Judges Announced for Inaugural F&B@Sea Awards
Taking place on the 11 April during F&B@Sea, a one-of-a-kind cruise F&B experience, the inaugural F&B@Sea Awards aim to recognise leadership and innovation within the global food and beverage cruise community. Open to both cruise lines and suppliers and sponsored by Campari Group, the awards are comprised of eight different categories, ranging from Most Sustainable Product & Wellness Pioneer to F&B Maverick of the Year.
This year’s judges include:
- Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC, CCA, AAC, American Culinary Federation, Board of Directors member and immediate past National President
- Margie Jones, Collins College of Hospitality Management, Interim Dean, “The Wine Professor”
- Rudi Scholdis, Kenoz Caviar Development Center, Casa de Amalia & Amandine Bistró, Culinary Director, Maitre Cuisinier
- Bret Thorn, Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, Senior Food & Beverage Editor
- Rick Welch, RMW Global Consulting, President
- Katherine Wojcik, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Luxury & Lifestyle, Director of Beverage Programs + Partnerships, Certified Sommelier
- David Yeskel, Several trade and consumer publications, Travel Journalist, “The Cruise Guru”
Ken Taylor, Senior Vice President, MarkeTeam and Holly Payne, Deputy Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Seatrade Cruise Review will be presenting the awards on 11 April 2024. More information on the judges can be found here.
This year’s awards are sponsored by Campari Group, a major player in the beverage industry with a portfolio of 50+ premium and super premium brands, including Aperol, Appleton Estate, Campari, SKYY, Wild Turkey, and Grand Marnier.
A spokesperson for the company said: “We are thrilled and honored to be a sponsor of the F&B@Sea 2024 awards. At Campari, we believe in celebrating excellence, innovation, and the passion that drives the food and beverage industry. ‘The F&B@Sea awards are a testament to the relentless pursuit of perfection within the industry, and Campari is proud to support and acknowledge these exceptional talents.”
The annual F&B@Sea event takes place April 10-11 at Miami’s Mana Wynwood Convention Center. This two-day event connects cruise lines with suppliers across cruise drinking and dining in a vibrant, immersive marketplace. Plus, attendees will sample goods, witness live demos, and become fluent in F&B trends. F&B@Sea runs in tandem with Seatrade Cruise Global from April 8-11 at Miami Beach Convention Center, with a shuttle bus running between the two venues.
F&B@Sea, now in its second year, was developed in close consultation with cruise lines, food and beverage stakeholders, and culinary leaders with support from Cruise Lines International Association, Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association and industry consulting leader MarkeTeam.
For more information on F&B@Sea or the awards, visit: www.seatradecruiseevents.com/fnbsea.
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Ghirardelli Sends a Valentine: Brownie Cookie Bar Mix
Elevating dessert with premium chocolate is a Ghirardelli specialty so it’s only natural the chocolatier would bring together two of America’s most beloved chocolatey desserts – cookie and brownie – for a decadent new Brownie Cookie Bar Mix. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the new mix celebrates the perfect pairing of brownie and cookie and brings the craftsmanship, rich-taste and indulgence of Ghirardelli into the kitchens of home bakers.
The mix combines rich, fudgy brownies with chocolate chip cookies loaded with premium Ghirardelli chocolate chips made from high-quality cocoa beans for a decadent chocolate taste in every bite. Convenient and simple to make anytime, just add butter, water, oil and an egg to the mix, place into an 8×8 pan and bake as directed.
“Why choose one when you can have both? Home bakers have been hacking “brookie” recipes for some time, so we knew with our fan favorite brownie and chocolate chip cookie mixes, we were the right brand to play matchmaker and officially bring the two together,” says Megan Wright, Marketing Director of Ghirardelli. “Combining two favorites in one mix, the rich chocolate brownie layer topped with chocolate chip cookie creates a delicious dessert and delectable treat for any occasion.”
Ghirardelli Brownie Cookie Bar Mix (SRP: $3.99) is now available nationwide at Walmart with additional distribution at Kroger beginning in February. The mix is available in 16.5oz packages containing one brownie pouch and one cookie pouch, yielding an 8×8 pan of brownie cookie bars.
For more information about Ghirardelli products, visit www.ghirardelli.com.
Ghirardelli strives to create the finest chocolate products from bean to bar that delight and satisfy its consumers. Founded in 1852 and now a part of the Lindt & Sprüngli group, the global leader in premium chocolate, Ghirardelli is passionate about producing consistently excellent chocolate products with high quality ingredients. Ghirardelli takes pride in the manufacturing process, from cocoa bean sourcing and production to finished product. Ghirardelli’s proprietary bean blend and unique methods of roasting and processing contribute to the quality, craftsmanship, and flavor of their chocolate products. Ghirardelli Makes Life A Bite Better! For more information, visit https://www.ghirardelli.com/about-ghirardelli.
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Better Foods Attracts Investment From Cleveland Avenue
Better Foods and Shinsegae Food CEO Song Hyun-suk (left) and Cleveland Avenue Founder & CEO Don Thompson pose after signing the investment agreement at the head office of Shinsegae Food in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. (Photo: Shinsegae Food)
Better Foods, Shinsegae Food’s subsidiary specializing in plant-based products, announced investment attraction from Cleveland Avenue, a U.S. venture capital.
Shinsegae Food established Better Foods, in the United States in 2022 to strengthen the global competitiveness of plant-based products, which the company is fostering as a future growth engine, and to target the U.S. market. Since its establishment, Better Foods has set up a local operating organization for business expansion and discovered partners to increase production and online and offline sales.
Based in Chicago, Cleveland Avenue is a global venture capital established in 2015 by Don Thompson, the former president & CEO of McDonald’s. Cleveland Avenue is investing in lifestyle consumer brands and technologies that lead to growing markets in positive ways. The key investment targets are Bear Robotics, a self-driving serving robot company, and Bemyfriends, a global fandom business company, as well as Beyond Meat, a meat substitute startup in the U.S.
Cleveland Avenue decided on the investment after it highly evaluated Better Foods for its R&D capacity for plant-based products, such as not only meat substitutes, but also milk and cheese substitutes, using the company’s independent technologies, and future growth potential. In particular, Cleveland Avenue positively evaluated the steady business growth achieved by Shinsegae Food, the parent company of Better Foods, through the application of meat substitutes in various fields including food manufacturing, bakery, meal service and restaurant business.
In addition to monetary investment, Cleveland Avenue also agreed to actively cooperate with Better Foods for its global market entry as a strategic investor. Based on the cooperation, Better Foods will develop plant-based products including milk and cheese substitutes for which it is conducting R&D, perform consumer marketing activities, and expand their business in the U.S. market.
“This investment holds great significance as it indicates that Better Foods has won recognition for its growth potential in the U.S., the largest market for plant-based products,” said a Shinsegae Food official. “We will develop Better Foods as a company specializing in plant-based products that leads the global market through R&D on a variety of plant-based products including meat substitutes.”
Better Foods is a global alternative food company established in the United States by Shinsegae Group, Korea’s leading distribution group, in 2022. Under the vision of “We Dream Big to Make a Better World with Better Foods,” various activities are being carried out to develop and promote various alternative foods and to continue innovation for a better future.
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