Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JUNE 2014 n GOURMET NEWS 9 0 The Spice Lab Introducing Complete Line of Spice Rubs An interview with Brett Cramer, Founder, The Spice Lab. GN: Tell our readers about your company. What is your main line of business? BC: The Spice Lab offers the largest selec- tion of gourmet sea salts from a single source – over 200 different salts from around the globe. And, we continue to expand – adding spices, peppers and peppercorns, seasonings, rubs and flavored sugars. Other offerings in- clude our award-winning gift collections, salt plates, glasses, stones and lamps, salt cellars, spoons, jars and bath salts. GN: What particular products will you be showcasing at Summer Fancy Food Show? BC: Our newest product is Gourmet Candied Bacon Rub, a sweet and spicy mix of brown sugar and spices to transform store-bought bacon into a caramelized gourmet treat. Available in four different blends – New Or- leans Cajun, Caribbean Island Jerk, Asian Sesame Spice and Peppery Country Style – the 8 oz. bag contains rub for 4 to 6 lbs of bacon with a suggested retail price of $7.95. We also are introducing a complete line of Spice Rubs, blended especially for pork, beef, poultry, fish or vegetables; in total, about 12 different seasoning rubs that will help today's busy consumers quickly create delicious dishes. The line of gourmet flavored sugars that were introduced under The Sugar Lab label at the Winter Fancy Food Show are doing quite well and will be offered in stvand-up pouches as well as in 100 ml French glass jars. For drinks, decorating, baking and cocktails, fla- vors include Key West Lime, Heavenly Chocolate, Luscious Pomegranate, Juicy Blueberry, Island Pineapple and Peppermint. GN: What were some of the recent highlights for The Spice Lab? BC: Our gift Collections continue to earn in- dustry accolades, media coverage and excel- lent sales. The Chefs Collection – Spices of the World was just in People magazine as a Mother's Day Gift Guide pick of Drew Bar- rymore. A 6-tube Sea Salt Collection was in- cluded in the MTV Awards celebrity gift bags. And we received a Silver 2014 PPAI Suppliers Achievement Award in the Corpo- rate Gift category and the Best Packaging Award in the New Product Showcase at Na- tional Products Expo East. And we have now been in O, Oprah Mag- azine twice, most recently with our Hi- malayan Salt Tequila Shot Glasses on Oprah's Holiday Favorite Things List. GN: What do you anticipate will be your biggest challenge in the year ahead? BC: Rapid growth takes careful management. We are putting all of the elements in place to con- tinue to build our business and seeking the best retail partners to expand our market suc- cess. GN: What is the secret to your company's success? BC: We have a great team that works really hard and enjoys working together. It us hec- tic, but fun to come to work every day. For more information, visit www.thespice lab.com, call 954-275-4478, email sales@ thespicelab.com or stop by booth #772. A Whole New Reason to Nibble More with NibMor Notice a familiar name this Fancy Foods Show with a whole new look? Started by Heather K. Terry and Jennifer Love in 2009, NibMor has quickly taken to shelves in retail locations nationwide. In 2013, the NibMor gals decided they needed to pull away from the chocolate pack, so they refocused on their target consumer, hired a branding com- pany and decided to reach for the stars. "Lucy," said Co-founder and CEO Jen- nifer Love, with a big smile on her face. "Lucy is our secret weapon. We understand her, our core consumer, inside and out and it has informed every step of this rebranding move." Lucy is Love and Terry's target con- sumer and they have created every new mov- ing part just for her. "Women make most household purchases," Co-founder and COO Terry explained. "Why does every chocolate bar look and have the same feel? It all feels dark and mysterious, everyone jumped on the luxury aspect of chocolate but we wanted to move outside that box. We want 'Lucy' to see something fun and dynamic on the shelf that she can have for herself or feel good about sharing with friends, fam- ily or a co-worker," Terry said. The new branding focuses on a hand to en- courage sharing and moderation. "We cre- ated Daily Dose of Dark to encourage consumers to enjoy chocolate in moderation, and it's been a huge success. So we're bring- ing that into the whole brand now," said Love. "Our new tagline, 'It's Good to Give In,' is a call to ac- tion. You can give in and feel in- dulgent without the guilt. We've taken the guesswork out," she stated. The new branding will hit dis- tribution warehouses soon. All NibMor products are available through UNFI East and West, Kehe, Nature's Best and Haddon House and Abe's Market. For more information, visit booth #4475, go to www.nibmor.com or contact the company at 718-374-5091. Nature's Earthly Choice Offers Chia Goodness Supercharged Breakfast Cereals By Chuck Watkins, President, Nature's Earthly Choice We are always amazed that there are so few healthy breakfast options, which is why we were so excited when we discovered Na- ture's Earthly Choice new line of Chia Good- ness breakfast cereals that are not only healthy, but also delicious! At the Summer Fancy Food Show, Nature's Earthly Choice will be showcasing these great-tasting Chia Goodness cereals in all four flavors: Origi- nal, Apple Almond Cinnamon, Cranberry Ginger and Chocolate. The Chia Goodness cereals combine the goodness and delicious flavor of chia with other wonderfully deli- cious seeds – buckwheat and soft-shelled hemp seeds – to help power up your morn- ing. Chia is a rich source of nutrients and an- tioxidants, and together this trio of super- foods provides an excellent source of omega- 3, fiber, calcium, antioxidants and iron, and plays a role in blood sugar regulation. One serving packs six grams of protein and only 14 grams of carbohydrates. Two teaspoons of chia gives you 40 percent of your daily fiber needs. Chia Goodness cereals are remarkably easy to make, either hot or cold. Simply add your favorite beverage, such as hemp, soy or almond milk, wait a few minutes for the chia to absorb the liquid, and you have a great- tasting and filling breakfast or midday snack. For variety, you can supercharge your break- fast by sprinkling our Chia Goodness onto yogurt, granola or oatmeal. Chia delivers the maximum amount of nutrients with mini- mum calories. It is great to see small companies focus on breakfast products that are healthy, great tast- ing and packed with the benefits obtained from consuming antioxidants, omega-3, pro- tein, iron and fiber supplements all in one complete, naturally wholesome product, just as nature intended. For more information on these and other products from Nature's Earthly Choice, contact your local sales representative, email info@earthlychoice.com, call cus- tomer service at 208-898-4004, ext. 506, visit www.earthlychoice.com or stop by booth #4040. Urban Oven Provides Artisanal Taste and Quality in Every Cracker An interview with Gene Williams, Founder and Owner. GN: Are you introducing any new products? GW: Yes, in 2015 Urban Oven will be in- troducing a new 3.5-ounce snack-size cracker pack to complement our current line of 7.5-ounce cracker packs. The new snack size will feature our most popular flavors, including Olive Oil, Asiago Cheese and Three Seed. This new product line is in response to the numerous re- quests from our customers for a smaller, more convenient snack-sized product. GN: What distinguishes your products from the competition? GW: Urban Oven takes greats pride in bak- ing small batches of crackers with the finest ingredients available, which ensures that the quality and taste of the outcome are consistent. We use 100 percent pure butter, refusing to use butter flavoring or any other flavor additives like our competitors. From the freshest, wonderfully aromatic rose- mary to the most delicious and highest- quality cheese, our philosophy is delivering a superior product by keeping our ingredi- ents pure and natural. GN: Tell our readers about your trade show objectives, plans, products, promo- tions, etc. GW: We participate in the major trade shows every year to present our products to the widest range of brokers, distributors and re- tail buyers possible. Urban Oven offers gen- erous promotions throughout the year to our sales partners, along with annual trade show promotions to incentivize our product with new and established partners who attend. We believe that once our potential partners taste the Urban Oven ultimate cracker, they will understand the taste, quality and value that we deliver with our products. GN: How do you see the next year in terms of economy, sales, technology and product evolution? GW: Now this is an exciting question be- cause we have developed plans to evolve quite a bit this year through utilization of new technology, the introduction of our new snack-size packaging and by introducing new products. Urban Oven has never been a company to follow fads and trends; we focus on providing the artisanal taste and quality that our customers demand and deserve when looking for the ultimate cracker. For more information, call 866-770-OVEN (6836) or stop by booth #1553.

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