Specialty Food Magazine

MAY-JUN 2013

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.

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Delicae Gourmet batch sodas and carbonated juices made with fresh ingredients, sold in kegs to area bars and restaurants. Mak says her business' participation in Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea has brought in new wholesale and catering clients, including James Beard Award–winning restaurant Blue Hill. "I kind of consider Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea a way for us to not have to heavily advertise," Mak says. "We rely on word of mouth and our continued regular presence at the markets." Offering cold beverages in such seasonal creations as rhubarb ginger in spring, cucumber, lime and sea salt at the height of summer and apple ginger come autumn, the soda maker goes through as many as eight to 10 kegs on its busiest weekends. As prices can be on the high end overall, the convivial atmosphere and face-to-face interactions can help move products that might otherwise be a tough sell. Kings County Jerky Co. sells 2-ounce bags of handcrafted beef jerky for $10 a pop each weekend at the Williamsburg and Dumbo locations. "It's been a great opportunity for us to present ourselves to people where they can try the product, which is important for a more high-priced artisanal food," says founder Chris Woehrle. Kari Morris, co-founder of Morris Kitchen, echoes the added benefit of marketing. She started the business with her chef brother, Tyler, in 2009, producing a line of simple syrups, and later adding drink mixers. Getting their start at Brooklyn Flea, they signed on for Smorgasburg's Williamsburg debut. "As a small business and a startup, you don't have a budget for [marketing]," she explains. Having one setting to sell product, meet customers and get press earns a return on investment even the smallest businesses can get behind. Face time. Purveyors have found value in constant customer interaction—from learning how to pitch their wares effectively to testing new recipes. Feedback at Smorgasburg helped drive Morris Kitchen's growth—and its founders' confidence. "It was an opportunity to see firsthand what people thought of the product, see how they reacted to it, what they liked and what they didn't like," Morris says. "And it was a way for us to learn how to talk about our products." The duo learned to sell customers on recipes and creative uses, and found an opportunity to test new products in small batches. Realizing attendees' desire for instant gratification, they began serving up cold beverages featuring the products, such as preserved lemon syrup and ginger syrup, at $4 a cup. It's become such a success, Morris reveals, that the business began a new line of drink mixers, in flavors like ginger-chile lime and ginger-grapefruit hibiscus, expected to come to market this fall. Until this year, Smorgasburg customers could buy Brooklyn Soda Works' cold beverages by the glass or in a growler. This season the business is working out a new option: a 1-liter bottle at about SLOW COOKER DINNERS & SOUPS 29 All Natural Varieties Delicious Year-Round Meals Budget-Friendly Serves 8 - 11 No Added Salt Healthy & Flavorful 5 Minute Prep Time 21 Gluten-Free Flavors 800-942-2502 sales@delicaegourmet.com www.DelicaeGourmet.com Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 4447 TORTUGA ® A Taste of the Caribbean CONTACT US FOR COMPLIMENTARY SAMPLES: TORTUGA Rum Cake Company Call Toll Free 877-486-7884 or 305-378-6668 sales@tortugaimports.com • www.tortugarumcakes.com Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 747 MAY/JUNE 2013 53

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