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/838473
What's changed the most with specialty food during your tenure in the industry? Q: Jeffrey Cohen, former chairman and CEO, Sutton Place Gourmet: When I started in the industry, very few retailers had quality specialty foods and almost no retailers had an entire market with all specialty food and wines. Now there is a selection of specialty food at many grocery stores and bou- tiques in many locations all over the world. Scott Jensen, co-founder and CEO, Rhythm Superfoods: The pace of change and innovation is five to 10 times what it was when I began my career in specialty foods 25 years ago. The new product development is incredible and the innovations in packaging and branding have become so unique and dynamic; so much so that it's harder to find a lasting point of difference. Speed to market is the operating call to action. If you can't innovate and quickly get your great products onto the shelves, there's someone else out there ready to grab that shelf space instead of you. Natalie King, executive vice president, sales and marketing, Stonewall Kitchen: The biggest area of change that I've witnessed over the past 21 years has been the increased awareness, appreciation, and demand from end consumers seeking specialty foods. When I first started in the industry, you could only find premium packaged foods at boutique, "gourmet," super-premium retailers, which significantly limited the audience experiencing these types of products. The entire marketplace and the goods being sold within our industry has grown into a significant- ly larger portion of everyday consumers' shopping baskets. This increased demand has placed real pressure on tra- ditional CPG brands and grocers, forcing real change for how and where specialty food brands can and do go to market. It's fairly common to now find traditional, large, chain grocers actively embracing specialty goods like never before. This is the result of end consumers demanding bet- ter quality products in every category that they are shop- ping for everyday, not just for a special occasion. Stonewall Kitchen's ingredients and brand integrity resonates with consumers—that has been the most consistent thing I've seen over the past 21 years. M embers of the 2017 Specialty Food Association Hall of Fame are recognized for their innova- tions, accomplishments, and contributions, which over the years have helped grow the spe- cialty food industry into the $127 billion business that it is today. Here, three honorees look back on industry advancement and the biggest drivers of change. (See full list of honorees on p. 31) Industry veterans reflect on how the specialty food trade has changed over the years. BY SARA KAY The Evolution of Specialty THE PANEL Jeffrey Cohen Sutton Place Gourmet Scott Jensen Rhythm Superfoods Natalie King Stonewall Kitchen PHOTOS: INDIVIDUAL COMPANIES Sara Kay is the editorial and education content associate for the Specialty Food Association. 26 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com q&a