Gourmet News

Fancy Feast Creates Gatto Bianco Italian Trattoria for Cat Lovers

Published July 30, 2022

Fancy Feast is opening Gatto Bianco by Fancy Feast, a limited-time, Italian-style trattoria and culinary experience in New York City, to celebrate its new globally inspired Medleys recipes.

Gatto Bianco will bring the mealtime experience of cats to life for cat owners and cat lovers and includes a special appearance by the iconic Fancy Feast cat herself, according to the company. The dishes (for humans!) take inspiration from Fancy Feast Medleys recipes and pay homage to traditional Italian cuisine, with a menu developed by Fancy Feast’s in-house chef, Amanda Hassner, along with Michelin Star winning Italian chef and acclaimed New York restaurateur Cesare Casella.

Chef Amanda Hassner

Located between the Far West Village and the Meatpacking District in New York City, Gatto Bianco will be open for dinner on Thursday, Aug. 11 and Friday, Aug. 12 only, with four reservations per evening at 6:30 p.m. ET. Each reservation will accommodate two guests (ages 21+).

Chef Cesare Casella

The 16 lucky cat lovers will enjoy a complimentary tasting menu that will transport them to Italy for the evening, as Chef Casella shares his Italian heritage and passion for cooking with a menu of authentic, Tuscan dishes, while Chef Hassner shares her culinary expertise to mirror the sensory experience of cats at mealtime.

“Food has the power to connect us to others in meaningful ways and take us to places we have never been,” said Hassner. “The same is true for our cats. The dishes at Gatto Bianco are prepared in ways that help cat owners understand how their cats experience food – from flavor, to texture, to form – in a way that only Fancy Feast can.”

The chefs will provide guests an inside look at the detail and expertise that goes into crafting each Fancy Feast recipe through a variety of delectable dishes and culinary exercises. The Gatto Bianco experience builds on the success of the Fancy Feast cookbook, launched in 2021, and is the newest way that Fancy Feast is showing cat owners the delight it brings to cats at every meal.

Reservations for Gatto Bianco will open for booking on Thursday, Aug. 4 at noon ET through OpenTable. Cat enthusiasts can go online to try to secure their spot and for more information. Reservations are limited and based on availability.

And for those who can’t come to Gatto Bianco, Fancy Feast is sharing recipes inspired by the Gatto Bianco menu so that cat lovers across the country can have an exceptional dining experience right in their own homes. Click here to download the recipes.

Fancy Feast Medleys are available at select retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $1.13.

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Opopop, 10 Barrel Brewing Collaborate on Summer Snack Bundle

Published July 30, 2022

Denver-based Opopop, creator of Flavor Wrapped Popcorn Kernels, and Bend, Ore.-based 10 Barrel Brewing have produced Poppin’ on Cloud Wine, an exclusive brand collaboration that offers customers a delicious and thirst-quenching limited edition summer snack bundle.

The Pop & Bubbles Bundle will be sold exclusively at 10Barrel.com and can only ship to Oregon, Washington, California and Idaho (21+ signature required). The summer snack bundle includes one 320g bag of Opopop’s limited edition Pickle Monster, an eco-friendly Opopop silicone popcorn popper, and two cans of 10 Barrel’s new Sparkling Rosé. MSRP $35.

“The moment we paired 10 Barrel’s newly released Sparkling Rose with Opopop’s Pickle Monster, we knew we had created something special for our customers. These two flavors go so well together. Like any good Summer hit, they just taste like Summer 2022,” said Sarah McDowell, Opopop president.

Opopop’s Pickle Monster delivers a bold taste and is the perfect blend of tartness, salt and dill. This pairs perfectly with 10 Barrel’s Sparkling Rosé (13.5% ABV) which includes a blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah and merlot grapes with a nice dry finish.

“Our new sparkling wines helped us kick off everyone’s favorite season, and then we took it one step further by adding a light and zesty popcorn to pair,” said Emily Koziel, merchandising & sourcing manager at 10 Barrel Brewing. “We couldn’t be more excited than to team up with Opopop, to help us elevate our summer slogan, Seriously Casual.”

For more information, follow @opopopco @10barrelbrewing on all social platforms.

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Culinary Tourism Market Primed to Grow by $31.42B by 2025

Published July 30, 2022

The culinary tourism market is expected to grow by $31.42 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 6.53 percent through 2025, according to a report from Technavio. The rising preference for culinary tourism is notably driving market growth.

The market is segmented by type (domestic and international) and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, South America and MEA).

Europe will account for 31 percent of market growth. The major markets in Europe are Germany, France and the United Kingdom. This region’s market will grow more slowly than the markets in any other region.

Over the forecast period, the expansion of the market in Europe would be aided by the rising number of culinary tourists visiting the continent and the accessibility of luxury cruise experiences.

The domestic segment will significantly increase its market share. In 2020, the domestic industry will control the global market. Due to consumer familiarity with domestic culinary tourism policies and regulations and the lower financial tax imposed compared to overseas culinary tourism, it will maintain its dominance during the projection period.

Government laws that are simple and there aren’t any problems with currency exchange drive the domestic market for culinary tourism. During the anticipated period, the market sector is anticipated to increase significantly.

The five major culinary tourism companies, according to Technavio, are:

Abercrombie & Kent USA LLC, which offers small-group journeys, luxury tailor made travel, luxury expedition cruises and private jet journeys.
Butterfield & Robinson Inc., which offers private travel, scheduled trips, biking, walking, hiking and others.
Classic Journeys, which offers domestic and international walking tours, culinary trips, multisport vacations, solo and family
Gourmet On Tour Ltd., which offers food and wine lovers hands-on cooking courses, private wine tours and culinary adventures.
Greaves Travel Ltd., which offers luxury India holidays and bespoke travel in Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

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