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R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s 8 3 F r i d a y, M a y 1 5 , 2 0 1 5 SPECIALTY FOOD ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL INDUCTEES TO INDUSTRY'S FIRST HALL OF FAME Honoring the pioneers of an industry that stretches back decades into the 1950s, the Specialty Food Association announced the inaugural inductees into its newly formed Hall of Fame at this year's Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. The first 114 members of the Hall of Fame represent a vast cross section of the industry and include a diverse collection of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, industry leaders and assorted visionaries, all of whom helped build specialty food into an $88.3 billion industry. "The mission of this Hall of Fame is to honor individuals whose accomplish- ments, contributions, innovations and successes have significantly impacted the specialty food industry and are deserving of our praise and truly our recognition," said Shawn McBride, Vice President of Foah International and current Chair of the Specialty Food Association Board of Directors. The induction ceremony was one of the highlights of this year's WFF show. The inductees were lauded on the first evening of the show, kicking off an event that also included the presentation of the annual Leadership Awards as well as a keynote address from Seth Goldman, cofounder and CEO of Honest Tea. An overarching theme of the evening's festivities was the focus on how specialty food professionals are in a unique position to contribute to the bet- terment of their world through shaping the ways in which people eat. In his keynote presentation, Goldman recount- ed the peculiar career arc he went through, beginning as a political activist and campaigner and eventually transi- tioning into the world of tea. He said that it would come as a complete surprise to his younger self that he would end up having a greater impact on society as a tea professional than he ever could have hoped to achieve as a politician. "There's nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America," said Goldman, par- aphrasing Bill Clinton. "I've come to the conclusion that our government, our sys- tem is not what's right with America. I'm a big believer in the democratic system, but I would argue that the people in this room – the people who shape our diets, who shape what we grow and how we consume it – have at least an important a role as any elected official." Seeking to inspire those in atten- dance as they move forward to focus on how they can be a positive force for change in their communities and in the world, Goldman urged companies to work social and environmental goals into their business model, not just for the good of the planet, but for the good of their bottom line as well. According to him, by creating Honest Tea as an aspira- tional company, the result has been a net benefit to the company as a whole. "Our society is at an unprecedented and exciting moment where the passion to improve the health of our population and the health of our planet coincide into amazing business opportunities," said Goldman. "You can make a financial and social impact by helping people live longer, better lives, lives that are more in harmony with the natural world." Illustrating Goldman's point, each of the recipients of the 2015 Specialty Food Association Leadership Awards seems to fit into the business model pro- moted by the tea CEO. That is, each of these companies incorporates aspira- tional social and environmental goals into their professional plans. This year's award winners included Adnan Durrani of Saffron Road and David Gremmels of Rogue Creamery in the Business Leadership category, Ahmed and Reem Rahim of Numi Organic Tea and Sara Holby of Ajiri Tea in the Citizenship category and Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream and James May of Wisdom Natural Brands in the Vision category. In his acceptance of the award, Durrani echoed Goldman's keynote, cit- ing Saffron Road's aspirational qualities as an important contributor to the compa- ny's overall success. "A mission-driven business or enterprise can have stronger social impact and an impact on producing progressive values for the betterment of humanity than any governmental, reli- gious or political institution can have," he said. Several of the award recipients specifically referenced their companies' accomplishments in bettering those around them as they accepted their awards. Ahmed Rahim, for example, explained how Numi Organic Tea, by sourcing fair trade tea, has been able to create a positive symbiotic relationship with the farmers on which it relies. "These farmers have actually helped us create our vision," he said. "Through the efforts and the collaboration and all the time we spend with our farmers, it has nurtured us so much as a company. It's taught us how to be better citizens." Britton Bauer similarly referenced her company's efforts to support the communities in which Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams operates, arguing that having a social purpose has actually benefited the quality of the product. "We believe that business and entrepreneurship can help solve complex social problems," she said. "It used to be that a company had to sacrifice quality in order to be a company who chose to create social change … but that has changed. In fact, today it's quite the opposite. The best products are com- ing from companies who believe in pay- ing a living wage, in working earnestly to lower our environmental footprint, in fair trade and better direct trade." Perhaps none of the Leadership Award recipients better epitomizes the values of a social mission-driven busi- ness than Sara Holby of Ajiri Tea. The team at Ajiri works tirelessly to improve lives in rural Kenya. The company pur- chases tea at fair prices from a co-op of small-scale Kenyan farmers. It employs 63 local women to hand make labels for the products from the bark of banana trees. And it operates a non-profit that pays the school fees for 25 orphan chil- dren. "I think what's wonderful is that all of you in this room are so supportive of us and of companies that can make a dif- ference in the world," said Holby. "Every time a store chooses to take Ajiri Tea and give it a chance and put it on our shelves, and the consumer comes in and looks at it and chooses to buy it, they are making a difference in people's lives in Kenya. By making a choice here to do something like that, you're giving students in Kenya opportunity." KALE TREND GETS ZESTY KICK WITH KALE ITALIA BLEND Earthbound Farm is expanding its popu- lar line of kale-based Deep Green Blends with Kale Italia - a zesty mix of baby kale blended with popular Italian greens, arugula and radicchio - available for retail in a 5-ounce clamshell package. Available now, this new addition reflects the continuing growth in consumer fasci- nation with all things kale. "We've heard the demand for more delicious ways to eat kale, and we're delivering with an enticing new blend of flavors to meet the need," said Nicole Glenn, Director of Product Innovation at Earthbound Farm. "Baby kale is so ver- satile that it satisfies that desire for an all- purpose green that works in smoothies, cooked recipes, and salads equally deli- ciously. And combined with the Italian greens in this blend, people will rave about Kale Italia as a tasty new take on the popular superfood." Lighter than Earthbound Farm's other kale-based Deep Green Blends (Power or Zen), Kale Italia still has a crave-worthy crunch and a robust flavor. Beyond salad, this new blend is ideal for pastas, risottos, sautes and more. "Kale Italia has the versatility and freshness people want at a price they can afford," added Glenn. "And the fact that it's so nutrient-dense is a driving factor of its popularity." Earthbound Farm's Kale Italia (5- ounce clamshell) is packed in a modified atmosphere to maximize freshness and quality and is available nationwide with a suggested retail price of $4.99. Earthbound is also adding a new blend, Half & Half: Baby Spinach & Arugula, which builds on the popularity of its Half & Half: Spring Mix & Baby Spinach mix. With consumers often pur- chasing several varieties of greens at a time and blending them into recipes, packaging the popular varieties together into a single blend makes it easier and more convenient for the shopper. Half & Half: Baby Spinach & Arugula is avail- able at retail in a 5-ounce clamshell with a suggested retail price of $3.99. Like all Earthbound Farm fresh pro- duce, these greens are grown in accor- dance with the company's industry-lead- ing food safety and organic integrity pro- grams and packaged in sustainable pack- aging made from 100 percent post-con- sumer recycled bottles. HUDDLE HOUSE NAMES JENN TOWNSEND EXECUTIVE CHEF Jenn Townsend, who has spent the last two decades developing new menu items for some of the most well-known global franchise chains, has been named the new Executive Chef and Director of Menu Development for Huddle House. A native of Atlanta, Townsend said she is excited about the opportunity to lead the menu strategy for the popular full-service family restaurant known for serving "Any Meal. Any Time." "Being from Georgia, I have a sweet spot for Southern comfort food," she said. "This is a tremendous oppor- tunity. Huddle House is going in the right direction. We are opening new stores, increasing same store sales and I look forward to playing an important role in that growth." Prior to joining Huddle House, Townsend held key operations and menu development positions with Church's Chicken, Arby's Restaurant Group and Blimpie International, among others. "We expect Jenn to have an immedi- ate impact," said Huddle House CEO Michael Abt. "Her passion and creativity combined with a deep understanding of both franchisees and our customers will be important as we enter a new era of growth for Huddle House." Founded in 1964, Huddle House, Inc. is celebrating more than five decades as a full-service family restau- rant franchise known for serving "Any Meal. Any Time." Typically open 24- hours, Huddle House serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all day. The menu offers a mix of Southern inspired com- fort food, including signature Big House breakfasts, crispy hash browns, creamy grits, golden waffles and fluffy omelets, all made to order. Other favorites include Big Bold Burgers, Big House sandwich platters, country fried steak with green beans and mari- nated grilled chicken with sweet pota- to fries. The core values on which Huddle House was founded – serving quality food in a warm, friendly environment that brings the community together – remain intact today. More information about Huddle House franchise opportunities is available at huddlehousefranchising.com or by call- ing 800.868.5700.