Oser Communications Group

1 0 SNACKINGNEWS Sneak Peek Sweets from Salt Lake City BY LORRIE BAUMANN When Rowena Montoya decided to turn her little sideline of making caramel can- dies for her husband to give away at trade shows into a real business of her own, she named it after the two aunts who gave her her real start. Julie and Ann not only raised Montoya after her mother died when she was 15, they provided her with their recipes. Montoya started making caramels when her husband was traveling to trade shows all over the western United States to hustle up business moving heavy equipment. He needed something that would bring people to his table, so he asked his wife for ideas. Montoya thought a homemade treat would do the trick and went back to her family for some recipes. "They are just wonderful cooks and are not afraid to do anything or try anything, and they gave that spirit to me," she says. The caramels went over so well that people started asking where they could buy them. Eventually, Montoya got a lit- tle tired of telling people, "Nowhere," and she got a little bored making just plain caramels and she started pureeing fruit and layering in chocolate. Thinking about Jelly Belly gave her the idea that people like a multiplicity of flavors, and JulieAnn Caramels grew from there. "People aren't used to what I'm doing, so they're excited about it. It's some- thing new," she says. Last year, she built a 1,500-square-foot commercial kitchen, and she already has plans to expand the operation again within the next few years. Despite the growth, the JulieAnn Caramels are made with the same quality they had when Montoya was making them in her cottage kitchen. They're still made in Salt Lake City with milk from a local dairy, quality fruit, real butter and cane sugar. "I'm such a stick- ler," Montoya says. "Everything in it is high end. I want it to be real whole foods that our bodies can digest." For more information about JulieAnn Caramels, call 801.783.8324 or email Rowena@julieanncaramels.com. n New Confection Creations from a Company with Centuries-Old Tradition BY LORRIE BAUMANN Bissinger's debuted two new flavors of the company's Gummy Pandas at the Winter Fancy Food Show. Strawberry Mango and Tart Cherry & Lime join a line-up that al- ready included Blueberry Acai, Pink Grapefruit with Grapeseed, Pomegranate White Tea, Raspberry Yumberry and Blackberry Hibiscus Gummy Pandas. "They're well-liked by children, but they're sophisticated enough for adults," said Dave Owens, Bissinger's Chief Chocolatier and Vice President of Taste. "They have a true-to-nature taste." Like the other flavors in the line, the new Gummy Pandas are gluten free, dairy free and contain no high fructose corn syrup. They're packaged in a 3-ounce pouch that retails for $4.99. Bissinger's also debuted its Caramelized Blood Orange bar, which is 60 percent dark chocolate. Made with a blood orange- rosemary caramel with hazelnuts and cocoa nibs, the 3-ounce bar retails for $4.99. The bar is gluten free, and the early reviews are enthusiastic. There are 10 bars in the line, including Coconut Caramel and Honey Pepita Caramel, which has roasted salted pepitas on the back of the bar, lots of honey taste and guajillo chili for a whisper of spice. Bissinger's Chocolate-Covered Wine Grapes are made from Muscat grapes that have dried into raisins on the vine. They're infused with Shiraz wine and then enrobed in 60 percent dark chocolate. This is not a new product, but the packaging has been updated. They come in a 3.5-ounce pouch that retails for $5.99 as well as an 8-ounce gift box that retails for $14.99. Many of these products originated in the kitchen of Chief Chocolatier Owens, who's been Bissinger's Vice President of Taste for nine years after coming to Bissinger's after a 30-year career in the restaurant business. His assignment at Bissinger's includes new product devel- opment, and in that role, it's his respon- sibility to ensure that the legacy brought by the company's 350 years of history is maintained as the product line also evolves to appeal to changing tastes. Doing that isn't about responding to trends, Owens said: "We try to be in front of our consumers to know what they want before they want it." Like the days when Owens was devel- oping a new dish to serve in his restaurant, a new Bissinger's candy starts with a con- cept. Owens rolls that thought around in his mind until he can taste it, and then he goes into his lab to work on it. In the case of the Caramelized Blood Orange bar, it was the rosemary that got added into the recipe in the course of that work. Its herba- ceous note adds a complexity to the bar that Owens really likes and that he thinks will resonate with consumers on the hunt for a new flavor sensation. Though the other flavors change with the times, and many of them come and go in the product line, there's one flavor that doesn't change, and that's the Bissinger's chocolate. All of the chocolate that Bissinger's uses is made in Europe – it all comes from one liquor, so that the milk chocolate and the different dark chocolates have common flavor notes. "It's all cohe- sive," Owens said. "That's why we have customers for life.... We meet customers in their 80s who tell us they've been eating it since they were a small child. They can tell me more about the company than even I know." n Jelly Belly Candy Company Expands Organic Line Jelly Belly Candy Company brought its reputation for delicious flavors and high quality to the organic snack category with the January launch of Organic Jelly Beans, in 10 assorted and five sour fla- vors, and Organic Fruit Flavored Snacks. The success of the company's first or- ganic line led to its 10-Flavor Assorted Gift Box. The Gift Box features an assortment of 10 fruit flavors: Berry, Blueberry, Cherry, Coconut, Lemon, Orange, Peach, Pear, Red Apple and Strawberry. Each flavor is beautifully displayed in its own compart- ment, letting consumers enjoy them one at a time. The Gift Box ships in 12-count cases. All ingredients in the Jelly Belly Or- ganic Line are USDA certified organic, and made with non-GMO ingredients with flavors and colors from natural sources. The Organic 10-Flavor Assorted Gift Box will join a 1.9-ounce Grab & Go ® bag, 5.5-ounce pouch bag and bulk offerings in the Organic Assorted Jelly Bean Collec- tion. In addition to Organic Jelly Beans in assorted flavors, Jelly Belly offers Organic Jelly Beans in sour flavors: Apple, Berry, Cherry, Lemon and Orange. Organic Fruit Flavored Snacks are also available in an assortment of six favorite fruit flavors: Strawberry, Berry, Lemon, Apple, Orange and Cherry. n New automation in Asher's Chocolate Co.'s production and packaging depart- ments has allowed for substantial reduc- tion in use of packaging materials while increasing the operation's overall capac- ity. "We've been able to take on projects in the past two years that previously wouldn't have been feasible, allowing us to increase production hours year- round," notes Chief Executive Officer Jeff Asher, who represents the fourth generation to lead his family's business. Based in Pennsylvania, with facilities in Souderton and Lewistown, Asher's Chocolate Co. produces a broad line of both regular and sugar free chocolates, fudge and an assortment of non-choco- late confections. Bulk chocolates have been its core business, but branded and private label packaged items are a grow- ing and important segment for the com- pany. "Our business, for 124 years now, has focused on producing high-quality con- fections. That focus remains, while the biggest change is the ever-evolving chal- lenge of how to package and position our product to reach and fulfill con- sumers," Asher said. "This is an exciting time for our company, as we're seeing real benefits from recent reinvestment in several areas of our operations." Asher credits his associates with maintaining the consistency that cus- tomers have come to expect while driv- ing innovation forward. "There's no denying the value of our generations-old recipes, but truly vital to our success is the collection of Asher's associates that bring decades of experience throughout our business," he said. "It's that experi- ence, and the collaborative energy amongst our associates, that ensures our customers can depend on us for those traditional favorites as well as new and exciting pieces." "We're excited about our next gener- ation of development," he continued. "We have earned a reputation with our customers for consistent quality, and our commitment to match that quality to ef- ficient manufacturing options will en- sure we remain a valuable supplier to them." For more information, go to www.ashers .com or email dbruno@ashers.com. n A New Generation Leads the Way at Asher's Chocolate

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