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.
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producer profile its lawsuit and released a gallant, though slightly barbed, statement: We applaud Hampton Creek's commitment to innovation and its inspired corporate purpose. We share a vision with Hampton Creek of a more sustainable world. It is for these reasons that we believe Hampton Creek will take the appropriate steps in label- ing its products going forward. Unilever's concerns may not have been unfounded, it turns out. In April, Compass Group, a foodservice company supplying 8 million meals a day to corporate cafes, universities, hospitals, museums, arenas, and vending machines, switched from using Hellman's to Just Mayo. "Boom," says Tetrick. "They're not going to have regular Hellmann's mayonnaise at any of their units anymore." Hampton Creek has ramped up production at co-packing facilities in Seattle; Irvine and Orange, California; and Smyrna, Tennessee. To accommodate the new contract with Compass Group, the company is launching eight new SKUs, including new f lavors of Just Mayo, portion-control packets for hamburgers, and maxi-size pumps. "This takes us to an entirely different level for what we're doing," Tetrick says. "With 18,000 locations being exposed to our story, our point of view, it's a massive shift overnight in the f low of food." This eco-conscious startup has not been without its hiccups. Last year, the newly hired chief strategy officer, Ali Partovi, resigned after less than two weeks on the job. In March, nearly a fifth of Hampton Creek 's 65 employees were laid off in an effort to reorga- nize. Addressing this, Tetrick says he now has 50 employees and is "hiring a whole bunch more." Innovating with High Standards Tetrick is with his creative team at the office almost 12 hours a day. The research and development unit is at work on plant-based alter- natives to pasta, ice cream, and custard, among the 30 or so products the business hopes to introduce in the next three years. The team is also working to improve Just Cookies, experimenting with less sugar, less sodium, and less saturated fat. Just Scramble, an egg-free scrambled egg batter, is expected to roll out by the end of 2015. "We won't release it unless it's better than a conventional chicken egg and cheaper too," Tetrick asserts. Africa still on his mind, Tetrick says he is planning on creating a high-protein, cheap snack with micronutrients that will nourish people who live without electricity and refrigeration. "I don't know the answer yet," he says, "but it's interesting to try to find new categories to address the needs of people around the world. I want to maximize the impact I have, addressing land, water, and health concerns. That's what fuels me, not money." At Zingerman's, Hedeman sees demand for more marinades and condiments hailing from both South America and Africa. "Smoky Yassa Sauce from Kitchens of Africa and Peruvian pep- per sauces used for marinades, like aji panca and aji amarillo from Zocalo, are hard to keep in stock," he notes. Looking Forward What is clear is that condiments can no longer be considered pedes- trian. And, in addition to the appeal of a range of flavors and ingre- dients, lacto-fermented products are gaining ground. "Given the rise of pickled vegetables and kimchi, I could also see these condiments replacing their spreadable and pourable cousins, as a way to pump up flavor," Keller muses. Further, fermented products hit multiple trend points for the health-minded shoppers, who can "get their spicy kick and their probiotics all in one place," says William Marshall, retail manager at Zingerman's Deli. Combining this emerging trend with ethnic tastes, bold f lavors, and health benefits could pave the way to the next big trend in the condiment aisle. Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine. category spotlight Fermented products hit multiple trend points for the health- minded shoppers, who can "get their spicy kick and their probiotics all in one place." (continued from p. 94) Bourbon Barrel Foods Bluegrass Soy Sauce 196 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com Julie Besonen writes for The New York Times and is a restaurant columnist for nycgo.com. (continued from p. 84)