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/55305
CANDY COUNTER Candy Forecast 2012 Move over, bacon and sea salt. Candy manufacturers and retailers are focused on emerging flavors, remaking classics and reconsidering portion size. BY JULIE BESONEN Liddabit Sweets' "The Snacker" T o help you stock your shelves over the next 12 months, we've asked boutique retailers, artisan manufacturers, trendspotters, industry analysts and other experts in the know to share their thoughts on emerging flavors, manu- facturing shifts and retailing successes in the new year. MAJOR TRENDS IN 2012 Keeping up on new products, hot ingredients and customer tastes will help you make informed choices. Here are key areas to watch: The new natural. "The biggest trend in candy is heading toward more natural, less manufactured confections," says Kara Nielsen, a trendologist at the Center for Culinary Development in San Francisco. "It's more artisan in look and feel." PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK FERRI; FOOD STYLED BY AJ BATTIFARANO; PROPS STYLED BY FRAN MATALON-DEGNI 48 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com Emir Kiamilev of Amella Caramels, El Segundo, Calif., would certainly agree with Nielsen. He and his wife, Elena, started Amella in 2009, hand-crafting their caramels with pure cocoa butter, real fruit and nuts, all dipped in fine chocolate. "People are looking for an all-natural product and a unique experience," he says, noting that Amella's sales have doubled every year. "Many of my customers are looking for locally made, artisan candy," echoes Diane Campbell, co-owner of The Candy Store, a