Niagara Chocolates’ New Flavors Sweeten Up Valentine’s Day
Niagara Chocolates, a fastest-growing premium chocolate brand, has releases four limited-edition flavors just in time for Valentine’s Day. A recent survey confirms that while consumers from Gen Z and beyond still choose chocolate and romance as Valentine’s Day signatures, a spirit of adventure and an interest to try new, exciting experiences accompany these traditional celebration elements.
Other key findings include an overwhelming preference for bold flavors inspired by dessert favorites, popular bakery indulgences and special holiday offerings.
Niagara’s new flavors include:
Dark Chocolate Fondue – Mess-free and easy to recreate at home, our Dark Chocolate Fondue is ready in under 2 minutes and perfect for creating a fun dessert activity with a loved one or as a fun entertaining element.- Red Velvet Cheesecake Cups – Delicious notes of red velvet and cocoa complemented by the delicate tang and smoothness of cheesecake. Also available in 12-ounce gift boxes.
- Snickerdoodle Cookie Clusters – Creamy milk chocolate with notes of zesty cinnamon and crunchy vanilla cookie pieces, our Snickerdoodle Clusters will surely make your heart flutter.
- Double Chocolate Frosting Cups – Enjoy our twist on a cupcake! Smooth, milk chocolate frosting flavors in rich, creamy, decadent dark chocolate will satisfy your sweet tooth any day of the week.
“For Valentine’s Day 2023, every generation declared a preference for celebrating romance – either with a loved one, boldly going on a first date or even fantasizing about a secret crush,” said Joe Annunziato, director of marketing at Delica North America, parent company of Niagara Chocolates. “No matter how they choose to celebrate, there was an overwhelming agreement that chocolates are the best gift to give and receive, and our hand crafters are excited to share their bold new flavor innovations.”
Additional Survey Findings:
- The #1 gift that consumers want to give themselves, their loved ones and receive for Valentine’s Day is chocolate.
- Over 50 percent of recipients would love to receive a Valentine’s card from their secret crush.
- Over 85 percent of respondents would be willing to go on a first date on Valentine’s Day – but 16 percent would only be interested if given a box of chocolates as an invitation.
Made with simple, non-GMO ingredients, Rainforest Alliance Certified Cocoa, and small batch hand crafted chocolate, these limited-edition products are available on Niagarachocolates.com, Amazon, and national retailers such as Safeway Albertsons, Fresh Market, Walmart and more.
*Results from Pollfish Survey conducted January 2023
Niagara Chocolates launched nationally in 2021 and is the fastest-growing brand in premium chocolate, led by top-selling flavors such as Toasted Coconut Clusters, Sea Salt Caramel Cups, Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups, and Dark Chocolate Coconut Clusters, as well as the Almond Toffee Milk Chocolate, Salted Almond Dark Chocolate and Almond Butter Dark Chocolate bars.
The brand was established in 1956 with a focus on simple ingredients, a hand crafted process, and delivering indulgent products, which remain the brand pillars to this day. Niagara Chocolates has proudly invested in local communities since the brand’s inception through fundraising programs, enabling local schools and organizations to raise millions of dollars to support efforts of all types and make dreams possible. The brand is owned by Migros Group, the largest company, and retailer in Switzerland.
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Hayashi to Lead Team USA at Bocus d’Or Grande Finale
Hawaiian-born and Arizona-raised Chef Jeffery Hayashi will lead Team USA in the 2023 Bocus d’Or Grande Finale.
The 24 worldwide selected teams will compete Jan. 22-23 in Lyon, France for five hours and 30 minutes in two events: While the platter theme features monkfish and other seafood products, the second test, “Feed the Kids” takes the form of an entire menu based on squash, to raise awareness among children and, through this theme, educate them about healthy eating.
Hayashi left an architecture career after his passion for style and precision led him to discover cooking, landing an apprenticeship with chef and chocolatier Philippe Padovani in Hawaii. In 2014, he was the inaugural executive sous chef at Mourad in San Francisco, which received a Michelin star in its first year of operation. Hayashi qualified for the Grande Finale by winning the 2022 Americas Bocuse d’Or in Chile.
Hayashi is chef de cuisine at Senia Restaurant in Honolulu.
Each team will start at regular intervals beginning at 8 a.m. on Jan. 22. Hayashi is scheduled to start Jan. 23 at 9:57 a.m., finish his Feed the Kids menu by 2:53 p.m. and his seafood platter by 3:27 p.m.
This year, instead of the plate contest, the Bocuse d’Or puts education in food and taste for young people through cooking at the center of the candidates’ work.
Today, cooks play a central role in food and culinary education. In the “Feed the kids” contest, each candidate will have to be creative in producing a squash-based menu for children. Several varieties will be provided by competition partner METRO to create a 100 percent vegetable-based cold starter, a hot dish including an egg and a restaurant dessert style. The candidates will have to redouble their creativity, play with textures and flavors to convince the jury of chefs, supported by children from all around the world.
The platter theme honors monkfish, supplied by partner Seafood From Scotland, accompanied by scallops. To enhance the monkfish, the candidates will have to prepare two vegetable garnishes to be placed on the platter as well as a garnish served separately, made from a vegetable from their country, mussels and an individual crouton of their own composition.
The Bocuse d’Or adventure gathers the world’s gastronomic family and federates more than 5,000 chefs spread across 70 countries. With a local and itinerant approach, the Bocuse d’Or has travelled from city to city throughout the world since 2005 for the national and continental selections: in America (Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, etc.), in Asia (Guangzhou, Shanghai, Singapore, etc.), in Africa (Dakhla, Marrakesh, etc.) and in Europe (Brussels, Budapest, Stockholm, Tallinn, Turin, etc.).
Beyond the geo-tourism implications of the event for the involved countries, the traveling selections serve to promote the gastronomic culture of each region and to highlight the vast diversity of world cuisine.
Before reaching the Grand Finale, each team spends two years training to perfect their skills. This makes the Bocuse d’Or much more than just a competition, it is a genuine human experience that combines self-improvement and team spirit.
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Chef Unveils Colicchio Collection Premium Sauces
The Colicchio Collection, featuring a line of ultra-premium cooking and pairing sauces crafted by chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio in partnership with The Jersey Tomato Co. and KEEN Growth Capital, has debuted for purchase online.
Colicchio looked to Italy’s most beloved culinary regions for inspiration in crafting the six sauces, all made with 100 percent vine-ripened New Jersey tomatoes, which are prized for their sumptuous flavor and delicate balance of sweetness and acidity. Each sauce in the Colicchio Collection is made with ingredients unique to its region of Italy and is intended to complement a range of dishes, including six recipes developed by Colicchio to highlight the sauces’ distinct flavor profiles, from clams with pancetta and mustard greens to eggplant shakshuka.
“I wanted to capture the exciting variety of cuisines throughout Italy in a collection that home cooks could use to elevate and enhance their everyday cooking,” Colicchio said. “The inherent brightness and balance of these sauces allows the regional ingredients to shine through, taking stews, braised and grilled meats, seafood, even pizza to another level of flavor and vibrancy.”
Colicchio first joined The Jersey Tomato Co. in 2020 as an equity partner, brand ambassador and culinary consultant driving innovation. The Colicchio Collection marks the New Jersey native’s first original offering in partnership with the brand.
“It’s been a joy to collaborate with chef Colicchio on The Jersey Tomato Co., and we’re thrilled to introduce consumers to his first original, ultrai-premium line,” says Mike Hagan, CEO of KEEN Growth Capital’s Emerging Brands Portfolio. “It’s an exciting chapter of what we hope becomes a cornerstone of the home kitchen.”
As with all The Jersey Tomato Co. sauces, the Colicchio Collection is lower in sodium, gluten-free, non-GMO and Kosher, and has no added sugars or artificial preservatives. The six sauce flavors include:
- Liguria: lemon, white wine, provençal herbs
- Trentino: wild mushroom, parmesan, rosemary
- Sicilia: orange, black olive, white wine
- Piemonte: barolo wine, sage
- Abruzzo: saffron, fennel pollen
- Calabria: eggplant, zucchini, and chilis
The Colicchio Collection is available as a Club Colicchio subscription with exclusive member benefits and as a one-time purchase of $45 for a set of three 16-ounce jars.
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