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Thousands of retailers made their way to San Francisco’s Moscone Center for the 30th Winter Fancy Food Show this past January. Eager to catch a glimpse of the latest specialty and gourmet foods, they crowded the aisles to taste samplings of everything from teas and coffees, sauces and salad dressings, to assorted confections.

To obtain a firsthand assessment of the latest products and to judge them on their own merits, we assembled a panel of qualified specialty retailers to sort through the thousands of products aisle by aisle. For our readers who were unable to attend the show and for those who attended but did not have a chance to experience it all, the following winning results should prove informative, interesting, and profitable. If you would like more information on any of the winners, simply click here and fill in the Reader Service numbers that correspond to the products below.


Aisle: 300
Product: Wild Appetite Ginger and Wasabi Dressing
Company: Wild Appetite
Address: 1601 N. Sepulveda Blvd., #768
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Phone: 310-503-5698
Company representative: Steve Muir
Judge: Jennifer Jansen
Milk and Honey Bazaar
Tiverton, RI
Comments: Taste was new and refreshing.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 701


Aisle: 400
Product: Lemon Mustard and Dill Sauce
Company: Dulcet Cuisine
Address: 333 S. State Street, Suite V-134
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Phone: 503-756-4688
Company representative: Pam Kramer
Judge: Tom Jansen
Milk and Honey Bazaar
Tiverton, RI
Comments: Excellent packaging, but wonderful taste was the seller.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 702


Aisle: 500
Product: Spice Travel Kit
Company: Grapevine Trading Company
Address: 59 Maxwell Court
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Phone: 800-469-6478
Company representative: Sandra Van Voorhis
Judge: Tamara Stevens
Rosebowl Florist and Wine Shop
San Francisco, CA
Comments: Great idea! The size is really smart and looks great. I can see myself taking this camping or on a romantic rustic getaway.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 703


Aisle: 600
Product: White Iced Tea
Company: The Republic of Tea
Address: 8 Digital Drive, Suite 100
Novato, CA 94949
Phone: 800-711-8768
Company representative: Kristina Richens
Judge: Angie Quaale
Well Seasoned
Langley, BC, Canada
Comments: The packaging is premium and the product is tasty. It’s really well merchandised as well. There was a ‘buzz’ around the booth and people loved the taste of the product.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 704


Aisle: 700
Product: Exotic Varieties of Rice
Company: Lotus Foods
Address: 921 Richmond Street
El Cerrito, CA 94530
Phone: 510-525-3137
Company representative: Ken Lee
Judge: Annie Foerster
Foerster and Associates
Alamo, CA
Comments: Product is upscale, yet cooked in ways that both the everyday consumer and upscale restaurants would prepare them. Great packaging.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 705


Aisle: 800
Product: Sonoma Gourmet Pasta Sauces
Company: Sonoma Gourmet
Address: 466-A Primero Court
Cotati, CA 94931
Phone: 707-792-7613
Company representative: Bill Weber
Judge: Vi Schafler
Garden Harvest Farms
Terra Bella, CA
Comments: Wonderful flavors -- fresh taste and looks fresh. Packaging is nice, clean, and pops out at you. The company has a wide selection of sauces, salad dressings, and spreads.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 706


Aisle: 900/1000
Product: Mama’s Gone Nuts Peanuts
Company: Leonard Mountain
Address: P.O. Box 67
Leonard, OK 74043
Phone: 918-366-2800
Company representative: Debbie Berckefeldt
Judge: Celia Khim
Gift & Gourmet
Honolulu, HI
Comments: Packaging is new and “happy” looking. The taste is great.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 707


Aisle: 1100
Product: Wasabi Sake Mustard
Company: Wine Country Kitchens
Address: 511 Alexis Court
Napa, CA 94558
Phone: 707-252-9463
Company representative: Jill Sheehan
Judge: Eric Winkler
Chef’s Pantry
Novato, CA
Comments: Nicely balanced flavor profile. The wasabi is not overdone. Upscale, yet simple packaging.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 708


Aisle: 1300
Product: Coffees
Company: Peerless Coffee & Tea
Address: 260 Oak Street
Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 800-232-5662
Company representative: Scott Huber
Judge: Ashley Farmer
The Cupboard
Fort Collins, CO
Comments: This company offers a range of coffee roasts and flavors, while maintaining high quality and simplicity in packaging.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 709


Aisle: 1400
Product: Pickled Vegetables
Company: Sandstone Farms
Address: 343 Avenue E
Kuna, ID 83634
Phone: 866-203-2844
Company representative: Kathy Hansen
Judge: Stacey Baumgarn
The Cupboard
Fort Collins, CO
Comments: Attractive packaging for various markets. Easy-to-read labels and graphics. The company strives for high quality and taste. Great job.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 710


Aisle: 1500
Product: Dried Mushrooms
Company: FungusAmongUs
Address: P.O. Box 352
Snohomish, WA 98291
Phone: 360-568-3403
Company representative: Michael Monroe
Judge: Larry C. Burgess
Relish Market and Cafes
Raleigh, NC and Atlanta, GA
Comments: These products provide flavor and texture to a variety of foods. Their offering seems to best exemplify the attributes of timeliness, creativeness, and merchandising potential.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 711


Aisle: 1600
Product: Chuao Chocolates and Hot Chocolates
Company: Chuao Chocolatier
Address: The Lumberyard, Suite C-109
937 S. Coast Highway 101
Encinitas, CA 92024
Phone: 760-635-1444
Company representative: Tomas Pineda
Judge: Kelly Burgess
Relish Market and Cafes
Raleigh, NC and Atlanta, GA
Comments: Great taste, product array bridges from coffeehouse beverage to wine tasting accompaniment.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 712


Aisle: 1700
Product: IZZE Pear Juice
Company: IZZE Beverage Company
Address: 2990 Center Green Court South
Boulder, CO 80301
Phone: 303-327-5515
Company representative: Becky Ghirardelli
Judge: Alice Roach
Candy Tyme
Chico, CA
Comments: Juice was delicious and unique.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 713


Aisle: 1800
Product: Flavored Butter Mints
Company: Heide’s Homemade Butter Mints
Address: P.O. Box 213
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
Phone: 910-392-4384
Company representative: Heide Hooper
Judge: Tracy Fowler
Candy Tyme
Yuba City, CA
Comments: These melt-in-your-mouth confections are perfect for weddings, parties, picnics, and gatherings of any kind. Flavors include Original Butter Mint, Cheesecake, Key Lime, Lemon, and Strawberry. Elegant packaging is available for gift giving.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 714


Aisle: 2400
Product: Steak Sauce With Peaches
Company: Tulocay’s Made in Napa Valley
Address: 101 South Coombs Street, Suite 1
Napa, CA 94559
Phone: 707-253-7655
Company representative: Brian Miller
Judge: Amanda Pearson
Moose Trading Post
Moose, WY
Comments: The presentation was great. It had a terrific peach flavor that was wonderful and unique for a steak sauce.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 715


Aisle: 2500
Product: Chocolates and Seafood Pates
Company: Hagensborg
Address: 1576 Rand Avenue
Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6P 3G2
Phone: 604-266-9092
Company representative: Karen Girardeau
Judge: Tina Lundgren
Tina’s Basket Case
Richland, WA 99352
Comments: These chocolates were a delight to look, as well as to taste! "Kiss Me" the Frog Prince and "Leone" the King of Belgian chocolates were both decadent, smooth, and silky, while the "Truffle Pig" was a delicate peanut butter-flavored chocolate bar. The seafood pates have a light, smooth texture and easily spread on crackers.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 716


Aisle: 2800
Product: Microsoft Business Solutions Retail Management Systems
Company: East Bay Point Of Sales Systems
Address: 3838 Grand Ave.
Oakland, CA 94610
Phone: 510-832-5548
Company representative: Maria Powell
Judge: Roger McElroy
Straub’s Markets
St. Louis, MO
Comments: This looks like a great turnkey IT solution made for small businesses. The product is Windows-based for ease of training and is compatible with what many retailers are already using. Expandable and comprehensive, the system would help a retailer track and quickly make sense of all the numbers involved with business.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 717


Aisle: 2900
Product: Jones Organics
Company: Jones Soda Co.
Address: 234 Ninth Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: 206-624-3357
Company representative: Mike Spear
Judge: Rudy Chavez
Lazy Acres Market
Santa Barbara, CA
Comments: All natural. Made with organic cane sugar. The concept of pairing fruit flavors with white, rooibos, and green teas is unique. The flavors pair well with their respective teas. The labels are unique with their local artist renditions as the fruit flavors.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 718


Aisle: 3000
Product: Fruit Juice Soda
Company: The Switch
Address: 300 Turner Road, Suite C
Richmond, VA 23225
Phone: 804-675-4156
Company representative: Bill Hargis
Judge: Lisa Braithwaite
Lazy Acres Market
Santa Barbara, CA
Comments: It’s an all-natural, no-sugar-added, pure fruit juice drink that takes the place of sodas that are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup and other undesirable ingredients. The packaging is also eye catching.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 719


Aisle: 4100
Product: Sweet Olive Pesto
Company: Mt. Vikos
Address: 4 Calypso Lane
Marshfield, MA 02050
Phone: 781-834-0828
Company representative: Sheree Cardoos
Judge: Debora A. Canepa
Blackstone Winery
Gonzales, CA
Comments: The taste was savory and sweet, plus the packaging was quite attractive.
READER SERVICE NUMBER 720