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GOURMET NEWS DECEMBER 2016 www.gourmetnews.com Supplier News SUPPLIER NEWS 1 2 BRIEFS Davidson's Organics Refreshes the Cup that Cheers BY LORRIE BAUMANN Davidson's Organics celebrates its 40th an- niversary with rebranded packaging, a new line of tea jellies and a new line of specialty tea chocolates. "Consumers today live very busy lifestyles. They're looking for simplicity, value and health benefits – all in a simple format," said Kunall Patel, Davidson's Or- ganics Owner and Director. "Our new package design meets all those needs while providing a very visual, trendy and high-profile look." While Davidson's Organics has been in business since 1976, Patel and his family bought the brand in 2007 after the company, which had been growing organic teas in India since the 1920s, decided to vertically integrate by acquiring a business active in the North American market. Today, the same farmer cooperative of third-genera- tion tea growers grows the tea leaves in India, and Davidson's Organics imports them to its plant in Sparks, Nevada, where the teas are blended, manufac- tured, packaged and shipped to retailers. "We're the only tea company today that's 100 percent vertically integrated from farm to cup," Patel said. "This is different from the majority of other operations who out- source sourcing, blending, manufacturing and distribution. We do everything under one roof." The company currently offers about 300 flavors of USDA-certified organic and kosher-certified tea – the largest product range of organic teas on the market. They include 11 distinct product categories: black, green and white teas; dessert teas that mimic the flavor profiles of classic desserts without the calories; honey teas that contain real organic honey inside the teabag that dissolves out into the cup as it's infused; tulsi "holy basil" teas; rooibos- based red teas; holiday teas inspired by the season but available year-round; decaf- feinated teas, chai; and traditional fa- vorites – the Darjeeling, Ceylon and Irish Breakfast teas. They're available in tea bags, as loose leaf tea and as brew bags de- signed for iced tea. "The brand's new packaging is designed to stand out on the shelf and portray the products' clean-label health benefits, com- pany story, key certifications and simple in- gredients that are easily and quickly assimilated to influence buying decisions," Patel said. "The consumer has very little time to analyze a product," he said. "To en- gender loyalty you need something more than just price." The celebration continues with a new line of tea jellies, the first of their kind on the market. The tea jellies are made by infusing real tea leaves, grown by the farmer cooperative of third-generation tea farmers in the Darjeeling region of India who grow the company's other tea products. Pectin and cane sugar are then added to make the jelly. The jellies come in four flavors that reflect the four best- selling Davidson's Organics teas: Earl Grey, White Pomegranate, Classic Chai and Coconut Vanilla. "The jellies reflect the true flavors of the tea blend," Patel said. "There are a lot of jel- lies out there. There's no other real tea jelly that's made out of infused organic tea." The Earl Grey Tea Jelly pairs very well with meat or cheeses, according to Patel. "It's a wonderful addition to any backyard barbecue or dinner," he said. "It makes a perfect combination of salty and sweet at the same time." Consumers would use the Chai Tea Jelly as they might use a pumpkin butter in a holiday feast – as a complement to bread or cheeses. White Pomegranate Tea Jelly is a tart and fruity spread that pairs well in spring- time treats, and the Coconut Vanilla Tea Jelly is perfect as an addition to scones or croissants. Following along with the thought that tea need not be just for drinking, David- son's Organics is also introducing a new line of specialty tea chocolates made with certified organic dark cacao chocolate sprinkled with loose leaf tea, molded into bars, and then sprinkled with more tea. The chocolate comes from a cooperative of 400 third-generation cacao farmers from the Esmeraldas region of Ecuador. "It's a perfect marriage and celebration of three generations of organic agricul- ture," Patel said. He noted that although there are cultural differences between the two groups of farmers – the tea growers in India and the cacao growers in Ecuador — the partnership has benefited from a shared respect for each other's agricultural tradition. The 70g bars are 65 percent dark choco- late in three flavors: Earl Grey Lavender, Classic Chai and Coconut Vanilla. They re- tail for about $6.99. GN CAILLER Opens Holiday Pop-up Shop in NYC CAILLER, home of Swiss chocolate since 1819, is now available online and at an exclusive New York retail pop-up location just in time for the gifting season and holiday celebrations. With Amazon as its primary retailer, Nestlé will again sell CAILLER chocolate in the U.S., bringing its super-premium chocolate from the lush foothills of the Swiss Alps to American doorsteps nationwide. Kosher Deli Provider Debuts MAP Packaging Abeles & Heymann, a New Jersey-based company that has specialized in premium glatt kosher deli for more than half a century debuted its new MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) at the 28th annual Kosherfest trade show. According to CEO Seth Leavitt, Abeles & Heymann is the first American kosher provisions company to be using the technology for kosher sliced (beef) deli. Vosges Haut-Chocolat Debuts Four New Bars Vosges Haut-Chocolat launched four new flavors in November. The new flavors include Turmeric Ginger, Mint Matcha, Smoked Salt and Vanilla Rooibos Tea. For these new bars, Founder and Chocolatier Katrina Markoff, developed her own take on "dark milk" chocolate as well as "super dark" chocolate. All bars are available for purchase at Vosgeschocolate.com. Highlander Partners Acquires Hillside Candy Highlander Partners, L.P., a leading middle- market private investment firm based in Dallas, Texas, has acquired Hillside Candy. Founded in 1945, Hillside is a manufacturer and marketer of a broad variety of premium organic, sugar-free and traditional confection products under the GoOrganic, GoLightly, Pick Your Color and Hillside Sweets brands. Products are sold direct and through distributors to grocery and drugstore chains, mass merchandisers, club stores, gourmet retailers, gift companies and other channels domestically and internationally. In addition, Hillside's capabilities include incorporating nutraceutical ingredients into confectionery delivery systems, a growing trend in the nutraceutical space. MGP Announces Acquisition of George Remus Whiskey Brand MGP, a U.S. supplier of premium distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches, has acquired the George Remus whiskey brand from Queen City Whiskey LLC, Cincinnati. Terms of the cash transaction were not disclosed. The George Remus brand portfolio currently consists of three expressions: George Remus Bourbon Whiskey, George Remus Rye Whiskey, and George Remus Limited Edition Rye Whiskey. Each currently is available for retail in the states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Little Red Dot Kitchen Leveraging sofi Win Little Red Dot Kitchen, whose Singapore street-style Hickory Smoked Spicy Candied Bacon Bak Kwa was named a 2016 sofi ® Award winner, has leveraged that recogni- tion for growth in distribution and at retail. Little Red Dot Kitchen has seen growing interest in its line of five meat snacks since its Hickory Smoked Spicy Candied Bacon Bak Kwa was named a finalist and won the savory snack category in this year's sofi Awards, according to Little Red Dot Kitchen CEO Ching Lee. The Bak Kwa meat snacks, which come from U.S. family farms dedicated to raising animals hu- manely and without antibiotics or hor- mones, have been added by Vistar, headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, Gourmet Merchants International of Gar- dena, Calififornia, and Gourmet Goods Distribution of Belleview, New Jersey. New retail placements include Barnes & Noble College stores through Vistar, and di- rect sales to Safeway for its San Jose, California, stores; Straub's in Missouri and Foodstuffs in Illi- nois, Lee said. "Straub's and Food- stuffs came to us directly because of the sofi Award," she said, "We have seen interest from other large chains and additional distributors as more and more retailers across many channels are encountering consumers who want a higher level of snacking with more interesting and exotic flavors and better, cleaner ingredients." In addition to being produced from pro- tein sources raised humanely and without antibiotics or hormones, Little Red Dot Kitchen's Bak Kwa is minimally processed with most ingredients having non-GMO verification. It also is free from artificial in- gredients, wheat, dairy and eggs. The Bak Kwa is available in five flavors, including Hickory Smoked Spicy Candied Bacon, which has no nitrates or nitrites, Spicy Chipotle Beef Bak Kwa, Pork Bak Kwa, free-range Turkey Bak Kwa, and Lemongrass Beef Bak Kwa. The meat snacks are available in resealable 1- to 3-ounce packages with a suggested retail price of $6.99 to $7.99. Cases include 12 of the 2.5- to 3- ounce bags and 18 of the 1-ounce bags. More information about Little Red Dot Kitchen is available by calling 408.673.8227. GN

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