Gourmet Business July 2017

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy. Unless of course you’re fortunate enough to be in a place where summer business is booming, in which case you’re probably busy with merchandising, coping with overheated customers, and keeping goods in stock for picnics, ballgames, barbecues and all manner of summer dining. Having spent the Fourth of July weekend pulling out an old tree stump, moving earth, and planting a couple of good sized trees, my summer meals, and certainly cocktail hour, have been well earned and eagerly anticipated. Most of our summer meals involve salad in one form or another. We pile on the vegetables – raw, blanched, pickled or roasted – and usually either crumbled or shaved cheese. We often make salad a meal this time of year. Last night it was a kale salad with a classic Caesar dressing to accompany bone-in pork chops cooked with apples and cabbage. Life is good. With that in mind we have a product gallery this month devoted to the salad course, mainly in the form of some outstanding gourmet dressings. These are not the overly sweet salad dressings many of us grew up with. They are all-natural, full of flavor, and made with the nest ingredients. They’re not only delicious but they are versatile well beyond salads. 

Summer is also a season of trade shows for the gift, food and housewares industry. Our team just returned from the Fancy Food Show in New York, where we had cool temperatures and great meals. Now we’re preparing to head to the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market (July 11-18), then back to the desert for Las Vegas Market (July 30 – Aug. 3), and finally back to the Big Apple for NY Now (Aug. 19-23). This month we’re previewing the Gourmet Business Showroom at Las Vegas Market where we’ll be showcasing several vendors we know who are first time exhibitors at the show (we previewed Las Vegas Market last month), and next month we’ll be previewing NY NOW to help buyers prepare for that show. We hope to see many of you at the shows in the coming weeks, either in the aisles or at some of our favorite restaurants. Here’s wishing you a great summer and safe travels. 

James Mellgren 

Managing Editor, Gourmet Business 

jmellgren@gourmetbusiness.com