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➌ WOW BAKING COMPANY Lemon Burst Cookies Wheat & Gluten Free
CYNICS ARE QUICK TO JUDGE THE RECENT POPULARITY of gluten-free products as merely a trend, but Joy Page, owner of WOW Baking Company, wants to set the record straight: "Gluten-free is here to stay." As the winner of this year's Diet and Lifestyle Product Award for Lemon Burst Cookies, Page has reason to speak with conviction. When Page founded the Kent, Wash., company in 2005, she didn't realize the market potential for gluten-free products—but soon discovered their extensive appeal. "Back then, gluten-free cookies tended to be dry and hard with a funny aftertaste and limited flavors," she says. From the start, consumers expressed their gratitude to WOW for raising the bar, claiming it was hard to keep family members from eating all their cookies.
Wheat- and gluten-free Lemon Burst Cookies launched in January 2012, crafted using all-natural ingredients without any refined sugars or hydrogenated oils. "People who follow gluten-free diets are often given the limited choice of chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal raisin," remarks Page. "We try to keep things interesting." WOW Baking Company offers a range of specialty flavors, as well as seasonal offerings such as Pumpkin Spice in the fall and White Chocolate Cranberry in the winter. The bite-size cookies, packaged in a resealable pouch, are also available in larger, individually wrapped form. As WOW's distribution expands, Page expects gluten-free options to flourish. "And as more products become available, better products become available," she asserts. Suggested retail price: $4.99/8 ounces. Contact: Jenn Nelson, WOW Baking Company; 425.894.3699; jenn@wowbaking.com; wowbaking.com.—A.M.
➊ BELLOCQ
No. 12 Le Hammeau Contact: Ravi Kroesen r@bellocq.com 800.495.5416 bellocq.com
➋ KITCHEN TABLE BAKERS Flax Seed
Parmesan Crisps Contact: Barry Novick bnovick@kitchentable bakers.com 516.931.5113
kitchentablebakers.com S18 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com
➌ LOTUS FOODS Organic Brown Mekong RiceTM Contact: Caryl Levine info@lotusfoods.com 510.525.3137, ext. 118 lotusfoods.com
➍ TATE'S BAKE SHOP Tate's Bake Shop Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie
Contact: Kathleen King; Jill Jenkins
kathleen@tatesbakeshop.com; jill@tatesbakeshop.com 637.780.6511 tatesbakeshop.com
FINALISTS ➍
DIET AND LIFESTYLE PRODUCT