inc. has reported that its sales increased 12.4 percent to $985.8 million during the 13-week period ended March 28, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, while first quarter comparable store sales increased 12.8 percent. The company’s first quarter net income increased 86.6 percent to $26.7 million, compared to $14.3 million in 2019, while earnings per share totaled $0.99, compared to $0.53 per share for the same period in 2019.

The company’s results were impacted by the onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID19) and the subsequent business and school closures and stay-at-home orders in its markets beginning in the second week of March. This resulted in a significant surge in customer count and sales. Its January and February sales were impacted by a mild winter compared to 2019.

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NEWS & NOTES

Culinary Richness Continued from PAGE 1 about products. We’re a company that’s about culture,” Vertrees said. “We’re catering to the environmentally and socially conscious buyer as well as the buyer that doesn’t want to buy mass-produced.”

Verve Culture launched its first collection of items from Mexico in 2017. The star of the collection is a citrus press that’s modeled on a device that Vertrees and her mother saw in markets when they visited the country a few years ago. “You see the citrus juicers in markets all over Mexico,” Vertrees said. “I was thirsty. I ordered an orange juice, and the guy was squeezing the oranges on this amazing contraption.”

Vertrees and Lewis found a Mexican source for the juicers they’d seen in the markets and worked with the maker on a design that was slightly smaller, painted in a beautiful gold color and finely polished into a juicer that American consumers would be proud to display on their counter tops. They worked with other artisans to

Feed the Homeless Continued from PAGE 1 commercial kitchen and launched their cookie business three years ago as a for-profit way to fund Angela’s charity project of feeding the homeless.

“As word spread on how good a product she had, she wanted to expand feeding the homeless,” Mark said.

“We’re working with specialty grocers and resorts in Las Vegas to develop our wholesale business.”

CurlyTop Baker cookies are made with premium ingredients like pure vanilla, real butter, cage-

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

design packaging that would tell the story of the device. “It’s made of recycled aluminum and is a slice of the culture that you can have on your countertop at home,” Vertrees said.

“And they’re beautiful.”

The juicer is now Verve Culture’s best seller from a collection that also includes a pair of tortilla presses, hand-blown glassware and a molcajete, the traditional mortar and pestle used by Mexican cooks to grind spices and herbs. The Verve Culture Molcajete is made of rough-textured volcanic stone that will pick up flavors over time. Like a cast iron pan, a molcajete needs to be seasoned, and Verve Culture recommends that the home cook do that by grinding white rice in the bowl a few times until the powdered rice remains white. Once that happens, the Molcajete is ready to grind seasonings, smash avocados for guacamole or pulverize vegetables for a salsa. “Everything in the Mexican range, including the packaging, is made in Mexico,” Vertrees said. “We could definitely make a beautiful, traditional Mexican tortilla press a lot cheaper in China or Turkey, but then it’s not authentic.... Consumers today are really looking for authenticity, not one of 20,000 off the production line. There is a desire for experiential purchasing. That is the reason we started Verve Culture.”

The Mexico collection also includes a line of the traditional products for making Mexican hot chocolate, including the traditional Molinillo Whisk, as well as the Villa Real Mexican Hot Chocolate mix. The hot chocolate items are sold individually and packaged as a gift set that contains the Molinillo Whisk, a

Red Clay Hot Chocolate Jug and a bag of five tablets of Villa Real Mexican Hot Chocolate with Almonds. The gift set retails for $80, and both the whisk and the jug should be hand-washed only.

The second collection to be added to the Verve Culture range comes from Thailand and, in addition to a line of chef’s knives made in Thailand in authentic blade shapes, it includes Thai for Two meal kits for Thai curries that provide the home cook who’s curious about Thai cuisine with all the hard-to-find ingredients needed to make either an Organic Red Curry, Organic Green Curry, Organic Panang Curry Organic Tom Kha Soup or Organic Pad Thai.

Each of the meal kits, which are packaged in giftable fabric pouches, takes just a few steps and a few minutes to produce an organic and glute-free meal. The kits themselves are vegan – consumers add their own fresh vegetables and protein to make it their own. Everything that’s not easy to find in a standard supermarket, including the authentic curry paste, is packaged in the kit. “We give lots of recommendations,” Vertrees said. “Panang Curry is fabulous over chicken – or you can just add whatever protein you have in the fridge or freezer.”

“Our background is very much in the gift industry, which is why our bags are so giftable,” Vertrees said. “The kits are also consumable. Consumers fall in love, and they come back and buy more and more

a soft footrest.

The collection also includes ceramic bowls and cups as well as the tagines, which are the Moroccan slow-cooking vessel with a conical top that contains steamy juices until the lid is lifted at the table when the meal is served, as well as personal care products, including Argan Oil, which is rich in Vitamin E and CoQ10, which have antioxidant properties. “It is the Moroccan women’s beauty secret for sure,” Vertrees said. “We’re packaging these in beautiful artisan bottles, and there’s a lip balm to go with that.”

For more information, visit www.verveculture.com or email Vertrees at jules@verveculture.com. GN

free eggs and are offered in unique flavors that include Bacon Chocolate Chip, Campfire Cookie (a cookie take on a s’more); Potato Chipper and Raspberry Black and White. “We feel that we don’t want to compromise on quality,” Mark said. “Our signature cookie is our Chocolate Chunk Original. We are very generous with our cookies. You can tell what kind of cookie it is just by looking at it.”

In its three years in business, CurlyTop has expanded its market reach beyond the Las Vegas Valley and extended its

wholesale flavor line to 12 varieties, with additional seasonal flavors always in development. While Angela continues to handle the baking end of the business, her husband is now doing CurlyTop Baker’s sales. “We’re talking to grocery stores all over the country. We ship nationwide,” Mark said. “Some will bake them off in their stores, and some will ask for them prepackaged – it depends on the stores... A majority of them are selling them as Curly-

Top Baker, but we are open to private label.” The cookies retail for $22 to $24 a dozen.

When Angela isn’t busy making cookies in her commercial kitchen for sale to CurlyTop’s wholesale customers, you’re still likely to find her out handing out 300 to 400 cookies a week in Las Vegas’ parks and homeless shelters. “Our goal is really love and joy and a smile on everyone’s face,” Mark said.

“They know we come every Wednesday, and they know why we’re there.”

For more information about CurlyTop Baker, visit www.curlytopbaker.com or email info@curlytopbaker.com. GN

and more. People will try the Thai Green Curry, and they’ll love it and come back and buy two more.”

The newest Verve Culture collection represents Morocco. “This is a very exciting range for us,” Vertrees said. “It’s the biggest one.”

The product range represents Morocco’s diverse cultures in a country that spans vast deserts as well as seaside ports of call and French influences as well as Arabic traditions. “We are doing tagines, couscous platters, a phenomenal range of blown glassware,” Vertrees said.

The collection includes Moroccan poufs made of either vintage Kilim rugs or leather. The Moroccan pouf is traditionally stuffed with out-of-season clothing to make

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RETAILER NEWS

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

Retailer News 2020 Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Goes Virtual Barbecue is going virtual, as Washington, D.C. regional grocery chain Giant Food hosts the 28th annual Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle virtually with free activities throughout the month of June. A proactive decision made by organizers to ensure the health and safety of participants, staff, suppliers, vendors and event beneficiaries, the new format creates a social engagement opportunity with interactive programming, cooking contests, cooking demonstrations, recipes, entertainment and more. The virtual event will benefit the USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore and the Capital Area Food Bank.

“The annual Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle is a tradition that we look forward to every year, with over 100,000 visitors gathering together to celebrate food, fun and summer while raising money and awareness for USO-Metro and the Capital Area Food Bank,” said Ira Kress, Interim President at Giant Food. “With the change in what this new normal looks like, our team was committed to finding a way to maintain all that while creating a truly unique virtual experience we can all take part in safely from home.”

“D.C. always looks forward to Giant’s Barbecue Battle for barbecue and fun. I am grateful that this year Giant is refusing to give into COVID-19, but instead promises

an unprecedented monthlong virtual BBQ Battle experience,” said Washington, D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.

“The BBQ Battle’s mission is ready-made to help residents face the pandemic confronting our region, and we are especially grateful for the sponsorship of the Capital Area Food Bank & USO-Metro.”

Throughout the month of June, the event will include Taste of Giant Cooking demonstrations and recipes, for which top barbecue chefs from across the country will be sharing their favorite recipes for the ultimate at-home barbecue feast. Contests such as the Perdue Sizzlin’ Chicken Contest, Smokin’ with Smithfield, Turkey Smoke, America’s Best Beef Contest, Best BBQ Sauce Jr. Chef Competition, Military Chef Cookoff with members of USO-Metro, and more will also be offered. Contests are open to the public and will feature prizes, shopping sprees and more. Virtual attendees are invited to submit their recipes for the contests with winners to be selected by votes from home.

Top barbecue pitmasters will be offering barbecue tips. Those scheduled to appear include barbecue legends Myron Mixon, Tuffy Stone and Moe Cason. For music fans, Giant’s Ultimate BBQ Battle of the Bands will feature a variety of artists performing across two stages. Bands will be competing with recent and favorite Giant

Barbecue Battle rock, reggae, jazz, blues and rhythm and blues performances.

The Giant Kids Zone will feature activities, contests and summer music for the whole family and legends of the Washington Wizards, Capitals and Mystics will be in the Monumental Sports Zone. The Giant Corks to Caps experience will feature tips and information for wine and beer enthusiasts such as wine pairing techniques and the differences between some of the most popular beer varieties.

Participants will be given the opportunity to donate $5 to USO-Metro and receive a digital form online that can be redeemed at any Giant location for a Giant Barbecue Battle Summer Fun Coupon Book. More details can be found at www.bbqindc.com.

“The need to support our military community members right now is greater than ever,” said Elaine Rogers, President and Chief Executive Officer of USO-Metro. “The annual BBQ Battle has always been a successful event in raising funds for our military families, and we are grateful to our partners for the continued support this year through the virtual event to continue to do so.”

The Giant National Capital Barbecue Battle Virtual Experience is free to all. To learn more about the activities and to check out the schedule of events, visit www.bbqindc.com. GN

Industry Collaboration Offers Supply Chain Platform FMI—The Food Industry Association and The Seam, a provider of commodities trading and agriculture software solutions, have launched Food Industry Exchange sponsored by FMI and powered by The Seam.

The sustainable marketplace was created to immediately address the urgent needs of retailers and wholesalers by showcasing products and services available in a digital space and on an ongoing basis.

The primary purpose of the platform is to bring vast efficiencies to the food supply chain, while also serving as a critical tool in times of need. Retailers requiring additional resources to fulfill needs at grocery stores, are connected with sellers that have capacity of products, transportation services, labor, and warehousing services.

Not only specific to the COVID-19 pandemic, the platform also fills long-term needs of FMI retailers/wholesalers for product discovery and procurement now, in future times of disruption and in good, blue-sky days.

“The tool ensures the food supply chain

remains safe and efficient,” said Mark W. Baum, Chief Collaboration Officer and Senior Vice President, Industry Relations at FMI. “The new effort will make the process of connecting FMI and related product suppliers with capacity, and FMI member companies in need of assistance, quick and more precise through a digitized system.

This allows us to assist our FMI food retailers and wholesalers fulfill needs at grocery stores, which are experiencing skyrocketing demand, and at the same time, assist our product supplier members in creating new relationships and providing their needs.”

The Food Industry Exchange allows sellers to display availability of products (such as fresh meat, masks, labor services, transportation services and traditional foodservice products) available during this pandemic crisis, while taking advantage of the ability to support any disruptions in the supply chain for retailers and provide alternative solutions (including categories such as frozen foods, cereal and beverages).

The new buyer-seller platform connects suppliers/wholesalers with retailers, and vice versa, with a secure, verified and subscriptionbased platform. Added assurance will be provided through online credential display, such as PACA licensing, certifications and more.

“As the current world pandemic increases the demand to provide access to suppliers who have capacity for products and services, retailers/wholesalers are challenged with keeping store shelves stocked with essential consumer goods,” said Mark Pryor, Chief Executive Officer at The Seam.

“Technology drives efficiencies and fuels markets and connecting suppliers with buyers is what we do best at The Seam. We are honored to collaborate with FMI to develop this real-time exchange that will digitize and interconnect a geographically dispersed supply chain.”

To learn more, visit www.foodindustry exchange.com. Those interested in becoming an affiliate sponsor, contact sponsors@foodindustryexchange.com. GN

BRIEFS Kroger Launches Expanded Dairy Rescue Program During COVID-19 The Kroger Family of Companies expanded its Dairy Rescue Program, designed to support children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic through the summer months. In partnership with its dairy cooperative suppliers and farmers across the Midwest and South, Kroger will be processing and donating about 200,000 gallons of additional milk to Feeding America® food banks and community organizations through the end of August, uplifting its Zero Hunger | Zero Waste initiative.

Harris Teeter Announces COVID-19 Relief Efforts Exceeding $600,000 Harris Teeter will donate more than 640,000 pounds of much needed nutritious protein and produce to help feed community members in need amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With support from its vendor partners, nearly 20 truckloads carrying more than 534,000 meals were distributed to local food banks in its operating areas. The company is also conducting a Round Up campaign to support its food bank partners during this critical time.

Harris Teeter and protein suppliers Sanderson Farms and Tyson, as well as produce suppliers Sol Melons, Ayco Farms, Inc, NY Apple, Washington Fruit & Produce Co., Seald Sweet International, Pacific Trellis Fruit, LLC and California Giant Berry Farms joined forces to support various food banks in its operating areas to provide hunger relief to families, including children, seniors and veterans facing food insecurity within its communities.

For every truckload donated by its suppliers, Harris Teeter purchased a truckload for donation and distributed the meals among Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina in Charlotte, North Carolina; Manna Food Bank in Asheville, North Carolina; Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina in Raleigh, North Carolina; Lowcountry Food Bank in Charleston, South Carolina; Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia in Virginia Beach and Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C.

United Fresh Releases Spring 2020 Fresh Insights for Foodservice The spring 2020 issue of United Fresh’s Fresh Insights for Foodservice is now available.

Special focus has been given to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the foodservice sector which was crippled overnight at the start of the spring season. Sponsored by Produce Alliance, this quarterly report highlights on-trend foodservice applications for fresh produce in restaurants, at retail, in meal kits and more.

The report is free for both United Fresh members and non-members and can be downloaded at https://info.unitedfresh.org /fresh-insights-for-foodservice-spring-2020.

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RETAILER NEWS

Leaning Hard Continued from PAGE 1 insisted it be done even after automated equipment for making ice cream came onto the market, Graeter’s operates 55 Graeter’s Ice Cream retail shops in nine cities across five states. Although a few of them closed during the pandemic, the rest stayed open as essential businesses, although they limited business to carry-out, curbside delivery and drive-through sales.

At the time the pandemic hit, Graeter’s had been working on an app that allowed customers to order ice cream for home delivery, and it was far enough along to allow the company to go live with the service when the pandemic suddenly made it necessary. At the same time, Graeter’s added curbside delivery, which hadn’t been part of the plans. “It was kind of dumb luck that that was ready to go live and allow us to continue serving our customers under those restrictions,” Graeter said.

For walk-up customers, the stores observed social distancing guidelines by limiting the number of people allowed inside at one time, and customers continued to come, although in much smaller numbers than the stores usually see. Some customers who were staying home shopped for their ice cream instead, and Graeter’s’ mail-order business, always important to the company’s bottom line, picked up significantly, according to George Denman, Graeter’s Vice President of Sales. “That business is exploding,” he said. “That’s helping to offset some of the losses from the stores – not all, but some.”

As part of his portfolio as Graeter’s’ Chief of National Sales, Denman oversees the company’s direct-to-store deliveries for the greater Cincinnati area, home base for both Graeter’s and The Kroger Company.

Graeter’s employs two truck drivers, three managers and two part-time staff as well as a supervisor and four full-time merchandisers who stock 120 grocers’ freezer cases with Graeter’s Ice Cream. “These guys have years and years of experience,” Denman said. “They were here during the Recession, when everybody was struggling. No one’s seen anything like what we’ve been seeing.”

He and Graeter take pride in making sure that shoppers in those stores may see empty shelves on some aisles of their neighborhood markets, and that may have made them panic about what they’re going to feed their families through this crisis, but they’ve still been able to find their hometown ice cream in its usual place. To

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To help keep the merchandisers in the stores safe, Graeter’s has supplied each of them with kits containing hand sanitizer and face masks. Denman has even pitched in to help with some of the physical labor that’s involved. “It is hard work. I sit behind a desk most of the time, and when I

ensure that employees are safe by doing pre-shift temperature checks, practicing social distancing, providing personal protective equipment and practicing effective communication, Singleton said. “We’re doing everything we can think of to do to keep our team members in the plant and

“We had a plan for everything under the sun, ... even a pandemic plan. It was the last one we thought we would ever use.”

—MARK SINGLETON, RUDOLPH FOODS

come home from eight or 10 hours, I’m exhausted,” he said. “Every day you’re wiped out. But if they’re putting their lives at risk, so am I.”

Like Graeter, Mark Singleton sees himself in the comfort food business. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Rudolph Foods, his day-to-day business life is, even now, all about pork rinds, but it’s a far cry from campaigning in favor of National Pork Rind Appreciation Day, an effort he takes seriously in less perilous times. “We had a plan for everything under the sun,” he said. “Tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and even a pandemic plan. It was the last one we thought we would never use.”

With a good portion of its fan base resident in hurricane country, Rudolph Foods, the maker of Southern Recipe Small Batch pork rinds and the largest pork rinds manufacturer in the U.S., is very experienced in working through the logistics of helping its grocery partners keep their shelves stocked through disasters. “It’s not a calling. It just happens to be what we’ve done since 1955,” Singleton said.

The big difference between this emergency and a natural disaster like a hurricane is that the effects of a hurricane have a limited geographical impact, Singleton said. “Usually we can divert product from the Midwest or Texas to the Gulf Coast,” he said. “This was like Katrina everywhere.”

The team at Rudolph Foods started thinking in February about the possibility that COVID-19 might have an impact on the U.S. and would need to mount a response of some kind, according to Singleton. “We were very concerned about this from a very early date. You just saw everything that was happening in China, and then you saw —GEORGE DENMAN, GRAETER’S ICE CREAM the beginnings of it happening in Italy,” he said. “I realdo that, Graeter’s told its direct-to-store ized that no one was going to Expo West, team that there was no limit to the overwhich is a very important show for us.... time they could work when it was necesThat’s when we started saying, ‘How are sary to make sure that its stores were we going to keep our people safe? How do stocked. “Providing a little comfort at this we keep our customers and communities anxious time is what our mission is,” fed?’”

Graeter said. “It used to be celebrating all Rudolph Foods is adapting to the new the fun in life, and now it’s more turned to reality by taking a number of measures to comforting you through the scary times.”

“No one’s seen anything like what we’ve been seeing.”

let them know that they’re heroes too,” he said. “Keeping America fed is important.

It’s part of our whole core mission – feeding our communities.”

With ball parks and company break rooms deserted due to the pandemic, Americans had stopped buying pork rinds from vending machines across the country, so Rudolph Foods had plenty of pork rinds to contribute to relief efforts and started reaching out to food banks. “We saw food lines growing at food banks, that there were hungry people that needed help,” he said. “We have truckloads of pork rinds. Luckily, we could find great

cent cheese. The company is launching a line of snack mixes combining ParmCrisps with other snack ingredients this year and hadn’t counted on the complications of a global pandemic. “We’ve been talking a lot about supply and demand and the shock that was incurred on both sides,” he said. “There has been anxiety that we’ve seen second-hand from shoppers and consumers, and there’s been anxiety that I’ve seen first-hand in my own company.... All of this first-hand uncertainty is looking for better and stronger leadership.”

For Joseph, leadership in this situation has three main components: addressing the immediate problems, looking for opportunities and communicating effectively. ParmCrisps’ first priority has been to address the immediate problem by mitigating fear and panic, both with respect to ensuring the physical safety of employees and by addressing what Joseph calls the “social pandemic, which is the shortterm uncertainty surrounding one’s job, managing your focus, and having to adjust to a new normal.”

“Beyond that, it’s necessary to find the practical means of mitigating the pandemic’s effects on the company,” he said.

That might include asking the sales team to exercise its ingenuity to find new ways to drive revenue or aligning employees with initiatives that may have suffered from benign neglect while business was brisker.

“There’s been anxiety that I’ve seen first-hand in my own company. All of this first-hand uncertainty is looking for better and stronger leadership.”

—KEVIN JOSEPH, PARMCRISPS

partners like MusiCares and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee to put them into the hands of people who need them.”

In the days since the country shut down its economy to keep people at home, time has begun to blur a little bit for Singleton, but he knows one thing for sure – he’s going to learn from this pandemic and be ready in case there’s a next one, just as he’s prepared for the next hurricane, and he’s positive that he can say the same of his grocery partners.

“None of us really knows how the next two weeks will actually play out, much less the next two months. With all hands on deck, all hands communicating, all hands cooperating, we will get through this crisis as we have others in our 65-year history,” he added. “I’ve never watched our team work better. I’ve never seen more innovation, more leadership, at every level. I’m just seeing that again and again daily with our retail partners, too.”

Leadership is on Kevin Joseph’s mind these days too. He’s the Chief Marketing Officer for ParmCrisps, which makes artisan-crafted cheese crisps out of 100 per-

It also means looking for opportunities presented by the pandemic for doing some good in the world, Joseph said. “Where can we donate and do something helpful to others? Where can our company participate in a mission-focused opportunity?” are questions that ought to be addressed in the face of the challenge presented by the pandemic, Joseph said. ParmCrisps has begun to answer those questions with donations of products to health care workers in three hospitals suggested by the company’s field representatives. Those hospitals are in Dallas, Texas, in New Jersey and in New York. “We’re a New Jersey/New York-based company, so we wanted to support some that are local,” Joseph said. “There are more to come.”

ParmCrisps will continue to use some of the lessons taught by the pandemic even after it’s just a bad memory, according to Joseph. “It shouldn’t take a pandemic to make these positive adjustments.

We could have looked at some of these mission events or some of these practical opportunities sooner because they have helped us optimize our business,” he said.

“Some of the opportunities we’ve found can be addressed more often.” GN

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SUPPLIER NEWS

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Supplier News Cheese in a Shelf-Stable Snack Bar

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Just the Cheese is a shelf-stable cheese snack bar that’s convenient, crunchy and keto. “It’s a bar that can go in purse or bag or glove box,” said David Scharfman, Owner and General Manager of Just the Cheese. “A lot of people like cheese, and they want it healthy and convenient.”

Just the cheese originated from Scharfman’s childhood love of grilled cheese sandwiches, particularly the cheese that melted and then ran out onto the pan to cook into a crisp. The 10-year-old asked his dad, who’d bought Heim Cheese in 1991, if the company could make “cheese just like this – just the crunchy stuff,” Scharfman said.

His father agreed to try and developed a cheese that could be baked into a crunchy snack that was marketed to followers of the Atkins diet, which was popular at the time.

“Back in the 90s, the cheese didn’t taste very good,” Scharfman said. “When the Atkins diet went away, so did the product.”

Scharfman grew up and moved away from Wisconsin, and in 2017, he and his wife were living in Connecticut when they

noticed cheese crisps in the deli set at the market in which they were shopping.

Scharfman remembered the crunchy cheese he’d enjoyed as a boy, and he wondered if his father’s company, now known as the Specialty Cheese Company, could improve on its past experience with the snack product that had appealed to followers of the Atkins Diet. “We set about working with cheesemakers to improve the product we’d been making in the past,” he said. “The credit goes to the cheesemakers for actually making the cheese taste good.”

With a new recipe for their cheese snack, the company started designing new logos and packaging and launched Just the Cheese on Amazon in 2017. “My wife had the insight that it would be great with keto,” Scharfman said. “This was before keto was the diet of the time.” When the product took off on Amazon, the Scharfmans quit their jobs, packed their household and

moved back to Wisconsin. “We launched, and it just exploded in popularity,” he said.

“You don’t have to convince consumers that cheese will taste good.... There were other cheese snacks available, and none of them blew up like we did....

The underlying simplicity is what makes it so good, and what makes it successful.”

Just the Cheese is packaged with two bars in a package similar to the packaging for other snack bars.

Packed in a 12-unit case, each package usually retails for $1.99. There are four flavors: best-seller Aged Cheddar, which is made with cheddar cheese aged for four years; Grilled Cheese; Jalapeño and Mild Cheddar. “We picked the cheese that tasted the best,” Scharfman said. “Using a 4-year cheddar is not the cheapest way to do this, but that’s what tasted the best.”

For more information, visit www .justthecheese.com. GN

Craft Wines Go to the Beach

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Round Barn Winery, a unit of Moersch Hospitality Group, is riding a wave of enthusiasm for single-serve alcoholic beverages with new products that are innovations of traditional sangria recipes and packaged in sleek 12-ounce cans.

“Everybody and their brother are buying hard seltzers,” said Matt Moersch, Chief Executive Officer and Partner at Moersch Hospitality Group, which operates Round Barn as well as Free Run Cellars and Talbot Hill Winery & Restaurant in southwestern Michigan. “We saw what that market share was doing in wholesale, and we wanted to be a leader, offering our proven fan-favorite craft products to consumers.”

Round Barn Winery was founded in 1992 by Moersch’s father and mother, Rick and Sherrie Moersch. “She was the enabler,” Moersch said. “She was a schoolteacher who worked on the weekends in the tasting room to get Dad’s dream going.”

Rick started his career at Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant and brought his career fullcircle with the family’s acquisition of Tabor Hill in 2017. Round Barn Winery is the company’s main estate, while Free Run Cellars is the boutique wine label, and all three labels have won numerous awards over the years.

Round Barn’s new Raspberry Lemonade is the newest flavor in its Flavor Trip Series that already includes Red Sangria, Peach Bellini, Crantini and Cherry Spritzer. They all contain alcohol volumes that are less than 7 percent and the cans in which

they’re packaged are lined with a BPA-free liner that’s resistant to the wine’s acid, so the beverage doesn’t develop a metallic flavor, according to Moersch. Round Barn has already been offering these products for sale by the glass or in growlers at its hospitality venues, but with the single-serve cans in which they’re now offered, they’re designed to appeal to consumers who want a craft beverage they can enjoy with a casual meal at home or take with them in a backpack or a beach bag.

The Raspberry Lemonade is based on Round Barn’s Gewurztraminer to complement the fruitiness of local raspberries.

“That’s already very floral and very pretty in itself,” Moersch said. “Then we’re adding natural juices and concentrates. Nothing’s synthetic.”

Others in the line include Red Sangria; Peach Bellini, which is made with Gewurztraminer, Riesling and natural peach flavor.

Crantini is made with Gewurztraminer and cranberry, while Cherry Spritzer is made with Riesling and Michigan’s Balaton cherries. Balaton is a sweet-tart cherry that originated in Hungary and was imported into Michigan in the early 2000s in a state-sponsored effort to provide Michigan farmers with a sweeter option to the tart cherries for which Michigan is famous. “The Riesling that’s used in the Cherry Spritzer has a

lighter nose, so the cherries can just shine through,” Moersch said. “That’s why we blended that with the natural cherry flavoring instead of using the Gewurztraminer.”

The Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development provided a grant for the development of Round Barn’s canning line as a way to promote Michigan’s agricultural products.

“We were already interested in cans because it’s more environmentally sustainable,” Moersch said. “We really just developed some awesome products and then learned a lot about canning.”

Once Moersch had figured out canning, the company developed a label and started presenting the new products to regional grocers, who were eager to put it on their shelves. “Our customers for years had been begging us to package our Sangria,” Moersch said. “We wanted to get something unique and different that customers could take to the beach.”

All of these products are packaged in 12ounce sleek cans delivered to retailers in cases of 12 and generally sold as single cans for about $4 to $4.99 each. Distribution is currently offered in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan, although Round Barn has the capacity to expand its market reach as consumer demand increases. For more information, visit www.roundbarn.com. GN

BRIEFS Specialty Foods Bring Taste, Nutrition to Those in Need Food products submitted for judging for the Specialty Food Association’s 2020 sofi Awards were donated to feed local residents in the Bridgeton, New Jersey, area. Those products had been arriving at the Food Innovation Center at Rutgers University, where this year’s judging was to have occurred, but due to the pandemic, the judging has been delayed, leaving a large assortment of perishable delicacies needing a home.

The Food Innovation Center and Specialty Food Association collaborated with Gateway Community Action Partnership, a local non-profit, which received the donated specialty foods that included breads and tortillas, coffees and teas, a wide variety of cheeses, dips, yogurt, honey, soups, snacks, chocolates, and specialty candies.

Sonoma Brands Acquires KRAVE Sonoma Brands, an emerging brands private equity investor and incubator led by Sonomabased Jon Sebastiani, who is also the founder and creative force behind the acclaimed artisanal jerky brand KRAVE, has completed the acquisition of KRAVE from The Hershey Company for an undisclosed amount.

Gayo Azul Updates Blue Rooster Look Gayo Azul ®, the FrieslandCampina brand of Hispanic cheese with a Dutch influence, has updated its Blue Rooster logo on newly redesigned packaging. With intent to grow both its fan base and distribution, Gayo Azul has a new bi-lingual website, www.gayoazul .com, and an exciting vibrant new look featuring a redesigned Blue Rooster logo.

KeHE Reduces Food Waste KeHE has entered into a multi-year partnership agreement with Spoiler Alert.

Spoiler Alert is a venture-backed, technology company, helping the grocery supply chain manage unsold inventory more effectively. The Boston-based company increases its partners’ performance through sales management and analytical tools, along with a scalable, proprietary business-to-business trading platform.

KeHE and Spoiler Alert have created a mutually beneficial partnership that will support KeHE’s U.S. distribution centers with inventory management, waste prevention and sustainability.

The Meatless Farm Co Brings Plant-Based Innovations to Breakfast The Meatless Farm Co has launched meat free breakfast sausage links and patties. The brand is currently the fastest growing alternative meat brand in the United Kingdom, and entered into the U.S. market in 2019.

The debut of these new meat free breakfast sausages and meat free sausage patties solidifies The Meatless Farm Co’s position as a leading innovator in plant-based proteins with the first-to-market fresh refrigerated breakfast options. Both sausage varieties are soy-free, gluten-free, a great source of fiber and packed with protein.

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Bacon Made Spreadable

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Mike Oraschewsky wants you to notice the order of the words on the label of his TBJ Gourmet Bacon Jam – it’s bacon that’s been made into a jam, not a jam that’s had some bacon or bacon flavoring added into it to make it taste a little bacony. “Bacon is the main ingredient. It’s a meat spread as opposed to a jam,” Oraschewsky said. “Bacon Jam is bacon, caramelized onions, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and a lot of stirring.”

He’s the Chief Executive Officer of TBJ Gourmet, a company he built around a single product developed by Bruce Kramer, originally a hobby cook and home brewer and now Oraschewsky’s Partner and Chief Operating Officer of TBJ Gourmet, the company the two of them started together after the popularity of Bacon Jam exploded Oraschewsky’s career as a restaurateur and Kramer’s as a software developer.

Bacon Jam started off as Kramer’s homebrewed version of a product he’d been tasting as a burger topping in his local gastropubs and decided to make for himself to incorporate into the bacon-stuffed jalapeño peppers he was planning to serve to fellow fans of the Philadelphia Eagles at a tailgating party. The friends who tasted it there told Kramer he’d be an idiot not to put that bacon jam in jars and sell it. At that time, he wasn’t planning

to abandon his software career and go into the food business, but he listened to their advice and pitched the idea to Mike Oraschewsky. “He knew that I had a restaurant and a place that we could make it,” Oraschewsky said. “I worked on the food safety element of it, developed the HACCP plan that would make it shelf-stable.”

The two put together a Kickstarter program that funded them while they worked on new varieties, and when they were ready, they started selling direct to consumers online. A year later, they launched their product on QVC, where they sold Bacon Jam at a rate of about 500 jars a minute. “We started making it in my restaurant and started selling it on the internet,” Oraschewsky said. “I sold my restaurant two years later because this had very quickly eclipsed the restaurant business.”

TBJ Gourmet’s Bacon Jam is one of a host of upcycled foods that have gained favor as gourmet products that are made by rescuing food products that might otherwise be wasted and turning them into something that transcends their lowly origins in a quintessentially American form of upward mobility. In the case of Bacon Jam, the starting point in that journey is with the chunks of smoked pork bellies that don’t fit nicely into supermarket packages of sliced bacon. Oraschewsky buys those ends

and pieces of uncured pork belly bacon, and they’re then cooked and stirred into a product that spoons into a bowl on a cheese plate, tops a burger or a steak, adorns an appetizer or stirs into a salad dressing. Bacon Jam won the Specialty Food Association’s Front-Burner Competition in 2017 and since it’s now available to the foodservice industry through Sysco, it’s been served at more than 5,000 restaurants across the country. “Our core customers are specialty food store shoppers,” Oraschewsky said. For retail sale, Bacon Jam is currently packaged in a 9-ounce glass jar, although future plans call for additional offerings in larger packaging for club stores and a smaller size to appeal to consumers who are just discovering the product. That smaller package will be offered in a 7.5-ounce plastic cup to retail for $5. “People who are already fans of our Bacon Jam buy it regularly and use it daily,” Oraschewsky said. “A consumer who hasn’t

had it before isn’t familiar with the concept.

We wanted to give the a lower-cost entry point.”

Bacon Jam is now offered in six varieties: Classic, Sweet Chili, Black Peppercorn, Balsamic & Fig, Honey Habañero and Maple Bourbon. The Balsamic & Fig Bacon Jam, Honey Habañero Bacon Jam and Maple Bourbon Bacon Jam are sold only through specialty stores and will continue to be packaged only in the 9-ounce glass jars, which retail for $9.99.

Since not everyone eats bacon, TBJ Gourmet also offers Spiced Tomato Jam, which is vegan and finds particular appeal as an accompaniment for cheese. A dollar from the sale of every jar of Spiced Tomato Jam goes to Philabundance, which is Philadelphia’s local Feeding America affiliate food bank.

For more information, visit www .tbjgourmet.com. GN

A Protein-Packed Treat with No Added Sugar

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Barebells is a line of protein bars that’s positioned for the upscale specialty market rather than as health food. “It’s for people who want a delicious treat but are conscious of the sugar and the calories,” said Barebells Chief Executive Officer Ben Jones. “This is a lifestyle brand. That’s a big piece of what we’re doing. It’s protein in a delicious format.... We’re trying to bring some fun to the category with not only fantastic and delicious products but also with a really engaging lifestyle brand.”

Labeled as a protein bar, each 1.94-ounce bar clocks in with 20 grams of protein and 200 calories, so although it contains no added sugar, it also is, as the package warns, “not a low or reduced calorie food.”

“We’re packing quite a punch – 20 grams of protein, a delicious taste and gooey texture – and only 200 calories,” Jones said.

“The consumer is more concerned about sugar than they are about anything else. We feel certain that the ingredients we are using meet the needs of the consumer.”

Barebells was founded in Sweden in 2016 and has become the top-selling protein bar brand in Sweden and in Scandinavia as a whole.

While the brand has more than 15 SKUs in Sweden, it launched into the American market in January of this year with four SKUs that include Cookies & Cream, Salty Peanut, Caramel-Cashew and White

Chocolate Almond bars. Jones expects to expand the American line with two to four new flavors each year.

The American launch occurred in Equinox gyms along the West Coast. The luxury gym brand was an ideal partner for the upscale, active lifestyle that Jones wants to associate with the brand. “It was the perfect place for us to launch because the consumer there is aware of what they’re consuming,” he said. “Almost immediately we became the number-one bar/ snack within those clubs.”

Much of the American following for the

brand came from consumers who’d already tried the bars during their European travels, according to Jones. “It’s unbelievable how much people know about this brand from travels to Europe,” he said. “They brought this demand back to the U.S., and we’re building on that now.”

Jones has national distribution arrangements for Barebells in process now and expects to have an agreement finalized in the third quarter of this year. In the meantime, Barebells are available in New York, Florida, Arizona, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, and the company will ship product directly, Jones said. The products are made in Europe.

For more information, visit www.bare bells.com. The company can be found on Instagram @barebells.usa. GN

Setton Farms Grows Innovative Pistachio Line The Setton family recently debuted a new line of Seasoned Pistachio Kernels.

These pistachios are shelled, dry roasted and seasoned through an exclusive process that maintains a superior freshfrom-the-orchard taste. Five varieties are currently available: Salt & Pepper, Garlic Onion, Chipotle BBQ, Chili Limón and Jalapeño.

Since its launch, the line of Seasoned Kernels has been winning acclaim from consumers and buyers. The Garlic Onion Seasoned Kernels won first place in the Buyers Choice Award at the California Food Expo. Chosen from hundreds of entries, it was given the top honor by the expo’s Retail Advisory Council, which en-

compasses a select group of retail buyers from Whole Foods Market, Walmart, Albertsons/Safeway, Bristol Farms and more.

Additionally, this variety won the New Product Competition award at Kosherfest, the world’s largest and most attended kosher-certified products trade show.

The entire line of Setton Farms Seasoned Pistachio Kernels contains no artificial ingredients, is certified gluten free, certified by the Non-GMO Project, vegan and kosher. Retailers can display the 3-ounce resealable bags in a preloaded floor shipper with minimal foot space or individual varieties within a tear-away display case on shelf.

These new products come from a com-

pany that’s been producing pistachios for more than 40 years. Its dedicated team takes a hands-on approach, attending to each detail of growing, harvesting, processing, manufacturing, packaging and marketing California pistachios all over the world.

With a strong commitment to regenerative agriculture, the Setton family has employed sustainable practices throughout the entire process. Rain and processing water are captured in reservoirs and recycled back onto orchards. Green waste is converted into top-quality compost, enhancing the soil by increasing fertility and bio-activity. Pistachio shells are donated to the community for paving dirt roads, re-

ducing air pollution. Solar energy naturally powers operations at the processing and satellite facilities. These and other efforts create a sustainability loop, allowing all previously unusable product from the process to be converted back into a valuable input.

As a leader in the pistachio industry, the Setton Farms brand has single-handedly expanded the pistachio value-add category with an extensive line of premium plantbased snacks that appeal to a wide audience. Unique SKUs like Pistachio Chewy Bites, Dark Chocolate Pistachios and Premium Pistachio Blends help retailers reach more consumers who are looking for innovative protein-packed snacks. GN

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Traditional Spirit Continued from PAGE 1 have become advocates for environmental and social justice and nurtured by the Mexican government, which protects mezcal with a protected designation of origin certification that’s required for mezcal that’s exported from the country. “Mezcal being part of our culture, our celebrations, it’s in our roots,” Martinez said. “I want to bring a piece of my hometown to the world.”

IZO Mezcal is named for Cenizo agave, one of several varieties of agave that are used to make mezcal. Tequila, which is made from blue agave, is another variety of mezcal, which is a generic term that’s roughly the agave equivalent of “moonshine.”

Mezcal is known to have been made in northern Mexico for at least 400 years, and while its origins are murky, Martinez believes it was introduced in Durango by Jesuit missionaries during the Spanish colonization of Mexico. Other theorists suggest an indigenous origin in other Mexican states.

For IZO Mezcal, the Cenizo agave is harvested from the wild in the hills and transported down the hill to a palenque, a traditional-style distilling operation, in Du-

rango, where it’s roasted in a fire pit for four to five days. “We use burros to carry the agave down the hill to trucks that transport it to our distillery. It’ takes a week to bring enough agave to start the process,” Martinez said. “We throw the agave hearts on top of burning oak, in a fire pit lined with volcanic rock. The hearts are then covered with a burlap tarp and dirt. The agave roasts for four to five days, which is the an-

cestral, artisanal way and which is how the mezcal gets its smoky taste.”

Although agaves are now being cultivated in Mexico as ingredients for massproduced tequilas, IZO uses only wild agaves, Martinez said. “We have this phenomenal wild agave. It’s like comparing a

wild berry to a farmed one. The wild ones are full of joy, full of life – same thing with the agave.”

During distillation, IZO collects only the heart of the distillation products for bottling, unlike some other makers who may collect the tails of the process and blend that into the product as a way to control alcohol levels. That blending can introduce off flavors.

The result of IZO’s meticulous process is a 94-proof spirit with a medium smoke that introduces itself with citrus notes followed by a lot of botanical presence and a long, earthy finish, Martinez said. “It’s a very smooth finish,” he said. “Even though it’s a high proof product, it’s not harsh.”

Martinez recommends that the spirit be sipped, as is traditional, but he says it also works well in cocktails. “It is a spectacular experience for me,” he said. “Every time I have a sip of IZO Mezcal, it always reminds me of all the labor and love that went to make it.”

The quality of that experience has been rewarded by medals from the judges of this year’s spirits competitions. IZO Mezcal has won a gold medal in San Diego, a silver medal in Los Angeles, a bronze in New York and a bronze in San Francisco. “These awards validate that we definitely have a wonderful mezcal that has been well received everywhere,” Martinez said. “It’s a great product to drink at any time. In the wintertime, you can have a little sip of a nice cocktail. In Mexico, some people add a splash to a cup of coffee. It’s pretty good.

I like it.”

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Along with the Mezcal Añejo that’s due for release next year, IZO Mezcal has a few other products in development, including a Sotol, a spirit made similarly to mezcal but from a different plant that also grows wild in northern Mexico as well as in New Mexico and Texas, where it is commonly known as Desert Spoon.

“We’re making Sotol for the next member of the family,” Martinez said. He’s expecting that to be ready for the market in late July of this year.

At the same time, IZO will be releasing Ensamble, a mezcal made by combining two different agaves, Cenizo and Lamparillo, in the cooking process. The company is also releasing Mezcal Reposado this year. That’s a mezcal that’s aged for 60 days in an American oak barrel, to produce an amber color and vanilla, rich chocolate and apricot flavors.

In addition, IZO is partnering with a tequila producer that will be making a tequila for the IZO label: IZO Extra Añejo Cristalino. This is a tequila made from 100 percent blue agave that’s been aged for three years in an American oak barrel for flavor and then filtered through activated charcoal to remove the color and make it crystal-clear. “This is an exquisite product,” Martinez said. “It’s so amazing and rich and sophisticated.” The IZO Extra Añejo Cristalino is also expected to be released in late July.

For more information, email gaston@ izomezcal.com or visitwww.izomescal .com or @izomescal on Instagram. GN

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NATURALLY HEALTHY

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Naturally Healthy Granola Snacks for a Greater Good

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Riverside Natural Foods was founded in 2013 by Nima Fotovat and his sisters Sahba Fotovat and Salma Fotovat to address a gap they saw in the natural foods industry – a lack of tasty snacks for consumers who have food allergies. Their MadeGood granola bites and soft cookies are free of the most common allergens, are organic and contain a serving of vegetables. They’re made in a dedicated nut-free facility, and the oats are certified gluten free though Purity Protocol. In December, 2017, the Ontario, Canada-based company became a certified B Corp.

“The purpose from day one was all around community and how they can help the people, planent and community,” said Wade Crouch, Riverside Foods’ Senior Director of Marketing. B Corp certification provides a means of standardizing the company’s measures to accomplish that over-riding goal and a framework for communicating those values to the public as well as thirdparty validation that the company’s mission is a real one, he said. “We have done some work over the last couple of years, and it’s culminated in our true purpose,” he said.

“What is that one aligning purpose as an organization that we want to achieve? It’s to inspire a healthier and more compassionate world. We want to inspire healthier

living through our products and a more compassionate world – we’re really trying to define what that looks like.”

The company looks at every aspect of its business through the lens of how Riverside Foods can make the world just a little bit better today than it was yesterday, accord-

ing to Crouch. That means operating in a zero-waste facility; finding ways to move to recyclable, biodegradable packaging within the next year; paying workers a living wage and giving back to local nonprofit organizations, he said. Recently, the company pledged nearly $100,000 in combined support to I Grow Chicago and Marillac St. Vincent, two Chicago, Illinois-area nonprofit organizations providing essential services and relief programs to underserved neighborhoods throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation will go towards minimizing food insecurity concerns, as well as ensuring continued eldercare and

mental health support for Chicagoans in need. “We can’t solve world hunger through our organization – we can make things a little better than they were yesterday,” Crouch said. “B Corp helps build trust and value that what we do is authentic – that it’s not just words on the page.... We try to be humble in what we do. We do it because it’s the right thing to do, not because we want to shout about it.”

“If in doubt, love” is the motto for I Grow Chicago, an organization creating a culture of hope while serving the Englewood community, which was particularly vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the approximately 3,000 people served by the organization, 73 percent do not have steady jobs, 62 percent do not have reliable access to the internet, 59 percent are food insecure, 41 percent do not have health insurance, 17 percent do not have a bed to sleep in and 15 percent do not have access to running water.

Marillac St. Vincent’s vision is to end the cycle of poverty. The organization offers comprehensive, multi-generational human services to upwards of 20,000 Chicago residents in underserved communities. Of those served

by Marillac St. Vincent, 96 percent of the families qualify for childcare assistance, 100 percent qualify for free school lunch and many live paycheck to paycheck.

Riverside Natural Foods’ MadeGood line of granola snacks and soft cookies includes Granola Minis in Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate Banana, Chocolate Chip, Mixed Berry and Strawberry flavors. The same flavors are

offered in Granola bars in addition to Sweet & Salty and Cookies & Creme. Crispy Squares are gluten-free snack squares with a full serving of vegetables and are offered in Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate Chip and Caramel, and MadeGood Soft Baked Mini Cookies are offered in Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate Banana, Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, No Nut Butter, Red Velvet and Snickerdoodle. Finally, the company offers Crispy Light Granola in 10-ounce resealable pouches in Strawberry and Cocoa Crunch flavors. Crispy Light Granola has the nutrients of vegetables and the whole grains of granola in a breakfast cereal product that can be enjoyed with milk or yogurt at either breakfast or snack time. “We’re always looking for ways to make the products healthier,” Crouch said, adding that the company applies a code of conduct to its suppliers that demands that they treat both their staff and the planet well rather than just offering Riverside a cheaper product. “It’s not about the profit; it’s about the support and being compassionate to the world and making the world a better place,” Crouch said. “I’ve worked at many large CPG [consumer packaged goods] companies where they talk about it, but we actually live it here. It’s something that we actually do here every day. That’s the one thing that I’d like to try and get across – it’s not all about the dollars and cents; it’s about people’s lives and our world – which is very humbling. It’s great to be part of.”

For more information, visit www .riversidenaturalfoods.com. GN

Condiments with Fermented Zing and Umami Bang

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Miso Mayo is a range of plant-based condiments with the versatility to elevate a simple bean or grain bowl, dress a burger of any sort or sauce up a plate of sushi, roasted vegetables or French fries. With the texture and squeeze-bottle squirtability of a mayonnaise, they’re also relatively stable, so they’re a handy household staple. “Miso Mayo is sold as a refrigerated item, found in the dairy/cold case,” said Janet Smith, Owner of So Good Food, the product’s maker. “It is stable for nationwide shipping because of the vinegar and fermented ingredients.”

Smith invented Miso Mayo as a condiment for the food truck she was operating in Los Angeles, California, in the early 1990s. “I started with a food truck to help people eat good food if they can’t get away from their desks,” she said. Smith’s Four Wheel Cafe grew a business that expanded from lunch-time catering outside local

businesses to serving lunches five days a week for high schools and middle schools that didn’t have onsite kitchens. Her misobased condiment came into frequent use as a sandwich dressing then, and after she retired from the food truck, she decided to bottle it up and offer it to retail grocers.

She started selling to Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Foods Market, which became part of Whole Foods Market in 1993. “We were lucky to find a place on the shelf before people were even thinking of plant-based condiments,” Smith said. “I’m grateful for support from the retail buyers who were able to see the value of this quirky item.”

Miso Mayo is based on fermented soybean paste, so it offers the probiotic benefits that go along with that. It’s also vegan and keto-friendly. It’s offered in four flavors: the Original flavor from food truck days; Garlic ‘N’ Dill to deliver tang to roasted potatoes or a broiled salmon fillet; Spicy Red Pepper, delightful on a fish taco;

and Sweet Black Garlic, which won a Good Food Award this year.

“They go well in a lunchbox – they won’t spoil like a mayonnaise,” Smith said. “They all have that rich umami from the miso, and we’re getting this double umami bang with the black garlic.”

The Sweet Black Garlic Miso Mayo is the latest addition to the line, and it had its origin in an ordinary grocery shopping trip for Smith, who saw the black garlic in the produce department of her Whole Foods Market about seven years ago. “I just thought, I have to turn that into a new flavor,” she said. “I just couldn’t help myself... It paired so nicely with what Miso Mayo was.”

“I just started messing around with it,” she added. “The sweetness and the depth

of it – I just knew it was going to make something. It’s fabulous on any kind of vegetable... I get a lot of people sending me their taco pictures. It’s got so much depth that it enhances anything you put it on.”

Miso Mayo is offered in 9-ounce plastic squeeze bottles. The Sweet Black Garlic variety retails for $7.49 while the other flavors usually retail for $6.49. All are certified non-GMO, and distribution is available nationally.

For more information, visit www.miso mayo.com, where the products are also sold online. GN

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NATURALLY HEALTHY

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

Bison Jerky that Returns Health to the Land

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

“Pure Bison Jerky” is just as much a succinct product description as a brand – what’s inside the peggable plastic pouch is simply jerky made from bison raised on the Texas ranch of a family that’s been stewarding the land for the past 120 years. “We’re really committed to a holistic, all-natural regenerative approach,” said Jenna Bennett, Project Manager at Pure Bison Jerky.

The family belongs to a growing herd of livestock managers who are raising their animals in a manner that’s been shown to have climate change benefits by sequestering carbon in

the soil. Regenerative livestock management requires careful attention to the health of the pastures on which the animals graze. Those methods have been shown to improve the ability of the soil to hold both carbon and water in the soil and ultimately to act as a carbon repository, sequestering carbon in the form of biomass within the soil rather than releasing it into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

The company launched its Pure Bison Jerky brand last year, although it’s been in the works for six years, according to Bennett. “Our owners have a hand in everything we do, from the website design to showcasing at tradeshows – everything,” she said.

“They’re really committed to the goal of reintroducing the American bison to their native savannahs and shortgrass prairies in which they roam and graze.”

The bison herd that’s eventually harvested to become Pure Bison Jerky are managed in that precise manner on about 84,000 acres of mixed tall grass and short grass prairie in the Texas Panhandle, Bennett said. They’re raised from birth without antibiotics or hormones and humanely harvested. “They’re strictly all-natural,” said Leah Russell, the company’s Marketing Director. “Our mission is to provide the best tasting, purest protein money can buy.”

Pure Bison Jerky is offered in resealable, peggable 3-ounce plastic packages, and the company will be adding 1-ounce pouches later this year.

Pure Bison Jerky is Paleo-friendly and gluten free.

The jerky offers about 80 calories and 12 grams of protein in a 1ounce serving.

There are three flavors: Original, Spicy and Barbeque. “Everything that is in our bison is 100 percent bison,” Bennett said. “The flavors that are added are all from the U.S. It’s 100 percent American.”

For more information, visit www.pure jerky.com, Instagram (purebisonjerky) or email info@purejerky.com. GN

Superfoods and Fun in a Tasty Bite

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Keetz Plant Bites are tasty little snack bites for consumers who are serious about their nutrition but don’t want it at the price of tasting something that’s less than delicious.

They come from a former pastry chef who got serious about her own nutrition after she became aware of how much sugar and highly processed wheat flour she was eating herself in the course of her job. “The minute that I stopped eating it, and when I started regularly taking probiotics – I’m not vegan, but once I aligned my lifestyle to that, it was literally night and day,” said Katy Peetz, the Founder and Owner of Keetz. “I grew up on beef and potatoes and a lot of processed foods. Processed snacks, even ones that labeled healthy, were the norm. I don’t think you can blame just one thing; it’s a mixture of things, but mostly it’s processed foods, and mostly processed sugar.”

Her focus on her own nutrition and its effect on her health in general turned her attention to the idea of creating a food that would make people feel good, she said. “I

noticed that there was a lack of truly healthy foods in grocery stores, even in health-oriented groceries,” she said. “I noticed a lot of products that had a lot of added sugars and also included ‘natural flavors,’ which we know is not real food.”

She started out by creating a plant-based energy bar, but that format became energy bites as she experimented to achieve a format that was friendlier for friends who wanted snacks that they could toss into their bags and go. “I discovered that a lot of people weren’t buying health bars on the market,” she said. “I was solving a problem, and there’s a whole market of people who weren’t buying health bars because they know they’re not actually that good for them.”

There are three flavors: Turmeric, Cacao and Maca. Each flavor is a superfood. Three Keetz Plant Bites are packaged into a pouch decorated with Peetz’s brachiosaurus logo that retails for $6 to $7. “They’re a little chewy, and they have a really nice, subtle sweetness from the dates and they’re a little creamy from cold-pressed pumpkin seed

butter. I tell people that they’re a little less sweet than they’re used to,” Peetz said. “I wanted it to be fun and relatable to people beyond health and wellness. It’s for everyone who’s trying to eat healthier on the go, looking for snacks to fuel them through the day.”

Keetz Plant Bites are made with seeds and plant protein powders boosted with spirulina and loaded with minerals and antioxidants. They’re sweetened with dates, but they’re not as sweet as many other energy bars – they contain about 30 percent less dates than many of the energy bars on the market. They’re sold from a refrigerated case as a chilled item, and Peetz feels that while she might have been a little early on the market for a super energy-dense energy bite, this is now a product that’s found its time as the COVID-19 outbreak has prompted more consumers to pay attention to their own health and their immune systems. “It’s not a cure for anything, but I feel like the better we take care of ourselves, the better our chances,” she said. “The whole purpose of me start-

ing this company was out of this innate passion to care and nurture people with food, and I don’t have to shift anything in my message about that. People are really responding to that now, which is amazing.”

Keetz Plant Bites are currently being drop-shipped from New York, but Peetz is hoping to have a distributor this summer.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to handle this,” she said.

For more information, visit www .keetzco.com and reach out through the contact page on the website. GN

Once Again Introduces Organic Sunflower Hemp Butter The sunflower seed shines with all its glory in Once Again’s new organic sunflower hemp butter. This allergy-friendly addition to the brand’s lineup is made with organically grown sunflower seeds, dry roasted for enhanced flavor and milled creamy. Organic hemp oil gives this product a powerful boost of antioxidants, amino acids and Omega fatty acids, while just a bit of sugar and salt are added for taste. Certified organic and certified by the Non-GMO Project, the new product is also free of preservatives, cholesterol, trans fat, plus it’s

gluten-free certified, vegan, kosher, and part of the brand’s Honest in Trade program.

Delivering 5 grams of plant-protein per serving plus a healthy dose of iron and potassium, Once Again’s organic sunflower hemp butter is also rich in Vitamin E thanks to both its sunflower seed and hemp oil ingredients. The product is delicious paired with toast or fruit, mixed into oatmeal or yogurt, baked into cookies or eaten straight from the jar.

Said Gael J. B. Orr, Marketing-Commu-

nications and Public Relations Manager, “Hemp oil is shaking up the food industry as a new way to add functional nutrition to products, and we’re on board! This ontrend ingredient complements our organic sunflower seeds beautifully, both in taste and its phenomenal health benefits.”

Once Again’s new organic sunflower hemp butter is currently available for retailers to carry. The suggested retail price is $6.49 per 16-ounce recycled glass jar. Visit www.onceagainnutbutter.com for more information. GN

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GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

New La Truffe Royale Products from MarDona Specialty Foods MarDona Specialty Foods has added four new products to its La Truffe Royale line. Black Truffle Acacia Honey replaces Wild Forest Tupelo Honey. This fine smooth acacia honey is imported from Italy and blended with black truffle pieces along with MarDona’s Truffle Essence. This honey compliments any cheese platter or roasted poultry, or it can be served over fresh ricotta cheese and toasted bread.

La Truffe Royale Black Truffle Rub combines a dried black truffle with a hand-harvested salt. It’s a very fine powder that rubs well into any meat, poultry or seafood. Also, it can be added to sauces and more.

Black Truffle Sea Salt is perfect over fries, onion rings, pizza, all burgers, sand-

wiches, popcorn and so much more.

It’s a perfect blend of MarDona’s Truffle Essence mixed with a fine imported sea salt and truffle pieces.

Black Truffle Tapenade is black truffles and truffle-infused oil to make a great spread that can be used straight from the jar and spread over some toasted crusty bread. Or it can be mixed with a mayonnaise to create a wild truffle aioli or added to hot cooked pasta as a great truffle pasta dish.

MarDona Specialty Foods Ltd. 855.OIL SPRAY (645.7772) www.mardonaspecialtyfoods.com

medium heat, D.L. Jardine’s Texas Champagne is a popular table staple among the locals.

D.L. Jardine’s brand brings true Texas grit and heritage and offers a collection of authentic flavors made from premium ingredients.

Teasdale Latin Foods www.teasedalelatinfoods.com

Wax-It-All Food-Grade Paste Wax Howard Wax-It-All is a food-grade paste wax that is safe for any surface where food contact may occur. This thick, smooth blend of beeswax, carnauba wax and foodgrade mineral oil helps to revive, seal and protect surfaces in and around the home. Use Wax-It-All on butcher block, concrete, stainless steel, granite, marble, soapstone, slate and laminate countertop surfaces; metal, plastic furniture and painted cabinets.

Wax-It-All enhances beauty and protects surfaces to make them look better and last longer. It’s easy to use – the wax is simply rubbed on to be absorbed into the surface, and then excess is buffed away. It’s safe for indoor and outdoor

NIWRI Cold Brew from White Coffee Corporation is a unique beverage cold brewed from green tea and coffee cherries, also known as cascara. “Cascara,” which means “husk” or “skin” in Spanish, is the dried skins of the coffee cherries.

These pulped skins are collected after the seeds (i.e. coffee beans) have been removed from the cherries. While it can’t be defined as strictly coffee or tea but rather something in the middle, NIWRI does derive from the coffee plant. Specifically, cascara is a product of the fruit of the coffee tree.

Since NIWRI is a cascara-based drink, consumers can expect a sweet, fruity taste with notes of rose hip and hibiscus.

The essence is like a superb blend of fruits including raspberry, currant, cranberry and cherry. Both green tea and cascara are reputed to contain antioxidants; including this product among your SKUs allows the opportunity to offer a great-tasting healthy option in one beverage.

White Coffee 718.204.7900 www.whitecoffee.com

Legal Sea Foods Malt Vinegar Aioli Stonewall Kitchen’s new Legal Sea Foods Malt Vinegar Aioli elevates any fish dish.

Delightfully creamy and bright with the flavors of vinegar, mustard and garlic, it’s delicious spread on fish sandwiches and makes a tasty dip for fries or chips.

Top-Rated Texas Delicacy from Teasdale Latin Foods D.L. Jardine’s® Texas Champagne® Hot Sauce is a Texas delicacy that’s been well known throughout the Lone Star state for more than four decades. From Teasdale Latin Foods, D.L. Jardine’s Texas Champagne Hot Sauce is the company’s top-selling hot sauce of all time.

Like other hot sauces, D.L. Jardine’s Texas Champagne Hot Sauce allows consumers to customize their dish. Because of its cayenne-based, not-too-extreme,

NIWRI from White Coffee

countertop surfaces and helps delay tarnishing and oxidation of bronze, copper, brass and even wrought iron. After an application of Wax-It-All, finishes have a soft sheen and are smooth to the touch. Wax-It-All locks in oils and waxes when it’s applied after using Howard’s other food-grade products.

Made in the USA with food-grade ingredients under strict quality controls, it’s also great for woodworkers who need a hard, carnauba wax finish. Minimum wholesale order is six cases.

Howard Products 800.266.9545 www.howardproducts.com

Stonewall Kitchen 800.826.1752 www.stonewallkitchen.com

Jake’s Nut Roasters Seasoned Almonds Jake’s Nut Roasters is a creative line of specialty almond snacks with distinctively bold and creative flavors, which include Bleu Cheese Cracked Pepper, Bloody Mary, Mesquite Smoked, Hatch Chile, Maple and Barbecue. These almonds showcase Jasper Specialty Foods’ vertical integration and commitment to sustainable growing practices.

Produced in a dedicated peanut-free facility, these premium California almonds are dry roasted and seasoned in small batches to deliver exceptional quality.

McJak Candy Company’s new County Fair Toffee Popcorn is made from scratch in a family-owned factory in rural Medina, Ohio. This is a gourmet snack with the sweet and salty taste that everybody loves. It’s offered in a delicious flavor mix of Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Almond, Toffee and Ket-

Ariston Specialties CBD-Infused Olive Oil Ariston Specialties launched Ariston’s CBD-Infused Olive Oil in the summer of 2019. This product combines all natural and high-quality hemp derived CBD produced in Connecticut in combination with Ariston’s own production of extra virgin olive oil from southwest Greece to come up with this elixir. This oil combines the health benefits and flavors of both the nutty, earthy CBD oil and the grassy Koroneiki extra virgin olive oil.

This combination is ideal for salads, sa-

Tylers Coffee provides a healthier option to coffee blends that contain tannic acid and lipid acids that are bloomed during the roasting process. As the first organic, acidfree coffee, Tylers Coffee offers a solution for the more than 100 million individuals who have sensitive stomachs.

Tylers’ trade-secret roasting process doesn’t bloom the tannic and lipid acids in the coffee bean. That roasting process means a higher level of natural caffeine in the company’s Regular Roast. Because

Ariston Specialties 860.263.8498 www.aristonspecialties.com

Jasper Specialty Foods 800.255.1641 www.jasperspecialtyfoods.com www.jakesnutroasters.com

County Fair Toffee Popcorn

A Coffee Solution for Sensitive Stomachs

vory dressings and even homemade pestos. This can be combined with Ariston’s Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and mustard to make an incredible salad dressing.

Jake’s 7ounce can has a cool, classic appearance that looks great on store shelves, kitchen counters or table centerpieces.

tle Popcorn and retails for $2.99. Private Label is available.

McJak Candy Company 330.722.3531 www.mcjakcandy.com

the roaster is monitored by c o m p u t e r, every roast is exactly the same every time. Tylers’ Decaf Roast is decaffeinated through Swiss water decaffeination.

Tylers Coffee www.tylerscoffees.com

DELICIOUSLY NEW

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

New Bone Suckin’ Sauce Yaki Ginger Sesame is new from Bone Suckin’ Sauce. A blend of zesty ginger, the nutty taste of sesame and the smooth finish of tamari adds an unforgettable flavor to any dish. Yaki Ginger Sesame is a favorite for basting fish, marinating meat before grilling, sauteing vegetables or using as a finishing sauce.

It’s non-GMO, gluten free, certified

kosher and contains no high fructose corn syrup.

It’s available now in 12/13.25-ounce bottles per case.

Ford’s Gourmet Foods 800.446.0947 www.bonesuckin.com

Elmhurst Intros Capitalize on Oat Milk Boom Elmhurst’s new single-serve line condenses all the whole-grain nutritional wonder of oat milk into an 11-ounce carton. Besides original, there are kid-pleasing blueberry, chocolate and vanilla varieties. None exceed 6 grams of sugar.

Chocolate oat milk is also offered in a 32ounce carton. Each serving offers a full serving of whole grain and just 4 grams of sugar in six simple ingredients.

Elmhurst is also launching a new line of oat creamers to join its hemp creamer. The oat creamers are available in Unsweet-

ened, Hazelnut, French Vanilla and Chai Spice flavors, each with no more than 1 gram of sugar and 15 calories per serving.

Elmhurst’s Oat Lattes are offered in varieties: four Cacao, Flash Brew, turmeric-infused Golden Milk and a Matcha Latte. Each carries 28 grams of whole grain (over half the daily value) and 550 milligrams omega-3 ALA.

Elmhurst Milked LLC www.elmhurst1925.com

Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland: Traceable to its Origin Traceability has always been an essential part of quality control for Gruyère AOP and is a cornerstone of its production. As it’s formed, every wheel of Gruyère AOP is marked with a unique number and the code of the creamery that produced it. The day and month of production are also noted. These black markings are made with casein (a milk protein) – again, all natural. The name “Le Gruyère AOP” and the code of the creamery is also on the form that surrounds the cheese as it is made, which then distinctly embosses the edge of each wheel, further guaranteeing authenticity.

With the creamery’s unique code and the number of the wheel, www.gruyere.com/en/zone-production can provide information about exactly where the wheel of Gruyere AOP was made.

Only the real Gruyère AOP is handmade in 170 creameries in its home region from a recipe that has been passed down for centuries. Its multi-layered, complex

flavors start with the pristine, raw milk of cows grazing in local fields, and the aging is completed in local cellars and caves under strict supervision. The experience of the producers, combined with the terroir of the region, makes Gruyère AOP incomparable and impossible to replicate. The “AOP” denomination (“Appellation d’Origine Protégée”) as well as the association of milk producers, cheese makers, and affineurs passionately protect these flavor profiles, exemplifying the cheese’s origin, multi-generational history and rich culture.

Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland is 100 percent natural and 100 percent additive free, naturally free of lactose and gluten, and it is just as delicious now as when first produced in 1115 AD.

Le Gruyere AOP www.gruyere.com

New Organic Functional Teas Teekanne is introducing to the U.S. a new range of organic teas. Teekanne’s new organic tea line packaging has a fresh, young and chic flair aimed to capture the attention of tea lovers. The new flavors offered are: Start Your Day (mate, spearmint and lemon peel); Calm & Relax (honeybush, lemon balm and hops); Sleep & Dream

(lemon balm, peppermint, lavender blossom); Spritz Up your Life (ginger infusion with turmeric); You’re My Berry (raspberry and cranberry); and Swinging Green (green tea with moringa and lemon). From leaf to pot, Teekanne sources its own ingredients, tests its blends for purity and uses all ecofriendly packaging.

Gourmet International, Ltd. 800.875.5557 www.gourmetint.com

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Fall River Wild Rice: New Ways with America’s Native Grain Interest in plants and grains is soaring, as shoppers look for new ways to eat healthy.

High in protein and fiber, nutty and with a striking visual appeal, wild rice is one of the healthiest grains available. It was a staple food of several Native American tribes, who called it “manoomin” or “precious grain.”

Fall River Wild Rice brings this culinary gem to your store shelf. This naturally cultivated wild rice is great in salads, soups and stir-fries. However, it also works well in mixes for pancakes and muffins and even in chocolate and desserts. Fall River’s Fully Cooked Wild Rice is high-protein goodness in seconds.

The only cereal grain native to North

America, wild rice is not even a rice at all. It is the seed of Zizania plustris, a tall, blooming water grass that prospers in the Great Lakes region, as well as in the fruitful valley in the shadows of the Sierra Nevadas and the Rockies. Fall River Wild Rice is a small grower-owned cooperative in the Fall River Valley, a rural mountain valley nestled between the Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges.

Fall River Wild Rice 800.626.4366 www.fallriverwildrice.com

Norfolk Manor Brandy Butter Brandy butter has been around in Britain since the 1700s. A hot Christmas pudding would not seem complete served without it. This delicious combination of butter, sugar and brandy flavor is also meltingly delicious served with warm mince pies, fruit crumbles or apple pie.

Christmas would not be Christmas without Norfolk Manor Brandy Butter on the dessert table. If there are any leftovers after Christmas is over, Norfolk Manor Brandy Butter will turn a piece of toast into something spectacular.

Available exclusively through BWI, Inc. Norfolk Manor Brandy Butter is shelfstable and ready to serve from the jar. Cases are packed as six units of 6.5-ounce jars.

BWI Inc. www.bwi-imports.com

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SPECIAL FEATURE

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

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Veggie Drill from Betty Bossi Makes Fancy Bites Easy to Create

Prepare beautifully stuffed vegetables with the Veggie Drill from Betty Bossi.

Designed to quickly and easily core or scoop fruits and vegetables, the Veggie Drill prepares produce to be filled and served as an eye-catching, flavorful snack, appetizer or dish.

Four different drilling heads (½ to 1-½ inch diameter) accommodate various sized produce, from zucchini and cucumbers, to apples, carrots and radishes. It works with any vegetable or fruit that can keep its shape. It creates a beautiful presentation with minimal effort.

To use, simply select the appropriately sized drill head, attach it to the top of the base, and twist it into the produce. In just seconds, it will be cored and ready to be filled with sweet or savory fillings, served hot or cold.

A beautiful full-color booklet is included. The Veggie Drill has a slim white base that holds the four green drill heads for compact storage. It is just 5-¼ inches high, and it’s dishwasher safe. The Veggie Drill from Betty Bossi is available for immediate shipment, with a suggested retail price of $14.99.

For more information, visit www.bettybossi.us or contact international@bettybossi.ch.

Lékué Nut & Grain Milk Maker

The Lékué Nut & Grain Milk Maker offers a solution for customers living the keto life or otherwise eschewing dairy products. Users soak their nuts or grains in the container for 12 hours, mix and then filter it to remove excess fiber. This is a nomess, one-container way to make all nut and grain milks, including almond, cashew, rice and more. The nut or grain milks can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. The suggested retail price for this is $30. For more information, visit www.lekueusa.com

SPECIAL FEATURE

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

Chef’n Glass Mandoline Slicer

Used by at-home cooks and professional chefs alike, the Chef’n 4in-1 Glass Mandoline is a kitchen must have. This take on the classic features a glass slicing deck so the user can see the produce as it’s sliced and drops onto the surface below. Straight, julienne, and crinkle cut blades are included as well as a hand guard to keep those fingers safe! Feet fold flat and blade rotates to safety mode for compact, secure storage. Suggested retail price is $99.99. For more information, visit Lifetime Brands at www.chefn.com.

Pasilla Chili Pork Rinds from Southern Recipe Small Batch

Southern Recipe Small Batch’s new Pasilla Chili Cheese pork rinds deliver the rich taste of Pasilla chiles paired with the indulgent and comforting flavor of chili cheese. Keto-friendly, low carb, high protein and low sugar, new Pasilla Chili Cheese pork rinds are elevating the perception of the humble pork rind.

For more information, call Rudolph Foods at 419.648.3611, email msingleton@rudolphfoods.com or visit www.rudolphfoods.com.

Healthy, All-Natural Seasonings from The Spice Lab

The Spice Lab now offers a KETO product line. Packaged to appeal to consumers following a ketogenic diet of low carbohydrates and high fat, the KETO line of seasonings includes 18 of The Spice Lab’s most popular blends in two packaging options: shakers and large jars with spoon. From French Lavender + Rosemary and Herbs de Provence to Blackened and Italian Rustico Seasoning, each spice blend is all-natural and OU kosher, and formulated for a keto-friendly diet.

For more information, call 954.275.4478, go to www.spices.com or email sales@thespicelab.com.

Zyliss SpiraSlice Vegetable Pasta Maker

This new product from Zyliss taps into the consumer move to find new and inventive ways to introduce more vegetables into their diet. Whether they are looking for gluten free cooking, healthy alternatives to pasta or simply to be more creative with vegetables and fruits, this is the perfect tool to achieve a variety of results – with a variety of fruits and vegetables! The unique rotary slicer is designed to perform delicate slicing functions and is perfect for creating shapes from fruit and vegetables. It comes with three interchangeable blades to create sheets, spirals and ribbons, and is suitable for use on all types of potatoes, squash, radishes, beetroot, cucumber, zucchini, apples and more. The suction pad base means it can be safely and securely attached to the worktop. The suggested retail price is $49.99, and it will be available this summer. For more information, visit www.dkbhouseholdltd.com.

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28

HOT PRODUCTS

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

Hot Products Plant-Based Sausage Brand Launches 4 Flavors

High Peaks, the premium, all natural and plant-based sausage brand, launched four flavors in the United States to meet increased demand for meat alternatives. Flavors include Italian Style, Sweet Apple, Wild Mushroom, and Sunrise Trail Mix, all made with clean ingredients and spices, creating a savory and rich flavor. Each variation is made primarily from white beans, green and red peppers, basil, onions, wild mushrooms, and other simple, real foods. The new flavors are available at select natural and mainstream grocers nationwide.

Bone Suckin’ Mustard

Bone Suckin’ Mustard has been named a world champion by the National Mustard Museum. Packed with 12 12-ounce jars to the case, it’s non-GMO, gluten free, kosher pareve and contains no high-fructose corn syrup..

Ford’s Gourmet Foods 919.833.7647 www.bonesuckin.com

High Peaks www.highpeaks.life

LonoLife Keto Chicken Bone Broth

Introducing LonoLife’s Keto Chicken Bone Broth, made from hearty roasted chicken bones, fresh vegetables and bold herbs. This bone broth contains 10 grams of collagenrich protein and five grams of fat per serving.

LonoLife 855.843.8566 www.lonolife.com

Power Butters from Spread The Love Foods

Spread The Love Foods’ new Power Butters have launched in two varieties: Almond Cashew and Almond Flax Seed, each designed to make a superfood boost for smoothies, a delicious spread for toast or a key ingredient in baked treats. Almond Cashew is made with only two ingredients, almonds and cashews, and is naturally sweet and rich in texture, with a healthy amount of good fats, protein and Vitamin K. Almond Flax Seed is made with just almonds and flax seed and has a healthy amount of good fats, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, fiber and Vitamin B. They come from Spread The Love’s line of premium organic, glutenfree, palm oil-free, non-GMO almond butters, peanut butters and artisan jams.

Spread The Love Foods www.spreadthelovefoods.com

Mooala Organic Plant-Based Creamers

Mooala’s line of organic, plant-based Creamers are made with a base of organic coconut cream and organic almonds with no added sugar, and the creamers are the perfect addition to your daily cup of joe. They are available in three fun flavors: Banana Nut, Oats ‘n’ Crème and Vanilla Bean.

Mooala Brands LLC 214.206.1902 www.mooala.com

Superfood Udon Noodles

Packed with chlorella, a single-celled, freshwater alga, native to Taiwan and Japan, Chlorella Udon Noodles are naturally rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Nutrient-dense, with more chlorophyll than any other known food, kale, spirulina or even wheatgrass, chlorella is the king of superfoods, key for cellular regeneration and repair. It’s the only plantbased, bioavailable form of vitamin B12, which is rare and important for those eating a vegan and vegetarian diet. One box of Chlorella Udon Noodles contains 8 grams of chlorella, which means you get the same benefits and goodness of chlorella with each chewy, delicious bite.

Sun Chlorella 800.829.2828 ext. 2455 www.sunchlorellausa.com

New Organic Crackers from RW Garcia

RW Garcia, a family-owned national brand of better-foryou chips and crackers, released two new organic cracker varieties – Organic Kale and Organic Everything – offering clean eaters a new snack that aligns with their lifestyle, yet doesn’t sacrifice on great flavor and crunch.

Organic Kale is made with stone ground white corn, kale, flaxseed, chia seed and black sesame seed. Organic Everything also features stone ground corn, plus poppy and sesame seeds, onion, garlic and sea salt.

Like all RW Garcia snacks, the new organic crackers are certified by the Non-GMO Project, certified gluten free, cholesterol free, kosher and free of trans fats.

RW Garcia 408.287.4616 www.rwgarcia.com

Organic Eggs from The Country Hen

The Country Hen introduces its new 12-count Free Range Organic Eggs, available at fine retailers in the Northeast. With this product expansion, the brand expects to be better able to serve the diverse needs of today’s shoppers. In refreshed, biodegradable packaging, and with six times the amount of Omega-3s of traditional commodity eggs, The Country Hen eggs are certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and certified humane.

Nest Fresh www.nestfresh.com

30

SMORGASBORD

GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

SMORGASBORD ADVERTISER INDEX ADVERTISER

PAGE WEBSITE

PHONE

Be Bold Bars

15

www.beboldbars.com

855.623.2653

BWI Inc.

17

www.bwi-imports.com

818.991.6644

DeBrand Fine Chocolates

5

www.debrand.com

260.969.8331

Elmhurst Milked

2

www.elmhurst1925.com

888.356.1925

Ford’s Gourmet

3

www.bonesuckin.com

800.446.0947

Gourmet International

29

www.gourmetint.com

800.875.5557

Honey Stinger

23

www.honeystinger.com

866.464.6639

Jasper Specialty Foods

13, 29 www.jakesnutroasters.com

Klondike Cheese

9

McJak Candy Co

19

www.mcjakcandy.com

Parmacotto

7

www.parmacottousa.com

Seviroli

31

www.seviroli.com

516.222.6220

Stonewall Kitchen

32

www.stonewallkitchen.com

888.326.5678

Teasdale Latin Foods

25

www.teasdalelatinfoods.com

White Coffee

11

www.whitecoffee.com

800.221.0140

Wild Forest Products

29

www.mardonaspecialtyfoods.com

855.645.7772

800.255.1641

www.buholzerbrothers.com 330.722.3531

A Hot Office Lunch for the COVID-Cautious

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

This year StoreMaxx is introducing the Hot Box, a solution for those who are re-emerging from the COVID-19 lock-down but who aren’t sure yet that they want to brave the crowds in the company break room or their local fast food hot spot. The Hot Box is a food container that will heat up a meal-sized food portion in minutes with no necessity for a power outlet or even a battery – all it needs is a few ounces of tap water.

The Hot Box is a dualwalled container – the inner three-compartment container holds the food and the outer container holds a single-use Therma Pak, StoreMaxx’s proprietary thermal pack. Take the all-natural Therma Pak out of its foil packaging, then add a little water to the outer container with its Therma Pak, and a chemical reaction heats the water into steam. A lid holds the steam inside the container. “It’s the steam that heats the meal,” said Ed Spitalettta, StoreMaxx’s Chief Executive Officer. “The Hot Box is revolutionary in the respect that there’s nothing like it on the market. It’s like carrying a little microwave oven with you wherever you go. In the office setting, it’s very convenient and economical, and the container is washable and reusable.”

The capacity of the inner container is about 20 ounces. “That’s up to a pound and a half of food – that’s a pretty hefty meal,” Spitaletta said.

The thermal material in the Therma Pak is made from sea shells, Spitaletta said. The inner and outer containers are a lot like those your customer is already bringing home from restaurants or the hot bars at supermarkets. Noticing that consumers, including his wife, were finding ways to repurpose those containers at home rather than simply throwing them away is how StoreMaxx was started in 2008, Spitaletta

said. “The premise of the company originally was to bring to the retail market goods that were home-friendly but not available to consumers in retail stores,” he said. “I identified commercial-grade food storage containers... I started putting together a line – several different lines of commercial-grade, restaurant-quality containers into a program.”

When batch food preparation caught on among consumers who were trying to beat the effects of the Great Recession or adhere to special diet regimes, popularity of the StoreMaxx containers exploded, Spitaletta said. “We were fortunate that, as a company, we went out and started to acquire some pretty sizable accounts,” he said. “We started developing account relationships in the supermarket trade, drugstore trade, warehouse clubs and convenience stores, home centers, specialty big box stores.”

While the product is technically disposable, in that it’s economically feasible for people to use it just once before discarding it, in general, consumers do reuse the containers, Spitaletta said. “The driving force behind the company is ecologically friendly,” he said. “We really do want to do our part in the reduction of our carbon footprint, as much as we can. We do that by creating an item that’s recyclable and reusable – it’s not a single-use product.”

Hot Box, like all of the products that StoreMaxx offers, is made in North America. It’s packaged as a set of five – one for each lunch in the work week. The company is also planning to launch a club pack that will be released in late June. The suggested retail price for the five-item set is $14.99.

For more information, contact StoreMaxx at 844.SNAP-PAK or visit www .snappakusa.com. GN

Imports to See Double-Digit Annual Declines Even as Stores Reopen Imports at major U.S. retail container ports are expected to see double-digit year-over-year declines this spring and summer as the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue, according to the Global Port Tracker report released in May by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“Factories in China are largely back online and stores that closed here in the U.S. are starting to reopen, but volume is far lower than what we would see in a ‘normal’ year,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said.

“Shoppers will come back and there is still a need for essential items, but the economic recovery will be gradual and retailers will adjust the amount of merchandise they import to meet demand.”

“Much will depend on consumers’ willingness to return to spending,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. “Our view is that second-quarter economic growth will be significantly worse than the previous quarter, but we continue to expect recovery to come in the second half of the year, especially the fourth quarter and into 2021. This is based on the big and somewhat tenuous assumption that there is no second wave of the virus.”

U.S. ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.37 million 20-foot equivalent units in March, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was the lowest volume since 1.34 million TEU in March 2016, down 9.1 percent from this February and down 14.8 percent year-over-year. A TEU is one 20foot-long cargo container or its equivalent.

April was estimated at 1.51 million TEU, down 13.4 percent year-over-year. May is forecast at 1.47 million TEU, down 20.4 percent from last year; June at 1.46 million TEU, down 18.6 percent; July at 1.58 million TEU, down 19.3 percent; August at 1.73 million TEU, down 12 percent, and September at 1.7 million TEU, down 9.3 percent.

Before the coronavirus began to have an effect on imports, February through May had been forecast at a total of 6.9 million TEU but is now expected to total 5.87 million TEU, a drop of 14.9 percent.

The first half of 2020 is forecast to total 9.15 million TEU, down 13 percent from the same period last year. Before the extent of the pandemic was known, the first half of the year was forecast at 10.47 million TEU. Imports during 2019 totaled 21.6 million TEU, a 0.8 percent decrease from 2018 amid the trade war with China but still the second-highest year on record.

Global Port Tracker, which is produced for NRF by the consulting firm Hackett Associates, provides historical data and forecasts for the U.S. ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma on the West Coast; New York/New Jersey, Port of Virginia, Charleston, Savannah, Port Everglades, Miami and Jacksonville on the East Coast, and Houston on the Gulf Coast. The report is free to NRF retail members, and subscription information is available at NRF.com/PortTracker or by calling 202.783.7971. Subscription information for non-members can be found at www.globalporttracker.com. GN

Americans Increased Impulse Spending During COVID-19 Pandemic Slickdeals, a crowdsourced shopping platform, commissioned a new survey of 2,000 Americans and found that the COVID-19 pandemic has consumers shopping more impulsively than prior to the pandemic.

In January of 2020, before the pandemic, the average American was found to spend $155.03 monthly on impulse buys. In a new poll in April, during the pandemic, that number jumped up 18 percent to $182.98. Both polls of 2,000 Americans were commissioned by Slickdeals and conducted by OnePoll.

According to the respondents, nearly three in four (72 percent) said that buying something impulsively during the pandemic has positively affected their mood.

The top item Americans have bought impulsively during the pandemic was found to be cleaning supplies, followed closely by hand sanitizer and toilet paper. However, consumers also report impulsively buying other goods, with nearly one in four saying they’ve bought themselves a treat that they’ve had their eye on for a while. Nearly one in five have impulsively purchased a

new video game console, with 22 percent purchasing clothing and 18 percent spending on home improvement.

In fact, impulse spending does not mean just buying random, unneeded items. According to the results, more than half of Americans polled credit impulse buying with actually saving them money in the long run. When impulsively shopping, 52 percent of respondents said they typically take advantage of a deal rather than buying at retail price.

While the majority of impulse buys tend to be for oneself, getting things for their children was also a top response, with gifts for friends, and their partner scoring high marks as well. Nearly one in five say they impulse spend on their pet.

Since the pandemic began, 46 percent say they’ve ordered online groceries for the first time, with 47 percent trying a new streaming service and 35 percent being a first-time customer with a restaurant delivery app.

Nearly three in four (71 percent) said that they planned to continue the increased rate of online shopping even following the end of stay-at-home orders. GN