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GOURMET NEWS www.gourmetnews.com n JANUARY 2018 n GOURMET NEWS 2 2 San Francisco Equity Partners' Portfolio Company Red Monkey Foods Acquires San Francisco Salt Company San Francisco Equity Partners (SFEP), a pri- vate equity firm exclusively focused on ex- pansion-stage companies in the consumer industry, announced that its portfolio com- pany Red Monkey Foods has acquired spe- cialty salt provider San Francisco Salt Company from founder Lee Williamson. Red Monkey Foods is a leading provider of premium store brand organic spices and sea- sonings. Terms of the deal were not dis- closed. The San Francisco Salt Company was founded in 2002 and has recently emerged as one of the fastest growing branded salt com- panies in the U.S. The company distributes its products through multiple channels to both the gourmet and personal care end mar- kets, and its product portfolio includes four distinct brands: San Francisco Salt Company: flagship brand of natural culinary sea salts from a va- riety of origins in unique flavors and distinc- tive packaging. Sherpa Pink: the No. 1 Himalayan salt brand on Amazon. Epsoak: Epsom salt brand delivering tar- geted benefits to the consumer including muscle recovery, stress relief, sleep health and detoxification. Minera: 100 percent natural Dead Sea salt brand developed to treat various skin condi- tions including eczema, psoriasis and severe dry skin. "San Francisco Salt Company's products are consistently loved by consumers as ev- idenced by the company's impressive growth," said Scott Bolonda, Chief Execu- tive Officer of Red Monkey Foods. "We look forward to bringing Red Monkey's substantial distribution, innovation and manufacturing resources to this partnership and to rolling out premium store brand and branded salt programs with our retail part- ners." "San Francisco Salt Company is an ideal acquisition for Red Monkey Foods and we are confident that the Red Monkey team will further accelerate the growth of the company's prod- ucts in both the food and personal care markets," said Scott Potter, Chairman of Red Monkey Foods and Managing Partner of SFEP. "We believe San Francisco Salt Company has a signifi- cant opportunity ahead of it and we thank Lee for entrusting us with the company's next phase of growth." Financo, LLC acted as exclusive financial advisor to San Francisco Salt Company in connection with the transaction. About San Francisco Salt Company San Francisco Salt Company is a leading provider of specialty salts and America's fastest growing salt brand. Launched in 2002, the company was the founder's en- trepreneurial dream and today still embod- ies his principals of quality, value and customer service. The company is a major supplier of specialty sea salt, Himalayan salt, Epsom salt and Dead Sea salt prod- ucts, available in both re- tail and bulk sizes. For more information, visit www.sfsalt.com or find the brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About Red Monkey Foods Red Monkey Foods is a leading innovative sup- plier of premium or- ganic store brand spices and seasonings. The company's recent growth earned it a place in Inc. 500 as one of "America's Fastest Growing Private Companies," and the company has been recognized with top industry honors, including the prestigious Silver Colonel Award nominated by Red Monkey's national customers. Red Mon- key has been certified USDA organic as well as kosher certified by one of the na- tion's most stringent certification boards. The company has had a growing impact on its community by significantly increas- ing employment opportunities in Southwest Missouri. Learn more about Red Monkey Foods at www.redmonkey foods.com. For more information, visit booth #1286. Anastasia's Coconut Cashew Crunch Takes Top Industry Awards Anastasia Confections' ® Coconut Cashew Crunch with Dark Chocolate Drizzle, an addictively sweet and crunchy treat launch- ing nationally in 2018 under the new Co- conut Island ® sub-brand, has already won three prestigious industry awards. It re- ceived the sofi ™ Product of the Year Award at the Specialty Food Association's 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show, where it was selected from 3,000 entries across 39 cate- gories by a national panel of 62 specialty food experts to win the competition's high- est honor and the first ever Product of the Year Award. It received the Most Innova- tive New Product Award in the Gourmet/Premium Category at the NCA's 2017 Sweets & Snacks Expo, where prod- uct submissions are rated on taste, packag- ing, innovation and go-to-market feasibility by a panel of judges including leading candy and snack buyers and other food in- dustry experts. It also received the Gold sofi Award in the Sweet Snacks Category in the Specialty Food Association's 2017 sofi Awards competition, where products were judged in a blind tasting based on fla- vor, appearance, texture and aroma, as well as ingredient quality. "We are honored that Coconut Cashew Crunch has won the first ever sofi Product of the Year Award, as well as the Gold sofi Award for best Sweet Snack and NCA's Most Innovative New Product Award," said Phil DeWester, Vice President of Market- ing for Las Olas Confections & Snacks. "We created a truly addictive confection for today's coconut-obsessed consumers. This tropical twist on a classic brittle is hand- made in copper kettles with fresh shredded coconut, cashews, butter and brown sugar with a dark chocolate drizzle. The result is a deliciously crunchy, super satisfying snack and confection all in one." Coconut Cashew Crunch comes in three delicious flavors: Origi- nal Recipe, triple award- winning Dark Chocolate Drizzle and a new Key Lime Drizzle, which, according to Krisztina Toth, Anastasia Brand Manager, "tastes just like a slice of key lime pie, but with a crunchy twist." All three flavors will be available starting March 2018 in 5- ounce re-sealable stand up pouches at $4.49 MSRP, while Original Recipe and Dark Chocolate Drizzle will also be avail- able in 2.5-ounce stand up pouches at $2.99 MSRP. "A sofi means a product, and the people behind it, have arrived," said Phil Ka- farakis, President, Specialty Food Associ- ation. "This year's win- ners represent a devotion to excellence and inno- vation in specialty food that continues to fuel our industry, excite con- sumers and expand retail offerings around the world." About Anastasia Confections Anastasia Confections, makers of world-fa- mous Coconut Patties, has been committed to creating innovative tropical confections since 1984. Its products, made in an SQF Level 2 facility in Orlando, Florida, include Coconut Patties, Salt Water Taffy, Choc-O- Gators and more. Anastasia is a Las Olas Confections & Snacks brand. For more information, visit booth #262 or contact Phil DeWester, Vice President of Marketing, at 407.816.9944 x204 or pdewester@lasolasbrands.com. Bella Sun Luci, "the Original Sun Dried Tomato" For more than 20 years, Mooney Farms has been producing Bella Sun Luci, the "pre- mium brand" of sun dried tomato products from an authentic family recipe handed down over the generations. Family owned and operated and located in Chico, California, it has invested in the com- pany's technology and packaging capabili- ties so all of its orders are packed fresh. This allows for the longest shelf life in the indus- try. The company does not rely on a co- packer, and every bag and jar of sun dried tomatoes are produced at Mooney Farms under the strictest guidelines. With retail, foodservice, private label and industrial di- visions, Mooney Farms is the largest packer and shipper of sun dried tomatoes in the U.S. With strict attention to tradition, Bella Sun Luci sun dried tomatoes are only packed in 100 percent pure olive oil. Unlike many brands that are co-packed, it is vertically in- tegrated, allowing for a lower cost which it can pass on to the consumer. Since the com- pany is focused on one core item, its econ- omy of scale allows it to use higher quality ingredients including olive oil. It never uses any oils like canola or sunflower seed oil in its jars. Staying with this tradition, the company believes the most inter- esting food trend has been the re-discovery of the Mediterranean diet. The "Med Mark" enables the consumer to identify foods that are part of a healthy Mediterranean lifestyle. Its products bear the Med Mark and represent one of these core foods. Sun dried tomatoes are also lycopene rich, a proven an- tioxidant. Today, the average consumer is looking for more nutrition on a budget. The new NuVal Nutritional Scoring System is a unique food labeling system which ranks all foods between 1 and 100; the higher the score, the higher the food's overall nutrition. Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil & Herbs is the highest scorer in the sun dried tomato category, with a score of 56. It offers the better value, not just in price, but in nutrition as well. The family pio- neered the sun dried tomato industry over 20 years ago and it continues to create new items which fit today's trend of healthy eat- ing. Its loyal and new customers are part of its success, and the company focuses on their ever changing needs. There is only one orig- inal California sun dried tomato brand, and that is Bella Sun Luci. Always fresh, always premium; the family guarantees it. For more information, visit booth #4520, call 530.899.2661, email mooneyfarm @aol.com or go to www.bellasunluci.com.

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