February 2011 Issue

January is a busy show month for the Gourmet Business team. First up was the AmericasMart Atlanta, where attendees braved the worst winter weather in years, and showed up in force to get the first glimpse of the new and exciting products for the coming year. If this enthusiastic group of buyers was any indication, it’s going to be a great year.

Next, it was on to the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, where we found many exciting products to share with you. The show was well attended by many specialty food retailers who were elbow to elbow in the packed hall – our kudos to the NASFT for another great show. One of the themes we found pervasive in the myriad of specialty food offerings was the concept of taking comfort foods to a higher level of taste. Specialty food suppliers seemed to be sticking to traditional recipes made with the finest ingredients to achieve great-tasting products. Many of the foods even featured ingredients gathered from local farms to add to the freshness, and emulate the principles of the farm-to-table movement.

We are excited to welcome the newest member of our editorial team, James Mellgren. James is a cookbook author and food connoisseur who brings a wealth of knowledge to our editorial staff. He is also a recognized expert on olive oil and cheeses from around the world. We are sure you will enjoy the video editorial featuring James later in this issue, where he presents several exceptional products that he selected while making the rounds at the Fancy Food Show.

We are excited about our upcoming trip to Germany for Ambiente. We will report back to you in the next issue about the many product introductions from the European manufacturers. We also plan to visit numerous factories for upcoming special supplier features. And while we are on the subject of exceptional European products, don’t miss the special offer from Mastrad in our new feature called “Deal of the Month.”