Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/517287
GOURMET NEWS JUNE 2015 www.gourmetnews.com Specialty Distributors & Brokers SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS 1 5 BRIEFS BY MICAH CHEEK Rare Edibles is a specialty foods distributor based in Dallas Texas. Founded by Bryan Dunn and Borz Azarian, now the Director of Operations, Rare Edibles opened in 2012 after a year of research and sourcing. Azar- ian says, "We started with a handful of wild mushrooms. It took a while for chefs to trust us." As business increased, the team found that some products had never even been shipped to Dallas before. Azarian says, "When we started, we were dealing with more seasonal, wildcrafted items. It was a little difficult getting the products. A lot of the products didn't have channels here. It took lots of research and hard work, and in- volved talking to our freight people about how to do it. We've learned a lot along the way and established good relationships." Those relationships made it possible to ne- gotiate the movement of products that had a lifespan of only a few days. Rare Edibles is now able to ship the products of multiple distant vendors in one load, reducing costs and shipping time. Some areas are avoided, as they cannot fit the company's carefully planned routes. Azarian notes, "We gener- ally don't source too much from California. We have heard that there are issues with water, but we forecast ourselves to avoid things like that. If produce was our game, we would definitely be hurting. There's an- other thing about California that you wouldn't expect. It's not easy to get prod- ucts from California with freight, because the mountains make it complicated. It's just way too expensive to ship it out. We're very happy with the few things we do bring in from California, and there are many things we plan on introducing to Texas in the fu- ture." Ali Morgan, in-house Cheesemonger and Accounts Manager, joined the team a year ago. "I look at everything that comes in and goes out and make sure it's up to our stan- dards. My job entails that, and we've got staff that's trained what to look for. Some- times chefs need to be educated. They need to hear, 'Hey, these are good molds! They're supposed to smell that way!' As a cheese- monger, it's my job to make sure the people we give products to are educated, so people know what they're dealing with." Keeping up with the needs of Dallas also requires a finger on the pulse of food trends. Morgan says, "All the accompani- ments that come with buratta are coming into season. The seasonal stuff is getting more popular every year. Buratta has blown up a lot down here, especially the tradi- tional style. We sourced one out of Con- necticut out of Vermont milk, and we can't keep it in stock." As Dallas looks to the future, Rare Edi- bles is beginning to see more competition. Other vendors are starting to emulate the company's portfolio. Azarian sees this as a good sign, an indicator that they picked the right place to start. Rare Edibles is de- pending on its strong community relation- ships and unyielding standards of quality to hold the company up above the rest. "We try to have our products in such good quality that they speak for themselves," Azarian says. "The way we sell our prod- ucts, we have to believe in them and the people behind them. In our level of indus- try, you can't hide behind good branding. Otherwise, our clients will realize it by tasting their food." GN Unified Grocers, Inc. has reached a defini- tive agreement with New York-based AmTrust Financial Services, Inc. to sell Springfield Insurance Company, Unified Grocers Insurance Services (UGIS) and their related insurance operations. Under the terms of the agreement, AmTrust will purchase Unified's Covina, California building where Springfield In- surance Company and UGIS are housed and hire all the employees who work in the facility. "We're excited about the transaction. It marks a new chapter for Unified and our members," said Bob Ling, President and Chief Executive Officer of Unified Grocers. "We believe this transaction to be in the best interests of clients of both Springfield Insurance Company and UGIS as the businesses have been sold to a forward-looking, successful company that can apply a dedicated focus to their clients. The sale to AmTrust also repre- sents an excellent way for the staff at Springfield Insurance Company and UGIS to continue to grow in the years ahead. The transaction will be seamless to policyholders. They will benefit from the strength of a $4 billion, A.M. Best 'A' rated insurance provider and its wide portfolio of insurance products and can expect even greater offerings from AmTrust in the future." "We're proud of our accomplishments in our insurance operations and the fact we were able to provide our retailers with in- surance programs tailored to the unique demands of the grocery business," he added. "At the same time, the transaction allows Unified to streamline its business structure and direct greater focus to its core grocery wholesale operations." The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing con- ditions. GN Unified Grocers Announces Agreement to Sell Insurance Operations to AmTrust Intrexon Corporation, a genetic engineering company, has acquired Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF), the agricultural company be- hind the Arctic ® apple, the world's first non- browning apple without the use of any flavor-altering chemical or antioxidant ad- ditives. OSF's vision and ground-breaking effort in responsibly harnessing the power of technology to produce wholesome, nu- tritious food that is more appetizing and convenient to consumers is aligned with In- trexon's strategy in the food sector. The combination of the talented OSF team under the continued leadership of Neal Carter, OSF Founder and President, and In- trexon's technology platform opens the door to novel, designer foods that support the evolving healthy diet choices of today's consumer. "Arctic apples' nonbrowning trait creates a wide array of benefits that offer value to the entire supply chain, especially con- sumers," Carter said. "Arctic apples have been planted for 12 years, and have com- pleted review processes with the USDA, FDA, CFIA and Health Canada, which con- cluded they are as safe and nutritious as tra- ditional apple varieties. We look forward to bringing better versions of consumers' fa- vorite fruits to their grocery stores and kitchens." Marrying the art of fruit breeding with cutting-edge science has resulted in the Arc- tic apple, an elegantly engineered solution to what is more than a pesky cosmetic prob- lem. Solving apples' browning offers bene- fits and savings on the farm, at the packing house, across retail, and most importantly for the consumer. In addition to enabling higher volumes of better quality fruit reach- ing consumers at a lower cost, the reduction of substantial food waste from the farm to the home has positive implications for en- vironmental sustainability. The upward trend in healthier food con- sumption combined with the convenience factor has driven significant growth in fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, and enhanc- ing apple varieties to not brown when bit- ten, sliced or bruised improves their fresh-cut suitability. GN Firm Plans to Bring GMO Arctic Apple to Market in 2016 Rare Edibles Feeds Dallas Culinary Scene Natural Food Investor & Advisor Brad Barnhorn Joins GLUKOS Board Of Directors Natural products industry advisor and investor Brad Barnhorn has joined the board of directors of The GLUKOS Company Inc., a natural performance energy foods brand. Barnhorn brings 25 years of company-building experience as an entrepreneur, CEO and management consultant with a select set of leading growth-stage companies in the food and beverage space including Krave Jerky, KeVita, Rhythm SuperFoods, Zola and Health Warrior to the board. He is previously the founder and former CEO of Fantasia Fresh Juice Co., which he rapidly built into a leading super-premium fresh juice/smoothie company, culminating in its merger with Naked Juice and subsequent sale to Pepsi. New Hope Natural Media Wins a 2015 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award For Insect Protein News Coverage Natural foods magazine publisher New Hope Natural Media has won a Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award in the Best News Coverage category for "The Next Big Thing: Insect Protein." Established in 1996, the Neal Awards honor business-to-business journalism. Around the world, at least two billion people eat insects. Western society has been slow to embrace entomophagy—the practice of eating insects—but as the demand for healthy protein rises it's only a matter of time before insects are part of the Western daily diet. Insect protein is inexpensive, healthy and eco-friendly, requiring far fewer resources per protein yield and offers a high level of protein, vitamins and minerals. New Hope's news coverage shows how this form of protein is one of the next big trends in natural foods and also emphasizes its nutritional and environmental advantages. It also offers a deep dive into the supply chain and pricing barriers that currently exist for insect protein and explores how food entrepreneurs can formulate new products using insect protein. CUNY School of Public Health Selected to Evaluate Impact of Food Industry-led Hunger and Obesity Effort The City University of New York School of Public Health (CUNY SPH) has been selected to provide validation of community programs that encourage active, healthy lifestyles, which are sponsored by major food and beverage companies. CUNY SPH researchers will partner with the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation to develop an evaluation system to benchmark community programs that encourage active, healthy lifestyles, which are supported by member companies of the foundation. The project was launched in January 2015. The first industry report is expected in early 2016. Data collection will be on an ongoing basis, with the methodology refined and program information updated in 2016-17.