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GOURMET NEWS DECEMBER 2015 www.gourmetnews.com Supplier Business SUPPLIER BUSINESS 1 6 BRIEFS David Ritterbush Tapped as New CEO of popchips popchips ® has hired consumer packaged goods veteran David Ritterbush, who assumes the post of Chief Executive Officer. popchips' previous CEO, Paul Davis, will expand his role on the board of directors, joining Founder Keith Belling as Co-Chairman. Ritterbush brings 25 years of consumer package goods experience to the company, having worked across numerous leading lifestyle brands. He joins popchips from his previous post as CEO of Premier Nutrition Company, Inc. Prior to Premier Nutrition Company, Ritterbush spent time as the Vice President/General Manager of Red Bull North America and had a long career at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream. Gratify Foods Enters C-Store Channel Gratify Foods introduced new 2-ounce snack packs at the National Association of Convenience Stores Show in Las Vegas. The newest addition to the Gratify Gluten Free portfolio will be available in convenience stores nationwide in early 2016. Marking the brand's entry into the convenience store market, Gratify is the first gluten-free pretzel to be offered in a 2-ounce snack bag, expanding the category of gluten free products now available to consumers on the go. The convenient single- serve bags are available in three flavors: Sea Salt Pretzel Twists, new Everything Pretzel Thins and new Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crackers, each with a suggested retail price of $1.49. Gratify also has a new look, with denim-inspired packaging hitting supermarket shelves now. Great Moments in Chocolate History Mars Chocolate North America has partnered with the National Geographic Society to produce "Great Moments In Chocolate History," the first in a two-book agreement between Mars and National Geographic. It was written by Howard- Yana Shapiro, Chief Agricultural Officer, Mars Incorporated. Shapiro is an internationally recognized expert on all things chocolate and focuses on sharing the amazing history of one of the world's favorite foods – chocolate. Beloved by everyone from the ancient Aztec to Marie Antoinette to George Washington, chocolate has engendered a worldwide passion that has endured across the centuries. The book completes the experience with 20 delicious recipes coupled with their historical significance. PRAIM Group To Launch All-Natural Build-A-Bear Chocolate Bars And Choxcards PRAIM Group, a food licensing, marketing and distribution company, has agreed to create and distribute a line of all-natural chocolate bars for Build-A-Bear Workshop, an interactive destination where guests of all ages can create personalized furry friends. PRAIM Group will introduce four designs – two chocolate bars and two Choxcards ® at Build-A-Bear Workshop. Choxcards are part greeting card and part Gift Card holder. Each Choxcard also includes a chocolate bar. All bars are milk chocolate, 3.5 ounces, kosher and all-natural. Taiwanese Tradition's Tantalizing Tasty Treats BY RICHARD THOMPSON Sriracha Pork Jerky is the latest offering from Golden Island and its line of gourmet jerkies. This fiery new addition rounds out the line of specialty beef and pork flavored jerkies that include Korean Barbeque, Kung Pao and Chili Lime. "We are focused on handcrafted, gourmet jerky," says Stephen Silzer, Director of Marketing at Golden Is- land. Originating in Taiwan over 50 years ago as a family business, Golden Island is a Cal- ifornia-based jerky company (now owned by Tyson Foods) whose product line stands apart from competitors due to the com- pany's small-batch cooking process. "With origins in Taiwan, the ingredients and recipes have been passed down." says Silzer. "This includes individually slicing and marinating each piece in small batches.... Then we either kettle cook or flame-grill our meats to best ensure...great- tasting, tender jerky." Golden Island sells six different flavors of jerky made with an exclusive blend of natural herbs, spices and sauces authentic to the company's Asian roots. The three beef and three pork flavors are all high in protein and clean label – all-natural, gluten-free, no preservatives and no nitrites added. The company's top seller is Korean Bar- beque Pork Jerky, made with garlic powder, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil that carry's a little sweet flavor from the marinade mixed with a savory bite from the sesame. The Grilled Barbeque Pork Jerky tastes like small shavings of honey-touched Christ- mas ham dropped in your mouth, giving your tongue something to celebrate. The Beef Jerky flavors include Kung Pao, Chili Lime and Five Spice. The smoky fla- vor of the chili flaked speckled Kung Pao Beef Jerky adds an earthy kick to the in- tense tongue burn that the Kung Pao Beef Jerky is known for. It has a loyal following because of its heat, says Silzer, while the Chili Lime Beef Jerky has a nice balance of zesty lime flavor that compliments its own heat as well. The Five Spice Beef Jerky is gluten-free and starts with a little kick that retains its bold flavor from the Asian in- spired sweet and spicy flavorings. While there are no plans for additional offerings to the product line in the imme- diate future, the company is always looking ahead. "We are always focused on the next flavor trend and looking to expand our lineup...and existing flavors," says Silzer. Currently, Golden Island products can be found at Costco Wholesale, World Market and in Southern California in traditional grocery stores like Ralph's – as well as on the company's website. According to Silzer, "We are looking to expand into more retail and convenience stores where snacks are sold as well as embrace the penetration of Amazon.com and online grocery selling op- portunities. Our focus is about delivering flavor with a moist and tender texture from our proprietary process that stands alone with the company." GN Marin French Cheese Company, the longest continuously operating cheese company in the U.S., plans to retain that title for years to come. Wrapping up a year of celebrations marking its 150th year of ar- tisan cheese production in the same Marin County location, the company is launching its innovative Baking Brie Kit and Supreme Extra Crème Brie nationally. Not to be out- done, Laura Chenel's, Marin French's sister company in Sonoma, founded 35 years ago, will unveil refreshed branding including packaging, a brand-new website, educa- tional videos and new goat cheese products for national distribution in early 2016. Both companies claimed a host of top awards at national cheese competitions in 2015. Innovations at Laura Chenel's continue, underscoring the company's well-known pioneering spirit and significant place in the 'Story of American Chèvre.' "2016 will bring exciting changes for our pioneering companies," says Philippe Chevrollier, General Manger for Laura Chenel's and Marin French Cheese. "We see a changing landscape for artisan cheese as the market expands, bringing new consumers and ex- citing opportunities for growth." Industry experts estimate the annual growth of 4 percent in specialty cheese will continue through 2018, led by demand for nutritious snacks and protein-rich foods. New Cheeses Marin French's new Baking Brie Kit in- cludes a uniquely designed wood cup, oven-safe and microwavable, and an 8- ounce wheel of award-winning Traditional Brie or Jalapeno Brie. Baking Brie Kits will be in national retail chains and specialty shops by early No- vember. Baking Brie Kits and all-new Hol- iday Gift Baskets are ready to ship for the holidays from the company's online store. Laura Chenel's new product lineup of fla- vored fresh cheeses includes a coated Pineapple Log, Fig Log, and Garlic Chabis and an aged, bloomy-rind Goat Brie. The new Spicy Cabecou is marinated with Jalapeno and packed in an improved, anti- leak jar. Awards Together the companies picked up nine- teen prestigious awards in 2015, recog- nizing their classic fresh, aged and soft-ripened cheeses along with top prizes for new cheeses competing for the first time in 2015. Most notably: Best of Class prize for Laura Chenel's aged Taupinière from the U.S. Cheese Cham- pionship in Wisconsin, 1st place award for Marin French Traditional Brie from the American Cheese Society (ACS) in Providence, Rhode Island and a coveted Winner Award for Marin French Petite Breakfast from the Good Food Awards, San Francisco. New cheeses Spicy Cabecou and Pineapple Log earned top awards for Laura Chenel's while two new Marin French cheeses, Supreme and Petite Supreme, bested their com- petitors. "These awards recognize milestone achievements con- firming the high- quality cheese we strive to produce every day," says GM Chevrollier. "We take pride in our collec- tive years making great cheese, we respect traditions and the craft of cheesemaking while striving for innovation." New prod- ucts from Laura Chenel's and Marin French will be launched at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco next January, where the sister companies' prod- ucts will be displayed side-by-side in booth #5117-5121. Both Laura Chenel's and Marin French Cheese are owned by French family cheesemaking company, Rians Group. The company is committed to local farm- ing, long-term relationships for ethical and sustainable practices, and the crafts- manship of fine artisan cheeses reflecting distinctive regional terroir. For a full list of awards go to: www.marinfrench cheese.com/about/awards. GN Marin French Cheese Wraps up 150th Year of Momentous Accomplishments