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GOURMET NEWS FEBRUARY 2017 www.gourmetnews.com Supplier News SUPPLIER NEWS 1 1 BRIEFS JNB Salsas Finding Fans Across the Globe Blue Crab Bay Co. Changes Hands BY LORRIE BAUMANN Barry Moore is known as "The Salsa Guy," co-Founder of JNB Specialty Foods and the "B" in JNB, the company he co- founded with his son, Jason, in 2011 after his retirement from the U.S. Postal Service. "After I retired, I rode my mo- torcycle for six months and golfed. And then winter came," he says. Once the winter sent his motorcycle to its space in the garage, Moore decided to pick up the threads on an idea he'd been weaving with his son, a talented chef, Barry had been been making the Br- uschetta from an old family recipe and serving to friends and family during the holidays. "Jason developed the Apple Corn salsa a year or two before the business started," Moore says. "He cooked it when he was going to watch a football game with his friends. His friends all raved about it, and we decided that when I'd retired, we'd do the Br- uschetta and the Apple Corn Salsa." The two launched their business with 24 cases of product that they took to a local Women's Expo, where it became an instant hit. "We went there on Friday night, but on Sunday, we had three bot- tles of salsa left, and that was it," Moore says. "At that very first event, we were approached by a grocery store that wanted to sell the products. They actu- ally had someone at the show who tried it." From there, the JNB's product line has grown to six products, now including Pineapple Salsa, Habanero Salsa, Red Pepper Salsa and Cranberry Chutney as well as the original Bruschetta and Apple Corn Salsa. "The products are all natural, gluten-free," Moore says. "This is some- thing that we developed ourselves. We didn't copy it from anybody. We devel- oped all these products ourselves, and we had a lot of fun doing it." "The Cranberry Chutney was because customers asked for something sweet," he continues. "The Habanero was be- cause customers asked for heat. The Pineapple was because customers asked for sweet heat." Although JNB is still selling product at local events, where Moore enjoys the so- cial contact, the products are also sold in about 140 to 150 stores, including sales in China that have come about through trade missions sponsored by the state of New York. Those started about a year and a half ago, when New York asked him if he'd be interested in going on a trade trip to China if the state paid a por- tion of his expenses for the trip. "I went to Beijing, went to a free trade zone, and got some interest there," he says. "In one week in China, I got some contacts and some distributors." That was in September, 2015, and then around the beginning of 2016, New York asked him if he'd be interested in another trip to a Chinese food show. "I said, 'I guess I'll do it,' and so I went to Chengdu," Moore says. In the U.S., the JNB Specialty Foods Salsas retail for about $4.29 to $5.30 or so, depending on the market. "In a spe- cialty market, they sell very well at $8 to $9," Moore says. "It's a wonderful prod- uct. The Cranberry Chutney is good over soft cheese or mixed with mayo for a turkey sandwich. Or you can use it straight as a dipping sauce for pork or chicken." "If you like pork or beef, the salsas will pair well," he adds. "The Apple Corn Salsa makes a great stuffing for a pork shoulder." For more information, call 607.267.5874 or email barry@jnbfoods.com. GN Pamela Barefoot, founder and longtime President of specialty food company Blue Crab Bay Co. in Melfa, Virginia, has sold the company in an asset sale to Elizabeth Lankford. Barefoot, 66, said her decision to sell Blue Crab Bay was initially diffi- cult but was made easier once she knew the company was going to stay local. "I have been fretting over an exit strategy, and all the businesses that approached me did not want our property in the (Ac- comack Airport) Industrial Park," she said. "Two years ago, I received an email from Elizabeth Lankford, and I knew in my heart she was the right one," Barefoot continued. "She cared about the brand. She cared about the Eastern Shore and my employees. Her father had tons of ex- perience in the food industry, and with her very supportive family, I knew she would be a great caretaker for my Blue Crab Bay family." Lankford's family is well known in Mary- land and Virginia. Her grandfather Stanley began Lankford Produce in 1964 and soon was joined by her father, Tom, and uncles Fred and Jim. In 1981, Lankford Produce merged with Sysco Corp. Elizabeth, 32, recently resigned from her job in Washington, D.C., where she spe- cialized in state government affairs for Healthcare Distribution Alliance. "I had al- ways been looking for an opportunity to re- turn home to the Eastern Shore," she said. "This is a perfect fit. I have been a longtime fan of Blue Crab Bay's brand and high-qual- ity products. I look forward to leading the company and expanding our national reach." Barefoot plans to continue to work at Blue Crab Bay for at least two more years. "I'll just have more time for my Airbnb cottage and to go RVing with my husband to state and national parks, an interest we picked up about four years ago," she said. Founded on Barefoot's kitchen table in 1985, Blue Crab Bay has evolved into a nationally recognized, award- winning specialty food brand and a leader in its community. Blue Crab Bay's line of specialty foods and gifts includes award-winning Virginia peanut snacks, Bloody Mary mixers, seafood seasonings and Blue Crab Stoneware. The company operates from a 24,000-square-foot building in the Accomack Airport Industrial Park in Melfa, where a retail shop is also lo- cated. Products are available in thou- sands of stores nationwide and on the company's consumer website. GN Freezing Enhances Raw Salmon Safety Recent news reports have mentioned parasites in Alaska salmon; however, Alaska salmon is among the highest quality seafood and safe for consumer consumption, according to the industry. All commercially harvested Alaska seafood, which accounts for more than 60 percent of all the seafood harvested in the United States, is processed in accordance with strict Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, including parasite controls. These regulations specifically guard against potential harm to ensure that eating both salmon sushi and fully cooked salmon can be safely enjoyed. According to FDA guidelines, seafood needs to be frozen to -4 degrees F or below for seven days if it is to be consumed raw for food safety reasons. Salmon that has not been properly frozen should be cooked thoroughly to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F before consumption. For any raw or semi-raw preparations, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) always recommends using properly frozen seafood. O&CO. Unveils First Olive Oil of the 2017 Harvest O&CO., a Provence-based purveyor of premier extra virgin olive oils and exceptional Mediterranean culinary products, has just unveiled Affiorato, its very first eagerly anticipated olive oil from the 2017 harvest. Each year, O&CO.'s team travels the Mediterranean to hand- select O&CO.'s Extra Virgin olive oils from the regions' finest artisanal growers. This year, O&CO. has chosen an Affiorato from the OLIS domain, pressed from 100 percent Nocellara de Belice olives and produced by Sicily's Massimiliano Geraci, whose family has been producing extra virgin olive oil since the late 19th century. The 2017 Affiorato will be available at retail locations and online in the U.S. in March 2017. Twelve Year Old Named to NRF List of Top 25 People Shaping Retail's Future Mikaila Ulmer, Founder and CEO of Me & the Bees Lemonade, along with notable honorees from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Facebook, Home Depot, West Elm and others, was recognized in January at the 3rd Annual National Retail Federation Foundation Gala. Determined to create 'buzz' about saving honey bees and using her Great Granny Helen's flaxseed honey lemonade recipe, Ulmer launched her lemonade business from her home in Austin, Texas, in 2009. As a social entrepreneur and role model, Ulmer is also committed to philanthropy and donates a percentage of her profits to organizations seeking to save honey bees, an insect crucial to pollination, crops and our food supply. Santa Margherita USA Named Exclusive Importer of Ca' del Bosco Santa Margherita USA has been designated the exclusive importer of the Ca' del Bosco winery, one of the foremost producers of Franciacorta, Italy's most revered sparkling wine from the Lombardy region. The winery joins a portfolio of distinct wineries located throughout the best wine-producing areas of Italy.

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