Quench July 2013

I just returned from the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, and it was a scorcher. The temperature soared into the ’90s and the show was just as hot from a business standpoint. The Gourmet Business brands occupied booth 5301 at the entrance of the new North Hall section of the Javits Center, and the foot traffic was strong and steady beginning on Sunday midday until Tuesday in the early afternoon. It was the busiest show I have attended in a long time, and I feel this bodes well for the show and for the future of the gourmet business in general, too. The newly named Specialty Food Association present- ed the largest show ever with more than 2,500 exhibitors from over 50 countries ... and beverages played a large part in the show.

The beverage business continues to grow with more product offerings from around the globe. Found Beverage Co. from Down Under was one of the tastiest and most interesting new brands with a variety of flavored, lightly carbonated waters and juices. The company claims to be the world’s first carbon-neutral-certified juice brand. Its Cucumber & Mint flavored sparkling water was my favorite of the show, and the “two oranges” juice was very tasty and not too sweet.  Tea continues to flourish in all channels of distribution with interesting new blends of herbal and traditional offerings from home and abroad. Mighty Leaf, Tea Forte and Twining’s all featured new packaging options. A journeyman of the U.S. tea industry, Steven Smith Teamaker brings experience and innovation in both packaging and blending to his premium teas, which are now available under his own name. He is well-known for having helped grow two of the top premium tea brands in the U.S. – Stash and Tazo – and going by his offerings, Smith’s new Portland-based company is sure to be a success, too. I loved his blend no. 72, full-leaf White Peony tea with Egyptian chamomile and Chinese osmanthus flowers.

Ito En from Japan offers new tasty unsweetened green and black bottled teas under its Teas’ Tea label for the U.S. market. The U.K. pavilion had three new and interesting brand offerings from Simpsons Tea, My Cup of Tea and Pukka Herbs. Keep your eyes open for them in the future.

Laura Everage, editor of Quench, offers more keen insights on new products, trends and merchandising in our July edition to quench your thirst for knowledge in the beverage world!

All the best, 

Brian Igoe 

Publisher, Gourmet Business Quench

 bigoe@gourmetbusiness.com