Gourmet News

Simone Biles Scores Wheaties Box Finale

Published June 16, 2022

In honor of its 100^th 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 100^th 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 100^th anniversary celebration and honor her alongside other legends like Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan.”

The partnership with Biles will also extend beyond the 100^th 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 100^th 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 19^th 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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2022 Summer Fancy Food Show, Day 2

Published June 14, 2022

Foot traffic ramped up for the second day of the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show. Though the entire show was contained to two floors, more than 1,800 companies came to exhibit products at the Javits Center in New York City. Another thing that people noticed:

“The energy,” said Jack Acree, EVP of Saffron Road, which wasn’t exhibiting.

Here are some notes from the second day:

I chatted with Richie Schiff of Acme Smoked Fish and tried the new sofi award-winning Togarashi salmon (so tender with a perfect blend of pepper and citrus that doesn’t overwhelm the smoked salmon). Richie has been with the four-generation family company (his childhood buddy brought him into the fold) based in Brooklyn and is VP of sales.

Personal first! I had my first egg cream soda, freshly made with Fox’s syrup by Brooklyn Seltzer Boys, and loved it! So unexpectedly refreshing. Fun fact: no eggs were harmed in the making of the soda. Somewhere, my Brooklyn-born mom is smiling down on me. Also at the L&S Packing Company booth, I got to taste two new sauces from our friends at Paesana.

The reputation that St. Elmo Steak House in Indianapolis has for its meats is well deserved, but let’s hear it for the shrimp cocktail, which is the only appetizer, served with a sauce sinus-clearing amount of horseradish. St. Elmo offered samples of plump shrimp with the cocktail sauce and we agreed that the horseradish was the star of the sauce.

One of my fave tastes for the day was at Don’s Prepared Foods, the Street Corn Dip with sweet corn. They also served Korean BBQ-Style CHICK’N (plant based) Bowl and Vanilla, Walnut and Raisin Cream Cheese, but I went back for more of the Street Corn Dip. If there were a bowl of that in front of me while watching a football game, I’d have no problem scarfing down the whole bowl!

I had the opportunity to meet Randa Filfili, CEO of Zena Exoticfruits from Senegal. Filili is working with Denisse Caracappa of Caracappa Culinary Consulting to bring Zena products with Senegal-grown fruits to the U.S. market. Products from this family-owned business range from pepper sauce to raw honey to peanut butter to natural syrups and jams. Zena is dedicated to not only making top-quality food products, but make the lives of farmers and women in Senegal better.

You’ll be hearing more about these companies and more who were at the Summer Fancy Food Show in the pages of Gourmet News. Subscribe now so you don’t miss anything!

SFA Honors Gourmet News as Lifelong Member

Published June 13, 2022

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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