Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/624475
GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2016 n GOURMET NEWS 3 4 Pereg Gourmet Extends Gluten-Free Flour Line Visit Pereg Gourmet at the Winter Fancy Food Show booth #220 and online at www.pereg-gourmet.com. A growing number of nutritious and gluten-free alternatives to white flour are now available to consumers, as the gluten- free market continues to grow. Pereg Gourmet has added six new vari- eties to its already successful offering of gluten-free quinoa flour: almond flour, ba- nana flour, buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, coconut flour and farro flour. All, except for farro, are gluten-free, and all are 100 percent natural, non-dairy and certified kosher. They are packaged in 16-ounce re-sealable stay- fresh bags, retailing for about $3.99. "According to industry statistics, sales of gluten-free products will exceed 15 billion dollars by 2016, twice the amount of five years earlier. Pereg is pleased to introduce an extended choice of gluten-free and ancient grain flour types, which offer more variety and options for delicious, healthful cooking and baking," says Gill Schneider, Pereg Gourmet President. "Our growing list of gluten-free options has been a gift for many children on re- stricted diets, who can now enjoy eating pizza, cookies and cakes as their friends do, with our white-flour alternatives," adds Schneider. Since many white flour alternatives are new to the market, consumers should famil- iarize and experiment with the properties and uses for these flours, so that they can select the one best suited for each baking applica- tion. As consumers learn how to use these flours, they can remake their favorite foods without compromising taste and texture. In fact, they add essential vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber to baked goods, fortifying America's diet in flavorful ways. In addition to Pereg's extended line of gluten-free flours, Pereg offers a full line of quinoa products (quinoa pasta, quinoa pops cereal and pre-seasoned quinoa side dishes), as well as premium spices, ancient grains, salad toppings and spreads. Pereg Gourmet was established in 1906, and is a family-owned busi- ness, based in Clifton, New Jersey. All Pereg products are healthful, certified kosher, dairy and lactose-free as well as all natural, with no additives or preserva- tives. Many are also certified whole grains, gluten-free and non-GMO. Consumers can visit www.pereg-spices.com for additional information and recipes. Fol- low Pereg on Facebook at www.facebook. com/peregourmet and Twitter @pereg- gourmet. Learn more at booth #220. Specialty Salt by 'Salt of the Earth' People By Lee Williamson, Founder and Presi- dent, San Francisco Salt Company We are the "original salt company" – I started the company back in 2002, when specialty salt was a very small niche mar- ket. I always had the vision of creating a company that was more about people than products. I figured if I found the right peo- ple for the company, with positive attitudes and great attention to customer service, it would naturally shine through in the prod- ucts. I felt strongly then, as I still do today, that without a solid team and satisfied cus- tomers, the product is meaningless. We were one of the first salt companies to start selling online, and over the years, have created a loyal following selling re- tail and bulk products. Within the whole- sale/import side of our salt business, we have steadily grown to become one of the industry's best kept secrets. We manufac- ture all of our own products, blend our own custom formulas, import direct and have a very diverse family of customers. For 14 years, we have been supplying salt to large food manufacturers, small start- ups and everyone in between, all across America. If you see a Himalayan salt on the shelf, there's a good chance that it came through us as we are one of the largest importers of specialty salts into the United States. I could go on and tell you all about how great our products are, about our GMP cer- tification, the reliable quality control sys- tems we have in place and the massive amount of inventory ready to ship at a mo- ment's notice, but that would be a little boring, and to be honest, I would rather tell you about our amazing people, because essentially that is what re- ally is at the heart of our company. We are a diverse group of hard workers, creative talented artists and food- ies, young and old. We believe in loyalty and honesty to each other and our cus- tomers. Essentially, we are really a customer service company – it just so happens that we sell salt. Although we are very passion- ate about our products and supplying the best quality salts at the most attainable prices possible, we are even more passion- ate about people – the people we interact with on a daily basis, customers and co- workers alike (the people we like to call our "salt family"). We're all ears with every bit of customer feedback we receive or idea that is raised by one of our team- mates. Our focus on everyone's wants, needs or opinions has been a vital part of building up our brand. It's the syn- ergy with our customers and our team that makes the work enjoy- able and rewarding. Our quality products are simply a result of outstanding customer service, listening to our customers and positive internal communication. Just as our products are of salt – a prod- uct so pure and simple – we are the 'salt of the earth.' Hard work, integrity and our motto of 'keeping it simple' are what we are dedicated to, to ensure the best experi- ences for everyone. For more information, visit www.sfsalt.com, call 800.480.4540, email customerservice@ sfsalt.com or stop by booth #1681. CocoaPlanet Opens Craft Manufacturing and Tasting Room CocoaPlanet opened a craft manufacturing facility and chocolate tasting room in the heart of California's wine country. Situated on Broadway just blocks from the historic Sonoma Plaza, visitors to a region famed for artisanal food and wine will now have the opportunity to see CocoaPlanet chocolates being made and sample the company's award-winning chocolates at their freshest. The elegant, mid-century modern tasting room features a glass-walled observation area where visitors can see the all new craft manufacturing line while enjoying French bistro style small plates, hot or cold drinks and a variety of desserts based on Cocoa- Planet chocolate. CocoaPlanet will also host wine and chocolate pairing events each month with local wineries from the region. Pearls of Flavor Give You More Taste, Less Sugar CocoaPlanet distributes drops, or "pearls," of flavored fillings throughout premium dark chocolate (64 percent cacao), giving More Taste, Less Sugar™ than traditional filled chocolates. The chocolate's structure is de- signed to readily deliver flavor throughout your palate using much less filling. The re- sult is that each single serving chocolate has less than 100 calories, eight grams of sugar or less and net carbs of nine grams or less. Flavors include Salted Caramel, Deep Dark Truffle, Vanilla Espresso, Mandarin Orange and CocoaMint™. CocoaPlanet chocolates are made with all natural and mostly organic ingredients, including Fair Trade Cocoa certified by Fair Trade USA. They are Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free tested and Kosher OU-D certi- fied. Three of the flavors (Vanilla Espresso, Mandarin Orange and CocoaMint) are vegan. How Did it Come Up with This Idea? Founder Anne McKibben was inspired to provide a new taste experience along with fewer calories and sugar. No one in the in- dustry could think of how to realize her vi- sion for a new way of combining flavored fillings with chocolate. After much research and prototyping, she invented the new technology used to create CocoaPlanet chocolates. Her patent-pending invention suspends pearls of flavor within premium dark chocolate. The result has only 15 percent filling versus the 60 to 80 percent of sugar-based filling found in most flavor- filled chocolates. The perfect balance of fla- vors means more taste, less sugar – a better, healthier experi- ence that evolves the concept of fla- vor-filled choco- lates. A superb eating chocolate, CocoaPlanet can also be prepared as a hot chocolate. Simply steam or mi- crowave four to six ounces of milk or milk- substitute, drop in the chocolate and stir. Voila – the chocolate melts along with the flavored filling to create a splendid hot chocolate. About CocoaPlanet Based in Sonoma, California, Cocoa- Planet Inc. uses ethically sourced chocolate produced using sustainable practices, en- abling cocoa farmers a better quality of life. For more information, visit www.cocoa- planet.com, call 707.721.1275, email info@cocoaplanet.com or stop by booth #851. Ivy's Vintage Reserve Cheddar Available from Jana Foods Ivy's family founded Wyke Farms in the 1860s in Somerset, U.K., and now, three generations later, her family is still using that same recipe for turning fresh milk into cheese with perfect texture and exqui- site taste. Ivy's Vintage Reserve Cheddar is matured for no fewer than 15 months, and brings the flavor of lush pastures to the rich, mellow and silky cheese. Wyke Farms is committed to sustainable farm- ing and is proud to be the U.K.'s first national cheddar brand to be 100 per- cent self-sufficient in green energy. Wyke Farms sources all of its electricity and gas from both solar and biogas, generated from the farm and dairy waste. Delicious cheese that you can feel great about enjoying, brought to you exclu- sively by Jana Foods LLC. Learn more at www.janafoods.com or stop by booth #3110.