Cheesey Comfort

My wife and I have lately fallen into the habit of hiking down to one of our favorite eateries on Sunday afternoons for lunch. It's about a 2 or 3 mile hike, perfect for working up an appetite (as though we didn't have one to start) and we get to see our youngest son who works there. Although T-Rex is ostensibly a BBQ joint, albeit it an upscale one, we rarely endulge, opting instead for simpler yet just as tasty fare. Having just proofed the second part of my cheese series in TGR having to do with cheese in the kitchen, I had one of those aha moments when my wife ordered a side of T-Rex's famous mac and cheese. Aha, I thought, this is just what I was talking about in the article (see, I do know what I'm talking about sometimes). Now mind you, I didn't grow up with the holy sacrament of mac and cheese. It just wasn't a big thing in our house. It's not what comes first to mind when I think of comfort food as it seems to for so many people (give me a chicken pot pie any day). In fact, I would go so far as to say that I never really got mac 'n cheese - it just never was my thing. At least not until I tried this one. Whereas I usually find this dish to be gluey and heavy, typically made with indifferently chosen pasta and bland cheese, the T-Rex version is creamy and delicious while never losing its informality. They use good quality orecchiette pasta, cooked al dente, and what tasted like bechamel sauce and high quality white cheddar (I'll have to ask for the recipe one day when I'm feeling cocky). We had ours with bits of ham as well. It just goes to show that in the right hands and with good quality ingredients, simple homespun dishes can be sophisticated and delicious. I know there are mac 'n cheese fans out there who will decry my opinions as balsphemy but I calls them like I sees them. Braced and fortified with food and good drink we made the reverse trek home. A good walk after lunch is always a good thing but then it usually works up another appetite. That's alright with me. Eat now because we'll all be dead for a very long time, or as a friend once said, eternity is a very long time, especially towards the end. Remember too what Mark Twain said (I paraphrase), "If you don't drink or smoke or eat rich food you won't live longer, it will just seem like it." Cheers.

Get More By Leveraging Your Marketing

There’s no sense going it alone these days. Combining promotions with other retailers in your area can reduce costs and drive traffic into everyone’s stores.  In Coconut Grove Florida, an upscale and artsy shopping district in Miami, the Chamber of Commerce and Merchants Association promote a weekly online newsletter where merchants can post deals and special offers.  They created "Code 33" whereby chamber members and employees of merchants get discounts up to 1/3 off retail. (The Grove retail area has hundreds of employees who will shop)  Merchants send out event notices and special group promotions for the neighborhood using their own internal customer lists. 

 

When you help increase awareness of nearby stores and events, you add value in the mind of your customers… because they can make one trip and do many things.  Grass roots marketing requires a dedicated effort and willingness to co-operate with merchants (and even competitors) to drive traffic into your area.  To see some of the Grove’s events go to  Coconut Grove

Ron Jakubisin

jakubisin.com

 

New Products at World Tea Expo

Organizers of the 2009 World Tea Expo, slated for May 2 - 4 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., say today's tea consumers are better educated and that their savvy is fueling some of the most innovative products the industry has ever seen.

"The new products to be highlighted at the upcoming Expo include sleek tea ware designs, smart packaging solutions and sophisticated brewing technology," said a release issued by World Tea Expo. "This year's crop of innovations reflects the demands of consumers [who] are moving beyond mainstream, bagged tea and becoming familiar with the specialty market."

The products will be on display from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. May 2 - 3 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4 in the exhibit hall of the World Tea Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

Some new products at this year's Expo include:

Green Tea Kettle by Adagio Teas: This smart kettle knows the correct water temperature for specific kinds of tea -- not just white, green, oolong or black, but also, for instance, Japanese versus Chinese green tea.

Wine Inspired Teas by International Tea Importers: With its subtleties of terroir and mouth-feel, tea has been drawing comparisons to wine for years. It was only a matter of time before someone brought the two together, as in these wine-flavored teas.

Get Real, Get Loose by Teas Etc: This company has solved the problem of having too much loose leaf tea, not enough filters (or vice versa) by putting the two together.

 

 

 

 

AB Formulator by Cirqua Customized Water: This customized dispenser allows store operators to digitally set the exact flavor of their water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tea Maker "Frugal" by Dethlefsen & Balk: This ultra-convenient teapot-infuser combo is a snap to use. When the tea is steeped, just push a button, and the infuser basket separates itself from the tea by rising to the top.

 

Gourmet Tea Cookies

by Botanical Bakery: Made in small batches, these tea cookies feature organic ingredients and flavors like lavender, cinnamon, basil, lemon, thyme and cardamom.

 

 

To register or for more information about the 2009 World Tea Expo, visit

www.worldteaexpo.com.

Give Customers a Tweet

Twitter may just be the answer for time-starved marketers.  It uses 140 characters (letters, punctuation and spaces) thereby condensing promotional info into short, easy-to-understand bits that reach your followers and others who monitor Twitter to find deals, special items and events.

 

Martha Stewart tweets and got 500,000 followers, and Whole Foods uses Twitter to keep customers up-to-date on specials and deals (making it the #24 ranked Twitter account in terms of followers). Twitter is attracting people who are into gourmet foods…  and gourmet shops can and need to grab some of that flow.

 

There are even gourmet Twitter recipes– today’s dining section in the New York Times features recipes chefs are tweeting. An example- Rhubarb Upside Down Cake: butter6ramikin; +T sug/4T fruit e. + beaten5T buttr&sug/egg/9T yogurt/c flour t bkgpdr&zest/.5t salt. 25m@350F/176C.   There’s also Strudel Pastry, Saffron Asparagus Orzo, Chocolate a la Tarza, Lahmacun, Spiced Sables, Parsnip Cake and Mango Yakisoba.  Go to twitter.com/tinyrecipes.

 

All you have to do is get a Twitter account, and start writing interesting tweets. With 140 characters, get to the point and you’re done.  Your postings will be categorized and open to searches.  Twitter can help direct traffic to your website and build a base of followers.

Ron Jakubisin

jakubisin.com

 

Race to the Finals

It occured to me this weekend that the NBA Playoffs are a lot like retailing in the current recession. There are a bunch of stores all competing for a limited amount of dollars. As the weeks go on, one by one some stores are dropping off while others who are more successful, more creative, more focused, and more team oriented will win and move forward. Now of course, many more retailers will make it to the Finals than NBA teams will, but then it's all relative. I've been watching ways in which retailers are managing sales during these tough times. Sales, of course, are going on everywhere, even at stores that one might suppose are recession-proof. But sales are just one way to rise above the fray, and indeed, they are less effective when they are so pervasive. In other words, when everyone's store is having a sale, sale prices become the norm and are no longer a huge incentive except perhaps for the true sheep who will blindly buy anything if its on sale, and even those types are in decline. Retailers clearly need to think creatively right now. Sales are fine but to make it to the Finals you will have to do more. I'll pull an example from the restaurant world. A very nice bar/restaurant here in Berkeley decided to introduce "Happy Hour" to help boost business. However, unlike everyone else who offers Happy Hour, they were smart and flipped the idea on its head. Many restaurants in the area today who are hanging in there tend to get busy from after-work hours to about 8-9 o'clock, but they don't get the later rush they were accustomed to. At Fonda, they have implemented Happy Hour from 9 to 10 o'clock with a special cocktail and hors d'oeuvres menu from which to choose (all drinks and food are $5 each). Rather than monkeying around with the business in the early hours that they can so far count on, they have addressed the hours in which they are hurting and have boosted their later night business considerably. This may be a strategy to think about if your store has a cafe or restaurant.

Retailers, even those without food service, can be creative with the ways in which they draw customers. For example, consider offering complimentary knife sharpening service with purchases of $10 or $20 or whatever. Implement a delivery service, especially for seniors who live in the area. Offer treats to any children who come in the store (remember, summer is around the corner), pet treats for those who walk to your store, and special daily gifts or discounts to themed shoppers, i.e. grandparents, newlyweds, secretaries, twins, anyone having a birthday, and so on. Consider your own brand of stimulus package like discounts to anyone who has recently lost their job or their home. in other words, have some kind of special award each day for some segment of your clientele and make it inclusive enough that everyone will look forward to their day of discounts. Anything you can do to make shopping at your store an event to look forward to will help you succeed and make it to the Finals. Just be glad that in retail at least, you won't have to face either the Lakers or the Cavaliers.

The Art of the Pour

 “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

-- Benjamin Franklin

  

Like great food, great beer engages the senses.  And it all starts with the art of the pour. 

 

Pouring beer -- an art, you say?   I think so.  At some point in our adult lives, we’ve all probably been served a beer that is less than ideal – maybe it’s flat, or too warm, or in the wrong glass.  If you get a beer like that, you either send it back, or you certainly don’t order another.  For a retailer, that’s an opportunity lost.

 

But a properly poured beer is truly a beautiful thing, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s from a bottle, a can, or a right from the tap.  The sound of it alone can capture your attention.  The cascade of the liquid into the glass, with its distinctive build of a foam “head,” is intriguing to watch.   And the right pour, into the right glass, allows the aroma to reach the nose, setting the stage for the perfect taste experience. 

 

Mastering the art of a properly poured beer is not complicated – you don’t need to be a brewmaster or a bartender to get it right.  But a bit of knowledge and practice can certainly help.  Here’s what you and your customers need to pay attention to: 

 

Serving Packaged Beer

Serving Temperature:

• Beer has the best balance of refreshment and taste when served at 38 – 40 degrees F.  The more subtle flavor notes will become more obvious as the beer warms to the last sip temperature of 45-50 degrees F. 

Opening the Bottle or Can:  

• Hold the bottle at the shoulder (not at the bottom) when opening, or the bottle may foam over.  Rough handling causes beer to gush or foam when opening.
• Check for worn bottle openers to prevent damaging the bottle lip when you remove the bottle crown.
• Use clean towels when handling bottles, cans, or glassware.  Dirty towels can affect the aroma and taste perception. 

 Mastering the Pour:  

• A ¾” to 1” head of foam allows a portion of the natural carbonation to escape, carrying the aromas to the nose thus enhancing flavor and drinkability.  Releasing this carbonation also prevents the customer from filling up too fast.  This means room for more beer and more food and a higher check total!
• To produce a proper head or collar of foam, place the neck of the bottle or lip of the can over the edge of a clean glass or cup.
• Quickly raise the bottom of the bottle or can to a high angle, causing the beer to agitate in the glass.
• Don’t pour the beer by the “down the side” method.  It minimizes the foam and retains more carbonation making the beer look flat and taste gassy and filling!
• Lower the bottom of the bottle or can to reduce the flow until the foam rises to the rim.
• Open bottles or cans where they are served, whether bar or tableside, to prevent foaming over when walking to the customers.

Drawing the Perfect Draught Beer

 

Download DrawPerfectDraught_102507

 

Like packaged beer, a properly poured draught beer has a ¾” to 1” head of foam allowing a portion of the natural carbonation to escape, carrying the aromas to the nose thus enhancing flavor and drinkability, resulting in a more flavorful, smooth tasting, less filling beer.

• Hold the glass under the faucet at a 45 degree angle. Do not let the glass touch the faucet. 
• Grab the handle at the base.  Open the faucet fully with a quick, smooth motion. Do not let the faucet touch the beer.
• Straighten the glass gradually as you pour, letting the beer agitate in the center of the glass.
• Top off your pour with a 3/4” to 1” head of foam. 

 

Let’s Talk About Glassware

Did you know that the kind of glass you use can actually enhance the appearnce, aroma and taste of beer?

 

A finely crafted beer has its own unique appearance, aromas and flavors, with subtle nuances and complexities to delight the taste buds.  Much like wine, beer is best appreciated when served in a glass that enhances its taste and suits the setting.  More and more people now know that glassware makes a difference, both to the taste of their beer and to their entertainment experience.  Choosing an interesting glass adds style to everything from a sophisticated dinner party to an informal barbecue.

 

Some examples:

For lighter lagers, long and narrow bodied glasses like a flute or champagne glass ensure that beer’s carbonation doesn’t dissipate too quickly.  They’re also the perfect glasses for showcasing beer’s distinctive sparkle.

 

For a fuller bodied beer like a bock or stout, a glass with a wider body and base is in order.  Glasses more like a snifter open up the beer and help showcase the malt character.  

 

No matter what style of beer or glass you serve, make sure it is what brewmasters call “beer ready.”

 

Appearances can be deceiving – a glass may look clean, but any residue can impact the beer’s appearance, balance, bouquet and finish.  The best bars and restaurants follow a five step method to achieve beer-ready glassware.  

  

Whether you’re a retailer selling packaged beer, glassware, or have made the leap to beer on tap, educating your staff and customers about properly poured beer helps elevate the image of your establishment.   Try these techniques on your own and let me know if you have any questions.  I’m looking forward to hearing from you.  Email me at askthebrewmaster@anheuser-busch.com.

Let's Make a Deal

As our editors walk trade shows and talk with manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors and brokers, we continue to learn about the collaborative efforts of the specialty food and kitchenware business in weathering these tough economic times.

 

On the housewares side, we recently talked with All-Clad about their promotions. "After reviewing our assortment, we have developed an exciting limited-time pricing promotion for select All-Clad pieces," said Melissa Palmer, Vice President of Marketing Communications, Groupe SEB. "We understand the challenges facing our retailers in this economy, and we're thrilled to be able to give their customers the All-Clad quality they love at competitive prices," added Palmer about the price points, which will be available from July 2009 through January 2010. For more information, visit www.allclad.com.

 

On the food side, Barhyte Specialty Foods, the  company behind the new Saucy Mama brand of condiments, has launched its own “Barhyte Stimulus Package” to help gourmet and specialty food retailers revitalize sales.

The company's simple-but-effective two-point plan offers retailers a 15 percent discount between April 1 and May 15, 2009. It further includes one extra jar for demo use, when one dozen or more cases are ordered.     

"In this climate, homes and businesses alike are at risk of suffering from a taste recession," says Company Vice President of Sales and Marketing Chris Barhyte. "We may say this tongue-in-cheek, but we genuinely want to help retailers spread the message that saving money can be done … tastefully." 

The Barhyte Stimulus Package can be applied to any condiment in Barhyte's consumer brands lineup. For more information, visit www.barhyte.com.

 

Tell Us About Your Promotions

Do you have a special promotion you'd like to tell us about? Post a response to this blog here. Or consider participating in The Gourmet Retailer’s New Product Showcase. We've created this new and dynamic section on our Website to help you find all the latest and greatest products. Whether you're looking for small gadgets, your next big seller, or hot new promotions, we've got the goods from top vendors.

 

Too Much Stimulus

I see so many ads and signs that say tongue and cheek things along the lines of Stimulus Package or Get Your Stimulus Here.  Yesterday I drove by a furniture store that was closing with a sign that said Stimulus Package Did Not Work.

 

Stimulus has become as ubiquitous as Best Kept Secret in advertising, but do we really need to devalue our services and products with a term that is mostly used to discount merchandise? Those who promote with sales and discounts don’t give people a reason to shop for the real value specialty retailing offers--- a unique selection, intensive product and food knowledge by store personnel and better service.

 

Surveys tell us that specialty retailing has been experiencing added traffic (or at least as not as a severe downturn as other retailers) as a result of people eating at home and transferring dollars spent at restaurants into shopping trips for ingredients for at home meals.  This is an opportunity to keep those converts coming back… they’ve made a market decision to change their eating out habit and we have them in our grasp as long term customers.  That’s stimulating.

Ron Jakubisin

jakubisin.com

SIAL Montreal and Schwartzes

I'm just back from Montreal where I went to attend the 4th annual SIAL Montreal. Expecting the still frozen north I was pleasantly surprised by the balmy mild weather. For those who have never attended this show, it is a great opportunity to see a broad spectrum of Canadian food products, and although the foods of Quebec dominate Canada's representation, one gets a fine sense of the bounty and diversity of Canada in general. It is also an international show, with pavilions for Taiwan, Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Cyprus, Mexico, Tunisia, Sri Lanka, China, Poland, Chile, Jamaica, France, Italy, and the United States (I kept an ongoing list as I walked the show), as well as individual booths from several other countries. Unlike its Paris counterpart, the size of the show is quite manageable for one to see everything in a day or so. It is so easy to get to Montreal from just about anywhere in the US that I wonder why more buyers from our country aren't there. Canada is, after all, our single largest trading partner, with approximately $1 billion in goods moving across the border every day.

In addition to walking the back streets of Vieux Montreal and the trade show itself, the highlight of my trip this year was a trip to Schwartz's, a delicatessen restaurant that is something of an institution in Montreal. I was treated to dinner there and placed myself willingly in the hands of my hostess as to what I would order for my dinner. I was told that the thing to have at Schwartz's is their smoked meat sandwich (basically their own version of pastrami), fries and a cherry cola (they do not serve alcohol). I had heard of Schwartz's on previous trips but for one reason or another had not been able to go. I didn't have to be asked twice this time and eagerly met my dining companions at the appointed hour.

One waits in line to eat at Schwartz's, they do not take reservations, but the line moved very quickly (Schwartz's is not a place to linger over one's coffee), and the fact that we were four people got us in past several couples. While in line, one can see the whole pastramis stacked in the shop's window which has been converted to a refrigerator. All of us save the lone vegetarian ordered the smoked meat sandwiches. My companions ordered theirs lean while I opted for the higher fat content. No Jack Sprat here. The vegetarian made do with the tasty cole slaw and I can only hope she found a late night pizza parlor on her way home. The food was great as was the entire experience of eating at Schwartz's, from the surly but efficient waiter to the paraphenalia covering the walls to the ambiant noise of the other diners, but most of all the food. It may not be the fine French dining that Montreal is known for, but it is fun, delicious, unpretentious, and as much a part of Montreal's history and culture as anything else. I even enjoyed the cherry cola.

Elephant Walk

Like most communities around the country, Berkeley has seen its share of stores and restaurants close down since the first of the year, and some that didn't even make it through Christmas. It's disheartening, of course, not only for the retailers who have lost much but for the community as well. Dark windows on Main Street doesn't do any of us any good. Curiously, there was one store closing that I found more disturbing than most, and the reason for my dismay is that it could have been avoided.

Elephant Pharmacy opened in Berkeley several years ago, taking over a former sporting goods store at a busy intersection in the heart of what is affectionately known by locals as the "Gourmet Ghetto." We welcomed them into the community. They not only offered alternatives to conventional remedies, health and beauty products, and various household goods, they also revitalized a corner and a building that had languished for years beneath an ugly facade. After they had been opened only a short time, they began to add fresh foods to their selection of organic and all-natural foods. In addition to Newman's Own Organics, Nature's Path, Cascade Farms and Barbara's cereals, they began to carry Straus Family Creamery's dairy products, fresh produce, and artisanally made breads. They had mixed success with the fresh foods and the selection waxed and waned over the years until they finally gave up. The packaged and refrigerated foods, however, remained, at considerably lower prices than the upscale supermarket across the street and we remained loyal customers in the hope of helping them to survive. One thing bothered me from the start though. The buyers seemed to operate without supervision and they bought with abandon, especially at Christmas time. Whole aisles were dedicated to toys, bags, yoga equipment and gift items. I used to like to take my grandson in there and let him pick out a toy but it became increasingly difficult to do so. The toys were very expensive and all seemed to be of an educational nature. In other words, the philosophy seemd to be that a toy wasn't good unless the child was actively learning (that's sooo Berkeley), without realizing that children learn from playing, no matter what it is, as long as it stimulates their imagination. My grandson is very bright, reads books for fun, and loves art and puzzles. He wants toys that are fun. But I digress.

During the fourth quarter in 2008, I noticed they were buying huge amounts of everything - toys, gifts, books - but were often out of stock on key items like my wife's favorite shampoo and certain brands of toothpaste. In other words, they suffered in their core area because of too much emphasis on the ancilliary merchandise. I should mention that they had opened two more stores in less urban, more suburban areas, and rumor had it that they were not doing well. It became clear in the weeks leading up to Christmas that there was no way they were going to sell all of the Christmas merchandise. The buyers had run wild. I could tell without seeing the books that they were frighteningly overbought. After New Years the sale signs went up but it was too late. The sagging sales at the other two stores (both of which had iron-clad leases that Elephant could not get out of), combined with the poor buying at the Berkeley branch (and presumably the other two as well), sent the store reeling. They closed last Tuesday, informing the employees only the night before.

What are the lessons to be learned from the untimely closing of these stores? For one thing, undisciplined buying. There didn't seem to be any managerial supervision of the buyers, both in terms of the amount of goods they ordered and in the selection. Second, they succombed to the lust of opening new stores before they had completely defined themselves with the flagship. Third, they lost sight of their core values. They began as an alternative pharmacy and ended up a poorly thought out gift shop. Perhaps if the economy had not headed south they would still be blythely stocking the toy department, but I think they would have been in trouble regardless. Bad buying is bad buying, whether it's a boom year or a bust. I'm sad to see them go but in the end, I can't say I'm really surprised.