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/480793
category spotlight any crystallization or deterioration, retain- ing their moisture, f lavor, and nutritional integrity. Delivering gourmet offerings such as beef short ribs and osso buco, the process is hailed for enhancing f lavors in the sim- plest recipes. "Freezing food stops the growth of bacteria, preserves nutrients, slows enzymes [which cause fruits and vegetables to ripen], and allows for a more stable shelf life," says Jean-Rodolphe Vilgrain, marketing man- ager at Cuisine Solutions. Further, he notes, frozen foods help home cooks manage food waste, giving them the f lexibility to use only what's needed. The company, which also supplies foodservice operations, plans to expand its consumer reach and launch a website dedicated specifically to its packaged frozen line. "Sous vide was once only available in the best restaurants around the world," Vilgrain says. "We're helping to make it available for everyone to enjoy." Global Inspiration Diversity of flavors and entrees inspired by ethnic cuisines are invading the frozen case, playing to a variety of tastes as well as attracting a younger, more exploratory, and health-conscious crowd. "In the past few years I've seen more ethnic options," says Rappaport, who recently picked up several SKUs of Buen Sabor, a new brand by the company Good INNOVATIVE NEWCOMERS Buen Sabor As one of six children who grew up on an organic farm in Maine, Sara Pike recalls her mother making extra lasagnas and freezing them for future meals. "Frozen foods can be really good food for busy people," says Pike, whose mission for Buen Sabor is to encourage a return to the freezer. The company launched at the 2010 Summer Fancy Food Show as Good Tastes, a gourmet macaroni-and-cheese company, but when competition became stiff, Pike decided to refocus. It wasn't until she visited an authentic Latin market with a Colombian friend that she had her aha moment. "I did not see anything in the frozen foods section that reflected quality Latin food," Pike recalls. "It was mostly bright yellow boxes with dancing jalapeños or sub-par Tex-Mex. There was a void that needed to be filled." She went on to create the brand Buen Sabor—which, fittingly, means "good taste" in Spanish—an all-natural brand inspired by South American, Central American, and Caribbean cuisines, with a focus on authenticity and transparency. (The company website lists its suppliers and each of their sustainable business practices.) "I wanted to be completely clear about what we were going to sell," Pike says. "With declining frozen foods sales across all channels, we knew we needed to be innovative and on-trend with broader ethnic flavors in order to stand out with retailers." Branding and marketing have been essential for business. Packaging stands out, with clean lines, bold and inviting product photos, and text in both English and Spanish. Pike has built the brand with an extensive marketing campaign, from social media outreach to her empanada truck, a refurbished 1976 Volkswagen bus that is touring the company's retail partners along the East Coast, beginning in April at a Whole Foods Market in Florida. Babeth's Feast Elisabeth de Kergorlay channeled the energy of farmers markets in creating her New York City retail shop, Babeth's Feast, which is teaching consumers to learn to love frozen foods again. And, she has found, it has been a learning curve. The 1,700-square-foot shop offers exclusively frozen foods, with more than 360 products divided into 10 color-coded categories, including breakfast items and baked goods, meat and seafood, sauces and seasonings, and more. The store itself is minimal and modern, resembling a showroom more than a grocery store. "[Customers] don't immediately get that the meals are frozen and that they can stock up and buy for the week or buy components for their own meals like breads or chopped herbs," de Kergorlay says. Just over half of Babeth's offerings are flash-frozen meals developed by an in-house chef all housed in eye-catching boxes with food-focused photography. The retailer also sources products from smaller specialty producers, including Beecher's, D'Artagnan, Free Bird, Galaxy Desserts, Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co., and Nuvo Pasta. Early offerings took inspiration from France, where de Kergorlay grew up. She's expanded to an Italian-American bent, with entrees like Sukhi's Potato Samosa Indian Bites (top), Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala 44 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com