Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/687909
O C G S h o w D a i l y 5 5 Tu e s d a y, Ju n e 7 , 2 0 1 6 include potato salads, coleslaws, maca- roni salads, meat salads and cranberry salads as well as marinades, dips, pastas, grains, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes and gravy. Mrs. Gerry's Kitchen's product line also includes desserts and kits. Founded 43 years ago, Mrs. Gerry's prides itself on high quality, consistent, supe- rior-tasting products backed by dedicated customer service and outstanding fill rates. "Mrs. Gerry is still involved in our everyday business," said Brenda Donahe, Mrs. Gerry's Director of Sales and Marketing. The company is showing four new offerings: Honey Ginger Pasta, Sweet Bacon Tortellini Salad Kit, Mandarin Orange Mist and Country Style Gravy, all of which will be offered to sample at the booth during the show. The company has also just completed a 93,000 square foot plant addition that's dedicated to produc- Mrs. G erry's K itchen (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) ing bulk pack (4/5-pound) and retail trays (12/24-ounce) of high quality, great-tast- ing side dishes such as mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. "We will be packing our own label in addition to pack- ing other branded products," Donahe said. The company is providing marketing support for its products through a new website and social media campaign, #MakeItYourOwn. Show attendees are invited to visit the company at www.mrs- gerrys.com and on Facebook. "Our success has come from being large enough to supply your salad and side dish needs but small enough to accommodate your individual requests," Donahe said. "We provide products that are consistent, high quality, great tasting and safe, and you will be proud to sell them to your customers and feed them to your families." Visit Mrs. Gerry's at booth #2304. For more information, go to www.mrsgerrys.com. Chocolate. NH: Foodlinks is proud to have been the exclusive importer and distributor of Cordillera in North America since 2003. We saw the opportunity to work with the finest cacao in the world right where it is grown to develop and pro- duce fine couvertures. With this part- nership, we are making chocolate from bean to bar without those beans traveling around the world to be processed. OSD: Why is that short supply chain important? NH: By working with one of only a handful of companies making chocolate at the source, we can maintain control of all facets of the process while making sure that more than 90 percent of the price paid for the cacao goes to the farm- ers and directly impacts those communi- ties. OSD: What makes Cordillera chocolate special? NH: Cordillera chocolates are made solely from Colombian Criollo and Trinitario cacao beans. More than 50,000 varieties of flowers grown in Colombia give our cacao the distinctive flowery and fruity notes that set Cordillera apart Fo o dlink s (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) naturally. This is truly extraordinary chocolate and an extraordinary value. OSD: How much of a premium should one expect to pay over standard couver- tures made in the U.S.? NH: Our short supply chain and many convenient warehouse locations allow us to offer this premium, single origin chocolate without the premium price. This allows our customers to offer incredible value themselves. Cordillera's range of chocolate is perfect for world- class pastry chefs as well as a truly dis- tinctive in-store Cut and Wrap Program. OSD: What sets the Cordillera Cut and Wrap Program apart from domestic chocolate? NH: This single origin Colombian, non-GMO, socially responsible, all- natural chocolate is among some of the finest in the world. Our grocery cus- tomers are able to make it available to consumers at terrific prices through our fully supported program including labels, demo support and sampling pro- grams. This is really proving to be an amazing way to set themselves apart from competitors. For more information on Cordillera Chocolate, visit Foodlinks at booth #1422 or go to www.foodlinksusa.com. glazes, icings, nutrition bar components and savory spreads. With roots going back to 1890, the Elk Grove Village, Illinois, company has been owned and managed by four generations of the Lawrence family. The company continues to define itself in accordance with the values that served as guiding principles at its incep- tion. "Our focus on customers and com- pany associates runs deep," says Les Lawrence, Chairman and senior family member. Lawrence Foods' commitment to founding values is reflected in industry recognition for quality, service and corpo- rate responsibility. Dot Foods has con- ferred its prestigious Quality and Service Award six of the past eight years, with 2015 being the fourth consecutive year. Dot evaluates performance across many criteria when selecting award recipients, including fill rates, loading efficiencies, EDI communications and GTIN compli- ance. "We take service very seriously. Creating customer satisfaction is a key per- formance standard for us," Lawrence says. Core values are also seen in efforts to be a responsible corporate citizen. The company has earned an SQF Level 3 Certification, has been recognized by the state of Illinois for its sustainability prac- tices over the last two years, and has been recognized by its home city of Elk Grove Village for sustainability innovation. "Value is measured by more than just price these days … value encom- passes service, product selection and sales-building strategies. All are impor- tant to keep customers coming back," L awrence Fo o ds (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) Lawrence says. "We work hard to live up to these standards by identifying them with company history … it's our her- itage!" Over the next year, Lawrence Foods plans to continue its emphasis on sustain- ability practices and the development and marketing of fresh ideas to help cus- tomers deal with the growing competi- tive pressures of shifting consumer pref- erences. "We're seeing continuing dramatic changes in ingredient markets that open up opportunities resulting from growing consumer interest in clean label and nutrition standards. In fact, almost every element of our product development is driven by a focus on consumer interests and operator ease of use," said Lawrence Foods Chief Executive Officer and Chief Sales Officer Cecil Gregory, who joined the company in 2013. Lawrence Foods stays on top of the trends in consumer demand by listening carefully to its clients, and then striving to develop responsive solutions that offer a means of differentiation in their own competitive marketplace. "We see our function as a merchan- dising partner to identify success levers for clients. What promotions work? What product assortment will drive the most sales?" Lawrence says. "We believe that a customer decision to select us as a sup- plier is a commitment of trust which must never be taken for granted. Each order is a privilege that must be continually earned." Visit Lawrence Foods at booth #3601. For more information, call 847.437.2400 or visit www.lawrencefoods.com. CRUSTACEAN CREATIONS By Micah Cheek When Alison Barshak tried to sell the idea of microwavable whole lobster tail to seafood companies, the concept was met with some resistance. "At first I just wanted to license it to lobster companies, they kind of just thought I was nuts. So I said, 'Fine, I'll do it myself,'" says Barshak. Now, Barshak's Absolutely Lobster has become a finalist for the Seafood Excellence Awards, has been featured on QVC and is being prepared for distribution to large chain retailers. The idea behind Absolutely Lobster is rooted in Barshak's culinary pedigree. She had made a name for herself in the Philadelphia restaurant scene with the restaurants Striped Bass and Alison at Blue Bell. "I was a chef, and I made a conscious decision that it would only be seafood in the restaurant. I learned a lot about seafood through that process, just the logistics of it," says Barshak. Because of her location, all the seafood Barshak served was very fresh. But when she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and became a home cook, she encoun- tered a problem. "It was very difficult to get that Northeastern lobster experience," says Barshak. While she had access to previously frozen lobster tails, the thaw- ing process had had an effect on the meat. "Everyone who buys a lobster tail is buy- ing a previously frozen tail," says Barshak. "It's defrosted for the conven- ience of the customer so they don't have to defrost it, but every store and restau- rant does the same thing." Barshak dis- covered that when a frozen lobster tail is defrosted, it loses five to eight percent of its moisture content in the process, mak- ing it more difficult for a cook to get the juicy texture that is the hallmark of a well-prepared crustacean. Barshak's answer was to skip the thawing step entirely. "You take the lob- ster tail and microwave it from frozen, and you capture all the juices," says Barshak. "There's a lot of hype about lobster, and it's true, but if you're not getting the juices and the texture, you're missing out." The idea was to package lobster tails individually in plastic to capture juices, with the tail split and a pat of Vermont butter enclosed. "We split the tail, so that the meat bastes in the butter, and so it's easy to pop right out of the shell. It makes it so easy," says Barshak. After three minutes in the microwave and one minute to rest, the six ounce portion is firm, yet juicy. The melted butter mixes with released lob- ster juice to form a thin sauce that Barshak recommends putting over pasta or other sides. "You can do surf and turf; each of you can have half a lobster tail," she adds. Barshak finished developing Absolutely Lobster in Maine, where she had local lobster suppliers taste the prod- uct. "What's really great, the lobster guys, when they taste it, they say, 'This is what a lobster should taste like,'" Barshak says. After extensive testing, Barshak tried to license her product to a number of seafood companies. Unable to find a company that would use her methods, Barshak decided to find a lobster compa- ny and a copacker, and go into business for herself. From there, Barshak put a strong focus on sampling to promote her business. A taste test by Ray Rastelli III last year has resulted in wider distribu- tion and investment from Rastelli Foods Group. With Absolutely Lobster, Barshak hopes to reduce the anxiety some con- sumers have over serving seafood. "The microwave really controls it and takes care of it for you. It takes out all the guess work." The meat for Absolutely Lobster is also sustainably farmed, free of antibi- otics, and is not pounded, meaning the lobsters are not kept in holding pens for long periods of time. "When people talk about farm to table and sustainable sources, this is one of our great resources," says Barshak. "Here's some- thing that's indigenous, and I feel like more people should be enjoying it."