Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1017167
Knowledge Is Power While flavor diversity and ingredient differentiation helps drive consumer curiosity and push sales, it also simultaneously is adding to the confusion surrounding this delicious indulgence. Retailers are under pressure to educate on what the terms on the label mean by hand selling or offering chocolate education classes. But beyond understanding what single origin, bean-to- bar, etc. mean, says Smith, it boils down to opening up the packaging and letting the consumer see if they like the chocolate or not. Which means providing samples or doing comparative tasting events. Some chocolate makers are also helping with education through their labeling. Bean-to-bar chocolate maker Raaka recently rebranded with artful new packaging that puts f lavor, origin, and transparency at the forefront. The inside of each wrapper goes further into Raaka's "Transparent Trade," detailing their direct supply chain, commitments to price stability and premiums, prices paid, and information about each producer. This kind of labeling also helps reach the more sophisticated shopper. "Connoisseurs are hip to the fact that a country, say Ecuador, has both terrible beans and beans of extreme quality," says Caputo. "It is becoming more common to find the name of the actual farm on the label and I think this will only continue and intensify. Where country of origin used to be enough, in the craft chocolate world the elite chocolate makers are now trending toward more specificity in their bean choices, too," he says. Whatever the consumer is looking for, craft makers are stepping up their chocolate game to meet the need. "We're already seeing more quality, authenticity, consistency, transparency, responsibility, and accessibility," says Werner. "Producers are engaging with consumers in new ways with social media and marketing that ref lects both the artistry of their craft and their values and that's tapping into a segment of specialty food consumers who weren't as attracted to chocolate and confections previously. Even the most cautious and conscious consumer will find something to enjoy," she concludes. Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. ADVERTISER ........................................ BOOTH .................................. PAGE BelGioioso Cheese, Inc. .................................. 1143 ........................................ 11, 82 The Brand Passport, Inc. ............................ 7004 ...... 85, Inside Back Cover Business France ...................................................... — ................................................ 8 Country Home Creations, Inc. .......................... — ......................................66, 84 Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese, LLC ...... — ............................................. 40 Culinary Collective ............................................. 261 ..............................................65 Dave's Gourmet, Inc. ..................................... 5634 ......................................64, 84 Deutscheskaufhause.com, LLC (European Deli) ................................................. — ...................................... 66, 82 Effie's Homemade, LLC ....................................... — ............................................. 84 Fiddyment Farms, Inc. ................................... 3412 ..............................................82 Fran's Chocolates, Ltd. ....................................546 ...................................... 52, 85 The French Farm ............................................. 2342 ........................................17, 83 Frontier Soups................................................... 5129 ..................................... 40, 84 Gerrit J. Verburg Company ......................... 1626 ..............................................85 Golden West Specialty Foods, Inc. ..........1045 ..............................................82 Interprofession du Gruyere ........................ 2359 ..............................................39 J&M Foods ......................................................... 5429 ............................................. 64 Jans Enterprises Corp ..................................... 6171 ............................................. 84 Jelly Belly Candy Company ........................ 3301 ...............................................31 John Wm. Macy's CheeseSticks .................1326 ...................................... 53, 82 Mike's Hot Honey ............................................5306 ..............................................36 Milo's Whole World Gourmet, LLC ................. — ..............................................82 Nashville Wraps, LLC ........................................... — ..............................................82 Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. ..................... 5769 ........................................ 11, 82 Olivelle .....................................................................841 ..............................................85 Pastificio Felicetti SRL (Monograno Felicetti) ............................... 3210 ...................................... 28, 85 Peterson Company, The ............................... 2369 ..............................................38 Primera Technology, Inc. .................................... — ....................................... 19, 83 Reliant Ribbon Corporation .............................. — ..............................................83 Sage Software ......................................................... — ..............................................75 SaltWorks, Inc. ........................................................ — .............................................. 27 Saputo Cheese USA Inc .................................1327 ...............................................41 Sid Wainer and Son Specialty Produce and Specialty Food .......................................... — ...................................... 65, 83 Source Atlantique, Inc. (If You Care) ..................................................3325 ......Inside Front Cover, 85 Stonewall Kitchen ............................................5327 ....................83, Back Cover Sutter Buttes Olive Oil Co. ........................... 5316 ....................................... 18, 83 Universal Marketing srl ........................................ — ............................................. 20 The Virginia Diner, Inc. ........................................ — .........................................6, 83 Walkers Shortbread, Inc. ............................. 5645 ....................................... 15, 83 World's Best Cheeses ...................................... 927 .........................................3, 84 resource guide FALL 2018 87