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GOURMET NEWS JANUARY 2015 www.gourmetnews.com Supplier Business SUPPLIER BUSINESS 1 1 BRIEFS Boulder Organic! Announces New Name, Manufacturing Facility The popular Boulder Soup Works brand has a new label and a new name. The company recently announced that it has changed its name to Boulder Organic! and relocated to a new 23,500-square-foot manufacturing facility in Boulder County. The growing manufacturer of the only dedicated certified organic, gluten- free and non-GMO verified soups in the country is preparing for growth in existing markets and increasing national distribution. The brand change is emphasized by vibrant and bold new packaging, at a time when many deli displays lack color and interest. The new logo complements the robust flavors, which are made in artisan-style small batches, featuring fresh vegetables, herbs and spices mostly sourced from farms in the West. In addition to being certified organic and non-GMO-verified, all varieties are certified gluten-free. Kona Brewing Expands Distribution to Canada Kona Brewing Company has announced its island brews are now available throughout British Columbia and Alberta. Kona beers made their official Canadian debut at the Hopscotch Whisky Beer and Spirits Festival in Vancouver, B.C. Draft will be available in both provinces starting early January 2015. Distribution is made possible through partner Beerthirst, and this marks the first time the Hawaiian brewer will have both on and off-premise distribution in Canada. With a footprint of 40 U.S. states and 16 countries, Kona Brewing will be entering the Canadian market with its high-quality year-round craft beers Big Wave Golden Ale, Fire Rock Pale Ale, and the newest release to their core lineup, Castaway IPA. More information on Kona Brewing Company and its award-winning craft beers is available on the company's website at www.konabrewingco.com. Golden Peanut Changes Name to Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts Golden Peanut Company LLC, a subsidiary of Archer Daniels Midland Company, recently announced that it has acquired the processing facilities and certain assets of the Harrell Nut Company, one of the country's leading processors and shellers of pecans. Reflecting the company's continuing expansion of its product portfolio, Golden Peanut also announced that it is changing its name to Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts. In addition to the name change, Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts is introducing a new logo (which can be viewed here) that reflects the company's expanded product offerings. "Our new name and logo reflect our commitment to growing and diversifying our business," said Kris Lutt, President of Golden Peanut and Tree Nuts. Harrell Nut Company is a major domestic pecan processor with facilities in Camilla, Georgia; El Paso, Texas; and Monticello, Florida. It serves both domestic and international markets. BY DAVID BERNARD Kathy Wiley, President of the 11-year-old Poco Dolce Confections, has one piece of advice for finding success as a gourmet food producer: "Get in the kitchen and don't be afraid to burn something." Taking her own advice has led to sales at more than 400 gourmet retailers nationwide. Originally, Wiley switched over from baked goods and Italian specialty items to chocolates for practical reasons. She did not want to have a staff that would have to work on Christmas Eve and into Christmas morning. And with choco- lates, you have a longer shelf life. Poco Dolce, however, truly came into its own as the result of a happy accident. Wiley was teaching herself how to tem- per chocolate when she thought, "What would be a fun ingredient to include in this?" "One of the things I tried was tof- fee. As it turned out, I just burned the tof- fee, but as I tasted it, I thought, 'You know what – this is actually not bad,'" she said. That thought was truly an understate- ment. Today, the company's bitter- sweet chocolate-cov- ered Burnt Caramel Toffee Squares and grey sea salt-sprinkled Burnt Caramel Bittersweet Tiles are two of Poco Dolce's most popular items among four wholesale lines and nearly 100 products. Poco Dolce (Italian for "not too sweet") produces a range of bittersweet chocolate bars, tiles and toffee, as well as peanut brittle for whole- sale distribution. In addi- tion, the company offers bon bons, caramels and drinking chocolates that it sells online and in its San Francisco shop. The Northern California con- fectioner has won numer- ous awards, including the 2014 sofi Award for Out- standing Chocolate with its Popcorn Toffee Squares, the 2014 Scovie Award in the Sweet Heat category for its Smoked Al- mond and Ghost Chile Tiles, and the 2014 Fiery Foods Challenge Best New Product Award for the chili-inspired Spicy Peanut Brittle. The company's Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles with Sea Salt line, with flavors ranging from almond co- conut to Aztec Chile to ginger, was also named a sofi Award finalist for Outstanding Product Line last summer. Like many gourmet food producers, Poco Dolce has capitalized on the trend toward spicy fla- vors. "I like spice, so you're going to find a spicy item in every one of our product lines," said Wiley. Not only has the com- pany timed the market well with such of- ferings as its Aztec Chile bittersweet chocolate tiles, Mayan Chile bittersweet bars and Spicy Peanut Brittle, it also dis- plays exquisite timing on the customer's palate. "The particular spice blend of the Aztec Chile tiles – it tingles different parts of your mouth and throat in a layered pro- file," Wiley said. She crafted the unique con- fection so that the final chili note hits a couple seconds after the rest of the flavors. When it comes to marketing its prod- ucts, Poco Dolce prefers working with smaller retailers with expert staff. "If you take our bittersweet tiles, that's a unique branding name," Wiley said. "It's important that the staff be able to talk about this to the customer." Wiley cites the specialty foods section of Whole Foods in which Poco Dolce products are sold as an example of a particular retail space that embodies this philosophy. Wiley describes this envi- ronment as "almost a store within a store" with its knowledgeable staff. Poco Dolce has embraced an all-nat- ural, sustainable production model, sourcing local ingredients whenever pos- sible and using a chocolate supplier whose cacao beans are Rainforest Al- liance and Fair Trade certified. Ninety- five percent of the company's products are non-GMO and gluten-free, and its line of Bittersweet Chocolate Bars is also dairy-free. GN Poco Dolce: The "Not Too Sweet" Confectioner with Quite Sweet Results Chobani recently announced its plan to open the Chobani Food Incubator, a first- of-its-kind program to invest in and culti- vate emerging food entrepreneurs. Chobani Food Incubator will support and scale young and growing companies inspired by Chobani's belief in making delicious, nutri- tious, affordable food with only natural in- gredients. Building on Chobani's mission to create better food for more people, the Chobani Food Incubator will give food entrepre- neurs the resources, workspace and sup- port to launch and disrupt their respective categories. The Chobani Incubator will be based in New York City and will include a commercial kitchen and office space. Going beyond a shared kitchen, the six- month program is intended to provide col- laboration with the Chobani leadership team, classes and training programs. Chobani also expects to provide direct ac- cess to top chefs and food leaders in the industry, facilitating contacts with its ex- tensive network. "Today we're opening our doors to entre- preneurs who share our vision for better food for tomorrow – food that's natural and affordable," said Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani. "Making a product the right way is not always easy, but we've proven that the model works. I'm excited to work with entrepreneurs who share our goal and who can benefit from our experience." The incubator program will culminate in a demo day where each company will have the opportunity to present to leading food distributors and retailers. Chobani recently opened the call for pitches from interested entrepreneurs in December, and it will se- lect up to 10 companies to join the first round. To receive updates, visit www.chobanifoodincubator.com. Top-selling brand Chobani produces high-quality authentic strained Greek Yo- gurt products made with only natural in- gredients. The company is committed to using milk from regional-area farms and strengthening its surrounding local economies. All Chobani products are kosher certified, contain five live and active cultures and are made with milk from cows not treated with rBST. Chobani products are available across the United States, as well as in Australia, Asia and Latin Amer- ica. For more information, visit www.chobani.com. GN Chobani Shakes Up Food Industry with Launch of Food Incubator

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