Gourmet News • August 2020

SUPPLIER NEWS:

NATURALLY HEALTHY:

NEW PRODUCTS:

Calico Cottage

Kombucha Town

Runamok Maple

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GOURMET NEWS

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T H E

B U S I N E S S

VOLUME 85, NUMBER 8 AUGUST 2020 n $7.00

NEWS & NOTES n

Specialty Food Sales Hit $158.4 Billion PAGE 6

RETAILER NEWS n

Meijer Opens Five Supercenters in the Midwest PAGE 10

SUPPLIER NEWS n

Flathau’s Fine Foods PAGE 12

NATURALLY HEALTHY n

Nature’s Path Provides Products for Value-Conscious Pandemicked Consumers PAGE 15

SPECIAL FEATURE n

Comfort Foods PAGE 17

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

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N E W S P A P E R

F O R

T H E

G O U R M E T

I N D U S T R Y

Boot-Strapping a Novel Food System for a Nation of Desert Dwellers

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Cherilyn Yazzie is a woman on a mission to improve the health of the people around her on the Navajo Nation by increasing food self-sufficiency and access to fresh produce in a very rural area that sits as a sovereign entity in the Four Corners region of the United States, spanning 27,000 square miles in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah – an area roughly the size of West Virginia. Almost the entire Navajo Nation is classified as a food desert by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and only 13 grocery stores were operating within the Nation as of November, 2019.

Those small stores predominately offer highly processed foods with low nutritional value and little in the way of fresh fruits and vegetables. Navajo Nation's food insecurity rates are among the highest in the United States, at 76.7 percent. Household food insecurity is linked to risks of obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

Yazzie was aware that people in her community who didn't have either easy access to a grocery store or homes served by an electrical grid and a municipal water system were heavily dependent on dried and canned foods that they got from either a conven-

tional grocery store or from U.S. government food distributions.

“With living off-grid, food storage is an issue that requires frequent trips to the grocery store and there are food safety issues,” she said.

She'd become an expert in many of those issues because she has a background in public health, working on education programs to educate tribal members about nutrition. She'd talk to school children about nutrition and its effects on their health only to be told that it was useless for her students to learn how to

Utopihen Farms is the newest brand of premium eggs from a family that’s in its fourth generation of raising laying hens and selling their eggs. It’s a scion of Nature’s Yoke, a producer of 100 percent natural premium eggs since George Weaver III launched the

brand in 2000. Now, he and his son George Weaver IV are inviting consumers to come along with them on a journey with a brand that’s dedicated to the production of pasture-raised eggs.

That journey starts in the eastern U.S. where Utopihen Farms currently has distribution, but the company is now making plans to expand the brand’s reach into the Midwest

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

later this year – depending on the COVID-19 pandemic – and ultimately west from there. “We conceived Utopihen Farms to invite consumers to join us in the journey to make positive change in the world,” Weaver IV said.

“We’re inviting them to make the change we want to see in the world.... It’s a movement; it’s not just an egg brand. It’s a move to make a journey toward, not just sustainable farming, but sustainable living and to have a larger

Seely Mint Patties have a depth of flavor that’s unmatched by conventional varieties of the same confection.

Hand-made in Oregon with Fair Trade-certified European dark chocolate and heirloom peppermint oil grown on one of the last remaining mint farms in the U.S., they’re the product of a fourth-generation farming family that’s been growing mint in the lower Columbia River basin since the middle of World War II. Mike Seely, today’s farmer, says that his grandparents switched their farm from onions to mint while his dad and his uncle were fighting in the Pacific campaign during World War II. A few farms in the region were already growing mint, and it was a crop they hoped to be able to make some money with and could farm without help from their sons. “Dad had spent a year at the University

Continued on PAGE 16

Continued on PAGE 14

Continued on PAGE 6

Pasture-Raised Eggs for a Sustainable Future

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Real Mint Flavor from a Farming Family

JK Adams Store Feeds the Pandemic-Inspired Need to Bake

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

When the COVID-19 pandemic sent Americans home to their kitchens to bake away some of their stress, The Kitchen Store at JK Adams was ready for them with stock that includes not only JK Adams rolling pins and chopping boards but also the baking pans specialty baking ingredients to go along with them, according to Jessi Kerner, JK Adams’ Director of Ecommerce and Danielle Smith, who manages the store that’s located on the premises of JK Adams’ headquarters plant in Dorset, Vermont.

JK Adams is marking 75 years

in business this year, and 2020 was supposed to be a year of celebration for the company founded on December 31, 1944.

Instead, it has turned out to be the year of the pandemic. Vermont Governor Phil Scott issued a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” emergency order that declared that, “Effective March 25, 2020 at 5:00 p.m., all businesses and not-forprofit entities not expressly exempted in the order must suspend all in-person business operations. Operations that can be conducted online or by phone, or sales that can be facilitated with curbside pickup or delivery

only, can continue.”

The Kitchen Store was allowed to continue operations, with curbside pickup, as an essential business, since it sells, in addition to its kitchenware, those baking ingredients and other specialty foods, including products from Nitty Gritty Grain, Co., singlesource, small-batch grain products from a seventh-generation Vermont farming family. “One of the biggest items that we sold during the height of the pandemic was flour,” Kerner said. With 3,500 square feet of space on three floors of the JK Adams factory facility, The Kitchen Store

has plenty of room for a range of specialty pantry items that includes Dorset Maple Reserve’s Pure Vermont Maple Syrup to go with Halladay’s Buttermilk Pancake Mix, Granny Blossom’s Corn Relish and Smokey Apple BBQ Sauce, multiple varieties of Castleton Crackers, pickle kits from Pearl and Johnny, Ajiri teas and coffees and a wide selection of products from Stonewall Kitchen, a fellow New England company. “Vermont is probably the first thing we’re looking at, and then we’ll carry something Continued on PAGE 10

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FROM NEWS THE & NOTES EDITOR

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

GOURMET NEWS

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FROM THE EDITOR

WWW.GOURMETNEWS.COM PUBLISHER

Psst! This is doubtless going to sound trivial to many of you, and rightly so, but I really miss eavesdropping. Now that we’re all social distancing from each other, I’m just not getting the same opportunities to experience the grand diversity of human drama by listening to other people’s conversations as if I were tuned in to a radio play.

I’m talking here about conversations that other people have right out loud in public places, not the kind of conversations in which people think they’re speaking in confidence. I wouldn’t actually snoop. But one reason I’m truly grateful for the invention of the cell phone is that once people pick them up and start talking into them, they seem to forget the presence of other people around them. It used to be that if I was bored on a Sunday afternoon, I could just wander over to the coffee shop in the Barnes & Noble bookstore and overhear the most amazing entertainment. Once I overheard a complete litany of a woman’s complaints about a husband who was late to pick her up after her shopping trip, which apparently was the very least of his sins, so that she was just about ready to kill him. She didn’t seem to have considered the option of leaving him – no, it was going to be death. Or else possibly a completely inadequate dinner. An hour later, I had complete notes on all of it. My best

guess was that she was on the phone with a sister – the woman did comment that she always felt better after one of these conversations. I wondered how the sister felt about it, since she didn’t seem like she’d had the opportunity to get many words in edgewise.

When I’m at a trade show, those convenient clusters of tables and chairs that some convention centers have been so thoughtful to provide are equally fruitful as places to eavesdrop, although, there, many of the conversations turn on show specials and pallet discounts when the people who are conversing are customer and vendor. But sometimes the pair in conversation is an experienced sales rep and a trainee, and I get the lowdown on which customer gets which deal, and what’s not to be offered to someone else who doesn’t ever pay on time. I love getting the inside dope on deals that I know nothing else about.

Airport departure lounges are also fertile ground – or, they used to be. People would settle into chairs next to each other, pull out some knitting, and start telling complete strangers where they’re going and why.

The only time I ever used to be annoyed by public conversations is when they happened in the seats in front of me while I was actually on the airplane. In that case, I’d generally do the polite thing and drown them out with music coming through my headphones. I never felt that I was missing that much – people don’t usually get so personal when they’re sitting on an airplane, and if

they did, they were usually just far enough away that I couldn’t catch the good details.

Next time I’m on an airplane, though, I plan to leave the headphones at home, and just soak it all in. I have lost time to make up.

In the meantime, my options are so limited. Just the other week, my neighbor across the street had a visitor, and the two of them sat on chairs on the opposite side of the front patio and shouted at each other.

Loud as they were, I didn’t get much more of the conversation than that they were talking about cars. That makes sense – my neighbor has a hot rod that he’s been working on this spring and summer. The friend hasn’t been back since, and I miss him. I just have to hope that he’ll come back, and next time they’ll shout a little louder and use a little less gearhead jargon. The conversation has to get all the way across the street, after all, and I am not a native hot rod speaker. I’ll be leaving my windows open, but I cannot learn the jargon so easily.

Let’s all hope this ends soon, and we can all go back to the little things that we miss the most. I hope that this time next year, we’ll have a vaccine that’s safe and effective, and we can all go back to treating each other as something other than a source of contamination. I miss you all! Save up a few good stories for me! GN — Lorrie Baumann Editorial Director

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NEWS & NOTES

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

News & Notes Specialty Food Sales Hit $158.4 Billion Based on sales data from the past three calendar years, the new Specialty Food Association’s annual “State of the Specialty Food Industry Report” reveals a robust specialty food industry hitting $158.4 billion in sales, a 10.7 percent increase since 2017.

The full report includes commentary throughout that reflects the impact and ramifications of COVID-19.

Though since impacted by COVID-19, foodservice and online sales continued to grow through 2019, with food inflation playing a role in the three-year industry growth as unit sales did not keep pace with dollar sales. In brick-and-mortar retail, the specialty food and beverage market continued to outpace sales of all food, growing three times faster than the entire food and beverage market during 2017-2019. In 2019, a dozen categories, more than ever before, achieved at least $2 billion in annual sales.

The annual report is an examination of market size and sales; dollar and unit sales growth; specialty food category penetration; growth forecasts in key categories; and consumer demographics, habits, and preferences. Working with Mintel, the SFA explores the evolution of the specialty food consumer, where the market stands, and

where it is going based on sales forecasts in key categories.

The five top categories with the highest dollar growth over the year included refrigerated plant-based meat alternatives, shelfstable creams and creamers, refrigerated creams and creamers, refrigerated ready-todrink tea and coffee and frozen breakfast foods.

Top-selling categories included cheese and plant-based cheese; frozen and refrigerated meat, poultry and seafood; chips, pretzels and other snack foods; coffee and hot cocoa; and bread and baked goods.

Millennial consumers were the most enthusiastic consumers of specialty foods in 2020, with 82 percent of them consuming specialty foods, compared with 70 percent for Gen-X, 59 percent of Baby Boomers and 76 percent of the younger Gen-Z generation.

With respect to COVID-19, the study found that retailers are re-strengthening their value to consumers. Despite massive growth in online grocery ordering, brickand-mortar retailers are more important in their communities than ever.

More consumers were cooking and baking at home as a result of the pandemic.

Many market researchers, including those

who participated in a recent market study

by FMI, have found that consumers may be getting tired of eating their own cooking and are eager for restaurants to reopen, but they’ve also learned new cooking and baking skills that are likely to stick with them, especially in the slow economic recovery that’s expected to outlast the pandemic itself. Though specialty food consumers are typically more affluent than non-specialty food consumers, Mintel expects that a sizable percentage of specialty food consumers will prioritize value more than they have previously because of the pandemic.

Snacking has become a much more common behavior among all consumers as they stay at home more frequently and grow tired of from-scratch meal preparation.

For the most part, the plant-based food movement hasn’t been adversely impacted

by COVID-19. Many brands saw sales increase as dairy products like milk and animal proteins were out-of-stock at times during the panic buying surge in March.

Health is of growing importance to consumers: Mintel predicts that they’ll increasingly seek better-for-you options, especially functional products that offer immunityboosting ingredients. GN

Navajo Nation

asked herself. “There are a lot of reasons that those things aren't happening, and they should be happening.... I just started thinking, What does that look like?”

She decided she needed to do more, starting in 2016 with a garden at her own home and then eventually expanding that into Coffee Pot Farms, a one-acre plot in Dilkon, Arizona, where she now grows vegetables for market and shares resources and information with other small farmers in her neighborhood who share some of the same goals. Along the way, she has learned a lot about the vegetables that her neighbors wanted to eat, she made some decisions about which of them were feasible on the land she had available and she started acquiring farming tools. “It has taken us a while,” she said. “This year, we're a little more organized – we have a crop plan.”

This was supposed to be the year that the farm was going to go big with a plan to set up multiple farm stands around the Nation where she and the other members of the Navajo Green Team, a collaboration with three other local farmers in the southwestern corner of the Navajo Nation, could sell the fresh produce they were raising. They had won a grant to pay for it, and they were thinking through locations and making plans to build. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “We've had to pivot our strategy,” Yazzie said.

With farmers markets and farm stands now a public health risk, Coffee Pot

Farms and Yazzie's allies have had to figure out how they can get their lettuce, bok choy, tomatoes, chiles, bell peppers and broccoli into the hands of customers.

Yazzie's new plan echoes the strategies adopted by independent grocery retailers elsewhere in the country – she's organizing produce deliveries and developing a website for the operation with some funding from the Native Organizers Alliance, a training and organizing network dedicated to building the capacity of Native tribes, traditional societies and community groups to make transformational change.

Like other grocery retailers who've been forced to adapt quickly to the demands of the pandemic, Yazzie's grappling with complicated logistics. On the Navajo Nation, the distances are great, and the population density isn't – the current population of that 27,000 square miles is about a quarter of a million people. Yazzie and her collaborators are still figuring out how far they can afford to deliver their produce. Until the website can be developed, customers for the service are placing orders for the farms' produce by phone and word of mouth as they get word about what produce is available and what it costs. “People are interested in it, but we're figuring it out,” Yazzie said. “I think next year if COVID-19 slowed down, we would probably do both [the delivery operation and the planned farm stands]. We would keep the online structure in place.” GN

Continued from PAGE 1 prepare healthier food if their real problem was that their families had no access to those foods.

As Yazzie explained in an application for a grant from OpenIDEO, an organization devoted to developing creative solutions to tough societal problems around the globe, “... what was once a community deeply connected to healthy cultural food practices, has now been displaced by a proliferation of unhealthy convenience foods in a community has been designated as a low income and low-supermarket access census tract by the United States Department of Agriculture.”

According to Yazzie's June 2020 application, the current unemployment rate for the Navajo Nation is 48.5 percent, and the average household income is $8,240.

“Many Diné [Navajo] families travel 20 miles or more to access the closest full-service grocery store,” she wrote. “The limited grocery store access and isolation is further exacerbated by high rates of chronic disease that disproportionately impact the Diné people.”

Yazzie thought about the reality that her people had a long history in which they'd provided themselves with the food they needed to live healthy lives in the same desert landscape where they live today. “How come we don't have our own local farmers and ranchers?” she

BRIEFS Kroger Health Receives Authorization for COVID-19 Test Kroger Health, the healthcare division of The Kroger Co., announced on July 1 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had granted Emergency Use Authorization for the COVID19 Test Home Collection Kit. The testing solution combines the safety and convenience of athome sample collection with the expert guidance of a telehealth consultation to help improve the quality of the collection process.

The home collection kit includes a nasal swab, transport vial, instruction sheet, prepaid shipping label, and packing materials for return shipment of the sample to the laboratory. Test processing was expected to take 24 to 48 hours.

Kroger Raises Quarterly Dividend 13 Percent The Kroger Co.’s board of directors approved a dividend increase from 64 to 72 cents per year. The next quarterly dividend of 18 cents per share will be paid on September 1, 2020 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 14, 2020.

Kroger’s quarterly dividend has grown at a double-digit compound annual growth rate since it was reinstated in 2006. This marks the 14th consecutive year of annual dividend increases. The company continues to expect, subject to board approval, an increasing dividend over time.

SPINS and GrocerKey Join Forces to Drive Loyalty and Conversion SPINS® is partnering with GrocerKey, a white label enterprise e-commerce platform for grocery retailers, to launch a rich attributepowered shopping experience driving accelerated commerce growth and loyalty. By joining forces, SPINS and GrocerKey bring a sophisticated comprehensive set of health, wellness, diets and sustainability information to custom retailer-owned shopping experience, giving shoppers the ability to browse and search by diet, conditions, preferences or avoidances to relevant personalization, recommendations, shopper profiles and preferences. GrocerKey’s comprehensive white label shopping platform powered by SPINS Product Intelligence allows retailers to create their unique voice and implement differentiating strategies while maintaining direct relationship with their shoppers.

Giant Food to Provide Free Charging for Electric Vehicles Washington, D.C. regional retailer Giant Food has begun to install electric vehicle charging stations that are free to use for EV drivers at select locations across Washington, D.C.; Maryland; Virginia and Delaware. Working with Volta, which provides the electric vehicle charging networks, installation of 60 EV charging stations will be completed by the end of 2020, and 200 are expected to be installed by mid 2021 as part of Giant’s sustainability initiative.

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RETAILER NEWS

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

Retailer News Meijer Opens Five Supercenters in the Midwest Meijer opened five supercenters across the Midwest, Meijer President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Keyes announced on July 9.

Located in Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Sycamore, Illinois; Bad Axe, Michigan; and Brimfield and Lorain, Ohio; the 159,000-square-foot stores offer a state-of-the-art shopping experience, providing customers multiple ways to shop in a specialty store environment.

“These new stores reinforce our ongoing commitment to serving the needs of communities at a time when everyone is looking for a one-stop shopping experience,” Keyes said. “We look forward to providing our customers with fresh options and innovative ways to shop so they can get the items they need while keeping their families safe.”

Meijer anticipates the various digital shopping solutions it has developed will be equally popular at the new stores as they have been across the Midwest during the

past few months. Customer usage of Shop & Scan, which allows shoppers to scan barcodes via a mobile app and bag their items as they shop, has made checkout easier.

The Meijer home delivery and pickup services have also helped encourage social distancing in communities across the Midwest.

Known for grocery options like more than 600 varieties of farm-fresh produce, 150 certified organic items and a full-service meat department, new Meijer stores also offer a pharmacy and general merchandise items more often found in specialty stores. That includes everything from women’s apparel – with on-trend styles in every size, on the same rack, at the same price – to beauty care, an expansive baby department and a pet department that offers 200 pet toys, 500 varieties of treats for dogs and cats and premium pet foods.

The new stores are currently operating

under adjusted hours and maintaining strict coronavirus safety measures. Inside stores, safety decals will be visible on the floor where customers typically gather, and protective plexiglass shields are at every checkout station. Additionally, team members receive daily health screenings and temperature checks and are recommended to wear masks. Customers are requested to wear face coverings consistent with applicable state or local guidelines.

In addition to opening at 6 a.m. and closing at midnight local time, the retailer is also dedicating exclusive store hours to allow more time for senior citizens, customers with chronic health conditions, essential service workers and team members to get their shopping essentials.

Prior to opening their doors, the new stores donated a total of more than $150,000 to 16 charitable organizations in the five communities. GN

JK Adams

ing,” she said. “We can’t buy regular hand sanitizer, but, fortunately, a number of the distilleries in our area are now making hand sanitizer. We’re basically rubbing ourselves down with hand sanitizer.”

In response to the pandemic shoppers who were buying up flour as well as bench scrapers, big boards for kneading and bowls for proofing dough, JK Adams experimented by adding more baking mixes, some butters and brown sugar, according to Kerner and Smith. “I’d love to get my hands on some yeast,” Kerner said. “It was one of those things for people that weren’t going to the grocery store very often. Once people started doing it, they realized that it wasn’t as hard or complicated as they’d thought it was. I think that it will continue – the baking will slow down a little bit in the summer months.... Since they’ve done it, I think they’ll be inclined to keep doing it. Baking and cooking is a stress reliever for some people.”

“Fresh-baked bread definitely offers that,” Smith added. “The taste, the smell of the warm baked bread with the fresh lump of butter.”

JK Adams products are merchandised throughout the store to highlight how the products might fit into shoppers’ cooking and baking plans and into their home décor. “We really are in that entertaining, tablescape space as well,” Kerner said. “The first floor is the pretty floor, with Polish pottery, Casafina and a lot of linen as well.”

“We try to set it up so people can see how it’s used,” added Smith. “It’s much more involved than just casually setting a rolling pin down next to some baking pans.”

The intentional merchandising helps add items to the customers’ shopping baskets,

according to Kerner. “Customers often buy a couple of items off a display rather than just the one,” she said. “It’s a good way for us to have more items per transaction....

That’s how the website is too – JKAdams.com sells the whole JK Adams line plus additional items. We’re looking for items not widely sold on Amazon, things that would add value to their purchase of a JK Adams item.”

That retail experience, both online and in the brick-and-mortar store, come into play in the company’s design process, said Kerner and Smith. “It’s definitely a dialog.

We’re not involved in day-to-day product developments, but as they talk about longrange plans, when they’re looking at packaging, they come out onto the floor and ask how it might be merchandised,” Kerner said. “Our pastry board is a take-off of something we had in our line 12 years ago.

We just had people keep asking for it.”

“A lot of times we get questions. I pass those requests along to the design team so they can keep track of them,” Smith added.

“We kind of pushed them to let them know that this is something for which we see a demand.”

The retail experience in the factory store comes into play again as Kerner assists JK Adams’ National Sales Manager set up the company’s trade show booths and talk to the retailers who visit the booth to see what’s new at JK Adams. “We know how it’s working in our retail store,” Kerner said.

“They understand what we’re talking about, and it gives them a little more value to the product. There are a lot of choices out there, and we know that – it’s really a partnership.”

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

Continued from PAGE 1 that’s hard to find in the grocery stores,” Kerner said. “We’re pretty remote and rural.”

The Kitchen Store also offers, in addition to the entire JK Adams product line, cutlery from WUSTHOF and Hammerstahl, a large gadget wall and marble cheese boards made from marble quarried in Vermont. “Our marble quarries is where most of New York’s marble comes from,” Kerner said.

“For our customers here, it really does mean something.”

That range of products as well as the ample space to allow for social distancing helped make the shop something of a local headquarters for cabin-fevered local residents as well as urban-dwellers with second homes in Vermont once the shop reopened in June following the May 15 expiration of the state’s stay-at-home order.

“Retail opportunities have been very limited,” Kerner said. “They feel comfortable coming into our store.”

“There are browsers for sure. People have been missing that,” Smith added.

“This is one of those stores that people come to on a weekly basis because they want to see what’s new.”

Sanitation had to take a step up throughout the factory as well as the store, with employees required to enter through one door to answer questions about possible exposure and have their temperatures checked. In the store, employees encourage social distancing and sanitize their counter every time they ring up a sale, Kerner said.

“We don’t have piles of goods on the counter. We’re watching how we’re pack-

BRIEFS Kroger Announces Leadership Changes The Kroger Co. announced the retirement of Joe Grieshaber, Senior Vice President and Chief Merchant, after more than 37 years of distinguished service, effective August 15.

Grieshaber will be succeeded by Stuart W. Aitken, currently Senior Vice President of Alternative Business and Chief Executive Officer of 84.51˚, Kroger’s data analytics subsidiary.

Yael Cosset, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, will assume responsibility for alternative business and 84.51˚.

Shipt Partners with Fresh Thyme to Bring Same-Day Delivery Across Midwest Shipt announced that it’s expanding its offerings by partnering with specialty retailer Fresh Thyme Farmers Market. Customers in 30 metro areas across the Midwest region will have access to this new offering from Shipt and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, giving more than 10 million households this option for same-day delivery.

Island Pacific Now Offering Contactless Payment Technology Island Pacific Supermarket, with locations in California and Nevada, is the first Filipino supermarket chain to offer online shopping with same day grocery delivery in the United States. As businesses continue phased reopenings in California and Las Vegas, the grocery chain is taking even more precautions to keep the community safe amid the coronavirus pandemic. Island Pacific now accepts contactless payment at all locations to keep shoppers, their families and employees safe. Contactless payment is a secure method for customers to be able to purchase their favorite Filipino grocery items using a debit,

Meijer Among First Midwest Retailers to Support Low Vision Customers with Free Aira App Meijer is offering free support to blind and low vision customers by partnering with the Aira app to increase accessibility and ease in their shopping trip. The Midwest retailer is among the first in the Midwest to provide customers free access to the app while shopping at any of its supercenters or neighborhood markets.

Aira is a service that connects blind and low vision people to highly trained, remotely located agents through the cameras of their smartphones.

At the touch of a button, Aira will connect customers who need immediate visual assistance with anything from reading in-store signage to product labels. While Aira has previously been accessible for a per-minute fee in Meijer stores, the new partnership provides customers the option to shop without paying a premium for accessibility. By offering free use of Aira in its stores, Meijer combines the convenience of onestop shopping with the convenience of personalized support for low vision and blind customers at no cost to the customer.

12

SUPPLIER NEWS

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

Supplier News A New Life for Grandma’s Shortbread Crescents

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Flathau’s Fine Foods is known to specialty food retailers mostly as a baker of cheese straws and shortbread cookies, but the company started out 25 years ago as a caterer for corporate events and weddings.

The Flathau cheese straws, chocolate chip cookies and white chocolate macadamia cookies were big hits at those affairs, but when Founder Jeff Flathau decided to take

a chance to expand his market with a trip to Atlanta’s gift market, he thought he might want to expand his product line as well. “I wanted to do shortbread,” he said.

“We were humming along there, and had the catering, so I didn’t have to make a living out of the cookie business... but I really wanted to get the business changed and get the packaged cookie business going.”

As he thought about shortbread, Flathau remembered the crescent cookies that his grandmother had made for him when he was a boy. After she’d passed along the recipe, Flathau baked the cookies and tasted them eagerly, only to realize that, while the cookies were good, what had made them really special was that his grandmother had baked them for him. That wasn’t an experience he could pass along in a package, so, regretfully, he continued his search for a great recipe.

Then, one day, he came home from work to find his wife, Heather, bashing away with a hammer on a bag of peppermint candy. “I thought she was off her rocker,” he said.

“She’s in the carport with a hammer and a Ziploc bag, and she’s bashing at it to crush peppermint candy to put inside the shortbread.”

Then Heather took some of that crushed candy and mixed it a batch of

cookie dough that had started with Jeff ’s grandmother’s recipe for crescent cookies and been doctored on by Heather. And when she’d baked that off, there was the magical experience that Jeff had been hoping for when he’d asked his grandmother for that recipe.

“That little bit of pulverized candy gives it a distinct flavor along with a little crunch from the candy inside the

cookie,” he said. “They say necessity is the mother of invention. We needed something that would sell, and we needed something with a long shelf life.”

That experiment in the carport eventually birthed two different product lines: one branded as Maddy’s Sweet Shop, a line of cookies that’s offered to the mass market and the Flathau’s brand cookies that are aimed at the specialty market.

Flathau’s now has seven different flavors of its shortbread cookies. The original Peppermint Snaps flavor was followed by Raspberry Snaps, then Key Lime Snaps. Butterscotch, Lemon and Cinnamon followed. The latest flavor was All-Natural Shortbread Cookies – a classic shortbread with no candy inside and no dusting of powdered sugar, which won a silver sofi Award in 2017 to add to

the two previous sofi Awards on Flathau’s shelf – one for Butterscotch Snaps and one for Raspberry – along with a wide range of other awards from various food and gift shows.

The cookies are offered in several different package sizes. A 4-ounce carton retails for $4.95, a 6-ounce carton retails for $6.49. There’s a 7-ounce Maddy’s carton that retails for $6.95, and the 8-ounce Flathau’s carton retails for $7.95. Flathau’s also offers a 6-ounce can of cookies that retails for $11.95. The can is modeled after a paint can, but it’s made of plastic and it’s reusable. “People use it for putting pins in or collecting pennies,” Flathau said. “We get people calling us and telling us that they have cans that are seven or eight years old.”

A 16-ounce can in a design similar to the 6-ounce can retails for $21.95. “It’s great for holiday gifts,” Flathau said. “We have a Holiday Assortment in the large can that has Cheese Straws, Plain Shortbread, Key Lime and Peppermint Shortbread.”

The assortment also retails for $21.95. “The Holiday Assortment is one of our top sellers during Christmas,” Flathau said.

“People like the choice, and it’s 24 ounces of each in the can, so it’s a good assortment.”

The cookies have a 9-month shelf life and are all still made in Mississippi. Flathau’s Fine Foods is a founding member of Genuine MS, a Mississippi state program that recognizes products that are grown or made in the state.

Flathau’s also offers private label products.

For more information, call 601.606.3899 or email flathauj@aol.com. Visit on the web at www.flathausfinefoods.com. GN

BRIEFS Steve Schuckenbrock and Mark White Join Gourmet Warehouse Board Gourmet Warehouse has appointed Steve Schuckenbrock, former chief executive officer of Crossmark, and Mark White, former president of Mosaic Sales Solutions, to its board of directors.

Both appointees will also serve as advisors.

Niceland Seafood Brings Frozen Icelandic Fish to U.S. Retailers Niceland Seafood, the first consumer-facing provider of Icelandic fish to offer full traceability from “sea-to-pan,” is shaking up the frozen category with resealable bags of wild-caught haddock and cod portions that retail for $24.99.

The move into frozen is the first in a series of upcoming product innovations from Niceland that will help shoppers feel more confident making responsible seafood purchases and cooking more fish at home. Just like all of Niceland’s products, its frozen line features the story behind the fish on pack, accessed easily by shoppers via a scannable QR code.

ChipMonk Baking Company Signs Production Facility Lease Houston-based CPG bakery startup, ChipMonk Baking Company, has signed a lease for its own dedicated production facility. The startup was formed in February 2019 by co-Founders Jose Hernandez and David Downing, producing cookies, treats and dry mixes that are sugarfree, healthy and nutritionally rich.

With its primary use of all-natural sweeteners monk fruit and allulose, the company serves a growing community of health-conscious customers with a variety of desserts that safely and deliciously fill the needs of pre-diabetics and diabetics.

Communities following a keto or low-carbohydrate diet also have become raving fans of the business.

Oregon Fruit Products Debuts Blueberries in 100% Blueberry Juice Oregon Fruit Products LLC added to its range of canned fruit offerings with the release of Blueberries in 100% Blueberry Juice. Packed in 100 percent unsweetened, not-from-concentrate blueberry juice, the new Blueberries in Juice contain no added sugar and are a healthy and delicious way to get the daily requirements of fruit by eating the berries and drinking the juice.

Harvester Farms Launches Savory Vegetable Line Harvester Farms has introduced its Freeze-Dried Sugar Snap Peas. To make them, fresh peas are freeze-dried, gently removing any water., and then seasoned with salt and pepper to transform them into a snack. They’re vegan and largely allergysensitive, as they are peanut free, tree nut free, soy free, dairy free and gluten free. They contain five grams of plant protein, representing 18 percent of recommended daily dietary fiber intake, and an entire bag contains only 120 calories. Harvester Farms plans to introduce a variety of Freeze-Dried Snap Pea flavors in the coming months.

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SUPPLIER NEWS

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

Fudge Sales Offer a Sweet Note in a Tough Time

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Calico Cottage offervs turn-key fudge programs and has more than a half-century of experience in helping brick-and-mortar retailers attract new customers as well as those who return to explore new flavors of an indulgent treat. “We invented the onpremise, small-space fudge-making program,” said Dan Russo, Vice President of Sales for Calico Cottage. “We’ve been around since 1964, and we’ve worked tirelessly to become the gold standard in retail solution programs, both for quality and an unwavering commitment to retailer success.”

Calico Cottage is a family-owned business founded by Leonard Wurzel and now operated by Mark and Larry Wurzel, who took over in 1992. “In 2008, Mark’s son Max got involved,” Russo said. Over those years, Calico Cottage has seen a lot of changes in the retail landscape, with some retail profits predicting the death of retail as we know it, but it’s not retail that’s dying, it’s boring retail, Russo said. Fudge provides an antidote for consumer boredom, even in times of re-

Seely Mint Patties Continued from PAGE 1 of Washington studying electrical engineering when he got his draft notice and joined the Marines,” Seely said. “He was a radio man in the Marines and worked with a [Navajo] Wind Talker. Once he had the radio shot off his back.... When he came back, he started farming alongside his father, raising mint.”

Mike’s dad expanded the farm from 35 acres to 115 acres, met a girl he liked at a dance hall and had five kids, including Mike, who started farming when he was six years old, raising pumpkins and selling them on the front porch for enough money to buy a $19.95 Timex watch. In following years, Mike expanded his farming operation to include other vegetables as well as the pumpkins for his front-porch farm stand.

“That’s how I paid for college,” he said.

Mike followed in his father’s footsteps by studying electrical engineering – he has a degree in electrical engineering as well as a master’s degree in business administration – before he went back to farming, this time with mint. Since there was no acreage right around his parents’ farm, he started his own farm 20 miles away. By this time, just about everyone in his family was raising mint and processing it for its oil, which found a ready market for the mint flavoring in candies, toothpaste and even tobacco. “William Wrigley from Wrigley Chewing Gum would come out to the farm in the ‘50s and grab the hoe from Mom and hoe 100 yards down the row with Dad and say, ‘We’re buying your oil again this year.’” Mike said. “Wrigley used to have 11 or 12 flavorists. One of their main jobs was to sniff the oil that came in – every barrel, They knew, when it came in, which barrels of oil came from our farm – that was the difference.”

cession, he added. “We’ve focused on the in-store inexperience and how to drive engagement in-store,” Russo said. “Fudge sales are still doing really, really well.”

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly changing how retailers operate and will continue to do that for some time to come, Russo believes that fudge sales still offer retailers an opportunity to connect with customers. “Even though people may not be traveling by plane right now, they’re still looking for ways to feel good,” he said. “Fudge is a feel-good item.”

Calico Cottage, based in Amityville, New York, is currently working with about 3,000 retailers across the country.

Over the years, fudge retailers have shared their hands-on knowledge and years of expertise to help Calico develop and hone best practices. “We’re constantly learning from our retailers,” Russo said.

“We act as a feedback loop, taking information from our customers and sharing with others so that they can be successful.” Calico Cottage also acts as an innovation re-

source for its retailers, staying on top of annual flavor trends and developing new fudge recipes. “We do the work so our retailers can stay on trend and remain relevant,” Russo said.

Although retailers may have to limit traffic and perhaps merchandise edible products a little differently than they might have done in the past, including adoption of new precautions around sampling, fudge sales can still offer a means of connecting customers with their memories of happier times, associating the store where they found the fudge with some of that emotional glow, according to Russo. “People are still gravitating toward the fudge,” he said.

“We’re all looking for that escape. We’re looking to get out, and we’re looking for reasons to feel good.”

Calico Cottage works like a franchise but doesn’t involve franchise fees, and once the company and a retailer come to an agreement to work together, Calico Cottage can provide all the equipment and know-how that are needed for success with a plan that’s customized to the retailer’s particular circumstances, according to Russo. “We talk you through what the best practices are, and we make sure that you’re able to execute and commit on those things.... You

follow the steps,” Russo said. “Once we’re ready, and we agree together to move forward, we literally have everything you need to get started: equipment, ingredients, packaging, glass for your display. We’ve got you covered; we have it all.”

With a range of programs designed to match the retailer’s particular circumstances, independent retailers have historically done very well with Calico Cottage.

Stores in tourist destinations have been especially successful, as have specialty grocers and cheese shops, according to Russo.

“Fudge does better in non-traditional retail environments and stands out a bit more,” he said. “In tourist destinations, fudge becomes an edible souvenir. People buy it to take home with them.”

Calico Cottage also recently began offering a nut program to complement fudge sales and help to compensate for a shorter sales year, Russo said. “That just complements the fudge enormously,” he said. “The fudge is visually appealing, but when you’re roasting nuts in store, you’ve got this fantastic aroma that just draws people into the store. It’s been an exciting launch thus far, even in the midst of these times.”

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

The depth of the aroma – and the flavor – of the Seely peppermint oil is the result of the unique heritage of the plant from which the oil comes, Black Mitcham Peppermint. It originated near Mitcham in England after the Romans brought spearmint with them from the Middle East on their way to conquer England, Seely says. “It crossed with watermint somewhere along the way to produce peppermint.” Discovered in the 1600s, the Black Mitcham variety was named after the town in which it was grown and the black edge on its leaf. “It evolved along that latitude to produce a unique essential oil.” Seely said.

That latitude isn’t far off the latitude

a host of other chemicals that lend it antioxidant and anti-radical properties.

Seely preserves those delicate components by harvesting his mint just once a year, rather than the twice-yearly cuttings that are done by some of his neighbors in the Columbia River Valley, starting in the morning just when the plants have begun to bloom. “It really never evolved to be that kind of plant – to be harvested twice a year.

It evolved to have a little bit of bloom to make the oil. Everybody else is focused on the yield rather than the flavor profile of the oil,” he said. “One harvest is enough for us. We want to harvest at that 3- to 5-percent bloom where you really have that flavor profile that we want.”

That flavor profile comes out in the Seely Peppermint Patties that are a flagship product for the Seely Family Farms brand.

Those were invented by Mike’s wife, Candy, after the market for fine-quality peppermint crashed when a synthetic menthol oil took over after the patent on its manufacture expired in 1962 and manufacturers started looking at it as a “natural flavor” that was a cheaper alternative to real mint oil. “This was in the ‘90s, and it was no longer about the quality of the oil; it was about the price point,” Seely said. “They started to transition away from high-quality, clean ingredients.”

Seely and his family of growing children started looking for another crop to raise on their farm, starting with a trip to the Portland, Oregon, farmers market to see what other farmers in their area were growing. “We thought we were done raising peppermint and spearmint,” Seely said. “On the way home, we realized that there was nobody selling mint at the farmers market. We talked our way in and got a booth. With no marketing plan or anything, we started selling.”

What Mike and Candy started taking to the farmers market was peppermint and

spearmint leaves for tea and bottles of the oil. They didn’t sell much. “We realized that people really had no clue about mint oil. They didn’t understand. They didn’t know if they wanted spearmint or peppermint or what,” Mike said. “They didn’t know what to do with it.”

Candy decided that the best way to show farmers market shoppers the potential of the oil was to demonstrate with some of her peppermint patties, which she took to the market to offer as samples to potential customers. “The very first lady – from a very wealthy area in the west hills of Portland said, ‘I don’t want to make these – I want to buy them,’” Mike recalls. “That’s literally how we got started.”

That was a moment of destiny for Seely Family Farms, which today offers 17 SKUs of products that contain the Seelys’ real peppermint and spearmint oil grown and processed on their farm in northwest Oregon. They include Seely Peppermint Patties, Dark Mint Melts, Peppermint Bark, Ivory Mints that are made from premium Italian white chocolate and peppermint/spearmint oil and candy canes – red-striped ones made with peppermint, green ones made with spearmint and red and green-striped canes made with a blend of peppermint and spearmint. The range also includes mint teas: Oregon Heirloom Peppermint Tea; Oregon Mint, made with a blend of peppermint and spearmint; Oregon Native Spearmint; and Oregon Peppermint & Green Tea. “We are destined to grow our business. One pint of peppermint flavors 55,000 sticks of peppermint chewing gum. It goes a long way, so we have a long ways to go to use all of our mint oil in all of our products,” Seely said. “It’s really all about clean ingredients, being sustainable, being Non-GMO Verified, using peppermint oil instead of synthetic.”

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

where Seely’s farm is found today, and, as it grew in England, his peppermint grows in a rich peaty soil in a climate that’s very similar to that of Mitcham to produce an oil whose flavor is a delicate balance of more than 200 chemical compounds. “That’s what creates a very unique flavor profile that’s controlled by soil, climate and how you raise it,” Seely said.

The scientists point out that peppermint oil has a composition that’s dominated by menthol, the chemical that produces the cool sensation when you breathe air into your mouth while you’re chewing a Seely Peppermint Patty, as well as menthone and

NATURALLY HEALTHY

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

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Naturally Healthy Nature’s Path Provides Products for Value-Conscious Pandemicked Consumers

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

As COVID-19 impact continues to be felt by shoppers, Nature’s Path is introducing several new products that will appeal to consumers who are more likely to believe in the value of nutrition as a preventive measure in their efforts to remain healthy.

The new products include a pair of boxed grain-free hot cereals, two Superfoods Oatmeals packaged in single-serving cups and three Superfood Granolas packaged in pouches under the Nature’s Path brand, along with EnviroKidz Turtle Splash cereal and new Love Crunch granolas designed for snacking.

In addition, Nature’s Path has partnered with Loop, a new project by social venture TerraCycle that’s focused on removing packaging waste from the online marketplace for consumer goods. “That has been a wonderful partnership,” said Arjan Stephens, Nature’s Path’s General Manager and a second-generation member of the family-owned business founded by Arran and Ratana Stephens in 1985.

According to an analysis by market research firm Euromonitor International, the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked an evolution in consumer markets that’s expected to be felt for some time to come. It has transformed the economic landscape by creating what is forecast to be the worst global recession since the 1930s, hitting every sector from hospitality to education and finance and inspiring consumers to be very value-conscious, not just in terms of price but in terms of how well products and price points fit into brands’ alignment with the consumers social and personal values. “Uncertainty remains high, but what is clear is that economies will not emerge unscathed and the daily routines and lifestyles of consumers will shift to accommodate continued social distancing,” Euromonitor stated in a recent report that predicts that, “a new normal will emerge, as fears of a pandemic or other destructive events remain palpable.” Fresh food, packaged food and home care purchases are exceptions to the general prediction that COVID-19 will have a negative impact on consumer markets. “We do not expect to see a new normal for packaged food; the industry is doing well and expects to return to normal in most cases, with a residual impact of stockpiling bringing purchases forward in some cases,” the Euromonitor report predicts.

“Demand for healthy organic food products isn’t slowing down,” Stephens agreed.

At the outset of the pandemic, Nature’s Path had considered delaying its launch of

new products because retailers were less focused on finding new products than on simply keeping their shelves stocked, but ultimately decided to proceed with planned launches simply because innovation is the lifeblood of the company’s brand, he said.

Nature’s Path is seeing some of the evolution in consumer buying habits predicted by Euromonitor in sales of its own organic breakfast and snack food products. With many consumers now working from home and not necessarily planning to return any time soon to crowded commutes, jammed elevators and Petri-dish break rooms, some of them have rediscovered breakfast cereals. “They have the commute time back,” Stephens said.

“Maybe you can enjoy your breakfast again and there’s a greater recognition that food affects overall health.... We’re seeing a huge resurgence in granola as well as cereals, especially in large-size packages.”

“Of course, working from home you have the ability, with not having to go to the office five days a week, you can save that time and be more healthful while you’re at home,” he added. “We’re seeing more consciousness around the food that’s being put into our family’s bodies. With kids not being able to go to school, that has allowed parents to be more mindful of the food they’re bringing home to their kids....

If they don’t have to drop their kids off at school, they can take those extra three to five minutes to make sure that they’re feeding their kids a healthy breakfast.”

Nature’s Path is offering those parents a new breakfast choice with its EnviroKidz Turtle Splash, a strawberry-chocolate flavored cereal in turtle shapes that’s gluten free and contains fruits, vegetables and legumes along with 4 grams of protein and 9 grams of sugar – an amount of sugar that’s 14 percent of the adult daily value – per 1-cup serving. The cereal is made with navy beans and brown rice flour and colored with beetroot and strawberry juice concentrate, so it colors milk pink, and the 10-ounce box offers a symbolic adoption of a baby sea turtle. EnviroKidz plans to donate 1 percent of Turtle Splash sales to animal conservation partners to support educational programs and endangered animals. Like all Nature’s Path products, it’s organic and it’s certified by the Non-GMO Project.

Nature’s Path also has a pair of new

Grain Free Hot Cereals that are Paleofriendly and vegan: Maple Almond Crunch and Cinnamon Apple Crisp. They’re nutrient-dense and boosted with 9 grams per serving of protein derived from watermelon seeds. They’re also an excellent source of ALA Omega 3 healthy fats.

New Nature’s Path Superfood Granolas are offered in three varieties: Golden Turmeric, Cacao and Smoothie Bowl.

They’re snackable granola clusters with a cookie-like mouthfeel and each is boosted with super food ingredients and healthy fats in the form of coconut and avocado oil.

Golden Turmeric contains turmeric, cinnamon and ginger along with black pepper and coconut sugar that contributes 5 grams of sugar per serving. The Cacao is made with fair trade raw cacao nibs and fair trade cocoa powder along with maca and lion’s mane mushroom.

Its coconut sugar contributes 4 grams of sugar per serving. The Smoothie Bowl variety contains spirulina, chlorella and kale along with a three-berry blend for extra antioxidants and fiber. Sweetened with coconut sugar, it has 5 grams of sugar per serving.

Golden Turmeric and Cacao flavors show up again in the new Nature’s Path Superfood Oatmeal, packaged in 1.76-ounce single-serving cups. They have 4 to 5 grams of sugar per serving in a base of steel-cut oats, rolled oats and chia seeds.

For its snack-focused Love Crunch brand, Nature’s Path is introducing two new premium organic granolas: Salted Caramel Pretzel and Espresso Vanilla Cream. Along with its whole grain rolled oats, the Salted Caramel Pretzel variety offers chunks of Fairtrade dark chocolate, caramel puffs made with Fairtrade sugar and molasses and a sprinkling of Himalayan sea salt. It delivers 140 calories per 1/4-cup serving. Love Crunch Espresso Vanilla Cream was inspired by Affogato, an Italian dessert of vanilla gelato drowned in a shot of espresso, and is made with Fairtrade-certified coffee black cocoa powder and cane sugar. It delivers 130 calories per 1/4-cup serving.

According to the Euromonitor analysis, healthy eating is likely to become even more important for consumers as their balance of exercise with nutrition has been disrupted by COVID-19 and the more sedentary lifestyles that the pandemic has enforced. “This will accelerate the shift towards more holistic wellness and eating, although the focus on calories consumed may become more important,” its report states.

Even as Nature’s Path has remained focused on its essential mission of producing healthy breakfast and snack foods, the company has also continued to extend its commitment to environmental sustainability, according to Stephens, who noted that the company occupies the first zero-wastecertified cereal facility in North America, with waste diverted to recycling, composting and animal feed rather than a landfill.

At this point 97 percent of its packaging, measured by weight, is recyclable, and the company has committed to making sure that the remaining 3 percent will be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

As part of that effort, the company has partnered with Loop, a TerraCycle venture that’s teaming up with consumer packaged goods companies – most of them in the personal care and home care spaces, although a few food companies such as Nature’s Path are involved – to create reusable packaging for products that are delivered in a reusable tote to consumers who order through an online platform. As the products are used, the empty containers are deposited back into the tote. When the tote has been filled, the consumer orders a pickup to return it to the Loop, where it’s cleaned and sanitized so it’s ready to be refilled for the next customer. The consumer pays a deposit on the reusable containers that’s repaid when the containers are returned, or the consumer can also opt for a subscription plan in which the return of the container triggers a re-order for the next delivery. The delivery-pickup-sanitize-reuse cycle does come with environmental footprint of its own, but it’s considerably less than the environmental impact of single-use containers, according to Loop. The company has begun deliveries on the East Coast of North America and has plans to continue its international expansion this year. GN

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NATURALLY HEALTHY

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

Kombucha Town Introduces Live Seltzers

BY LORRIE BAUMANN

Chris McCoy first heard about kombucha from his roommate at Western Washington University, where he was studying economics and environmental studies in the early years of the 21st century. His roommate recommended kombucha as a healthier alternative to sodas and energy drinks.

“There were a couple of kombucha lines on the market,” he said. “I started seeing it more and more.”

His degree in hand, McCoy went to work in the corporate world, but he took his kombucha along with him, and when he decided that his career needed to take another route so he could care for a mother who needed him, he turned back to kombucha as an opportunity to start his own business.

In particular, kombucha offered him the opportunity to start small, since it was a product with a very niche market of enthusiasts. By this time, kombucha had captured some notoriety after Lindsay Lohan made the news in 2010 after an alcohol monitor bracelet that she was wearing as a condition of probation was triggered while she was at a party. She later blamed, then retracted her claim, that the alarm went off because she’d been drinking kombucha.

That triggered a new look at kombucha’s

Utopihen Farms Continued from PAGE 1 and tangible impact both on the planet and in people’s lives.”

“We do not have to go through life looking down. We can have a better future than we have today,” his father added. “Going through tough times, like we are now, makes so many of us see how much there is to be done to make the world a better place. We’re inviting people to join us on a journey to make a true change out beyond just themselves.”

The brand currently works with 24 family farms in the area around the company’s headquarters farm in New Holland, Pennsylvania. “Each family we work with is very passionate about family farming, and we form a collaborative partnership with them,” said Weaver IV. “This allows them to care for their own family hens.... All of these go out to pasture. They have structures like a greenhouse with curtained sides that the birds can go into at night.”

Utopihen Farms will offer four products in a range that responds to consumer concerns around value, quality and allergic sensitivities to grocery retailers across the U.S. : Original Pasture-Raised Eggs, Organic Pasture-Raised Eggs, Soy-Free Pasture-Raised Eggs and Pasture-Raised Duck Eggs. All the chicken eggs are brown, while the duck eggs are white. “Each individual type speaks specifically to the consumers who are asking for it and have a need for it,” said Weaver IV. “While we deeply understand our con-

alcohol content. Kombucha is made by culturing sweetened tea with microorganisms that feed on the sugar during fermentation, producing alcohol and amino acids, active enzymes and polyphenols. While that alcoholic content is typically present in kombucha only in trace amounts, it depends on the amount of sugar available for the microorganisms to feed on. In the brouhaha

around kombucha that resulted from the Lohan controversy, Whole Foods Market pulled some of its kombuchas from its shelves because their alcohol content exceeded trace levels. That created a fork in the road in which some kombucha brewers continued to make kombucha as a nonalcoholic soft drink option while others embraced its potential as an alcoholic beverage.

McCoy founded Kombucha Town in 2011 with an alcoholic product that he of-

fered to a very small market in reusable glass growlers to minimize packaging waste. “I saw that as a good opportunity to get into the market place,” he said. Kombucha Town was a founding member of the Kombucha Brewers International trade association in 2013. Membership in the organization has grown to more than 500 makers in more than 20 countries, McCoy said, propelled largely by the entry of equity investment into the space.

Since then, McCoy has steered Kombucha Town into the nonalcoholic beverage market as a product packaged in singleserving cans. “We’re a smaller brand, still, but we’re considered an innovator and thought leader in the space,” he said. “One of our earlier innovations is that we brought the first live kombucha product in a can to the market in 2015.” From there, the product has evolved to obtain organic certification, non-GMO certification, and flavors grew from two to six over the next year and a half. “I’ve always been very bootstrapped,” he said. “I’ve learned a ton from having to grow through that.”

Among other things, McCoy has learned to compete by catering to consumers who respect simple, bold flavors but who are also conscious of value as they choose beverages to replace the mass-marketed sodas they’ve soured on. “I think that the positioning of the brand has always been to create healthy alternatives for people who don’t have them from a beverage standpoint,” he said. “I see us as adding the most value and alleviating some of the pains

from consuming so much of those products [sugary sodas] that were really people’s only options for a long time.”

Kombucha Town is now paddling into the bubbly waters chute with the first live probiotic seltzer in the market. Kombucha Town Live Seltzer is offered in three flavors: Cucumber, Ginger and Grapefruit.

Each contains cold-brewed kombucha with its live cultures, brewed tea and fresh hero ingredients. It appeals to beverage consumers who are clearly avoiding sugar and energy drinks in favor of unsweetened flavored seltzers. “That was inspired by the massive growth we’ve seen of the market,” McCoy said. “Kombucha was a way to add something positive.”

The Live Seltzers contain 0 grams of sugar and either 1 or 2 calories per serving, depending on flavor. “That’s something that really fits into Paleo, keto – all of the diets that minimize sugar and carbohydrates,” McCoy said. “Most kombuchas have quite a bit of sugar in them.”

Kombucha Town Live Seltzer is launching with KeHE in August as part of the distributor’s “What’s Next” portfolio and will be launching with local beverage distributors in the Pacific Northwest in early September. The Live Seltzers have a suggested retail price of about $1.29 to $1.79 per can.

McCoy recommends that, since the product does contain live cultures, it’s probably best merchandised in the refrigerated case alongside other single-serve beverages.

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

sumers and the marketplace, we are not marketers–we are farmers,” said Weaver III. “We are farmers. I grew up collecting eggs every day. I’m living on the farm that I grew up on.”

Nature’s Yoke has been raising cage-free eggs since the early 1990s, Weaver III said.

“Once you do that, there’s no stopping point, you keep wanting to do better and better by the hens,” he added. “It wasn’t hard to find these farmers.... When you found that farmer that really did care about pasture-raised, they were on board. The experience that I had doing that was unbelievable. They’d tell me the latest things that their chickens are doing. It was a personal relationship that I’d never seen before.”

“I would go and walk through the pastures. These chickens would follow me wherever I’d go, and they’d be pecking my boots, so you knew they were not afraid of people. So I was sold,” he added. “When you realize the depth of caring that exists, and the farmers get excited, you get excited – all you need to do is find a way to get these eggs to the market. I am convinced that when people start eating these eggs, they will be thrilled.”

Original Pasture-Raised Eggs are for the consumer who may be very concerned about animal welfare but who’s also pricesensitive and may not be willing to pay the premium to buy a box of eggs that has “organic” on the label. Like all the other eggs representing the Utopihen Farms brand, the chickens who laid these eggs were pasture-raised. While that’s not a term with a legal definition that’s regulated by the fed-

eral government, “pasture-raised” is a term that’s defined by Humane Farm Animal Care, the organization behind the Certified Humane® mark that’s on Utopihen Farms egg cartons. Those standards require that the birds have daily access to pasture for at least six hours a day, and they have to have enough space to spread their wings. The pasture must be covered mainly with living vegetation, so the birds can peck on vegetation, bugs and worms if they like. The Utopihen Farms chickens have a minimum of 110 square feet of pasture space per bird, which exceeds pasture-raised farming standards.

“This land is ideal for these farms. It’s super-lush, all pastures – a very beautiful area up here,” Weaver IV said. “They enjoy grazing orchard grasses, herbs and clover – the variety of vegetation helps protect and stabilize the soil.”

Utopihen Farms Organic Pasture-Raised Eggs are for consumers who are committed to all of the elements of certified organic eggs. When they buy organic eggs, they know that the chickens grazed on pastures that were certified organic, so they’re not getting genetically-modified organisms or pesticides in their feed.

Organic certification does not in itself provide an assurance of humane treatment, since the federal government withdrew in 2017 a modified regulation that would have set standards for humane treatment of

organic livestock, and the matter is still in litigation more than two years later. Utopihen Farms provides a guarantee of humane treatment with the Certified Humane mark.

Soy-Free Pasture-Raised Eggs come from chickens with no soy in their diet in answer to requests from consumers. “There are a lot of people living with food sensitivities or who are concerned about hormone disrupting issues,” said Weaver IV. “Or, consumers may be allergic to soy, so they can eat this egg. Consumers love it, for sure.”

The Utopihen Farms Pasture-Raised Duck Eggs are another answer to consumer requests. They come from Khaki Campbell ducks and are sold in cartons of six, often to bakers who value them because duck eggs have more yolk in proportion to the white than do chicken eggs. Since it’s the yolk of the egg that contains the egg’s fat, the larger yolk means more fat content, which makes baked goods richer, and the larger whites makes cakes rise higher and fluffier. The whites are also stiffer, which helps stabilize meringues. “These eggs are the shopper’s dream – especially those who want to bake,” Weaver IV said. “Duck eggs are sold in a carton of six – people typically don’t need a full dozen for baking.” Duck eggs also appeal to consumers who are on a keto or Paleo diet, since they contain extra protein, added Weaver III. For more information, visit www .utopihenfarms.com. GN

SUPPLEMENT TO

AUGUST 2020

GOURMET NEWS

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T H E

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N E W S P A P E R

Comfort Foods

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MarDona Black Truffle Marinara Sauce MarDona Specialty Foods’ gourmet Black Truffle Marinara Sauce is versatile and perfect for any pasta dish or as a dipping sauce for a crusty bread. MarDona uses only pure, natural ingredients in the making of its gourmet sauce – the best crushed tomatoes, fresh spices, pure truffle infused olive oil and the finest black truffles. Then the sauce is slow cooked over a low heat for hours to achieve its lus-

cious thickness and well-balanced great taste. Sodium and calorie levels are as low as possible, and it’s gluten free.

MarDona Specialty Foods 855.645.7772 www.mardonausa.com

L’Abeille Occitane Pure Lavender Honey The French Farm’s L’Abeille Occitane Pure Lavender Honey is just that – raw, unfiltered honey without any additives or preservatives. This honey, which hails from Provence in the heart of France, is made by bees that have pollinated only lavender flowers. The result is a light-colored honey with a delicate, floral taste and a superb texture.

This lush monofloral honey was the winner of a gold sofi Award presented by the Specialty Food Association in 2018. Not only that, L’Abeille Occitane Lavender Honey has been one of The French Farm’s best-selling honeys for many years.

Your customers will be delighted to try

this honey as an accompaniment to their favorite cheese, stirred into a cup of tea, drizzled over yogurt with fresh berries, or simply enjoyed straight from the jar by the spoonful.

Packed 12 units in a case and imported from France, L’Abeille Occitane Lavender Honey is available at The French Farm.

The French Farm 713.660.0577 www.thefrenchfarm.com

Bella Sun Luci Plant-Based Tomato Jerky Mooney Farms and the Bella Sun Luci brand, which pioneered the sun dried tomato category over 35 years ago, has once again brought innovation to the category with a new line-up of plant-based jerky that appeals to today’s consumer looking for healthy options without sacrificing flavor.

Bella Sun Luci Plant-Based Tomato Jerky was designed to be a healthy savory snack that is on trend with today’s foodie culture. This on-the-go snack packs the big bold flavor that you would expect in jerky with all the healthy goodness of a tomato. It is handcrafted, non-GMO, and vegan, in addition to providing 6 grams of protein and fiber. There is also zero cho-

lesterol and zero fat, making it a healthy addition to any lifestyle.

And at only 80 calories per serving, these bite-sized morsels truly are a perfect guilt-free snack.

Bella Sun Luci Plant-Based Tomato Jerky is offered in three flavors: Hickory Smoked, Sriracha and Teriyaki and Cracked Pepper.

Mooney Farms www.bellasunluci.com

Lioni Retail Cup Line Refreshes Its Look for Fall Lioni is introducing new elegant imagery for its traditional fresh mozzarella retail cups in fall of 2020. The new packaging for Burrata, Burrata with Truffles and Bufala Mozzarella was designed to stand out as a premier choice for customers as they reach for fresh mozzarella products on store shelves.

Lioni’s existing Artistry retail cup line ties in seamlessly with the traditional line’s new look.

Lioni’s Fresh Mozzarella retail cups are all natural, with no additives or preservatives and are rBST free.

They’re a stand-out among other mozzarella products with their creamy, smooth texture and exceptional taste.

They are available in 8-ounce cups of traditional mozzarella varieties as well

as in a marinated blend. They have a shelf-life of 28 days from date of manufacture.

Lioni utilizes modern technology and computer-monitored equipment imported directly from Italy. A strict attention to detail goes into every step of production. Lioni supplies buyers with a full product line of fresh mozzarella, burrata and bufala products for both food service and retail demands across the United States and currently ships nationally each week via refrigerated trucks.

Lioni Latticini Inc. 908.686.6061

New Stonewall Home Brand Launches with Premium Candle Line Stonewall Kitchen is expanding its repertoire with Stonewall Home, a new brand that has just debuted with a line of handtrimmed candles from Maine. Crafted with a luxurious soy blend and scented with captivating fragrances, these premium candles are designed to shine a light on life’s best moments.

The line features a range of memorable scents, from invigorating Balsam Woods to soothing Lavender Fields to beachy Sea Salt Mist and Shoreline. Cashmere and Driftwood varieties highlight musky aromas like leather and amber, while Tea Rose and Rainy Days capture the romantic, floral notes of rose and lily. Stonewall Home will also carry seasonal candles, such as autumnal Apple Orchard, homey Cinnamon & Spice, warming Maple Pumpkin Butter and serene Winter White. Together, these offerings give customers gorgeously packaged and richly scented options for illuminating and enhancing

their homes.

Each highquality candle is meticulously mixed and mastered to create a superior fragrance experience. A special blend of soy and food-grade paraffin wax results in a beautiful creamy appearance while providing a clean burn. The hand-trimmed cotton wicks are lead free and provide a consistent fragrance release with a large, even wax pool.

Shoppers will appreciate having a selection of candle styles to choose from. Large and medium apothecary versions both come with two wicks, while a medium bowl candle has three. Also available is a fragrant wax melt for use with a warmer.

All styles boast a clean, classic design.

Stonewall Kitchen 800.826.1752 www.stonewallkitchen.com

Monti Trentini Truffle Caciotta The Truffle Caciotta from Monti Trentini is the perfect balance between the strong and earthy flavor of the black summer truffle and the buttery yet sweet taste of the fresh caciotta that makes many American cheese lovers fall in love with this imported cheese.

Truffle Caciotta is great for snacking, and on a cheese board, it adds some intrigue. It has the meltability to be great on a grilled cheese sandwich, and it adds ex-

quisite flavor over eggs or grilled meats.

It’s offered in 8-ounce wedges or in 1.25-pound wheels perfect as the centerpiece for a magnificent cheese board.

Monti Trentini USA LLC www.montitrentini.com

High-Quality Egg Noodles a Comfort Food Staple Bechtle Broad Egg Noodles are crafted in Germany by a family-owned company located in the agricultural southern region.

These non-GMO egg pastas are the ultimate comfort food. Parent company AlbGold cracks 150,000 fresh eggs every morning. The eggs come from cage-free “happy” chickens and can be traced to two farms in Germany. The golden color of the noodle truly shows the quality of these egg noodles, which are made from simple ingredients – just durum wheat semolina and eggs.

Whether smothered in butter and fresh Parmesan, used in a favorite casserole or mixed with olive oil and fresh vegetables, these are quickly becoming a staple for

the pantry. Top sellers are Broad Egg Noodle, Farmer’s Spaetzle and Thin Soup Noodle. The Farmer’s Spaetzle is used by many chefs, as it holds sauces beautifully, while the new Mini Lasagne is quickly becoming a go-to item for the home cook. Available through all major distributors, now is the time to stock your shelves for this fast-selling staple. Variety allows for nice basket lift, and repeat sales have proven to be very robust.

Gourmet International 800.875.5557

New Promo Campaign for Icons of European Taste The producers of Prosciutto di San Daniele PDO, Grana Padano PDO and Prosciutto di Parma PDO are the focus of an exciting joint promotional campaign that seeks not only to raise awareness about these unique foods among American and Canadian retailers and consumers, but also to emphasize the importance of quality, authenticity and tradition.

Although these products are from Italy, they are indicative of the many traditional

foods from Europe that are unique to their respective areas, as well as the production methods which have been handed down from generation to generation by proud artisans who are in tune with the land and the seasons.

Icons of European Taste www.iconsofeuropeantaste.eu

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Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland: Traceable to its Origin

L’Epicurien Preserves Line from The French Farm

Gruyère AOP, the inimitable cheese from Switzerland that has been made in the same way for over 900 years, does not follow trends. Traceability has always been an essential part of quality control for Gruyère AOP and is a cornerstone of the cheese’s production.

When being 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 that’s entirely 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. The buyer can then go to www.gruyere.com/en/zone-production

The L’Epicurien product line ranges from sweet, extra fruity preserves, to original savory specialties, to an array of confits of fruits, flowers and wine.

The brand dates back to 1982 when Master Jam Maker Bernard Le Gulvout revived a delicatessen in Saint-Manda and named it L’Epicurien. Deciding to focus on developing his own products, Bernard Le Gulvout settled down in a fruit production region, the Languedoc-Roussillon, in the mid-1990s. Since its launch more than 30 years ago, L’Epicurien has remained strictly a family business, run by Bernard Le Gulvout and his nephews.

Although the production house is equipped with modern facilities, the manufacturing processes remain solidly traditional in order to preserve the authenticity of the flavors. L’Epicurien uses an Old World style of production, simmering their preparations in open copper cauldrons, which brings out the full subtlety of the flavors while retaining the natural colors. All preserves contain a high percentage of fruit – as much as 65 to 75 percent – to en-

and enter the creamery’s unique code to see exactly where the wheel of Gruyère AOP was produced.

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.

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 Gruyère AOP www.gruyere.com

Jasper Ranch Original Almond Brittle Jasper Ranch Original Almond Brittle is the perfect comfort food for the almondloving consumer. Jasper Ranch only uses the highest quality almonds from its very own orchards grown in California’s Central Valley. Produced in a dedicated peanut-free facility, these premium California almonds are dry roasted and cooked in small batches to deliver exceptional quality. Original Almond Brittle is scored in 1inch pieces for the ease of snacking and packaged in a 5ounce resealable gusset bag to fit perfectly on store shelves and in vehicle cup holders. It can also make the perfect addition to any snack drawer or sweet craving.

Jasper Ranch is a proud brand of

Jasper Specialty Foods, a multi-generational, family-run operation headquartered in Newman, California, and specializing in the production of unique almond-related food snacks, confections and other treats for the specialty food market. The company is actively involved in developing new flavors, custom mixes and smart packaging with an emphasis on small-batch process and exceptional quality. California almonds from Jasper Ranch are the perfect pairing of handcrafted production along with new and traditional flavors.

Jasper Specialty Foods 800.255.1641 www.jasperranch.com

Mauna Loa’s Line of Dairy-Free Frozen Desserts The macadamia nut is now available in the frozen dessert section with Mauna Loa frozen desserts made with macadamia milk. Mauna Loa’s premiere line of macadamia-based frozen dessert comes in six island-inspired flavors.

All flavors are fashioned from simple ingredients, vegan, dairy-, gluten-, soy-, and GMO-free, which make Mauna Loa’s new frozen treats tip-top for the health-and-wellness-conscious consumer.

The first ingredient is macadamia nut milk, which delivers the creaminess and indulgence that consumers are looking for in dairy-free frozen desserts.

They include Rocky Road to Hana, a recipe named for Maui’s storied, winding road that blends creamy chocolate, vegan marshmallows and macadamia nuts.

Vanilla Orchid is a traditional favorite, while Mango Liliko’r is a tart yet sweet blend of

mango and passionfruit. Kona Coffee is for coffee lovers and is made with Hawai’i’s coveted Kona coffee. Chocolate is made extra creamy and decadent, and Vanilla Chocolate Chip is smooth, silky and chock-full of chocolate chips for the best of both worlds.

This launch will coincide with a brand relaunch that includes new packaging design, paying homage to its provenance, and reformulation, converting into non-GMO ingredients. With its core lineup of dryroasted, flavored macadamias, Mauna Loa is already a favorite for those who follow keto and Paleo diets, since macadamias have healthy fats, are low in carbohydrates and have the best omega-3 to omega-6 ratio of any tree nut.

Hawaiian Host Group www.maunaloa.com www.hawaiianhostgroup.com

sure outstanding q u a l i t y.

The addition of cane sugar preserves the richness of the colors and flavors. The result is a full-bodied, flavorsome product offered in traditional preserve flavors like Black Fig and Very Strawberry as well as unique favorites like Coco Passion (a blend of coconut and passionfruit) and Apricot Lavender. On the savory side, front-runners include Fig & Balsamic Confit, Bruschetta with Eggplant & Red Pepper and Green Olive & Almond Tapenade.

The Confit for Cheese Display includes the four best-selling flavors – Fig & Walnut, Black Cherry, Williams Pear with White Wine, and Apple Cider with Calvados – and even has a pairing chart to let your shoppers know what cheese each flavor complements the best.

The French Farm 713.660.0577 www.thefrenchfarm.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 food-grade mineral oil helps to revive, seal and protect surfaces in and around the home. Use Wax-ItAll 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; simply rub the wax on, let it absorb and buff off any excess.

Safe for indoor and outdoor countertop surfaces, Wax-It-All also helps delay tar-

nishing and oxidation of bronze, copper, brass and even wrought iron, leaving finishes with a soft sheen and a smooth feel.

Wax-It-All locks in oils and waxes after using other Howard’s foodgrade products, and it’s even great for woodworkers who need a hard, carnauba wax finish. Wax-It-All is made in the USA with food-grade ingredients under strict quality controls. Minimum wholesale orders are only six cases.

Howard Products 800.266.9545 www.howardproducts.com

Artichoke Innovation from Cynara Cynara Worldwide Sourcing, Inc. has invested heavily in technology, science and global initiatives to be the global leader in artichoke production, innovation and distribution. The company has just announced its first-to-market Artichoke Chyps as a ground-breaking addition to its family of premium artichoke products.

Cynara’s Artichoke Chyps are made from farm-picked artichokes, high oleic sunflower oil and sea salt. The chyps are plantbased, high in fiber, naturally gluten free, non-GMO verified and have zero sugar.

Cynara’s other new product, Artichoke Delights, is sustainably packaged premiumquality artichokes, hand-picked at their peak and ready to eat in a variety of sizes and flavor options (in brine, marinated or grilled). The trays are BPA-free and safe to freeze or microwave. The artichokes are tender to the bite and don’t contain any artificial ingredients.

The snack and ready-to-eat food category is highlighting more and more healthy options that retain flavor and are ready to take anywhere. Cynara has continuously stayed at the forefront of healthy food

trends and proudly uses renewable and recyclable material to package its products.

Furthermore, Cynara has launched its Certified Organic Expansion Project with a mission to continue to support artichoke farmers and growers, with new organic crops being expanded each year. The new distribution initiatives into the U.S. retail, ecommerce, foodservice and private label markets will continue to grow their brand awareness and product knowledge.

The company’s primary corporate philosophy is to be responsible global citizens. Cynara’s Organic Artichokes are raised in the nutrient-dense soil of Spain and are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. They come in a variety of sizes and preparations for all culinary needs.

Cynara Worldwide Sourcing Inc. www.cynara.net/us

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Glass BBQ Sauce Bottle Ardagh Group’s classic 17-ounce Glass BBQ Sauce Bottle is the perfect complement to your brand’s sauces and dressings. Proudly made in the U.S., the bottle is made using high-quality flint (clear) glass with a 38mm continuous thread finish.

This 100 percent and endlessly recyclable glass bottle is environmentally friendly and boasts an excellent shelf life.

The 17-ounce BBQ Sauce Bottle is offered in 12-pack cases available for purchase on Ardagh’s BOB™ site (food.buyourbottles.com) with convenient online ordering and payment via credit card or PayPal. Or, you can purchase the bottle in six-pack cases by contacting

Ardagh dir e c t l y.

Ardagh is dedicated to the craft food market with capabilities and resources to grow with you every stage of the way. By the pallet or truckload, BOB and Ardagh have the ideal shapes and styles for craft food producers like you.

Ardagh Group 856.455.2137 food.buyourbottles.com

Contactless Fudge Offerings from Country Fresh Country Fresh Food & Confections, Inc. offers lots of packaged, “contactless” fudge offerings including a display of Country Fresh Fudge™ 6-ounce fudge trays in assorted flavors. The full color display contains an assortment of six top selling flavors. Each clear, resealable tray has a six-month shelf life and allows the fudge to be viewed by the consumer. The suggested retail is $5.99 each.

Displays are also available in ketofriendly, Sugar-Free Fudge, as well as Spirit Legends flavors such as Kentucky Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey, which mimic the flavors of famous spirit brands.

Other fudge products offered by Country Fresh Food & Confections, Inc. include

more than 100 flavors of bulk fudge loaves, precut bulk fudge that does not require weighing or cutting, various retail packages, gift boxes and premium fudge mix for those wishing to make fudge on site. Private labeling is also offered for various packages.

Country Fresh Food & Confections Inc. 800.545.8782 www.countryfreshfood.com

Real Farmers, Real Mint Seely Family Farms’ Peppermint Patties are handmade right on the family’s fourthgeneration mint farm. Real heirloom Black Mitcham peppermint oil is coupled with 70 percent fair trade European dark chocolate that makes for the best mint patty ever. The Seely Mint Patties are certified by the Non-GMO Project and are individually wrapped and perfect for the point of sale at the cash registers as well as the

grocer’s shelf. Seely Mint Patties are the only clear packaged mint, so that the customers can see the handmade quality.

Seely Family Farms 503.369.4350 www.seelymint.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, sandwiches, 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

New Shipper Display from Crispy Green Consider Crispy Green’s latest innovation – the case stack shipper. This gorgeous, eye-popping, functional and affordable turnkey merchandising solution will attract not only moms searching for back to school snacks, but anyone who walks by – and could even draw in some new customers who aren’t familiar with the product. Crispy Green’s research proves how merchandising Crispy Fruit can drive more traffic and higher profitability. This display (with virtually no assembly required) is now available to order. Just send an e-mail to sales@crispygreen.com for information on how to place your order.

Crispy Fruit Snacks from Crispy Green are the perfect find for parents seeking snacks that are nutritious, have no added sugar, offer clean ingredients, contain no

genetically modified ingredients and are allergen free.

Crispy Fruit snacks taste great, too. They are 100 percent pure fruit, freeze-dried to the perfect crisp. Apples, mangoes, strawberries and five other delicious fruits are offered in convenient grab and go bags.

These delightful and crispy fruit slices actually retain most of the nutrients of fresh fruit and are shelf-stable.

Crispy Green Inc. www.crispygreen.com

Cynara Brings First-Ever Artichoke Chyps Artichoke Chyps are Cynara’s own innovation in the market and the newest addition to its family of premium artichoke products. This awardwinning, superfood snack is made from three ingredients: fresh artichokes, high oleic sunflower oil and sea salt. The artichokes are carefully collected and selected by hand, thinly sliced, lightly fried and then packed to enjoy in a resealable, recyclable, gusseted bag. Suitable for all food tribes; they are plant-based, high in fiber (10 g), naturally gluten free,

non-GMO verified, have zero sugar, zero cholesterol and zero trans fat. They are also loaded with minerals, vitamins and protein.

These crispy bites are the perfect fix for a salt craving and have the potential to transform traditional snackers into healthy Artichoke Chyps consumers. Use to add texture and a burst of artichoke flavor to salads or as you would any other produce-based snack product.

Cynara Worldwide Sourcing Inc. www.cynara.net/us

Veggie Pita Crackers from Simple Mills Simple Mills is on a mission to change the way the world eats and to show people what good food can do. Using only whole food ingredients and nothing artificial, ever, Simple Mills has developed a wide variety of delicious and healthy crackers, cookies, and baking mixes that are meant not only to be enjoyed, but to nourish.

Simple Mills believes food has the power to transform how you feel and to help you live your fullest life, one bite at a time.

The newest addition to the Simple Mills’ family, Veggie Pita Crackers, is a first-ofits-kind pita cracker that puts good-for-you ingredients at the forefront, literally. The beloved pita chip has gotten a major upgrade, with a unique combination of vegetables as the first ingredient, helping boost the consumer’s vegetable intake with every bite. Simple Mills’ Veggie Pita Crackers feature clean, whole foods and are made with a sweet potato/parsnip/celery root blend that delivers the nutrients of one-third of a serving of sweet potato in only nine crackers.

The result of Simple Mills’ desire to reimagine the classic pita chip is a crunchy, dippable, nutrient dense cracker

that is the first vegetable-powered, grainfree, gluten-free pita option in the cracker aisle. Veggie Pita Crackers allow the consumer to have nourishment without sacrificing taste or satisfaction.

Made from a simple and power-packed list of ingredients, including vegetables, seeds, cassava flour, tapioca starch, organic sunflower oil and a flavorful blend of spices and herbs, Simple Mills Veggie Pita Crackers are a snack the consumer can feel good about enjoying. They come with an added bonus of knowing that every bite gets the consumer closer to an optimal daily vegetable intake.

Simple Mills Veggie Pita crackers are free of added sugar, natural flavors, gums and emulsifiers. They’re certified by the Non-GMO Project, and they’re also certified gluten free. They’re paleo-friendly, vegan and made without nuts. Flavors include Himalayan Salt, Mediterranean Herb and Roasted Red Pepper.

Simple Mills www.simplemills.com

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Hot Products Dandies Launches Snack Size for Seasonal Flavors

Freeze-Dried Herbs from Green Garden

Chicago Vegan Foods, the company behind the Dandies brand, has introduced a smaller 5-ounce package for its popular seasonal peppermint and pumpkin plant-based marshmallows. The new size comes at a lower price point to drive consumer trials and is retail ready in a shelf-friendly 10-unit tray.

Dandies’ pumpkin marshmallows deliver a delicate touch of autumn sweetness to celebrate fall, while the soft pink peppermint marshmallows embody the spirit of the holidays with the refreshing flavor and scent of natural peppermint. Like the brand’s original vanilla marshmallows, Dandies 100 percent vegan and vegetarian-friendly pumpkin and peppermint marshmallows are made with no artificial flavors or colors, no corn syrup, no gelatin and no gluten. They are also free of the common allergens: wheat, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts and tree nuts, along with being certified kosher and non-GMO.

Green Garden has launched its first lines of U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic and non-GMO freeze-dried herbs for the spice aisle. Green Garden Freeze Dried Herbs instantly rehydrate when combined with moisture from water, oil, meat or vegetables, providing a fresher and more flavorful alternative to conventional dried herbs. Green Garden Freeze Dried Herbs have a bold flavor, smell and color, and taste fresher because of the unique growing, harvesting and freeze-drying technique. This proprietary freeze drying technique is innovative to the spice aisle and involves using fresh herbs that are quick frozen directly after harvesting and then gently freeze dried, allowing the cell structure of the herbs to remain open and delivering a product that is closer to fresh than dried.

Available varieties include Basil, Chives, Dill, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Garlic and Ginger. Suggested retail prices start at $5.99.

Chicago Vegan Foods www.chicagoveganfoods.com

Green Garden www.eatgreengarden.com

Daily Crunch Snacks is a brand new line of sprouted almond snacks from Diane’s Kitchen. Sprouting is a process of soaking nuts to reduce phytic acid, making the nuts more easily digestible while maintaining all nutritional value. Daily Crunch goes beyond the normal soaking process and follows it up with a dehydration of the nuts. This creates a uniquely crunchy texture. With bright branding, the product will catch shoppers’ eyes as they scan the other nuts on the shelf.

Daily Crunch currently offers three product varieties: Just Sprouted Almonds, Coffee-Soaked Sprouted Almonds, and a Nut-Berry Medley.

Lake Champlain Chocolates’ new line, the Restorative Moments Chocolate Bar Collection, is inspired by nature and crafted from organic and fair trade certified extradark chocolate. The Vermont chocolatier’s line was born from the desire that chocolate should preserve and protect restorative moments, both in life and in our environment.

The new Restorative Moments Chocolate Bar Collection is the next step in LCC’s sustainability journey. By partnering with the Intervale Center’s Conservation Nursery, 10 percent of net profits from this collection will fund planting trees to restore the quality and integrity of waterways like the company’s namesake, Lake Champlain.

The collection’s six flavors, all made with 70 percent organic and fair trade certified chocolate, include Extra Dark, Lightly Salted, Crunchy Quinoa, Raspberry Jam, Hazelnut Crunch and Golden Spice (ginger, turmeric, cardamom, and cinnamon). Each one is wrapped in an eye-catching design that evokes the last slice of the summer sun setting behind the mountains as its colors reflect back across the lake.

Diane’s Kitchen Daily Crunch Snacks

Diane’s Kitchen LLC www.dailycrunchsnacks.com

Diestel’s New Pecan Smoked Turkey

Diestel’s new Pecan Smoked Turkey is loaded with rich, smoked turkey flavor and infused with the sweet, nutty, Southern-style taste that only natural pecan hardwood can provide. This uncured, slowcooked bird is a perfect addition to weeknight dinner rotations and special occasions. Ready to serve in only one to one and a half hours, the fully cooked, premium turkey cooks up extremely juicy.

It’s crafted with care from thoughtfully raised, 100 percent vegetarianfed turkeys with no antibiotics ever and is completely free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, added nitrates or nitrites, growth stimulants and hormones, gluten, casein, carrageenan, phosphates and MSG. Diestel’s Pecan Smoked Turkeys, which range from 10-13 pounds, are available for retailers nationwide to carry a la carte or as part of a prepared meal.

Diestel Family Ranch 209.532.4950 www.diestelfamilyranch.com

Plant-Based Alternative to Feta Crumbles

Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Feta Crumbles Cheese Alternative is the first crumbled plantbased feta to hit the market and it is now widely available. Coconut oil-based, this product is allergen-free, non-GMO and vegan.

It is also free of dairy, soy, casein, gluten, lactose and preservatives. The 6-ounce package has a four month shelf life.

The Dairy-Free Feta Crumbles Cheese Alternative joins Follow Your Heart’s already robust line of cheese alternative offerings, from slices to shreds to blocks, as well as its bestselling original product, Vegenaise.

Follow Your Heart www.followyourheart.com

Restorative Moments Chocolate Bar Collection

Lake Champlain Chocolates LLC www.lakechamplainchocolates.com

Nellie’s Free Range Butter

Containing 84 percent butterfat and made with cream from grass-fed cows who are free to roam on pasture, Nellie’s Free Range Butter offers a notably richer flavor and a softer, thicker, creamier texture than conventional butters. The new butter is offered in two varieties: Sea Salted and Unsalted.

Suggested retail price is $3.99 for a half-pound.

Nellie’s Free Range 603.638.2827 www.nelliesfreerange.com

Strawberry Rose Infused Maple Syrup

Crafted with just two organic ingredients, rose petals and strawberries, Runamok Maple Limited-Edition Strawberry Rose Infused Maple Syrup has a sweet and floral flavor profile that will pair beautifully with summer cocktails, desserts, salads and breakfast dishes. The use of rose petals gives the syrup bright, blossoming floral notes, and the addition of strawberry rounds it out with a delicate sweetness. While it’s just sweet enough to satisfy a sweet tooth, this limited-release maple syrup is mild and balanced, making it an incredibly versatile offering.

Runamok Maple 877.976.2867 www.runamokmaple.com

30

SMORGASBORD

GOURMET NEWS AUGUST 2020 www.gourmetnews.com

SMORGASBORD ADVERTISER INDEX ADVERTISER

PAGE WEBSITE

PHONE

Ariston Specialties

30

www.aristonspecialties.com

860.263.8498

Billie-Ann Plastics

29

www.billieannplastics.com

888.245.5432

Busha Browne

30

www.bushabrowne.com

888.470.0626

Country Fresh Food

31

www.countryfreshfood.com

800.545.8782

Crispy Green

23

www.crispygreen.com

Cynara Artichoke USA

27

www.cynara.net/us

DeBrand Fine Chocolates

5

www.debrand.com

260.969.8331

Fall River Wild Rice

29

www.frwr.com

800.626.4366

Gourmet International

11

www.gourmentint.com

800.875.5557

Hawaiian Host Chocolates

18, 19

www.hawaiianhost.com

J&M Foods

8

www.janis-melanie.com

Klondike Cheese Co.

3

www.buholzerbrothers.com

Le Gruyère

7

www.gruyere.com

Lioni Latticini Mozzarella Co.

13

www.lionimozzarella.com

Monti Trentini

32

www.montitrentini.com

Mooney Farms

9

www.bellasunluci.com

OMG! Pretzels

29

www.omgpretzels.com

Seely Family Farm Inc.

26

www.seelymint.com

Simple Mills

21

www.simplemills.com

Stonewall Kitchen

2

www.stonewallkitchen.com

The French Farm

25

www.thefrenchfarm.com

800.264.2278

530.899.2661

503.369.4350

888.326.5678

A Special Advertising Section GOURMET

Meijer Donates $1.1M to Simply Give on Behalf of Meijer LPGA Classic Despite the cancellation of the 2020 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, Meijer is donating $1.1 million to its Simply Give hunger relief program on behalf of the tournament.

“Meijer is committed to enriching lives in the communities we serve, which is more important now than ever before,” said Cathy Cooper, Executive Director of the Meijer LPGA Classic. “Although this year’s tournament has been canceled, we didn’t want our food pantry partners to feel that loss, especially given the increased need they’ve seen these past few months.”

Traditionally, proceeds from the tournament – and each of the week’s festivities – benefit the Meijer Simply Give program that stocks the shelves of food pantries across the Midwest. The 2019 tournament alone raised $1.1 million for local food

pantries through Simply Give. In total, the six previous tournaments have generated more than $5.2 million for the Meijer Simply Give program.

The 2020 donation will match the 2019 donation, bringing the tournaments’ total contribution to $6.3 million. The $1.1 million donation will be divided equally among more than 435 food pantry partners across the Midwest, providing each of them an additional $2,500 to feed hungry families.

This marks the second large donation the retailer made to its food pantry partners during the pandemic. In March, Meijer donated $2.2 million to its Simply Give food pantries across the Midwest to help them continue their vital missions. The 2021 Meijer LPGA Classic will be held June 7-13. GN

Southern Recipe Small Batch Diversifies with New Pork and Bean Dips Southern Recipe Small Batch, known for its handcrafted, small batch pork rind snacks, has launched two new products that diversify its current set of SKUs. New Pork & Pinto Bean Dip and Pork & Spicy Black Bean Dip are a departure from what consumers expect from the fast-growing pork rind brand.

Bringing its flair for innovation, passion for extraordinary flavor and commitment to clean ingredients to these dip varieties, Southern Recipe Small Batch will make the new products available online and in retail-

MARKETPLACE

An authentic Jamaican blend of herbs and spices creates the legendary hot marinade. The tradition of jerking meat is a unique Jamaican experience.

Ariston’s new CBD-infused olive oil was curated to combine just the right amount of extra virgin olive oil with CBD oil to give you this delicious and healthy elixir. Try it for yourself!

Distributed in the USA by Source Atlantique 888.470.0626 www.sourceatlantique.com

Ariston Specialties 860.263.8498 • www.aristonspecialties.com

ers wherever Southern Recipe Small Batch pork rinds are currently sold. At a suggested retail price of $3.99 for each 9ounce jar, consumers will find that each bite delivers robust flavor with pork rinds and farm-fresh vegetables mixed right in.

Southern Recipe Small Batch’s newest easy-to-dip addition to its branded line of products is a true testament to innovation. The bean dips allow the brand to diversify its current offerings and cater to the unique needs of today’s shoppers. Ultimately, these products fill a need for more depth and greater variety within the snack food aisle, overall. Pork & Pinto Bean Dip and Pork & Spicy Black Bean Dip both offer the high quality attributes consumers appreciate in each of Southern Recipe Small Batch’s products.

Each dip is carefully crafted to be betterfor-you, made with clean ingredients and dip-able, with farm-fresh vegetables and the brand’s signature pork rinds mixed into every bite.

“We get a kick out of bringing consumers products they can really get behind.

Gluten-free, low-fat, high-protein and MSG-free bean dips are where our latest desire to innovate took us,” said Mark Singleton, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Rudolph Foods. “The pork rind category is explosive, and we want to continue to make it more accessible to a broader group of consumers with this launch.”

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