Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/624475
GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2016 n GOURMET NEWS 8 4 Robert Rothschild Farm Gets Back to its Heritage With over 30 years of producing award-win- ning specialty foods, Robert Rothschild Farm is taking the opportunity to reconnect with consumers and get back to its Heritage. Nearly 30 years ago, Bob and Sara Roth- schild made the unlikely journey moving from northern California to the quaint farm- ing community of Urbana, Ohio. It was there that Bob and Sara grew their first raspberries that soon turned into their specialty food products that continue to delight consumers today. This spring, Robert Rothschild Farm will be launching its "Heritage Collection" to commemorate the humble beginnings of the farm and that one unique ingredient that kick-started it all. The collection will include sauces and preserves that are raspberry in- spired and are made the way Bob and Sara envisioned more than 30 years ago. Each product is made in small batches from scratch, with only the highest quality ingre- dients, as it makes all of its products today. Look for the products to hit the shelves of specialty food retailers in April 2016. About Robert Rothschild Farm Quality foods really do look, feel and taste different. Robert Rothschild Farm has spent over 30 years studying, refining and perfect- ing the way it makes its insanely flavorful, truly exceptional products. Each one is made from scratch and guaranteed to make even the everyday taste like gourmet. When Bob and Sara Rothschild decided to move from California to Ohio's Mad River Valley in the 1970s, they knew they wanted to work the land. Their determined spirit resulted in a successful 170-acre farm, and more red raspberries than they knew what to do with. That one simple ingredient soon led to an en- tire line of authentic products made from original recipes using time-honored tech- niques. Each and every intensely flavorful item was made from scratch, and cooked slowly over low heat in small-batch kettles to perfection. For more information, go to www.robertroth- schild.com or stop by booth #640. Wasa Thins Deliver Whole Grains in a Snack Cracker Wasa is introducing the new Thins product line at this year's Winter Fancy Food Show. This line of whole grain crackers has a deli- cious taste and a satisfying crunch, a great combination that is sure to be your cus- tomer's new favorite snack. Wasa Thins are available in two flavors, including Rosemary & Sea Salt and Sesame & Sea Salt. The Rosemary & Sea Salt variety has a touch of rosemary baked in, and the crackers are topped with sea salt. The Sesame & Sea Salt variety has toasted sesame seeds kneaded in the dough, and again, each cracker is topped with sea salt. Wasa Thins are made with wholesome ingre- dients, delicately seasoned, and oven baked for a one-of-a-kind taste and crispy texture, according to Wasa Senior Brand Manager Jennifer Mehlman. "It's a satisfying snack on all levels — from great taste, to whole grains helping fill you up, to the crunch many of us crave in a snack," Mehlman said. "Wasa Thins are an- other example of our commitment to offering satisfying snacks that can easily be enjoyed throughout the day." Wasa Thins' key ingredient, whole grain flour, makes Wasa Thins a great source of grains with little fat and plenty of natural fiber. Wasa Thins carries the Whole Grain Council Seal showing eight grams or more of whole grains per serving. There are no preservatives and no cholesterol. Wasa Thins are designed to work for you either in your cracker aisle or in the deli, where they can be merchandised alongside hummus, yo- gurt and other dips or together with your ar- tisan cheeses and deli meats. Package weight is 6.7 ounces, with each pack- age containing approximately 20 Thins, divided into two separate stay-fresh packs, so they'll also work well as a gift basket inclusion. Shelf life is 10 months. The new Wasa Thins line hits store shelves nationwide in February 2016. See and taste them in booth #3010 at the Winter Fancy Foods Show. After the show, visit wasa-usa.com for more information. Lettieri & Co Enters 28th Successful Year in the Specialty Food Industry Based in Brisbane California, Lettieri and Co. is an importer and distributor of gourmet foods from around the world, with a focus on fine Italian specialties. It services retail stores, foodservice professionals and spe- cialty distributors across the country. Above all, its commitment is to provide companies superior quality products with exceptional packaging. A majority of its exclusive house brands, grocery, foodservice, wine and spirit products are sourced directly from the pro- ducer, ensuring low costs and maximized profitability. Visit booth #4015 to check out all kinds of gourmet goodies and grab a slice of authentic pizza Napoletana made from scratch. The founder of Lettieri and Co., Francesco Lettieri, has always had a passion for food. Born in Calabria and raised in Chicago, Let- tieri was surrounded by homemade Italian food growing up, and always had the dream of entering the gourmet food business. He moved to San Francisco in 1973 and opened a small sandwich shop called Mr. Submarine in the Marina neighborhood. Mr. Submarine was a success and the business quickly grew to seven locations. In 1986, he sold the chain, and in 1988 officially opened Lettieri & Co. Lettieri's dream of importing finely crafted food and wine from Italy and around the world had been real- ized. Throughout the years, the company has grown in size and now carries over 75 lines of imported goods. His passion for food has not faded a bit. Lettieri still travels the world, finding hidden culinary gems to bring to the shelves of your store or kitchen of your restaurant. Along the way, Francesco and his wife, Nevenka, had two sons, Antonio and Dino. Both sons have been learning the food im- porting and distribution business from an early age and are excited to continue to grow the family business. "To me, knowing our customers" needs and making sure we fulfill them is our top priority' said Dino, Director of Sales and Marketing at Lettieri & Co. Tony, the Chief Operating Officer, has the same attitude to- ward the products that Let- tieri & Co. orders. "We always make sure that what we are ordering is what our customers want to see," he said. With a solid base of well-established con- tacts around the world, and a new generation of Lettieris poised to grow the business, the future looks bright for Lettieri & Co. For more information, visit www.lettieri. com, call 415.657.3392, email lettieri@ lettieri.com or stop by booth #4015. Authentic Italian Food at a Fair Price from Cibo California By Lorrie Baumann Just as California's Silicon Valley has a justly deserved worldwide reputation as a center of excellence in computing and in- formation technology, Italy has a 'Food Val- ley' with an equally deserved worldwide reputation, according to Massimo Cannas. Cannas is an Italian-American food im- porter and broker who's a familiar figure in the exhibit halls of the Fancy Food Shows, particularly in the Italian food areas, as well as throughout the entire specialty food in- dustry. He founded specialty food broker- age MAXCO International in 1995 and has clients across the country. Now, he's ex- panding his enterprises with the founding of Cibo California, a new specialty food im- port business based in southern California. Federico Pavoncelli is the company's Co- Founder and Executive Vice President. "I am so proud that he has joined the company and shares its vision," Cannas says. "He is a great person that I respect very much." As President and CEO of Cibo Califor- nia, Cannas plans to source a wide selection of authentic Italian food specialties and im- port them into the U.S. He and his partners, all first-generation Italian-Americans who speak Italian as their native language, will use their knowledge of Italian culinaria as well as their Italian language skills and their ability to navigate the culture to bring au- thentic Italian specialty food products to an American public that's eager to taste them, Cannas says. "Thanks to my relationships with the food producers, I have had the op- portunity to find products from suppliers who have opened every door to me," he says. "My face is known there, and I have had the chance to explain what the company is about." The Italian foods that most Americans are already familiar with are but a small sam- pling of the range of authentic and delicious products that are being produced for com- mercial sale in Italy today, according to Cannas. Over the past 30 years or so, the Italian specialty foods industry has devel- oped from a few large companies that made products characteristic of the owners' culi- nary traditions. For years, those companies dominated the export market to the U.S., leaving many Americans with the impres- sion that once they'd tasted, and come to love, those products, they knew all there was to know about Italian food. "We are positive that we are going to be successful.... Americans today are excited to discover these new things coming from Italy. It's no longer spaghetti and meatballs and pizza. There are specialty foods from every region to be discovered here," Cannas says. "This is what we are trying to do. This is exactly why Cibo California is excited to discover for all of our customers and for everyone who loves food and who loves Italy." For more information, visit www.cibocali- fornia.com or call Cibo California at 949.427.5555. To place orders, call 800.991.5199.