The Chef's Pantry

The Blackberry Patch Company, of  Thomasville, Georgia, produces small batch, naturally flavored Gourmet fruit toppings from the ripest fruit of the seasons. Each Bottling is made with all natural, fresh, ripe berries, natural cane sugar and sometimes the addition or lemon juice or other real flavorings or spices.

The seasonal flavors, such as Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry contain no artificial ingredients and develop a true fruit flavor, from slow, small batch cooking style. The ripe, bright flavors are evident, without the overbearing sweet, associated with many larger production toppings. The consistency is that of syrup, so that may also be a surprise to some, who are used to the thick, “goopy” spoon sauces of some companies.

 

The flavor, bright, and color, true, are visible in the neat, tall jar, which has a home style, parchment colored label and little neck tag attached, ready for a gift, like /grandma used to do. I found the toppings good for pound cake and ice cream and also for things such as granola, pancakes and fresh yogurt, the natural ripeness, not lingering with any “sweet-bitter” after tones.

The Gourmet Topping from The Blackberry Patch has all the flavor and goodness, without the thorns. Get them before the season runs out.

The Blackberry Patch, 800-553-5598  www.Theblackberrypatch.com

Blackboarding Specials

I'm fortunate to live near 5 great specialty food stores, two within walking distance of my house... so I often stroll over to see what's doing.  One shop I walk to uses one of those A-frame blackboard signs to promote the specials at the deli counter inside the store. It had the same specials on it for weeks so I suggested to the owner a little update was in order.

"I bet you get the same customers in day in and day out who buy the same sandwich," I opined.  "Yes, you are right about that!" she said.  "Why not promote something else besides the deli– say your latest arrival of locally grown asparagus, a new shipment of figs or chocolate, maybe a cheese sampling."  Brie for free?

The idea is that passersby (and regular customers) do read the sign and will ignore something that isn't interesting or obviously outdated.  At the same time the sign educates the strolling public about the variety of merchandise you offer.  Changing it daily provides a reason to look and can invite someone in who otherwise might have ignored your shop.

Well my friendly shop owner did indeed change her sign and she said people do ask for the things she puts on the board.  In fact the staff also got into the groove and they suggest some really bizarre items just to see if people will inquire… and the upside is that regular customers now are into reading the sign before they enter.  With more than 5,000 items, my magical merchant will need ten years to tell everyone about them--- and that’s OK with her!

If you try this, keep the offers simple, change it daily, list up to three items from different categories/departments and seek suggestions from your staff.  And don't be tempted to repeat or skip a day.  Your public will soon be in on the concept and they'll notice.

Ron Jakubisin

jakubisin.com

 

2020 Lessons

After spending two information packed days with retatilers, industry experts and vendors at Retail2020 in San Francisco last week. I have a billion takeaways, but here are a few quick lessons I learned that you might also implement in your lives/stores. And to anyone else who attended event - let's start talking here and let us all know what you garnered from attending.

From Phil Lempert's consumer panel - Consumers don't always identify with brand names in the kitchenware arena as I thought they would. It was interesting to see the struggle they had naming cookware brands, but still they knew the uses for cookware and what they wanted.

From Harold Lloyd - Visit 26 stores a year to keep my retail knowlege fresh and insightful. Also be sure those stores aren't simply specialty food and kitchenware stores, but stores that cater to specific consumers. Watch the trends and pay attention to how they are merchandising and talking in those stores.

I also learned some working habits from Harold - splitting my week into 55 hours for work, 55 for sleep, 55 for family and 3 for me - does that math work out? Yes, but perhaps it doesn't apply to the publishing industry. But it's certainly a goal for the year 2020!

Another thing is to divide my periodical reading amongst my staff and have them report back to me their findings - great story ideas, new trends, and for me publishing design trends. This works for consumer magazines as well. Another great idea was to pay your team a bonus for vacations - that is while they are on vacation to pay them a bonus or reward if they come back with a great idea from a specialty food or kitchenware store. I love it - I have some ideas how to implement this with my own staff.

If you were at The Gourmet Retailer's Retail2020 Conference, let me know what you learned. If you weren't and have great business or management tips to share with other retailers, sound off now!

And here are some photos from the event I wanted to share. Cheers!

   

Bite of Brazil

Brazil is the home of Carnaval, Traffic and, of course, Fispal Technologia & Fispal Food. This Expo,  now counting  its 25th anniversary, is the premier event of its type for South America. More than 2100 exhibitors and 60,000 attendees invade Anhembi Exhibition Hall in São Paulo.

A Rube Goldberg  wonderland, the space has gadgets and machinery around every corner. Robotic arms, vaccuum movers, preform bottle machines, all moving in a controlled race. Like those in the mind of a child,  these shiny, stainless, crazy contraptions can foil wrap pebble sized mints or fragile potato chips. Another machine with tubes and blowers transforms coarse corn meal into puffed corn nuggets, instantly. The clicking and clacking of the of these inventions playing  a mesmerizing tune. Hundreds of bottles are filled, capped, boxed and wrapped in a moment, while rolls of “ flex” are printed and stamped. Innovation and automation seems to be “de Riguer”, if it needs to  be boxed, wrapped, bottled, stamped or contained, you,ll find it at Fispal Technologia.

Not only is metal, plastic, corrogate other materials on display, support of machinery, marketing strategy seminars, advertisers, innovation workshops and discussion of “environmental awareness” was on parade. Here, they seem to be taking a very pragmatic approach to recycling and what it really means. “Being Green not Greenwashing”, as stated by Tim Corvin of Webb Scarlet de Vlam. To look at the big picture of operations, from start to finish, being economical, efficient and honest, while truly working towards sustainability. This type of educational program góes far beyond the Standard marketing “tips” garnered from most trade programs.

The Fispal Food event smaller in scale, but well attended. Chillers, ranges, pasta machines and fryers with coffee machines leading the pack. This show seemed more typical, with samples of ice cream, beer, frozen fish and candies. There were also many pizza ingredients, being that there are na average of 1,000,000 pizzas sold daily in São Paulo, population 16,000,000. They love there pizza and cheese. The flow was enhanced with many “action” events; the national pizza cook-off, Young chefs competition, the barristas competition and numerous choclate and pastry demos.

In this nation of great seafood, advanced aqua culture and incredible fruit, I would have liked to see more “fresh” exhibits.

The smooth operations, setup and organization of the Expo’s falls on Marco Antonio Mastrandonakis; a fortyish Brasilian, with an infectious laugh and casual style. Marco is the CEO of BTS, Brazilian Trade Shows, and with the help of his knowledgable staff, runs the shows and 5 large trade publications.

Though Marco and his crew seem to have their hands full, planning for the addition of two more shows to Fispal, I challenege them to take on the world, and bring all the great ingredients of Brazil out of South America. And show us all that Brazil is more than Carnaval and coffee. 

Greece, old or new?

    I just returned from a working week in Greece. The 3rd Kerasma Conference, highlighting some of Country's' great staples: olives and oil, wine, cheeses and  farmed seafood. The Greeks are definitely in a world of their own: language, alcohol (ouzo and retsina), flavors (mastique) and "Boy", do they know how to throw a party!  The good Greek food we experienced, it's like Greek dancing- very deliberate, independent, no real rhythm, until the trance starts. An unnerving intensity begins to build, as the beat grows and the movements and music become one. We had some incredibly simple food with extravagant flavors- braised calamari with tomato, onion, red pepper and mint- tart green apple with cinnamon and almond halva- fresh mackerel grilled with coarse salt, lemon peel and EVOO or yogurt and za'taar charred chicken thighs. Most foods are cooked over wood charcoal, which adds a certain seared, deep character to all the flavors. Like the people you meet on the outer Islands hard, wind-streaked, sun checked and a comforting smile.

  Make no mistake; Athens is a big, bustling city- smog, traffic, police, pushing rush-hour crowds. All seem to fade to a background grumble as the sun sets. Fairy light sparked streets, outdoor tavernas and up above, the golden-amber hue of the brightly lit Acropolis; a testament to over 2000 years of Greek history, its shadows amongst those of The King George Palace and Grande Bretagne Hotels below.

How does this ancient society blend the commerce and activity of The City with its white-washed houses, "tomorrow's pace" and donkey drawn carts of the surrounding Islands?

Flavor, what flavor?

Where has flavor gone? It is amazing to me that in the self proclaimed melting pot- the amalgam of history, immigrants, and "search for the American dream- a country such as ours- with so many talented chefs and great restaurants- the food available to average Americans is “garbage”. Is it the search for new foods or just the “almighty dollar” (not so mighty now) that drives our diets? Hamburger with less meat than chemicals, engineered tomatoes, crunchy and mealy but ripe looking on the outside, or “free range” chickens that are able to leave their tumultuous, scat laden coops for 15 minutes a day (the door is open, but in fact, they are paralyzed to move).

The push for tighter regulations, better labeling, fat removal, “all natural”, “organic”, we are still obese and unhealthy. We are unaware and uninformed. How is it , that Europeans, in particular, the Mediterranean Countries, eat more, drink more, smoke more, lots of fats and cured meats……are healthier and live longer.

As a chef/food writer, someone who is impassioned with all culinary aspects: hunting, fishing, foraging, growing and seeing all foods from the tiniest whitebait, the creamiest blue cheese, the best favas, peanut-sized-bejeweled tomatoes- I love food!

Food is in the eye of the beholder, you can feel it, know it- whether you are speaking to a chef, farmer or the little boy, who shells his father’s peas.

No where is this more apparent then in Spain, which used to be the “red headed step-child” of French food. The regions, topography, micro climates are all conducive to premiere food stuffs, but what really drive the Spanish palette? Only France and Germany garner more Michelin stars, and that is quickly changing. There have been many food revolutions here, the old school- new food of Juan Mari Arzak and his petite, undaunted daughter, Elena or the intrepid, Daliesque food chemist, gastro-genius of Ferran and Albert Adria are relative newcomers to the pure essence that is Spanish food scene. Is it an inherent lifestyle? An extra food “gene”? Or simply the fact that the multitude of perfect, natural, untouched, unmanipulated products grown, raised or made here, leave no option for bad cuisine?