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www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2020 GOURMET NEWS 6 6 Olive and Sinclair Puts Southern Flavor in Gourmet Chocolate By Greg Gonzales Olive and Sinclair is the first and only bean- to-bar brand in Tennessee, using Fair Trade and organic chocolate from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Ecuador and Mada- gascar. "We're first and foremost Ten- nessee's, and arguably the South's, first bean-to-bar chocolate company," said Owner Scott Witherow. While bean-to-bar is noth- ing new in itself, Witherow's creative take on chocolate and infusion of Southern-in- spired flavors bring something new to the confection world. Some of these infusions are the result of partnerships and friendships. Allen Benton, Owner of Benton's Smoky Mountain Coun- try Hams, smokes Olive and Sinclair's cacao beans that go into the brand's Smoked Nib Brittle. Some of Witherow's Kentuckian dis- tiller friends came down to the factory with used bourbon barrels; he aged some cacao in them, and the result was the Bourbon Nib Brittle. Pappy Van Winkle sends some its own barrels to Olive and Sinclair so they can order their own version of the brittle, and local breweries make some flavorful stouts using these Nashville nibs. Olive and Sinclair also produces the Seer- sucker Candy Co. line, which includes the Original Seersucker, a chocolate sphere with sea salt chocolate ganache inside. Muzzle Loaders are a new take on the bourbon ball, filled with liquid salted bourbon caramel, and Cherry Bombs are like cherry cordials, but have a pickled Maraschino cherry inside, which is coated with buttermilk fondant and a dark chocolate finish. All of them are packaged in a recreation of an old gramophone tube, in a celebration of Nashville's music scene. Other creations include Chocuterie – a small-batch product that looks exactly like dried salumi inside and out, but is actually chocolate made with other ingredients, de- pending on when it's made – and the fresh limited-edition bars. "When I started on this, I wanted it to sound and feel timeless," Witherow said, from clas- sic packaging to stone-grinding the chocolate, the name of the company and the flavor of the product. "It's gone over well for us." For more information, visit www.olive andsinclair.com. Southern Style from Mississippi Sisters By Lorrie Baumann Two former elementary school teachers have made a tiny town in northern Mississippi their headquarters for making Southern-style hospitality a convenient option for home cooks across the country. Their Southern Sis- ters Gourmet offers starter kits for Southern- style entrees, jams and jellies, mixes for dips and cheeseballs and mixes for treats like Mississippi Mud Cake, Chocolate Cobbler and Chocolate Gravy – everything that a home cook would need to put a dinner party on the table in a flash, according to Kay Al- lison, the sister who handles the marketing and technology duties for the company. Her sister, Claire Easley, is the company's product developer and the one who had the idea to start a gourmet food business eight years ago after she retired from teaching. "Claire just has always liked to cook," Alli- son said. "When we first started, I was just going to make labels and help Claire." Easley had a collection of recipes passed down from her mother, father and grand- mother that included family favorites as well as experience working in a local gourmet food shop that had given her insight into re- tailing. In Kay, she also had a sister who'd been doing photography for 30 years and was willing to shoot pictures and design labels for her. Since she also had experience making web- sites, she could be drafted to that too. The two of them decided to form a partnership in which each would contribute their own skills. "You do your thing, and I'll do mine. I don't step on her toes, and she doesn't do my computer work," Allison said. "My sis- ter's the product developer; I'm the com- puter lady, and we have figured out that if I can make something, anybody can – and that's true!" Newer products include Cherry Vanilla Bagel Spread and Waffle Topper, White Chocolate Bread Pudding Mix, Cheesy Cheddar Potato Soup and Cheddar Broccoli Soup, while best-sellers include a Southern Chicken Salad mix; BLT Dip mix, which can also be used as the seasoning for a cheese ball; and the seasoning for a Gourmet Gumbo. The products are made in small batches and shipped from Coldwater, Mis- sissippi. For more information, visit www.southern sistersgourmet.com. Makers of Plant-Based Meat Alternatives Headed to Court The American Civil Liberties Union, The Good Food Institute, Animal Legal Defense Fund, and ACLU of Arkansas filed a lawsuit in late July challenging an Arkansas law that would impose fines of up to $1,000 for every plant-based and cell-based meat product, such as "veggie burgers" and "tofu dogs," marketed or packaged with a "meat" label. The labels would be subject to fines within state borders even if followed by modifiers such as "vegan," "veggie," or "plant-based." Under the law, products labeled as "cauli- flower rice" (but not "riced cauliflower") and "almond milk" would also be considered mislabeled and subject to fines for not con- taining any actual rice or dairy. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Tofurky in federal court. It argues the Arkansas law violates the First Amendment and the Four- teenth Amendment's due process clause by improperly censoring truthful speech and creating consumer confusion in order to shore up the state's meat and rice industries. The lawsuit adds that there is no evidence that the current labels mislead consumers, pointing out that Tofurky's products all clearly indicate the products are plant-based, meatless, vegetarian or vegan. The law's pro- ponents have admitted that the law's purpose is to protect the agricultural producers in the state. "The only confusion here seems to be on the part of the Arkansas legislature, which seems to have forgotten its responsibility to its constituents in its rush to pass an uncon- stitutional law at the behest of its special in- terest donors," said Jaime Athos, Chief Executive Officer of Tofurky. "When con- sumers choose plant-based foods, it is not because they are confused or misled, it is be- cause they are savvy and educated about the health and environmental consequences of eating animal products. What's really going on here is that the state of Arkansas is seek- ing to limit access to healthier, more sustain- able food choices for its constituents, and it is doing so to benefit the animal agriculture industry." The Arkansas law is substantially simi- lar to meat-labeling censorship laws re- cently passed in Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Dakota and other states. A number of those laws face similar legal challenges, including by the ACLU, Good Food Institute, and the Animal Legal De- fense Fund. The Missouri law, for in- stance, was initially proposed by the Missouri Cattlemen's Association. When discussing the perceived need for the Mis- souri law, state representative Jeff Knight publicly admitted that: "We're just trying to protect our product." Fresh Origins Mini Herb, Flower, & Fruit Crystals Fresh Origins' Mini Herb, Flower, & Fruit Crystals ® are the most innovative choice for all mixologists, pastry chefs and tea/coffee enthusiasts. Mini Crystals are fine granules of flavored sugar that make the perfect glass rimmers and desserts, lattes and foam tea dusters. Unlike other glass rimmers, Fresh Origins Mini Crystals are all-natural with authentic flavors. They are made with whole flowers, herbs or fruit that are hand harvested at the peak of freshness and combined with pure cane sugar. Their vibrant colors and flavors have no added preservatives, coloring or fla- voring. Mini Crystals are a clean-label prod- uct and kosher certified. They provide fantastic crunchy textures and prominent fla- vors to any drink recipe or dessert. There are ten available flavors: Basil, Cilantro, Cranberry, Fennel, Ginger, Habanero, Hibiscus, Mint, Pumpkin Spice and Rose. Just like the original Herb, Flower, & Fruit Crys- tals ® but with a finer granule, these unique Mini Crystals are perfect for inspiring forward-thinking mixolo- gists. The Mini Crystals can even be tossed into a cocktail and used as a flavorful ingredient and a splash of color. They look stunning at the bot- tom of the glass and stay semi- crunchy to be savored in the last sip. Recommendations: Mini Mint Crystals are the perfect glass rim- mer for signature mojitos. Rim an exotic citrus cocktail with the bright yellow Mini Fennel Crys- tals. Savory and sweet Mini Basil Crystals pair well with strawberry and lemon drinks. Vibrant pink Mini Rose Crystals are a beautiful and romantic glass rimmer for champagne cocktails. For more information, go to www.freshorigins.com. Diana Ybarra Joins Fresh-Link Produce Fresh-Link Produce, LLC, a nationwide provider of grower products specializing in dry vegetables, tomatoes, and fruit, has hired industry veteran Diana Ybarra. In her new sales role, Ybarra will be responsible for Fresh-Link customers and for developing and strengthening relationships between Mexican growers, packers and shippers out of Nogales, Arizona. "I am thrilled to find such a strong talent to add to our rapidly growing West business. She is passionate about produce, and will be a great asset to our business by adding her extensive experience in commod- ity and account management. Diana's enthusiasm to create value for her customers is amazing!" said Garry Rowe, President of Integrated Fresh Solutions, parent company of Fresh- Link Produce. Ybarra comes to Fresh-Link Produce with more than 25 years of produce indus- try experience. She started with Fleming Companies in 1995-1999, then Mann Packing for the last 20 years selling fresh cut vegetables to the retail and foodservice industries where she specialized in identifying and tracking industry changes with results- driven business development practices.