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
tasty new treats hopping your way PROFILE The market experienced about 20 percent attrition in vendors since opening. "You find this in a lot of projects," Carlin notes. "Sometimes things don't work out; other times the vendors change their minds even if they're doing well. In a way, it's part of the beauty of working with local companies rather than national chains." Currently, Oxbow Market is full to capacity, with Oxbow Produce and Grocery among its most recent entries. Carlin strives to maintain one primary vendor in a category. "For example, we have Ritual Coffee, so maybe we wouldn't also have Blue Bottle. But we have a bakery that sells coffee," he explains. "There are very few exclusives; it's more about the mix." Here is a look at some of the vendors in Oxbow Public Market: handmade in the usa 5735 n. washington st. denver, colorado 80216 1.888.candy.99 hammondscandies.com atlanta international gift show, january & july nasft—fancy food show, summer & winter new york international gift fair natural products expo west sweets & snacks expo, chicago Oxbow Wine and Cheese Merchant One of the original vendors in Oxbow Market, Wine and Cheese Merchant is a sister store to the popular Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in San Francisco's Ferry Building. Following their initial success the owners "came here to do the same thing," notes store manager Ricardo Huijon. The wine selection is similar to the original shop, but the Napa location offers a cheese counter as well. About 15 percent of the shop's wine selection is unique to the location, says Huijon. Given its wine-country proximity, local wines are displayed prominently on the wall among varieties from Spain, Italy and France as well as other New World wine producers. The store carries a Fantastic Wines Under $20 display, featuring local varieties and internationals, such as The Fearless Rider from Argentina. The cheese selection is a mix of domestic and international and ranges from $14 to $36 per pound. Some uncommon varieties include Carmody from Sonoma ($21/ pound) and Pecorino Ginepro ($36) as well as Spanish Manchego ($23) and Pastorale from Wisconsin ($26). Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 3412 62 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com Napa Valley tourists compose the majority of Wine and Cheese Merchant's customer base—75 percent, estimates Huijon, many of whom pack cheese and accoutrements to go as they explore the region. "Tourists will consume wine here and take cheese with them for a picnic," Huijon says. "Wine sells more with the locals." Holiday sales keep things moving in the off-season, he adds. "Oxbow Market's slowly become more popular, particularly in the past 14 to 15 months," notes Huijon, who spent 10 years as a buyer at Dean & Deluca before working for Wine and Cheese Merchant. "It is now one of the places recommended by area hotels, restaurants and wineries. It's crowded all day long. People start showing up around 7:30 a.m. for coffee. They can get breakfast, lunch or dinner here." Local specialty retail competition in Napa is minimal, Huijon says, which bodes well for the shop year-round. "Dining options are making downtown [Napa] more of a destination," he says. "People used to drive through and head up north to Oakville Grocery or Dean & Deluca." Whole Spice Company Opened five years ago as one of the original occupants of Oxbow Market, Whole Spice Company boasts 300 kinds of spices, sea salts, flavored sugars, rubs and curries, sourced from all over the world by owners Ronit and Shuli Madmone, who also run a wholesale business in Petaluma, Calif. The vibrant hues of some of the more unusual spices and blends—such as bright orange kashmiri chile powder, red beet powder and yellow Hawaiian lemon sea salt—pop on the wooden shelf displays and draw passersby into the vendor's stall. Whole Spice's selection ranges from basics, such as cinnamon and cardamom, to exotic offerings, such as chamoula spice, pica pica bean blends and Ethiopian berbere spice. Shoppers can even find a housemade bloody mary mix and hawaj, a Yemenite blend of ginger, cinnamon, clove and carda-