Summer Fancy Food Show: Day 3
The third day of the SFA Summer Fancy Food Show saw less foot traffic than Day 2, but many exhibitors were excited about the contacts they made the previous day. Somehow, I thought it was going to be a slower-paced day for me, but I still didn’t get to visit some booths I’d wanted to see.
Nancy Wekselbaum, aka The Gracious Gourmet, and I keep crossing paths! I interviewed her by phone last year for an article on Hatch chiles. Then at the Winter Fancy Food show, which she was attending but not exhibiting, she happened to sit at the table I was at between booth visits.
This time, I was invited to a scrumptious five-course seafood dinner and olive oil tasting sponsored by Onsuri and who should be seated next to me but Nancy! The next day, I stopped by her booth and finally got to taste a variety of her products. I love pesto, so there was no arm-twisting to get me to try her Roasted Tomato Pesto and Lemon Artichoke Pesto – I could eat a whole jar of those. The Strawberry Black Pepper Jam was outrageously good. She’s got a new Hatch product that’s delicious, too, White Balsamic Hatch Chile Jelly.
I was impressed with Yoele’s new chips, made with the ancient West African grain fonio. The gluten-free chips have the texture of tortilla chips, but not as crumbly. When I got home, I made nachos with them – yum! Fonio is a tiny grain and grown using regenerative farming. Yoele is planning to have more fonio products on the market.
Sweet Logic showed off its Mug Muffins and cake and brownie mixes. They’re keto friendly and just right for those of us who just need a quick, sweet snack. I’m told the Ultimate Carrot Mug Cake mix tastes just like carrot cake. I brought a packet home to test that theory (haven’t made it yet).
I met John Arnold and his family, who create small batch craft nut butter in Vermont as Mixed Up Nut Butter. I can’t say enough good things about the Mud Season nut butter, crunchy cacao nib and coffee with late-season maple sugar and vanilla bean. I also liked Maple Creemee with Vermont maple, cashew, pecan and vanilla bean. I learned that creemee is a rich, soft-serve ice cream, famous throughout Vermont. They had a large poster pairing nut butters with wines – these are my kind of people.
While we’re talking sweets, I got to chat with Eileen Gannon, founder and CEO of Sunday Night Foods. All of the premium dessert sauces were delicious and Eileen says they’re much more versatile than adorning ice cream. If you add powdered sugar, they can make frosting and with vodka and cream, chocolate martinis.
David Little promised me a chocolate food fight at this booth for Immunity Goodness, which didn’t happen, though he gave me handfuls of infused chocolates to take home with me. (I should have taken more Immunity Chocolates – Belgian Milk Salted Caramel Apple Chocolate bites with Vitamin C, zinc, elderberry extract and tetrahydrocurcumin from turmeric – with me because apparently, I brought a cold home.)
We’ll have a roundup of the Summer Fancy Food Show in the August issue of Gourmet News. Subscribe now so you don’t miss anything!
Simone Biles Scores Wheaties Box Finale
In honor of its 100th anniversary, Wheaties is featuring decorated gymnast Simone Biles, widely regarded as one the greatest athletes of all time, as the finale box of its Century Series and year-long commemorative celebration.
Biles’s accomplishments include a record-breaking seven National All-Around titles, three consecutive and five overall World All-Around Titles, seven Olympic medals and pioneering four gymnastic skills named in her honor. But Biles is more than a gymnast, as she uses her platform to advocate for mental health reform and vigorously campaigns in support of efforts to provide education and assistance to children in the adoption and foster care systems.
The Wheaties year-long 100th anniversary celebration culminates with Biles’s historic first appearance on the iconic orange Wheaties box, now at retailers across the country. Like previous Century Series box athletes Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan before her, Biles will also appear on Gold Foil Box later this summer. These special collector’s boxes, available only at www.Shop.Wheaties.com, have previously sold out in as little as 30 minutes.
“Simone is so much more than an awe-inspiring gymnast – she’s an advocate, a teammate, a role model and the embodiment of both the future of sports and a Wheaties Champion,” said Kathy Dixon, senior brand experience manager for Wheaties. “We are so incredibly excited to be able to debut her very first Wheaties box as part of our 100th anniversary celebration and honor her alongside other legends like Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan.”
The partnership with Biles will also extend beyond the 100th anniversary boxes. Fans can find the latest updates on Instagram, or visit www.Shop.Wheaties.com, for the release date of the upcoming Gold Foil Box, as well as news about future Biles and Wheaties activities later this summer.
“I’m thrilled to appear on my first Wheaties box and so honored to be a part of the iconic brand’s 100th anniversary,” said Biles. “I appreciate this special recognition as I want to help continue to advance what it means to be a champion, and advocate for the things I believe in both on and off the mat.”
About the Century Box Series
Earlier this year, Wheaties announced the Century Box Series celebrating 100 years of the iconic brand, recognizing some of the most legendary athletes of our time. The series kicked off with none other than “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali, commemorating the late boxer’s achievements in and out of the ring, followed by Michael Jordan’s unparalleled 19th appearance on a Wheaties box.
To celebrate the centennial, Wheaties is paying homage to the athletes that continue to inspire future generations. For this momentous celebration, Wheaties is honoring trailblazing sports icons and their stories of accomplishments on and off the court. The athletes featured in the commemorative series are those who transcend sports and decades as the brand looks to its next 100 years.
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SFA Honors Gourmet News as Lifelong Member
2022 marks the first in-person Summer Fancy Food Show since the pandemic as well as the association’s 70th anniversary. SFA honored four lifelong members, including Gourmet News, in its award ceremony June 12.
“Founded in 1952, the SFA (formerly known as the National Association for Specialty Food Trade, represents members involved in the specialty food trade, according to the association.
Gourmet News Publisher Kimberly Oser accepted the honor after the first day of the Summer Fancy Food Show.
Other lifelong members honored were Chipurnoi Inc., Liberty Richter and Roland Foods, LLC.
The 100 sofi Award winners were announced in May, though the top two honors, Product of the Year and New Product of the Year were announced last night.
Sterling Caviar‘s Royal Grade White Sturgeon Caviar was named Product of the Year and Tait Farm Foods‘ The Original Shrub – Lime Mint was declared New Product of the Year.
Leadership Awards were given to Kathrine Gregory of The Entrepreneur Incubator Space LLC won the Business Leadership Award, Joe Hanni of PS Seasoning won the Citizenship Award and Tom Simmons of the Supplant Company won the Vision Award.
Since the Summer show wasn’t held last year, 2021 Hall of Fame inductees were honored: Becky Renfro Borbolla of Renfro Foods, Inc.; Sandra Jackson Ford of Ford’s Foods, Inc.; Lorenza Pasetti of Volpi Foods; Donato Cinelli of Universal Marketing SRI; Lou Foah of Foah International LLC, and Greg Hinson of O Olive Oil & Vinegar.
2022 Hall of Fame inductees honored were Marygrace Sexton of Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company; Pierluigi Sini of Forever Cheese; Ted Dennard of Savannah Be Company, Inc.; Caryl Levine and Ken Lee of Lotus Foods; and Dariuish Soofer and Jamshid Soofer of Sadaf Foods.
Lifetime Award winners for 2021 honored were Trish Pohanka of WaterBox LLC and Sotiris Kitrilakis of Big Picture Foods.
Lifetime Award winners for 2022 honored were G. Michael Grazier of Busseto Foods and Rex Howell-Smith of Central Market – Texas.
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