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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2015 n GOURMET NEWS N H 2 6 Sticky Fingers Bakeries Reinvents Classic Combo with Cherry Chocolate Chip Scone Sticky Fingers Bakeries introduces a new scone mix that will leave chocolate and cherry lovers swooning. The Cherry Choco- late Chip Scone combines two iconic flavors into one delightful treat. "Chocolate and cherries are a classic combination made even better – because now they're in a scone," said Tom Owens, the company's co-founder and owner. The dried fruit provides a bright pop of sweet- ness that pairs perfectly with the rich chocolate chips. These easy-to-make scones would be a welcome addition to any holiday brunch table and provide the background for many unique desserts. Add chunks of these scones to a holiday trifle or simply pair one with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. The Cherry Chocolate Chip Scone Mix also makes for a quick, yet thoughtful gift. Create a deli- cious gift basket that includes a box or two of scones and a selection of Sticky Fingers' premium fruit but- ters and jams. The company has focused on using only all-natural ingredients since it began as a retail bakery in San Diego more than 25 years ago. Like the rest of Sticky Fin- gers' products, the Cherry Chocolate Chip Scones don't include preservatives, arti- ficial flavors or colorings, high fructose corn syrup, trans fats or choles- terol. "High quality ingredients really make the difference," Owens said. "We want our customers to feel good about buying our products and eating our scones." Sticky Fingers Bakeries sells its scone and brownie mixes and pre- mium Northwest jams, fruit but- ters, pepper jellies and English curds at retail locations around the world as well as online. For more information, visit www.sticky fingersbakeries.com. Sweet Meets Heat: Drew's LLC Introduces Organic Mango Habanero Salsa Drew's Organic Mango Habanero Salsa is an incredibly exciting twist to America's fa- vorite condiment and snack food. Drew's started with a base of traditional organic salsa with a tasty blend of organic tomatoes, green bell peppers, onions, garlic and other seasonings. But then it added the "sweet" – organic mangoes. And it added the "heat" – organic habanero peppers. In addition to being tantalizingly enjoy- able, the mangoes in Drew's Organic Mango Habanero Salsa are a healthy snack. Accord- ing to the National Mango Board, mangoes contain more than 20 different vitamins and minerals, helping to make them a superfood. Research is underway to identify the many phytonutrients found in the fruit to better un- derstand how mangoes benefit human health and nutrition. Historically, mangoes were first grown in India and to this day the mango is the na- tional fruit of India. Now, due to their im- mense popularity and healthful deliciousness, mangoes are cultivated in warm-weather regions all over the world. Habanero peppers originated in the hot Amazon region of South America. Cul- tivation eventually spread through Cen- tral America, and these peppers now thrive in the heat of the American Southwest. Heat is a word often used in reference to these small but potent pep- pers with orange skin. They are rated between 100,000 and 350,000 on the Scoville scale, which is a commonly- used measurement of the spiciness of peppers. In comparison, cayenne peppers are rated between 30,000 and 50,000 on the Scoville scale and jalapeño peppers are only rated between 2,500 and 10,000. In addition to their spiciness, habanero peppers are also loved for their fruity, citrus-like flavor. The end result of combining these seem- ingly opposite foods is a delectably balanced organic salsa that starts sweet, ends hot, and will leave customers hungry for more! Drew's Organic Mango Habanero Salsa is also Non-GMO Project Verified and certified gluten-free. The suggested retail price is $3.99-$4.49 for a 12-oz. jar. About Drew's Drew's is a premium producer of organic and all-natural dress- ings/marinades and salsas. All Drew's products are Non-GMO Project Ver- ified; many varieties are certified gluten-free. All Drew's products are made in their SQF- certified facility in the beautiful green moun- tains of Vermont. Private label options are available. For more information, visit www.chef drew.com, call 802.875.1184, email info@chefdrew.com or stop by booth #3478. Woodstock Farms MFG Fuels Private Label Boom The time is ripe for private label and Wood- stock Farms Manufacturing is ready to har- vest. 2012 saw industry-wide annual revenue for private label products reach a record high of $108 billion, with record growth at +2.9 percent. Since 2009, private label brands have seen a significant growth rate over na- tional brands. PLMA reports the trend "is driven by store brand quality continuing to improve across most of the categories covered in our re- search and store brands are likely to continue to gain share in many product categories." Woodstock Farms MFG, a division of UNFI, allows stores to build a brand under its own name, one that takes advantage of the quality of natural and organic ingredients. Woodstock Farms MFG offers a broad range of healthy snack alternatives, from tradi- tional nuts, dried fruits and trail mixes, to ex- otic wasabi green peas, crunchy green beans or yogurt-covered pretzels. Customers have begun to recognize store brands and private labels as viable alterna- tives to the quality traditionally associated with national brands. Woodstock Farms MFG delivers unparalleled quality through responsible sourcing and a rigorous quality assurance program. This becomes an ad- vantage when customers turn to store brands for economic reasons and often like what they find in a private label, becoming repeat customers while building brand and store loyalty. Such robust growth in private label sales, coupled with the exploding popularity of nat- ural and organic foods, makes it one of the best times ever for stores to es- tablish their own brands, or build on those they have. Organic food sales are ex- pected to grow 50 percent in the next five years. Additionally, without pro- motional and advertising costs – which are built into the price of national brands – a pri- vate label allows retailers to both increase profit margins and share savings with the con- sumer, further incentivizing repeat purchases. Private label packaging is ideal for retail- ers. Each package Woodstock Farms MFG produces acts as a unique, cost-free adver- tisement for the store brand. Having a com- pany's logo and design in a customer's pantry helps keep the store at the forefront of the customer's mind, while the quality prod- uct it contains fosters store loyalty. The as- sociation of quality to the brand can help build confidence in the store as a whole. Woodstock Farms MFG makes creating the ideal customized packaging easy. A variety of packaging styles and sizes allows stores the flexibility to find the packaging solution that works best for their business model. Op- tions include pillow bags, gusset bags and square or round tubs, with sizes ranging from single serving to family sizes to bulk. Stores can also take advantage of Woodstock Farms MFG's in-house graphic design team to help create a unique, eye-catching label. Private label organic and natural snack food from Woodstock Farms MFG is an es- sential way to elevate a store brand and grow sales. Visit booth #2936, or find more information, including a complete product listing, at www.woodstockfarmsmfg.com. Nutritious and Delicious Organic Snack Crackers Every day, more of us are paying closer at- tention to the type of food we choose to eat. Many of us want all-natural, organic foods that taste great, and we are actively seeking them out. Partners, A Tasteful Choice Com- pany, has provided products in line with this philosophy since the business started in 1992. In 2002, Partners introduced its Blue Star Farms Organic Snack Crackers to the public, and, in 2004, Blue Star Farms were officially Certified Organic when the process became available. These crackers quickly became one of Partners' top selling brands for good reason. They are wholesome and hearty, taste great alone or complement everything from traditional cheeses and soups to the most ex- otic dips and spreads. These organic snack crackers are available in three delicious flavors: Stone Ground Wheat, Stone Ground Rye & Flax and Stone Ground MultiGrain. All three flavors are made with whole grains, yet have their own unique attributes. Stone Ground Wheat crackers contain 12 grams or more of whole grain per serving, Stone Ground Rye & Flax crackers provide 590 mg of Omega-3s per serving, and Stone Ground MultiGrain crackers are made with a com- bination of flax, quinoa and amaranth flours. As with all Partners products, they contain no hydrogenated oils or preser- vatives. Blue Star Farms Organic Snack Crackers are available in 5-oz. boxes with two front-facing sides, al- lowing for horizontal or vertical display. The design of the packaging is elegant with easily identifiable flavor profiles. About Partners Since 1992, Partners, A Tasteful Choice Company, has created delicious gour- met products using high quality ingre- dients while supporting the sustainability of the environment and fostering an atmosphere of family, in- tegrity, trust and compassion in the community. All Partners products are Non-GMO, Certified Kosher and con- tain no hydrogenated oils, artificial fla- vors or preservatives. Partners is also certified as a women-owned business enterprise by the Women's Business Enter- prise National Council (WBENC). For more information, visit NPEW booth #2893, go to www.partnerscrackers.com or contact Cara Figgins at 800.632.7477 or cfiggins@partnerscrackers.com.

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