Gourmet Business Fine Foods Quarterly January 2014

In the specialty food industry, it seems as if there is barely time to take down the holiday decorations and put those few remaining Christmas items on special in your store before you’re packing for a trip to San Francisco.

The Winter Fancy Food Show is always a great way to kick off the year and get the first glimpse at what gourmet food manufacturers, importers and distributors are offering.
Aisle after aisle provides a preview of what consumers will likely find on the shelves of their favorite gourmet haunt.

I’ve logged quite a few miles on the floors at the Winter Fancy Food Show, as well as other food trade shows over the past few decades, and I still marvel at how there can be new variations on old favorites each year, as well as completely new flavor combinations and innovative product introductions.

In this issue of Fine Foods Quarterly, a food- focused offshoot of our parent publication, Gourmet Business, we take a look at many

of the new products that you’ll find at the 39th Winter Fancy Food Show, broken down by categories. We hope you’ll use the issue to guide you to some interesting new finds for your establishments.

The other focus in this installment of Fine Foods Quarterly is a look at food trend predictions for 2014. Just as Key lime, lavender and Sriracha exploded onto the scene in the past, 2014 delivers its own list of candidates for the next big thing, whether it’s a Middle Eastern spice, exotic nut butter or a replacement for kale.

As trends consultant Daniel Levine points out, we’re likely to see products that will have a short shelf life as a fad, but others will resonate and become true trends for this year and beyond. Can you tell the winners from the wannabes? I know I’m looking forward to seeing which trends come out on top.

Joanne Friedrick
Managing Editor,
Gourmet Business Fine Foods Quarterly

jfriedrick@gourmetbusiness.com