Oser Communications Group

NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n SEPTEMBER 2016 n GOURMET NEWS N H 4 2 Kroger & Lucky's Market Announce Strategic Partnership The Kroger Co. announced a strategic part- nership with Lucky's Market, a specialty gro- cery store chain focused on natural, organic and locally-grown products. Kroger has made a meaningful investment in Lucky's, which will significantly accelerate Lucky's Market's growth in new and existing markets. The fi- nancial terms of the transaction, which closed on April 1, were not disclosed. This strategic partnership is designed to further enhance the best products, practices and techniques Lucky's Market has to offer. These strengths, combined with Kroger's scale and experience, will in turn create ben- efits for customers and help Lucky's Market grow over time. This alliance also demon- strates Kroger's deep ongoing commitment to providing customers with affordable fresh organic and natural foods as a part of its "Customer 1st" strategy. Kroger's affiliate Main & Vine also recently launched a com- munity-focused grocery store concept in Gig Harbor, Washington, that mixes local, spe- cialty and everyday products, all at afford- able prices. Founded in 2003 and based near Boulder, Colorado, Lucky's Market and its affiliates employ more than 1,800 associates and op- erate 17 stores in 13 states throughout the Midwest and Southeast United States. Lucky's "Organic for the 99%" store format emphasizes its expansive selection of natural and organic food, including fresh produce, meat and seafood, prepared foods and baked goods, as well as wine and beer and personal care goods. With stores averaging approxi- mately 30,000 square feet, Lucky's layout re- sembles an indoor farmers market, with "garage door" entrances, field bins, barrels and wooden crates. Its culinary department showcases great-tasting, restaurant-quality prepared foods made from recipes that in- clude those developed by Chief Executive Officer and former chef Bo Sharon and his wife Trish. Through its "L" private label, Lucky's provides a broad range of grocery items at great value that have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Ten percent of profits from its private label are reinvested in the communities it serves. Blue Buddha Tea Brings 5,000 Years of Wisdom to Modern Times To those in the know, the name says it all. Knowledge of the Blue Buddha ® , or the Medicine Buddha, dates back thousands of years in ancient Indian and Tibetan cultures. Traditionally, the Blue Buddha used plants and herbs to create drinkable elixirs to help keep people in a healthy balance, healing not only the body but the mind and spirit as well. Today, Blue Buddha Organic Wellness Tea pays homage to the ancient teachings of the Blue Buddha and Ayurvedic medicine. In 2015, Ayurveda experienced a modern-day rebirth, with sales of Ayurvedic supplements growing at 13 percent. In fact, according to CNN, one-third of all Americans seek "alter- native" medicine treatments including herbs. This number is sure to grow as younger Americans especially turn away from tradi- tional beverages in favor of functional bev- erages that promise benefits on top of refreshment. Blue Buddha Tea combines clinically studied herbs, organic tea and fruit extracts for a refreshing tea that touts heightened acu- ity, immunity and vitality. It's able to deliver those benefits, thanks to a formula that con- tains a meaningful amount of Ashwagandha, Maitake Mushroom and Indian Gooseberry (Amla). Research on these specific ingredi- ents has proven to help sharpen focus, coun- teract the effects of stress, support the body's immune function and protect against the vis- ible signs of aging. While there are many great benefits to Blue Buddha, the best one may be its taste. Each 14- ounce bottle contains only 40 calories (10 grams of sugar) and is certified organic. Lightly sweet fruit flavors combine with herbal blends to create four ex- citing varieties: lemon-elderflower, rasp- berry-hibiscus, cherry-lavender and blueberry-rose. Count Blue Buddha as a unique, well- packaged addition to the growing functional beverage shelves in grocery and specialty markets. In fact, while natural and alternative beverages represent only 6.6 percent of the beverage category (Spins 2015), they repre- sent 31 percent of dollar growth. Consumers who buy these products are also highly ex- perimental and spend 14 percent more each year on beverages. "It may be hard to believe today, but iconic brands such as Pepsi and Coke were once sold as "functional bever- ages," said Andy Horrow, Chief Marketing Officer of Wholesome Tea, makers of Blue Buddha. "Since then, juices, sports drinks and hundreds of others have joined the ranks by combining refresh- ment and functional benefits. We've learned a lot since then and Blue Buddha over delivers on consumers' desire for holistic, balanced health with something they can truly enjoy. We can't wait to see this product take off!" Blue Buddha is available from distributors like UNFI and Kehe. For more information, email guru@bluebuddha-tea.com or call 630.861.0422. Kuvings Chef: Commercial-Ready Vertical Slow Juicer Crush and squeeze whole fruits and vegeta- bles to produce a glass of delicious fresh juice in seconds, now with the Kuvings Whole Slow Juicer Chef, a vertical low- speed masticating juicer with an industry- first 3.5-inch wide-mouth opening. The Whole Slow Juicer Chef expands the Whole Slow Juicer line from Kuvings, a com- pany founded in 1978 specializing in kitchen electronics for health and nutrition-conscious consumers. The popular Whole Slow Juicer has garnered enthusiastic reviews from juicing experts and has been positively reviewed by Consumer Reports and other media. The Whole Slow Juicer Chef is specially designed for home juicing enthusiasts, health food stores and retail applications. This com- mercial-ready slow juicer can tackle the toughest produce, due to its powerful 200- watt motor with the highest torque in the in- dustry. The heavy-duty brushless motor crushes ingredients with ease while minimiz- ing friction and noise, for cool, quiet and sta- ble operation. The Chef can extract juice from any pro- duce such as spinach, apples, kale, lemon and ginger continuously for up to eight hours at 50 RPM. It can yield up to 1,000 glasses of fresh juice, making this slow juicer ideal for restaurants and juice bars. The easy access 3.5-inch opening allows putting ingredients in without much cutting. This not only means faster and convenient processing, but also means preventing un- wanted oxidation from cutting that often causes a loss in nutritional value. As the in- gredients glide down the feeding tube, the patented low-speed masticating system ex- tracts the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, enabling the body to obtain four times more nutrition than by eating fruits whole. Its large-capacity 500-ml bowl handles big batches and comes with a convenient Smart Cap to prevent drips. The Smart Cap also en- ables creation of mixed juices and makes it easy to rinse the juicer between making dif- ferent recipes. The chrome-finished body with its modern square design will be a welcome addition to any kitchen. Other features include a dual safety system that ensures proper assembly and air ventilation design to prevent the juicer from overloading. All parts disassem- ble and can be easily washed by hand with the specially designed cleaning tools. The exclusive full color recipe book is included. For more information, visit www.kuvings.com. Wild-Harvested Yaupon Tea By Christopher Chemsak, Asi Tea Outreach Director Have you heard about North America's only native source of caffeine? Yaupon: The Wild Tea of the South! Hailing from the same botanical family as Yerba Mate and Guayusa, Yaupon Holly is an antioxidant rich super-leaf that grows wild in the south- ern United States. Yaupon tea, made from the tender shoots and leaves of this indigenous tree, was drunk by native peoples for over 10,000 years who called it "big medicine" or Asi, which means "the purifier." Their high regard for the tea as both a traditional medicine and social bev- erage made it highly valued in trades among 19th century Southerners. Based in Savannah, Georgia, the Asi Tea Company is reintroducing Yaupon Tea as a local, wild-crafted healthy beverage. Sus- tainably harvested, dried, then roasted, Asi brings you Yaupon Tea in its purest form in both ready-to-drink bottles and brew-at- home tea bags. The result is a healthy, barely sweet indigenous tea with a clean boost of energy – the healthy way to keep your day going. Hot or cold, this tea provides jitter-free stimulation and alertness without the crash because of the unique combination of caf- feine (18mg per eight-ounce cup) and theo- bromine – the same beneficial compounds found in dark chocolate. Modern science has also confirmed Yaupon's amazing antioxi- dant contents and anti-inflammatory proper- ties. Asi Tea offers traditional Yaupon Tea as well as handcrafted blends that give every tea-lover a variety of ways to bring focus to the day. In the spirit of celebrating native plants, Asi's bottled iced tea line includes re- freshing low sugar, high antioxidant flavors that feature iconic Southern fruits like Muscadine Grape and Aronia Berry, or new classics like Honey Blossom and Mint. New to the market for Fall 2016, Asi's herbal tea bag blends bring Organic Yaupon together with familiar herbs like ginger and lemongrass for "Ginger Revival," or pepper- mint and spearmint for "Morning Mint." Many tea connesiours are also drawn to the Yaupon spin on an Indian classic with "Bliss- ful Chai" or the completely original "Flower Power" which brings Yaupon together with hibiscus, elderflower, elderberry and tulsi for a mix you can't afford to miss. Because Yaupon Holly is a native plant species, Asi Tea products are helping to lower the caffeine carbon footprint by reduc- ing reliance on imported teas. The Yaupon leaves are hand-picked in rural communities where pickers are paid a living wage. Yaupon Tea isn't just investing in your health, but also in your country. What People are Saying "It may seem silly to get excited over a home grown tea leaf, but to have the option of a wild harvested, organic, low carbon footprint, healthy and delicious tea right in your backyard brings endless smiles to this tea nerd," said Serena Jetelina, 500RYT Yoga Instructor, Pennsylvania. "Yaupon Holly is America's undiscovered medicinal plant," said Stephen Foster, inter- nationally respected Herbalist. "With all these health benefits and how easily accessible tea now is, there's no reason not to work Yaupon into your nutritious diet," said South Magazine. For more information, stop by booth #8919 or go to www.yaupontea.com.

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