buyers' picks
FERMENTED SPECIALTIES
As consumers are becoming more interested in their health and well-
being, fermented specialty foods and beverages continue to interest
shoppers looking for products that provide probiotics and other
nutritional attributes. The category is far-reaching—from kombucha
to yogurt—and specialty food makers are innovating with flavors
and production methods. Following are buyers' recommendations
for fermented products making an impact in the category.
BY GEORGE HAJJAR
Tina Knight, store manager,
Eddies of Roland
Park, Baltimore
• Atwater's Cantonsville Sourdough Bread
• DC Dills Fermented Kraut and
Fermented Krabby Kraut
• Lindera Farms Ramp Vinegar
• Pepe Saya Cultured Butter
• Pequea Valley Farm Yogurt,
Assorted Flavors
• Wild Bay Kombucha, Assorted Flavors
Loan Heilner, dairy category
manager, FreshDirect, New York
• Alexandre Family Farm, A2/A2 Organic
100% Grass Fed Probiotic Kefir, Whole Milk
• Hawthorne Valley Wild Fermented
Sauerkraut, Original
• Mother In Law's Kimchi Vegan
Table Cut Napa Cabbage
• Rowdy Mermaid Roaring Pineapple
Organic Kombucha
• The Spare Food Co. Lemon &
Ginger Probiotic Sparkling Tonic
• The White Moustache Labneh
Kate Harper, chief brand
curator and head of product,
Hive Brands, New York
• American Vinegar Works
Apple Cider Vinegar
• Figure Ate Naturally Fermented
Persimmon Vinegar
• Kitchen Garden Farm Organic
Habanero Sriracha (Medium)
• Pacific Pickle Works Mother's
Puckers Homestyle Pickles
• The Real Dill Habanero
Horseradish Dill Pickles
"The trends are all about
gut health, microbiome,
and how many other bodily
systems are affected by
having a strong microbiome.
As a result, fermented
foods and kombucha in
particular, continue to
grow in popularity."
—Tina Knight, store manager, Eddies of
Roland Park, Baltimore
"We've also seen an uptick in
customers searching for Korean
products, such as kimchi,
which is a classic fermented
food. FreshDirect's vendors are
stepping up to meet heightened
consumer demands and offering
a variety of tasty flavors."
—Loan Heilner, dairy category manager,
FreshDirect, NY
George Hajjar is associate, content development
at the Specialty Food Association.
PHOTOS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT ): FIGURE ATE, THE REAL DILL
8 SPECIALTY FOOD SPECIALTYFOOD.COM
