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Naturally Healthy spring 2016

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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2016 n GOURMET NEWS N H 1 1 2 who like it spicy, BBQ Pulled Pork with Pineapple and Fresh Sliced Jalapeno. "We've had a lot of requests for some protein pizzas. Everybody wants pepperoni, and we decided that what makes pepperoni better is bacon because bacon makes everything better," said Brad Sterl, Chief Executive Officer. "We've also had a lot of interest in putting pulled pork on a pizza. All three are requested recipes from our loyal customers." Over the past six years, since Rustic Crust acquired the brand, American Flatbread prod- ucts have developed a loyal — and vocal — following through its social media presence. "We have a tremendously loyal following. Every week we get 50 to 100 comments about how much people like the products or what they would like to see added to the products," Sterl said. He added that when American Flat- bread followers speak, we listen, and the com- pany knows what its needs to do to deliver the products that customers expect. "It's about making a really superior quality product that's different from what's in the marketplace today: quality ingredients, a lot of organic ingredi- ents," he said. "We actually make the pizzas by hand. They're hand-topped and hand- stretched." Once the dough has been stretched into a crust and topped by hand, the pizzas are fed into the oven, where they're carried along on a conveyor belt over a 900 to 1,000-degree wood fire. The baked pizzas are then flash frozen and shipped to grocery retailers across the U.S. At home, the consumer simply takes the American Flatbread pizza out of its wrappings and lets it sit on the counter while the oven preheats. Then it goes right to the oven rack, and it's ready in 8-10 minutes. The combination of quality and convenience offered by American Flatbread is driving rapid growth for the brand, according to Sterl. "This hits a lot of key marks," he said. "It's a very high-quality product made with quality ingre- dients. It's a clean label — anyone can read and understand what's in it. It's more healthful than a lot of other similar products in the category." The American Flatbread products include no chemicals, no preservatives, no additives of any kind. "When we use vegetables, we're using fresh vegetables. When we use cheese, we're using 100 percent cheese, not fillers," he said. "We shred the cheese as it's needed, so we don't need fillers. The dairies that supply our cheese pledge no growth hormones." American Flatbread pizzas, including the three new flavors, retail for $9.99 to $10.99 for the 12-inch size. Visit American Flatbread in booth #3157. After the show, call 603.435.5119 or email kmassey@rusticcrust.com. American Flatbread (Cont'd. from p. 1) years ago in Portland, Oregon and have been making great food in the retail, food- service, industrial and club channels ever since. The business was built on simple core principles: fresh ingredients sourced locally, whenever possible, small batch cooking to ensure consistency and never compromise on quality. That's our story, and it works. GN: What makes you different from your competitors? MM: After our food, the first thing that comes to mind is our customer-centric ap- proach. Our team is comprised of industry professionals focused on providing cus- tomers with solutions. We have proven our dedication to our customers by invest- ing in world-class resources, enabling us to provide our partners with a one-stop- shop. We have a full-service marketing team, including in-house graphic design, en- abling us to create custom packaging and point-of-sale. We also have a syndicated data specialist on staff, who keeps our culinary and sales teams, and our cus- tomers, up to date on the latest trends. We offer operators multiple packaging options available in fresh, frozen or shelf- stable formats. Our flexible manufactur- ing capabilities allow us to offer solutions to many needs. While all of these assets are great, at the end of the day, it's all about the food — our overwhelming strength. GN: Bottom line: you seem very proud of your food. MM: We are known for our food and we take it seriously. We have a dynamic team of culinary experts that study trends in fla- vors and ingredients. It is their creativity and innovation that take us to the next level in culinary excellence. GN: What else makes Harry's different? MM: We feel very strongly about sharing our success with the community where we live and work. We are involved in several local charities. In addition to making reg- ular donations to the area food bank, our team volunteers year-round at community institutions such as the Shephard's Door, a local shelter for women (and their chil- dren) recovering from addiction, the local homeless shelter and The Ronald McDon- ald House. Giving back is not only great for the community, but it is an important part of who we are and the culture we have here at Harry's. I am always amazed at the number of Harry's employees that volunteer their time at these events. It makes me very proud of our team. GN: Changing gears a bit, as society be- comes more aware of the environment, what does Harry's do to curb its carbon footprint? MM: We know that even small changes can help and we want to make a differ- ence. We use motion-sensitive lighting in the majority of our 80,000 square foot fa- cility. We use recyclable, BPA-free pack- aging that has a reduced amount of corrugate and paper material while still maintaining package integrity. We print with soy inks when possible and we source locally as often as we can. We also compost raw material waste and packag- ing materials on site daily. In addition, the water in our chill line is purified, then reused. GN: What are Harry's plans for the fu- ture? MM: We are committed to increasing our geographic scope and moving from a re- gional to a completely national platform in both manufacturing and distribution. We expect to have some big announce- ments to share in 2016, so please stay tuned. For more information, visit www. harrysfresh.com, call 800.307.7687, email info@harrysfresh.com or stop by booth #151. Harry's (Cont'd. from p. 1) San Francisco Salt Company chooses only the best premium quality salts from suppliers around the globe for its taste, texture and ap- pearance. Its wide range offerings include French Grey Salt, Pure Sea Salt, and Sherpa Pink ® Himalayan Salt. Each offers a distinct texture and flavor profile that elevates culi- nary dishes. Its commitment to outstanding customer satisfaction and quality products is reflected in the new "purveyors of premium sea salts" branding. The demand for gourmet salts has steadily increased during recent years. Therefore, fol- lowing the success of its bulk wholesale business and online store www.sfsalt.com, San Francisco Salt Company launched its own new retail line of gourmet chef salts. "After 14 years of being an online spe- cialty salt business and supplier of raw salts to food and cosmetic industry, we are finally staking claim in the retail division of the salt market," says San Francisco Salt Com- pany's President Lee Williamson. "We be- lieve our brand's new look matches our position in the market as a true specialty salt leader." All gourmet salts are available in retail, bulk and wholesale quantities. About San Francisco Salt Company Launched in 2002, the San Francisco Salt Company was founded on the principals of quality, value and customer service. One of the largest specialty salt suppliers in the United States, its mission is to raise aware- ness of the amazing benefits of natural sea salts and to harness the power of the ocean to enhance well-being, from the inside out. For more information, visit www.sfsalt.com, call 800.480.4540, email customerservice @sfsalt.com or stop by booth #H328. San Francisco Salt Co. (Cont'd. from p. 1) dairy business? MB: The Clover brand is celebrating 100 years of making delicious, nutritious, pre- mium dairy products. In 1916, The Petaluma Cooperative Creamery began dis- tributing Clover brand dairy products to stores and residential customers in the Petaluma, California area. As Petaluma and the rest of Sonoma and Marin Counties continued to grow, so did the co-op. Clover brand products began showing up in nearly every store and household in the North Bay. Originally founded by my grandfa- ther, Gene M. Benedetti, Clover Stornetta Farms is now a third-generation, family- owned and operated business. My father Dan passed the torch to me 10 years ago and I've been honored to keep my grandfa- ther and father's legacy alive. GN: What sets Clover apart from other dairies? MB: What sets Clover apart is our innova- tive approach to the dairy business. As the first dairy processor to elevate milk from a commodity to a specialty food, Clover estab- lished the North Coast Excellence Certified program, setting some of the most rigorous standards in the dairy industry, which far sur- pass those of the state and federal govern- ments. This means producers do not use the growth hormone rBST, milk is not from cloned cows, annual averages of bacteria counts meet NCEP's set standards, farms are American Humane Certified and farms must demonstrate environmental consciousness and stewardship of land. We were also the first dairy to become American Humane Certified and made an early entrance to provide and support organic dairy products. Most significantly, Clover has always said no to use of the synthetic growth hormone, rBST. And as part of this standard of excellence, Clover cows are raised on small, local family-owned farms that follow sustainable agriculture practices and tend small herds on spacious ranches, where the cows are treated well and healthy. GN: Where do you sell your products? MB: The majority of our products are sold in Northern California, and more than eight years ago, I helped expand the business into Southern California specialty markets. Most importantly, my job is to make sure that we don't sacrifice Clover quality and we keep true to our standards of excellence as we grow the business into new markets. GN: Do you have anything new you'll be showcasing at Natural Product Expo West this year? MB: Yes! In celebration of our centennial anniversary, we're introducing our newest dairy delicacy: an organic nonfat Greek yo- gurt line to add to our palate of over 175 dairy products ranging from natural and or- ganic milks to butter, cheese, craft ice cream and more. Our Greek yogurts are available in six delicious flavors and make great snacks – packed with protein, calcium and live cultures that make them the perfect ad- dition to a healthy diet. And true to our pas- sion for excellence, they contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. For more information, visit www. cloverpetaluma.com, call 800.237.3315 or stop by booth #1683. Clover (Cont'd. from p. 1)

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