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/623506
YUMMYSQUISHYFRESH All natural marshmallows and s'mores kits marshmallows www.threetarts.com For more information please contact erika@threetarts.com SLOW COOKER DINNERS & SOUPS Delicae Gourmet 22 Gluten-Free Dinners & Soups 31 Healthy & Flavorful Delicious Year-Round Meals All Natural • No Added Salt • 5 Minute Prep Time Budget-Friendly • Serves 8-11 Shippers Available 800-942-2502 sales@delicaegourmet.com www.DelicaeGourmet.com category spotlight version comes in an aluminum can equipped with a nitro widget that releases a small dose of nitrogen gas when opened. Nitro brew's customer base tends to trend young. For example, at Brooklyn Roasting Company in New York, males between the ages of 20 and 40 are the biggest consumers of nitro brew at the company's Flatiron cafe, according to barista Amiee Echols. "Ordering a nitro has a group mentality attached to it. If one per- son orders one the rest usually follow," she says, adding that name alone implies pumping it up, "something customers are really curious about." According to Echols, Brooklyn Roasting Company's nitro accounted for 30 percent of all cold brew summer sales. "A little less than what we were hoping for but you have to take in nitro's higher price point," she adds. The extra crafting it takes to keg the brew accounts for nitro's up-charge. The cafe usually sells its Sumatra Nitro brew for $6 for 24 ounces and $5 for 16 ounces, but is looking for ways to lower the price point to attract more customers, especially in the colder months. At Highwire in Oakland, California, many customers are trad- ing up from their iced coffee or cold-brew coffee for the roasters' Howling Wolf nitro brew. "Curiosity is probably the initial factor driving our consumers to the tap handle," says Tony Serrano, brand ambassador and handler of Highwire's Howling Wolf. Serrano says the stout-like f lavor profile, with notes of chocolate, malt, and cream, wins most drinkers over. "The minority of our customers says it's 'not their cup of cold brew.' But we knew it would not be for everyone," he adds. Single Cup Usage. Coffee, for one, is booming. According to the National Coffee Association's "National Coffee Drinking Trends Report, 2015," household ownership of single-cup brewers reached an all-time high of 27 percent in 2015, up 20 percent from 2011. Mintel cites single cup's most important purchase attribute as convenience; the category experienced the greatest gains last year in all coffee segments and growth is expected to continue through 2020 based on potential future machine launches. Mintel predicts it to surpass roasted coffee sales by 2018. Although Starbucks and Nespesso offer other single-drink options, Keuring Green Mountain's K-cups are the undisputed leader, even though K-cup sales declined for the first time this year, by as much as 22 percent this summer. "K-cups are a fast growing category and have the highest growth of all coffee products right now," says Ken Blanchette, FreshDirect's vice president of purchas- ing. Blanchette sees no sign of this segment slowing down, thanks to the strong demand coming from customers who have an on-the-go lifestyle and want a quick, single-serving cup of coffee in the morning. Mindful Purchases. According to NCA's research, attributes that come into play for consumers when making coffee choices 92 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com