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News & Notes BRIEFS GOURMET NEWS MARCH 2020 www.gourmetnews.com NEWS & NOTES 6 Certified Angus Beef Launches Rewards Program Millennials Willing to Pay More for Eco-Friendly Products Millennials have taken the lead on the sustainable packaging conversation with the expectation that brand owners will do their part to deliver eco-friendly solutions, according to market research by EcoFocus Worldwide, which found that more than eight out of 10 shoppers agree that being ecofriendly is "common sense." While Millennials are on par with other consumers on these issues, what sets them apart in a dramatic way is that 64 percent of Millennials say that "to them it is worth paying more for ecofriendly products," compared to just 38 percent of Baby Boomers. The full study is available for free download from Evergreen Packaging at www.evergreenpackaging.com. Stonewall Kitchen Acquires Village Candle Brand of Fragranced Candles, Gifts and Accessories Stonewall Kitchen has acquired the Village Candle ® brand of fragranced candles, gifts and accessories in its fourth acquisition. Based in Wells, Maine, Village Candle is a premium quality manufacturer of expertly crafted candles sold throughout the U.S and around the world. Enterprise Program Donates to Address Food Insecurity The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation has donated $40 million to date to food banks around the world as part of Enterprise's Fill Your Tank ® program, one of the largest donations aimed at fighting hunger. Launched in late 2016, the Fill Your Tank program is a company-wide initiative that was created to celebrate Enterprise's 60th anniversary by providing a total of $60 million to address food insecurity around the globe. Over a six-year period, the Foundation is distributing $10 million each year to food banks and charities throughout North America and Europe, as well as local food banks and pantries in North American communities served by Enterprise. 7-Eleven Pilots Cashierless Store Concept 7-Eleven, Inc. is testing a cashierless store at its corporate headquarters, in Irving, Texas. During the pilot, the 700-square-foot non- traditional store is available to 7-Eleven employees. The concept store offers an assortment of the most popular products sold in 7-Eleven ® stores, including beverages, snacks, food, groceries, over-the-counter drugs and non-food items. The product mix will continue to be refined. To test the store, employees download an app, sign up, check in at the store, enter the store, shop and exit. A detailed receipt appears in the app automatically after the customer exits. The Certified Angus Beef ® brand has intro- duced Steakholder Rewards™, a loyalty program that shares beef know-how with consumers, and rewards them for connect- ing with the brand and purchasing the beef at locations that feature it. "Steakholder Rewards allows consumers to elevate the experience they have come to expect from the Certified Angus Beef brand, while also growing our conversa- tions with a wider audience base," said Tracey Erickson, the brand's Executive Vice President of Marketing. "It is built on de- livering experiences that deepen the rela- tionship consumers have with the brand and with our partners who offer it." The loyalty program offers participants the chance to win unique opportunities with renowned chefs and VIP access to spe- cial events. As steakholders, members may also earn fine merchandise, like limited edi- tion carving knives, premium apparel and exclusive content. "Each person's experience and rewards will be based on their individual tastes and preferences," Erickson said. "Members can choose to make the experience more per- sonal by sharing information about their beef and shopping preferences, as well as dates for celebrations, such as birthdays." It is free for residents of the U.S. and Canada to register for Steakholder Rewards at rewards.CertifiedAngusBeef.com, where participants earn and track points, which act like currency, to redeem for rewards. Points may be earned for activities that include re- ferring a friend, sharing recipes, watching videos at the site, answering surveys, or fol- lowing the brand on social media. Members can also earn 10 points for every $1 spent on qualifying purchases of Certified Angus Beef brand products from participating outlets. "Research shows that consumers are willing to pay more for our brand and drive farther to businesses offering it, and we want to reward them for that," said Erick- son. "This is a fun way to engage our loyal fans and make them feel an even bigger part of our brand, from family farmers and ranchers to their tables." GN Ardent Mills Acquires Andean Naturals' Quinoa Operations Ardent Mills, which mills flour, has an- nounced its intention to further invest in specialty grain capabilities and The Annex by Ardent Mills (The Annex) by purchasing Andean Naturals, Inc.'s quinoa sourcing, cleaning and packaging operation in Yuba City, California. The purchase was expected to be finalized in mid-February 2020. "Our industry is rapidly changing as consumers' appetite for variety in their diets continues to increase," said Dan Dye, Chief Executive Officer of Ardent Mills. "As a result, we are making proactive in- vestments in The Annex to meet consumer demand for high-quality, nutritious grains and other sources of plant-based ingredi- ents. With this acquisition, we will be able to offer a complete solution for quinoa and other gluten-free ingredients." Yuba City will be Ardent Mills' first gluten-free sourcing and cleaning facility with the ability to expand to additional grains. This important milestone for The Annex comes shortly after the acquisition of an organic grain elevator in Klamath Falls, Oregon, an exclusivity agreement with Colorado Quinoa™ as well as the Denver RiNo investment to clean and pack specialty grains. "In The Annex, we are proud to offer in- gredients from passionate, knowledgeable farmers, and this purchase continues that tradition," said Shrene White, General Manager of The Annex. "This company is a longtime leader in quinoa sourcing, cleaning and packing in North America with extensive industry knowledge, grower relationships and a fantastic reputation. This acquisition further supports our com- mitment to what's next in grain and plant- based innovation." Andean Naturals, Inc. President and Founder Sergio Nunez de Arco will join Ar- dent Mills. "For Andean Naturals, this mutually beneficial acquisition is the natural pro- gression of our mission to share quinoa with the world. While we've built expertise in quinoa sourcing and connections to South American farmers, Ardent Mills brings milling and technical expertise, ac- cess to markets and the ability to scale quickly with a sustainable approach," said Nunez de Arco. "Our team is excited to be a part of Ardent Mills, offering a similar val- ues-based culture and solid vision for growth." GN Good Food Awards for Hayden Flour Mills BY LORRIE BAUMANN Hayden Flour Mills won three Good Food Awards at this year's ceremony, held in Jan- uary in San Francisco, California. The com- pany's White Sonora Wheat Berries, Polenta and Cracked Oats were among more than 2,000 products entered in the competition this year. Other winners in the grains category included Delta Blues Rice, which won awards for Long Grain Brown Rice and Long Grain White Rice, and Geechie Boy Mill, which won for its Jimmy Red Grits, a product that also won a sofi award in 2019. White Sonora Wheat is thought to have come to the American Southwest along with Jesuit missionaries led by Father Eu- sebio Francis Kino, who brought it with them as they established mission churches in southern Arizona so that they'd have flour for their communion wafers. Father Kino is long gone, but his influence contin- ues to be felt throughout Arizona. White Sonora Wheat has also left a legacy in the culinary heritage of the Amer- ican Southwest, both as an essential ingre- dient in the flour tortillas of northwestern Mexico and the wheat berry-tepary bean stews of local Hispanic, Native American and Anglo residents and as a progenitor of the Sonora 64 wheat variety developed by Norman Borlaug, which was so good at growing in dryland monocultural plantings and so amenable to machine harvesting that it drove its ancestor, White Sonora Wheat, out of the commercial market dur- ing the 1970s. Emma Zimmerman and her father, Jeff Zimmerman, the Owners of Hayden Flour Mills in Arizona, are among those bringing White Sonora Wheat and other heritage grains suited to dryland farming in the desert Southwest back into production. Their reason is simple: the heritage grains make better-tasting bread, according to Emma. "We are bringing back a time when flour was non-hybridized, minimally processed and flavorful," she said. GN

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