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GOURMET NEWS JULY 2018 www.gourmetnews.com SUPPLIER NEWS 1 6 Maine Crisp Company Wins sofi in Cracker Category BY LORRIE BAUMANN The Maine Crisp Company's Cranberry Al- mond Crisps earned a bronze sofi Award this year in their creator's first entry into the cracker cat- egory for the Specialty Food A s s o c i a t i o n 's annual competi- tion honoring innovative spe- cialty foods. The Cranberry Almond Crisps are a creation of Karen Getz, The Maine Crisp Company co- Owner and Founder, who started the company a cou- ple of years ago in her home kitchen in Wa- terville, Maine, a small community in the center of the state that's also the home of Colby College. Just last year, Getz moved her company into a commercial kitchen and designed new packaging. Her Maine Crisps are now in about 75 stores across New England and in New York, and she has two employees help- ing her make her crisps every day. Getz's inten- tion from the be- ginning has been to make products that showcase local ingredients from Maine. "It was the ingredients first," she said."I want to make something with blue- berries and buckwheat." She'd become particularly interested in the idea of creating a gluten-free product after tasting other gluten-free crackers on the market and thinking to herself that there had to be a better alternative with the right texture and flavors that were appeal- ing but subtle enough to pair easily with other ingredients. Getz, whose background includes a stint as a cheesemaker working with raw cow milk cheeses – she's won two awards from the American Cheese Society – was partic- ularly interested in creating a cracker that would pair well with a variety of cheeses, and with her Cranberry Almond Crisps, she feels like she's done just that, with fla- vors that complement dairy and a texture that stands up under the cheese without dominating the consumer's bite. The Cran- berry Almond Crisps won the sofi Award in the cracker category rather than the cate- gory for gluten-free products – demonstrat- ing that they're good enough to hold their own in comparison with other crackers made with wheat and containing gluten, Getz said. The Cranberry Almond Crisps, like her other two varieties, Blueberry Walnut Crisps and Cinnamon Maple Crisps – are made with buckwheat grown in Maine. Naturally gluten free, buckwheat isn't a true grain, even though it's used as a grain in cooking and baking. It's actually a seed related to rhubarb that's high in protein and fiber. The Blueberry Walnut Crisps are made with wild blueberries from Maine, and the Cinnamon Maple Crisps are made with real maple syrup. A 4-ounce box of the Maine Crisp Com- pany's Cranberry Almond Crisps retails for $7.99. For more information, call 207.213.9296 or visit www.themainecrisp company.com. GN Sweet Heat Peppers Brings the Jalapeños BY LORRIE BAUMANN Sweet Heat Peppers, LLC is developing a cult following around its brand of Candied Jalapeños. This summer, the company is coming out with a Sweet & Spicy Relish as a brand extension of its Sweet & Spicy Pickles. Sweet Heat Peppers was started in 2009 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Josh and Brenda Merchant after Josh tasted something similar brought by a friend to a gathering. After he'd had the taste, he wanted more, but when he couldn't find them on the market anywhere, he decided to try making his own. Many ex- periments later, he'd created the product to the satisfaction of himself and his friends. "After making them and storing them, we would occasionally bring the Candied Jalapeños out for parties or bring them to people's houses," he says. "Once people started commenting on the peppers, I real- ized how well received it was." At the suggestion of some of those friends, he started selling them at local farmers markets, where they found an en- thusiastic market. "That's where we get people started on them, and they do get hooked pretty easily," Josh says. On their first weekend, they sold everything they had, and then the market asked them to come back. "We would work our regular jobs and then make the peppers to sell for that weekend," Josh says. "When it got too much for us, we went and searched for a co-packer. It took a couple of tries to find the right one." Sweet Heat Peppers is still sold in Omaha farmers markets, but its products are also now found in regional retailers as well as local restaurants around Omaha and have distribution in a total of about 150 stores in 15 states. The line includes Candied Jalapeños, HOTTER Candied Jalapeños and Sweet & Spicy Pickles, all sold in 12-ounce jars that retail for $5.99 each. Sweet Heat Peppers Seasoning is sold in a 3-ounce bottle that retails for $4.99. GN Olé Mexican Foods to Celebrate 30th Anniversary In 1988, Veronica Moreno sold her first order of tortillas from a recipe passed down by her grandmother, who used tortillas to complement the flavors in her authentic Mexican dishes. Today, 30 years later, Olé Mexican Foods' quest continues to be helping create great foods that bring friends and family together around the table. The careful artisanship and versatility of Olé products have made it a friend of chefs, home cooks and Mexican food lovers for the last three decades. Olé Mex- ican Foods Inc. will mark its 30th anniversary with a yearlong celebration dedicated to the peo- ple who have made the tortillas made by Mrs. Moreno a staple on tables and in kitchens around the world. "My family and staff at Olé Mexican Foods are truly humbled for the opportunity to have a seat at your table. Helping families create a wholesome, fun, and authentic eating experience with our products is the best compliment we could hope for," said Veronica Moreno, Presi- dent and CEO of Olé Mexican Foods. "I don't know if my grandmother ever dreamed that her family recipe would be enjoyed in so many homes. Thirty years later, I am certain she would be pleased to be part of bringing families together at the table through food. It's exciting to imagine where Olé Mexican Foods will go and how it will be used over the next 30 years." Olé Mexican Foods has also created sev- eral new recipe ideas that spotlight classic Mexican dishes as well as popular, and sometimes surprising, foods that continue to make tortillas a key part of many pantries. These signature recipes will be made available throughout the year on the official website, www.olemex.com, as well as Olé Mexican Foods' social media chan- nels. The company will also be sharing sto- ries, photos and other items about the history, culture and success of Olé Mexican Foods Inc. GN Somerdale Introduces Holiday Line Somerdale International, which imports British cheeses into the USA, showcased its new, festive, holiday range June 10 through 12 at this year's International Dairy-Deli- Bakery Association trade show. "This year's IDDBA provides a great platform for us to showcase our range of great tasting cheeses for the holiday season. They combine the very best of traditional British cheese with a festive & fun twist and are set to make a real impact on deli counters across the States over this year's holiday season," said Alan Jenkins, Sales Director at Somerdale International. Somerdale holiday line includes a range of cheeses ideal for Thanksgiving, Christ- mas and New Year festive cheeseboards. Holly Day Cheddar, for instance, has fun Father Christmas packaging. It's matured for 12 months and has a wonderful nutty sweetness with salt crystals formed in the paste during maturation. It pairs well with a petit Syrah or hoppy IPA. Red Ribbon Cheddar is made and aged on the Barber family farm in the southwest of England, just 15 miles away from Ched- dar itself. It has a nutty, sweet tone and is packaged under an image of a snowman. Somerdale Wensleydale with Cranberries is a true classic to celebrate the holidays. This combines classic Wensley- dale cheese with the fruity sweetness of delicious whole Cranberries. Wensleydale with Lemon and Honey offers a heav- enly combination of the natural sweetness of lemons and honey with slightly tart, crumbly Wensleydale cheese. The holiday range also includes Somerdale's great-tasting West- minster Rustic Red and Westmin- ster Holiday Cheddarsmatured for at least 12 months and especially created for the festive season. While it will also be offer- ing customers the firm festive favorite of Il Truffelino, which uniquely combines creamy cheddar with aromatic truffle. GN

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