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GOURMET NEWS MAY 2018 www.gourmetnews.com Naturally Healthy NATURALLY HEALTHY 1 6 Bobo's Poised to Break out from Boulder BY LORRIE BAUMANN Fueled by an $8 million round of capital in 2017 and this year's launch of a new prod- uct line at Natural Products Expo West, Bobo's is poised to break into the national mainstream with its range of oat bars, bites and, now, toaster pastries that offer solid nutrition as well as taste and texture that appeal to the entire family. Last year's capi- tal infusion paid for an expansion of the Boulder, Colorado, company's capacity, re- sulting in top-line revenue growth of al- most 70 percent in 2017 and an increase in the number of salaried em- ployees to 29, says CEO T.J. McIntyre, who joined the company in 2016. Bobo's was started in Boul- der in 2003 by Beryl Stafford, a mom who named the company after her daughter Bobo. She started by making a batch of oat bars – soft oatmeal cookies in bar form – in her home kitchen over a weekend. They turned out well, and she started selling them to local cafes and then to Whole Foods. A few years later, she was baking her oat bars in a com- mercial bakery and selling them in supermarkets, and po- tential investors came calling. Today, the company is still baking all of its products in its Boulder bakery and has com- pleted a re-branding and the strategic work to establish a new foundation, and it's ready for launch into the national mainstream mar- ket. The product range includes 15 flavors of oat bars, individually packaged 3- ounce bars that work as both breakfast and af- ternoon snacks. "It's so simple that any of our consumers could make it at home, yet we do an incredible job of producing a bar that tastes home- made," McIntyre said. "We're the only bar in the category that has a home-baked aroma when you open it." Bobo's consumers enjoy the bars for their flavor first and for functionality second, and the bars bring a sense of freshness to the center of the store, which many con- sumers regard as a plethora of processed products, McIntyre added. "We are far and away the least-processed bar in the mar- ket." Bobo's research indicates that about 50 percent of them are consumed for break- fast, with the rest of them consumed as snacks at scattered times throughout the day. "When our bars are purchased and brought into the house, it's the whole fam- ily that eats them," McIntyre said. The Bars line has been extended with new STUFF'D bars. The four STUFF'D bars are currently offered in Peanut Butter Filled, Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Chip, Coconut Almond Butter Filled and Chocolate Almond Butter Filled varieties. The 2.5-ounce bars are packaged for indi- vidual sale. They offer 5 to 7 grams of pro- tein, depending on the variety, and carry the Non GMO Project Verified seal on the front of the package. Bobo's Bites are oat mini- muffins offered in seven flavors: Original, Coconut, Maple Pecan, Lemon Poppyseed, Apple Pie, PB&J and Ginger- bread. Packaged with five Bites per package, each Bite is one serving that offers 160 calories and 2 to 3 grams of pro- tein. The new Bobo's TOAST'R is a Bobo's oat bar turned into a toaster pastry with the ad- dition of ancient grains and a filling of ei- ther fruit or nut butter for what McIntyre says is the least-processed toaster pastry on the market today. Packaged for sale as sin- gles and currently offered in four varieties — two with fruit and two with nut butter fillings — the 2.5-ounce pastry is just a lit- tle smaller than the 3-ounce Bobo's Bar and retails for $2.49. "We've made an incredibly high-quality toaster pastry," McIntyre said. "A cup of coffee or another beverage with one of these, and you're probably good until lunch." GN Sprout Foods Wins 3 NAPPA Awards Sprout Foods has been recognized by the National Parenting Product Awards (NAPPA) for its commitment to clean, or- ganic ingredients, outstanding flavor, and innovation within sustainable protein sources with three NAPPA Awards. For the last 28 years, NAPPA's team of indus- try experts and family judges has rigorously tested prod- ucts across cat- egories to recommend those that parents and profes- sionals can trust most. This year's award winners include Sprout Organic Crinklez™, the first popped veggie snack for toddlers in Cheesy Spinach and Pumpkin Carrot fla- vors; Sprout Organic Crispy Chews™, pressed fruit snacks made with crisped whole grain rice and a full serving of fruit & veggies, available in Red Fruit Beet & Berry and Orchard Fruit & Carrot, and Sprout Stage 2 Plant Based Protein pouches in new Butternut Blueberry Apple with Beans and Carrot Chickpeas Zucchini Pear flavors, with vegetable- based protein from organic black beans and chickpeas. Sprout is recognized for providing the largest range of vegetable-leading recipes in a cate- gory where m a n y brands use apples and other fruits as the pri- mary ingre- dient. "At Sprout, our mission is to educate parents on how to properly interpret nu- trition labels so that they can understand what is truly in their food. That's our hon- esty pledge," said Rick Klauser, CEO, Sprout Foods. "Sprout makes it easy for parents to make healthy, informed deci- sions about the food they purchase for their families by using clean, organic in- gredients and honestly labeling our recipes. We're so excited that our latest plant powered innovation has resonated so well with consumers and that parents trust Sprout to deliver vegetable-based protein options for their children." GN Bellucci's Sicilia PGI Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil One of the world's most prized liquid treas- ures is Sicilian extra virgin olive oil. Sicily is an island woven from a fusion of cultures that has resulted in a rich and varied ge- netic legacy. With its dry summers, lashed by the Sirocco Saharan winds, as well as its balmy winter, the temperate climate influ- ences the spirit of the organic olive trees that have been part of the fertile island since its inception. To get closer to this island's treasure groves and fully appreciate the fruits of human toil, Bellucci brings its freshly har- vested Sicilia PGI Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the newest addition to its Leg- endary Series. True to its cultivars and ori- gin, Sicilia PGI Organic coats the palate with hints of almond and savory under- tones of artichoke, coupled with green tomato. It's unlike any other extra virgin olive oil – a truly authentic gem. Why is its PGI certification so impor- tant? In 2016, the European Commission approved the Protected Geographical Indi- cation PGI 'Sicilia' (Sicily) for extra virgin olive oil produced on the island. Such cer- tifications (PGI) by the European Union promote the development of specific rural regions and pop- ulations, which are related to a g r i c u l t u r a l products with special quality characteristics and protect the interests of both growers and consumers. It is transparency at its best in the greater fight against food fraud. C o n s u m e r s seeking greater on-label visibil- ity into the ori- gins of the food in their shop- ping basket are on the rise. Shoppers seek new depths of information across the mar- ket, including organic, responsible produc- tion and authenticity. At Bellucci, the mission is to bring "Trust Through Trace- ability" to the market. GN

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