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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n SEPTEMBER 2017 n GOURMET NEWS N H 8 0 The Pasta Shoppe Launches Pastabilities Organic Kids Pasta Pastabilities ® Organic Kids Pasta is the most recent addition to the growing organic pasta selections by The Pasta Shoppe. Choose from five "everyday" fun themes focused on getting Mom's attention. Additionally, three organic holiday themes are available. The 12-ounce boxes are colorfully designed and include a window to peek at the fun shapes. Each box offers a combination of shapes and colors, made from 100 percent organic durum wheat and vegetable powders. Pasta- bilities Organic Kids Pasta is available by the case or in a shipper. "The organic market is booming and re- tailers are looking for differentiated products that will appeal to Moms out there searching for healthier options for her family," com- mented John Aron, President. Additional organic pasta lines from The Pasta Shoppe include Organic Healthy Grains, which highlights Sprouted, Spelt and Kamut ® Khorasan ancient grain wheats. The three pastas are created in the Italian Gigli or "Lilly" shape and are ex- truded using handcrafted bronze dies. An- other line extension, Italian Inspired Organic Pasta, offers beautiful shapes from the small regions of Italy. The tri-color pasta is very appealing to consumers be- cause of the shapes and packaging. The Pasta Shoppe is a boutique pasta manufacturer of fun shapes, healthy grains and organic pasta. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, The Pasta Shoppe has been creating and carving out a special niche in the pasta business since 1994. Known as an innovator in the fun shaped pasta arena, The Pasta Shoppe sells to retailers all over the U.S. and currently exports to Asia and South America. The Pasta Shoppe's boutique pasta manufacturing process has been built to reflect the small manufacturing plants all over Italy, using only premium ingredients and "Old World" processes. All of The Pasta Shoppe's specialty pasta is made using bronze dies which give a rough, matte tex- ture that is porous and holds sauce beauti- fully. Large industrial manufac- turers typically use Teflon tool- ing, which leave a smooth shiny finish. The choice of manufactur- ing with only premium wheats and ingredients, along with the slow cart drying of the pasta, pre- serves the nutritional quality and taste of the product. Combining fun shapes, innova- tion and high quality manufactur- ing, The Pasta Shoppe offers customers a wide variety of dif- ferentiated pasta lines to consider. With every dining experience, the final cooked pasta has wonderful consistency and flavor … and adds a lot of fun! For more information, call 800.247.0188 or visit www.pastashoppe.com. A Tuscan Tradition Stays Modern for Today's Consumer Mooney Farms, a name synonymous with sun dried tomatoes, has pioneered the indus- try since 1987, and is still leading the way with a new interactive website and exciting marketing activities. Mooney Farms recognizes that great brands don't just happen; they are built on many years of hard work and consumer ed- ucation. The company's newly designed website educates consumers about the excit- ing health benefits associated with eating sun dried tomatoes, explains the Mediterranean diet and offers many new recipe ideas and food videos. Keeping its brand fresh and engaging for millennial home cooks, the company's Art Director has added micro recipe videos to the site which teach viewers how to recreate all of the simple and delicious ideas its Corpo- rate Chef prepares in its Tuscan kitchen. These new videos on both Facebook and YouTube have attracted new customers of all ages. The Facebook page alone has grown to 35,000 followers and continues to climb every day. The company attributes this suc- cess to posting an exciting new idea, recipe or video each day, so viewers can get inspi- ration throughout the year. Every jar of product also includes a full color recipe booklet that changes seasonally, featuring healthy ideas for consumers to pre- pare at home. These recipe booklets also an- nounce the company's Annual National Recipe Contest, where fans can send in their personal creations fea- turing one or more of the company's prod- ucts, with the opportu- nity to win one of its fabulous prizes. The contest runs year around and concludes July 1 when the com- pany's Corporate Chef helps narrow down the finalists and starts preparing the dishes. Next, staff and family are involved in tasting and choosing the win- ners. It's a fun and exciting way to engage with loyal customers. Another outlet has been the outreach by thousands of bloggers across the U.S. who have used the company's products in their home kitchens and posted reviews and videos from their own websites. In our cul- ture today, these are some of the most influ- ential individuals who play an important role in creating brand aware- ness and help form the choices of their followers. Food bloggers are emerg- ing as key influencers in determining consumer choices on brands, home cooking and restaurants, away from "traditional" direct advertising. At Mooney Farms, its customers are No. 1. Each and every customer from the small- est to the largest are all treated as equally im- portant. The company knows that without them, it would not have built its reputation in the industry as a trusted brand. It also works with each customer to meet their spe- cific sun dried tomato needs. The company stands behind every product that leaves its facility. Its name is on every bottle and it knows how important it is to maintain those standards. Oregon's Best Berries for Your Best Life By Darcy Kochis, Marketing Director, Ore- gon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission Oregon raspberries and blackberries are known for their great taste and premium quality. Our clean Northwest air, fresh water from the Cascade Mountains, rich volcanic soils and an ideal climate give our berry farmers what they need to harvest superior fruit. Grown on family farms committed to the highest standards of agricultural practice, our berries are flash frozen, canned or dried within hours of being picked at the peak of ripeness, to lock in maxi- mum nutrition and taste. Processors in Oregon use state-of-the-art traceabil- ity programs to ensure that berries grown here are as safe as possible for consumers. The Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission represents the farmers and the in-state processors of caneberries. Oregon is the largest U.S. pro- ducer of blackberries and black raspberries, and ranks third nation- ally in red raspberry production. Boysenber- ries and Loganberries are also grown prima- rily in Oregon. Holmsted Fines Chutneys Continue to Win Devoted Fans An interview with Rebecca Williamson, Owner, Holmsted Fines. NH: Tell our readers about Holmsted Fines. RW: I started Holmsted Fines in Birming- ham, Alabama in 2013. While I was training at Le Cordon Bleu in London, I discovered that one of the more versatile items in a tra- ditional English kitchen is chutney – specif- ically, green tomato chutney, which provides a delicious addition to poultry, fish and pork. It's also served as a wonderful topping on cheeses and baked goods. I brought that recipe home to America and soon found out that it was a hit here as well. Customers love the delicious combination of flavors that chutney provides. Since then, I've expanded the wide pairing range of my original Green Tomato chutney with Peach, Balsamic Red Onion and Apple Jalapeno varieties. For those who are always looking to be on the cutting edge of flavor exploration, or simply those who want an easy way to improve an old dish, Holmsted Fines chutneys are the answer. People who are familiar with chutney have made it clear to us that our product is superior to other chutneys on the market. NH: What brings Holmsted Fines the most pride? RW: Our company is extremely proud of our 'Committed to Give' policy. Holmsted Fines has promised to contribute 10 percent of our profits to organizations which provide assistance to people around the world. Currently, we are support- ing International Justice Mission (IJM) and Never- thirst. NH: Are you launching any new products this year? RW: Yes, we are! We're really excited to be introducing a new Apple Jalapeno chutney this month. Like all our products, Apple Jalapeno chutney has an excellent taste while adding a little spiciness to our lineup. NH: Which markets do you want to reach? RW: Our product continues to be popular with foodies, who often are familiar with chutney and its many uses. However, we are excited about making the average home cook a loyal customer. Our chut- neys can be added to a wide variety of dishes quickly and easily to give them a unique twist that mixes up even the most basic recipe. NH: How do your products help your customers compete in their marketplace? RW: Holmsted Fines chutney is something unique. Customers find there is not a true substitute for our type of chutney. That said, given our boutique size and the lim- ited distribution (so far!), more often than not, other stores in the area will not have our product. That makes our customer's business 'the' place to get Holmsted Fines chutney. For more information, go to www.holmsted fines.com or call 205.914.9017.

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