Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2015 n GOURMET NEWS 1 3 4 organization with five retail stores in addition to its flagship store in Williamsburg, Va. You'll now find its specialty food stores across the South in Savannah, Ga.; Charleston S.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Sarasota, Fla. and Smith- field, Va., in addition to its facilities in Toano, Va., which include production, fulfillment, sales offices and a call center. Founded in 1973 and following the same roasting process used today, it believes it has found the ingredients to make its business successful. Quality – sourcing only super extra-large Virginia Peanuts, and handcook- ing in small batches with pure peanut oil. Less than three percent of the total Virginia peanut crop is acceptable. Its signature Handcooked Virginia Peanut is now Kosher Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified. Value – making the finest nuts available into an affordable luxury, and meeting the stan- dards its customers have come to expect. A value that goes beyond the holidays and into everyday life. Innovation – listening to cus- tomers, developing products they are asking for, and reaching forward to create products that exceed trends. Customer Service – back- ing up its satisfaction guarantee with repre- sentatives who are helpful, friendly, know their products and are willing to go the extra mile to make a customer happy. While holiday sales account for more than 40 percent of the annual business, it has taken care in expanding its lines to include products that do well in off-season sales, and complement its signature brand. Other brands in its portfolio include Southern Shores Specialties, Smithfield Tavern and Smithfield Marketplace. The Peanut Shop is creating Southern hos- pitality through food – specifically, hand- cooked Virginia Peanuts. Its nuts are always on the table where families gather to enjoy good food, and they are top-ranked for gifting during the holidays and year-round. They are a conversation-starter, and those who try them for the first time always come back for more. Fellowship, family and friends – what The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg is always count- ing on from its customers. It's not just a holi- day business anymore; it goes way beyond. For more information, call 800-831-1828, ext.1, visit www.thepeanutshop.com or stop by booth #988. The Peanut Shop (Cont'd. from p. 1) created their very first pepper sauce in 2011, and with its proven success, they felt it only necessary to increase that product line to three by introducing a cayenne based hot sauce as well as a green jalapeno sauce. "We had constant requests for a hotter ver- sion of our pepper sauce, while maintaining the same great flavor profile. So, we met their demands and created our Slap Ya Mama Hot Sauce," said Jack Walker. With a little more kick to the palate and zing to the taste buds, the Walkers are glad to in- troduce a hot sauce that will still contribute the same great flavors and thickness of their pepper sauce. Now, what about the jalapeno sauce and what made them decide to go "green"? Joe Walker stated, "This has been something in our sights for some time now and we are glad to finally implement jalapenos into our product line." It seems as though jalapenos have been a staple in the Walker household for some time now, with their fa- ther utilizing this wonderful ingredient in several of their family recipes. So, they've decided to share it with the rest of the world in the fashion of bottling it up and making it readily available to their cus- tomers. What more could you ask for? Stop by booth #2741 to put your palate to the true test of Cajun kindness. For more information, stop by booth #2741 or visit www.slapyamama.com. Slap Ya Mama (Cont'd. from p. 1) this type of product," said Aaron Fuchs of Wagshal's Imports. "When you look at the ingredient list on the jar, you'll see each product contains no more than a handful of the most natural ingredients – and not an un- pronounceable name to be found!" This is something many consumers look for today. Additionally, the combination of its gorgeous high-end packaging and superb taste makes these products strong viable sellers for wine and cheese shops, heath food shops, gift shops and upscale grocers. The following all-natural Can Bech products are now exclusively imported by Wagshal's and ready for wholesale and retail distribution: Fruits of the Forest Preserves – a glorious combination of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries, this spread of- fers a perfect tart mix. Just-for-Cheese Fruit Spreads – these sauces are designed to pair perfectly with many different types of cheeses. Rose Petal Jelly – surprisingly versatile, this jelly complements ice cream, dark chocolate cake, foie gras canapés or can be used to make a glamorous rose Cosmopoli- tan cocktail. It will also showcase some additional products from Can Bech at the show; stop by to try them! For more information on Wagshal's Imports and the Can Bech product line, visit booth #2917 or wagshalsimports.com. For whole- sale inquiries, email Aaron Fuchs of Wagshal's Imports at aaron@wagshals imports.com or call 202-595-3505. Wagshal's Imports (Cont'd. from p. 4) with the debut of its gluten-free crackers. In- stead of focusing on creating a gluten-free substitute for crackers, the Partners team fo- cused its efforts on creating a quality product that everyone can enjoy regardless of the gluten content. This effort resulted in a high quality flavorful cracker that by virtue of its ingredients, also happens to be gluten-free. Free for All Kitchen crackers are avail- able in three of Partners most popular fla- vors: Olive Oil & Sea Salt, Olive Oil & Herb and Roasted Garlic & Rosemary, in a variety of packaging styles: 5.5-ounce cellophane wrapped deli trays, 5.0-ounce cartons, 0.75 ounce-bags and 0.75-ounce clear packs. They are excellent for worry- free meals, entertaining and snacking on the go. The Partners team is thrilled by the excel- lent response from its consumers and is also proud of its multiple awards from the trade: The Gourmet Retailer (Editors' Pick 2013), Grocery Headquarters (Selling Wellness Trailblazer Awards 2014), and Seattle Busi- ness magazine's Washington Manufacturing Awards (Food Processor of the Year 2014, Silver). This year, keep an eye out for Partners' sweet addition to the gluten-free line with its new Free for All Kitchen Brownie Thins. Crispy, crunchy and delectable, these gluten- free brownie thins will be available in 4.0- ounce and 1.0-ounce cellophane bags in a Double Chocolate flavor. Unlike many sweets, Free for All Kitchen brownie thins feature a rich chocolate flavor without the added preservatives, artificial flavors and sweeteners. Partners is proud to announce that its Free for All Kitchen brownie thins have already received recognition as an innovative and creative product by The Gourmet Retailer (Editors' Pick 2014). Free Your Taste Buds ® and experience what gluten-free snacking can be – delicious for all to enjoy! About Partners Since 1992, Partners, A Tasteful Choice Company, has created delicious gourmet products using high quality ingredients while supporting the sustainability of the environ- ment and fostering an atmosphere of family, integrity, trust and compassion in the com- munity. All Partners products are Non-GMO, Certified Kosher and contain no hydro- genated oils, artificial flavors or preserva- tives. Partners is also certified as a women-owned business enterprise by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). For more information, stop by booth #4007, visit www.partnerscrackers.com or contact Cara Figgins at 800-632-7477 or cfiggins@partnerscrackers.com. Partners (Cont'd. from p. 1) and I go back many years. For several years Ciao Bella and Sarabeth's co-branded a line of ice cream. Sarabeth's provided the outra- geously tasty baked goods and jams while Ciao Bella found a way to combine them with our gelato to make an absolutely deli- cious line of ice cream flavors. So I was friendly with Sarabeth and Bill through this venture. About three and a half years ago after selling Ciao Bella and consulting with Specialty Food brands, our paths crossed again and I joined their team. GN: What is happening at Sarabeth's since you came on board? CA: Sarabeth's is an established brand with an outstanding reputation for produc- ing specialty foods and in particular pre- serves and marmalades. During the last few years we have leveraged the brand's loyalty with consumers and retailers to expand Sarabeth's footprint on shelf. We are also adjusting the packaging of products to meet the changing lifestyles of consumers. In ad- dition, we have enhanced the line of gift boxes, which is a growing business for the brand through several sales channels dur- ing the holiday season. At the moment, Sarabeth's is refreshing our line of flavored coffees in new packaging with improved all-natural ingredients. GN: How do you see Sarabeth's evolving over the next few years? CA: The brand will continue to penetrate new markets and expand into Club and other venues. New products and package revi- sions will help Sarabeth's gain additional traction in Grocery on a regional level. Dur- ing this time, Sarabeth's is investing in more efficient equipment and increased marketing and promotion to support brand awareness and create better value for our consumers. GN: Is there a big difference between man- aging a Sarabeth's brand versus Ciao Bella? CA: In some ways there is a very big differ- ence. Sarabeth's is almost entirely a retail products business. We do have a growing restaurant presence (licensed Sarabeth's restaurants) that purchase from us as a com- missary, but the bulk of our sales are retail packaging. Ciao Bella was historically a foodservice business with a fast growing re- tail package business. So over my 25 years in Specialty Food I have learned the ropes in both retail and hospitality. Otherwise, both companies are or were founder-driven with a similar strategy of building a stellar brand based upon a unique approach within their respective categories. They are both lifestyle brands and require a similar strategy in terms of tailoring the sales and marketing to tar- geted consumers and retailers. Sarabeth, the namesake of the brand, is active managing the bakery every day and tireless in her com- mitment to producing and creating whole- some specialty foods that are outstanding either served in her restaurants or at home. GN: What do you think about personally and professionally that provides you with a feel- ing of pride and success while working at Sarabeth's? CA: That the founders of Sarabeth's trust me with their baby – this is one of their life's accomplishments and they trust me to shepherd the company forward. Also I am very proud and fortunate to work with two brands that have been awarded on a combined basis over 30 NASFT Awards in their respective categories! And the feel- ing of success from building two brands with the help of a growing number of tal- ented and dedicated employees both at Ciao Bella and Sarabeth's. Every day is challenging and exciting as the Sarabeth's business continues to grow and evolves in all aspects of the market requiring my leadership and direction to address unique logistics, packaging, sales and marketing strategy for brick and mortar retailers, foodservice and ecommerce. For more information, stop by booth #657. Sarabeth's (Cont'd. from p. 1)

• Cover