Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/275779
Ki t c h e n wa re N e ws & H o u s e wa re s Re vi e w S h o w D a i l y 9 3 S a t u rd a y, M a rc h 1 5 , 2 0 1 4 JE & SC: We offer a full line of enter- taining products that add a natural, authen- tic feel to any occasion. From handcrafted soapstone serving slabs that keep food cool or warm to soapstone whiskey rocks that act as ice substitutes for your liquor, SPARQ Home delivers high-quality and visually appealing serve-ware, cookware, barware and tabletop products. KNSD: How would you describe your brand? JE & SC: We want to be known as a design firm that creates beautiful, func- tional products that fit into any lifestyle. Our eye for design enables us to take everyday products like mortar and pes- tles, pizza stones or tumblers and turn them into inspired, innovative pieces. KNSD: What makes SPARQ Home products attractive to retailers? JE & SC: Our extensive product line has something for everyone's budget. We are also set apart from other companies in that we offer displays and story cards for most of our products. Retailers appreci- ate that we handle this part of the mer- chandising for them. KNSD: What products do you see as being hottest this year? JE & SC: For us, our vodka shooters have SPARQ Home ( Cont'd. from p. 1) been flying off the shelves. They are a big hit for retailers, combining soapstone and wood – two elements that complement each other beautifully. In fact, our vodka shooters won the Best New Product in Dining at NY Now in February. Our new Soapstone Serving Slabs have also been extremely successful so far this year. KNSD: What is one of the things you are most proud of about your company? JE & SC: We're proud that many of our products are made in the U.S.A., and almost all of them use recycled or reclaimed materials. Our soapstone grid- dles, pizza stones, whiskey rocks, slabs and other serving pieces are all made in Denver. We also use reclaimed wood from Colorado to make our displays. KNSD: To what do you attribute your company's success? JE & SC: We are always innovating and looking for ways to make everyday things better. We aren't afraid to try something new. Sometimes we'll create a product and it won't catch on. Other times, it fills a gap in the market. We're lucky to have a creative, design-focused team that is constantly looking ahead, learning from mistakes and refining our process. For more information on SPARQ Home, visit www.sparqhome.com, call 303-800- 6591 or stop by booth S4066. ZZ: Ten Strawberry Street has been a family owned and operated, open stock white ware business for 18 years. We cur- rently manufactures and import dinner- ware, glass-ware, flat-ware and serve- ware from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Poland, Germany and Belgium. We service Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Stein Mart and just about all other major retailers. Our slogan is Simple … Elegant … Affordable. KNSD: What do you plan to talk about at the show? ZZ: I want to focus on some of our new avenues of business like bake-ware. We will also be showing our color-ware which has been really popular. People really like all the fun and interesting designs that we have. We also have a line of catering packs that we will be display- ing at the show. Ten Strawberry Street wants to present themselves as a niche player in the industry. We are very good at certain little things that we do, like having unique shapes and colors. I want people to think of us as more of a bou- tique vendor. KNSD: Are you releasing any new prod- ucts? ZZ: Yes. We are focusing a lot of mixed media packages. What I mean by this is having a glass tray, porcelain dessert dishes and unique flatware all packaged up in the same box. We also will be pre- Ten Strawberry Street ( Cont'd. from p. 1) senting beaded and colored dinner-ware. People were so amazed by our other innovative designs that we thought the beaded dinner-ware is the perfect next step. We also have some new bake-ware we want to talk about. Ten Strawberry Street basically has a little launch in every category. KNSD: Do you have any plans for the upcoming year? ZZ: We want to expand our line of pet products. Just about three months ago, we started a line of pet bowls, jars and other products. Ten Street Strawberry wants to shift some focus on developing this line. KNSD: What makes Ten Strawberry Street unique? ZZ: We are versatile. Many companies find one thing that they excel in and stick with it. Ten Strawberry Street does not want to be one of those companies. We are constantly finding new trends and moving on to new developments. Not only is it ben- eficial for the customers, but it keeps us busy too. My father and I own this compa- ny and we are involved with it every day. We want to see the company change and grow in every possible direction. We are a young company that wants to have fun and experiment, while making quality products. Visit Ten Strawberry Street at booth S2262. For more information, visit www.tenstrawberrystreet.com or call 303-320-5610. BRANDPROJECT LAUNCHES WITH START-UP FUNDING BrandProject has launched what it calls a company creation studio with over $12 million in funding from partners includ- ing BDC and private investors. Based in Toronto and New York City, the compa- ny invests in and mentors consumer- focused companies across North America, while also incubating products and brands internally. BrandProject will focus on acceler- ating growth for consumer technology and consumer product startups. The com- pany's founding partners have collective- ly launched over 100 new products and services for companies including Nike, LEGO, Virgin, Colgate Palmolive, Cadbury-Schweppes, Diageo and Starbucks. "BrandProject takes a design-led approach to building consumer prod- ucts," said BrandProject Founder and CEO Andrew Black. "We look for dis- ruptive ideas to re-shape experiences and capture the public's imagination across a variety of verticals." The company has already invested in and helped scale brands including Awake Caffeinated Chocolate, The Coveteur, BRIKA, and Hello Products, and will continue to focus on finding entrepre- neurs who are creating transformational branded consumer products or services that have the ability to become large, suc- cessful businesses. "BrandProject fills a large gap in the current funding landscape," said Sarah Prevette, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at BrandProject. "There are very few investors actively engaged in con- sumer packaged goods and fewer still that have a background in the space. Beyond capital, our partners work along- side entrepreneurs - actively investing their extensive operational experience." With offices in Toronto and New York City, BrandProject is actively look- ing to back passionate entrepreneurs who are creating differentiated products for large markets. Entrepreneurs can get in touch at ideas@brandproject.com. SPECIALTY FOOD ITEMS ADD FLAVOR TO GIFT BASKETS Specialty foods companies revealed at this year's Winter Fancy Food Show a fabulous selection of new products to add color, variety and flavor to your gift bas- kets this year. From gourmet popcorn for a birthday basket to gourmet sauces and oils for the dedicated cook and sumptu- ous terrines for the dinner party hostess, there's something for every occasion. There is nothing more luxurious than the mousses and pates from Trois Petits Cochons, which has a new Mousse aux Poivrons made with chicken liver, duck fat, roasted red peppers and black and green peppercorns. It's pork free, hor- mone free and antibiotic free and will be available in 5.5-ounce slices as well as in bulk packaging in June. Mousse Trouffee is also new. Made from chicken liver, pork and black truffles, it will also be available in June. For more information, call 800.LES.PATES or visit www.3pigs.com. Buddy Squirrel has four new vari- eties of gourmet popcorn packed in handy go-cups to display easily on your shelves or at point of purchase that will pop handily into a gift basket. They include Caramel Corn, Cheezzy Cheddar Cheese, Mixed Nut Caramel Corn and Crazy Corn, available in two sizes: 6.5 ounces and .75 ounces. The sizes for the Mixed Nut Caramel Corn vary slightly because the nuts change the density of the mixture. For more information, call Buddy Squirrel at 800.972.2658 or visit www.BuddySquirrel.com. Jelly Belly has unveiled TABASCO Dark Chocolate Covered Jelly Beans for the adventurous. Fiery Jelly Belly TABASCO jelly bean centers are spiced with genuine TABASCO brand season- ings, and then they're finished with dark chocolate and packaged in a gift box that opens to reveal the beans presented in a bottle-shaped tray. Jelly Belly is also serving up the world's first beer-flavored jelly bean with flavor inspired by the craft beer trend. The company says that beer connoisseurs will "find the flavor profile to be clean with notes of wheat and a touch of sweetness. The aroma is mildly bready." The jelly beans are alco- hol free. Package these in a pint glass or a beer stein for a lovely host gift. For more information, call 800.323.9380 or visit www.jellybelly.com. Among the interesting gourmet sauces coming out this year are a col- lection of all-natural wine sauces in reusable carafes from Braswell's. A carafe of Merlot Wine Steak Sauce, Cabernet Steak Sauce, Port Plum Grilling Sauce or Peach Marsala Grilling Sauce would make a great addition to a summer gift basket that included grilling tools and perhaps a rack of BBQ Smoked Salts from The Spice Lab For more information on the Braswell's sauces, call 800.673.9388 or visit www.braswells.com. For infor- mation on The Spice Lab's sea salt col- lections, call 954.275.4478 or visit www.thespicelab.com. For the truly adventurous, Fischer & Wieser is offering three new mustard sauces that will be available on February 1. These three expand the line that began with the company's Sweet, Sour & Smokey Mustard Sauce that has grown to be a very popular item in the Fischer & Wieser lineup over the past couple of years. Mustards are growing in popularity as Americans develop more adventurous palates and seek out more complex flavors, and the new Salted Caramel Mustard has to be tasted to be believed. It sounds weird, but it's delicious. Find Fischer & Wieser online at www.jelly.com.