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GOURMET NEWS MAY 2014 www.gourmetnews.com Supplier Business SUPPLIER BUSINESS 1 1 BRIEFS Enjoy Life Foods' Dark Chocolate Morsels Win Gluten Free Award Enjoy Life Foods recently announced that Dark Chocolate Morsels took Best New Product honors in GFREEK.COM's annual Gluten Free Awards. The Best Gluten Free New Product list is produced by approximately 3,000 people on a gluten-free diet who have cast votes on GFREEK.COM. Featuring 69 percent cacao and clean ingredients of unsweetened chocolate and natural cane sugar, Enjoy Life Foods' Dark Chocolate Baking Morsels are the only gluten- free dark chocolate morsels on the market that are also dairy-, nut- and soy-free, as well as non-GMO verified. The Dark Chocolate Morsels are the third SKU in Enjoy Life's top-selling baking chocolate line, joining category-leading Semi-Sweet Mini Chips and Semi-Sweet Mega Chunks. As with all Enjoy Life products, the Dark Chocolate Morsels are free from gluten and the top eight common food allergens. Trailblazer Foods Celebrates 30-Year Anniversary Trailblazer Food Products, a leading manufacturer of private-label and branded grocery products in the western United States, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014. The company was originally founded by Gary Walls in 1984 and began manufacturing preserves and jellies under the Walls Berry Farm name. The company grew quickly, and by 1991 its workforce had more than doubled. Today, Trailblazer Foods is one of the western United States' largest producers of preserves and jellies, table syrups, sweetened and unsweetened shredded and flaked coconut, drink mixes, Italian syrups, institutional pie filling and glazes and other sweetener- and fruit-based products. The company also produces sauces, marinades, glazes and various other non-oil-based products. Trailblazer Foods is a major supplier to the food service industry and a trusted co-packer and private-label manufacturer for many top national and regional grocery retailers and food and beverage brands. Wythe Will Tzetzo Changes Name to First Source Wythe Will Tzetzo, LLC, a leading packager and distributor of confections, nuts and specialty foods, recently announced that it has changed the name of the company to First Source, LLC. "The name First Source more accurately reflects our strategy of being the premier supplier of candy, nuts, snacks and specialty gourmet products to America's retailers in all classes of trade," said CEO Keith McDaniel. The company has grown significantly in recent years, primarily as the result of the combination of Wythe Will Distributing of Williamsburg, Va. and Lebanon, Tenn., Tzetzo Bros of Buffalo, N.Y. and Garvey Nut & Candy of Los Angeles. In 2013, the company increased its capacity and added new packaging technologies, upgraded its packaging equipment and moved into a new, larger facility in Southern California. BY ZACH CALVELLO Hammond's Candies has come a long way since Carl T. Hammond first founded the company in 1920 after leaving school to ap- prentice for a local candy maker. Today, Denver-based Hammond's Candies is one of the best known confectioners in the country, renowned for its outstanding qual- ity and dedication the craft of candy mak- ing. The company handcrafts all its confections in open kettles and small batches. All ingredients for its candies are sourced locally, and supplies are purchased from American companies. Since welcoming Andy Schuman to the team as the President and CEO of Ham- mond's Candies, the company has seen enormous growth. "When I first started with the company in 2007, we were prima- rily known as a Christmas confectioner. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to begin branching out," says Schuman. "I wanted Hammond's Candies to be known for everyday candies, not just for its holiday ones." With this in mind, the company began to expand its horizons in all areas of candy making, sales and distribution. Hammond's Candies now delivers its candies through- out the nation. The company's products are primarily found in "mom and pop" shops across the United States, but distribution expands far beyond this. "We are found in larger retailers as well, but because of how our products are crafted, it makes sense that smaller retailers like to carry our products," said Schuman. As Hammond's has in- creased the scope of its distribution, the com- pany has had to develop a precise distribution plan. To get ready for the holiday season, for ex- ample, Hammond's Can- dies now prepares nearly a year in advance, ensur- ing that all orders are met with exceptional veracity. Social media has been hugely important to Hammond's as a tool for attracting busi- ness. The company regularly updates its Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest accounts. Schuman says, "Pinterest has been a great place to show consumers what they can do with our candies." Hammond's Candies en- joys keeping its social media sites entertaining and excit- ing, driving recurring visits from followers. Throughout the year, Hammond's Candies holds polls on its Facebook page in order to get direct feedback from its fans. This is a method that Schumann finds particularly useful in determining new product direction, and he has employed social media in a number of ways, including recently seeking advice about names for his newly adopted dog. "It was exciting to see how many names we re- ceived from this poll," he says. "We were getting names like Butterscotch, Cupcake, Taffy—just all sorts of fun ones." Plant tours have also been crucial in whetting consumers' appetites for Ham- mond's Candies. The company offers free tours throughout the year and attracts a wide audience. With more than 100,000 people coming through Hammond's Can- dies facilities every year, the company has the opportunity to introduce new candies to the public and get immediate feedback. Schuman particularly enjoys these tours, saying, "I want people to see the hard work that goes into our creation process, and it's an ideal way to see what's working and what's not." Hammond's Candies has launched a line of cotton candy that is currently shipping out, and the company is readying its new Whoopie Pie Chocolate Bar for distribution starting in the next few months. For infor- mation about Hammond's Candies, visit www.hammondscandies.com. GN Hammond's Candies Brings Handcrafted Confections to Hungry Consumers Blake Hill Preserves recently became the first-ever U.S. producer to win gold at the World's Original Marmalade Awards held at Dalemain Mansion in England. The com- pany's Orange, Lime & Ginger and Orange & Ten Year Single Malt Whisky mar- malades received the gold designation. In addition, the company's Grapefruit & Lemon Marmalade received silver. Judges held a blind taste test of over 2,000 entries to identify the world's best marmalades, and they selected Blake Hill Preserves as one of the top medal scorers. "We are thrilled to receive such amazing recognition at the prestigious World's Original Marmalade Awards," said Vicky Allard, Blake Hill's founder and Executive Chef. "There is a perception that the best traditional marmalades still come from the U.K. We are delighted to bring so many marmalade medals back to the U.S. from the country that invented the original cit- rus marmalade back in the 1700s. Hope- fully people will start to look more locally again for a great marmalade that they can truly enjoy." Blake Hill prides itself on using only whole fresh organic citrus fruits and pure cane sugar in its products. While most tra- ditional commercial producers typically add pectin and citric acid to their mar- malades, Blake Hill is a purist, relying in- stead on the quality of the fruit and three generations of preserve-making experience to create a perfect consistency and beautiful appearance. Vicky Allard and Joe Hanglin founded Blake Hill Preserves in 2009. Today, they are third-generation English preserve makers creating award-winning chut- neys, jams and marmalades in Vermont's Green Mountains. The company uses top quality fruits sourced from local farms when in season. Blake Hill Preserves products are made from all-natural, non- GMO ingredients without the use of ar- tificial colorings, preservatives, thickeners or fillers. To learn more about Blake Hill Preserves or to purchase the company's product online, visit www.blakehillpreserves.com. GN Blake Hill Preserves First U.S. Producer to Win Gold at World's Original Marmalade Awards

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