Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/102355
PHOTO: WHALE WEB PHOTOS PHOTO: JIM HENKENS BRAND SPOTLIGHT Pickled figs with cheese Renee Erikson Boat Street Pickles In just four years, these artisanal pickled-fruit products have gone from a restaurant recipe to selling at Zingerman's and Murray's Cheese to becoming a sofi Silver Finalist in 2012. It's been anything but an overnight success, though. Here's how a snack served at a Seattle restaurant became an award-winning national product line. BY DEBORAH MOSS I n 1999, when Renee Erickson first tasted pickled preserves while traveling in France in her mid-20s, it was a revelation. "It wasn't a traditional American pickle. It was a conserve that was served with pâté in a jar in the south of France—something I'd never had. More savory than sweet," explains the chef, restaurateur and owner of Boat Street Pickles in Seattle. "There was a pickled plum that I loved." That discovery inspired the pickled condiments that became a regular accompaniment to the dishes Erickson made at Boat Street Cafe, the restaurant where she worked her way through college and which she purchased in 1998. "The drive was to make condiments to accent savory things: charcuterie, roast meats," she says. "I loved the ways tart, sour things went with rich dishes. The flavors complemented savory foods and made them bright." Over the past 16 years, Erickson has pickled countless ingredients, from walnuts to beef tongue, to pair with her creations at Boat Street Cafe. In 2008, what started as an experiment in her 100-square-foot restaurant kitchen turned into a new business when she jarred her delicious compotes and founded Boat Street Pickles. Here, Erickson shares how the business got off the ground to become a specialty success story. 112 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com