From baklava and bagels to crumpets and crepes, muffins, macarons and much more, frozen baked goods will be hot stuff at the Winter Fancy Food Show January 19-22 at Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. Organized by the New York City-headquartered Specialty Food Association (SFA), this year’s running of the annual event promises to showcase more than 80,000 specialty food and beverage products presented by over 1,400 exhibitors from around the world.
Featured items from Patterson, New Jersey-based Kontos Foods will include Gordita flatbreads and Toasted Tidbits, the latter of which may accompany dips, soups and salads. Also in the forefront at Booth #126 will be desserts such as classic and assorted Baklava, along with Spanakopita and Tyropita appetizers. The company’s popular Pocket-Less Pita, pre-oiled Gyro Bread and pre-grilled Mini Oval Flatbreads will also be available.
Quality Irish Food will shine the spotlight on Mr. Crumb Stuffing Waffles and Cornbread Stuffing. The 100-gram waffles, distributed in retail four-packs and voted “Best Irish Product” in the United Kingdom, contain sautéed onion, sage, other herbs and butter among primary ingredients.
There’s “no need to add anything, product re-heats in minutes in either a microwave or oven,” says the Finea, Ireland-based producer.
Founded by Bernard Coyle in 1996, the company has been voted Ireland’s Best Business three times. Its international food accolades include the Great Taste Award, “Blas na h’eireann Award and Irish Quality Food Award.
“Prepare to be wowed by Cranberry, Pecan, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Honey bake-at-home Brie en Croute,” boasts Pleasanton, California-headquartered Elegant Brie, which will highlight the product at the Winter Fancy Food Show. “We start with the creamiest brie cheese, add outrageously decadent fillings, and hand-wrap them in flaky puff pastry. We remove the rind so every bite is pure melt in your mouth goodness!”
Elegant Brie products are promoted as original, unique, centerpiece appetizers. They contain imaginative fillings that run the gamut from garlic, basil and pine nut, to jalapeno artichoke and garlic, mushroom garlic and scallion, apricot and toasted almonds, and blue cheese, garlic, bacon and scallion.
Lakeland Bake Traditional Crumpets will be front and center at the BWI booth. The traditional English crumpets, baked to a fluffy yet chewy texture, are distributed in 276-gram packs of six.
“This is a breakfast item similar to an English muffin but with stark differences, as they are light and airy,” says the Westlake Village, California-based importer. “Suggested serving is toasted until hot, with a rather large smear of butter and some jam on top.”
Mount Sneffels Lemon Crumb Muffins, described as a cross between a lemon pound cake and crumb cake, will be available to sample at the stand Castle Rock, Colorado-based Yumbana, LLC. The gluten-, soy- and nut-free product has been judged Superior in Taste by Chefs In America.
Organic Belgian-Style Crepes will be served up by Michel de France. The all-natural product makes for an elegant dessert presentation when topped with berries and cream or ice cream and chocolate sauce. Retail distribution is in 400-gram packs of eight crepes.
Michel de France is a family-owned and -operated company headquartered in Ontario, California. Since 1985 it has produced crepes, wraps, wafers and other products based on 200-year-old recipes adapted a bit by founder Chef Michel, whose emigrated to the USA from the Brittany region of France. His adherence to culinary tradition has been passed on to sons Erwan and Philippe, who run the business today.
Also serving Crepes at the Winter Fancy Food Show will be the Belgian Boys of Brooklyn, New York. Their heat-and-serve thin pancake treats are ready to plate after just one minute of microwave zapping or two to three minutes of pan frying.
The product is marketed by “Skinny” and “Chubby,” who spent their childhood in Belgium before moved to the USA at age 18. In 2014 they went into the business of importing and promoting crepes, snacks and other products from the old country. The range includes Dutch-style Mini Stroopwafels, Mini Cookie Stash and Choco Waffle Chips.
LOOKA Patisserie, a retail division of the French Patisserie, will spotlight its assortment of LOOKA Macarons and Truffettes, all of which are distributed frozen, at the Winter Fancy Food Show. The 18-count Macaron offering features two delicately light almond meringue cookies with a moist, chewy and flavorful filling. Flavors are chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, pistachio, lemon and coffee.
In business since 1989, the Pacifica, California-based company founded by Chef Frank Spasic additionally produces premium layered mousse cakes and other desserts.
Also on the San Francisco scene at Moscone Center will be Macaron Paris LLC of New York City. The company, which started as a single café with a small oven in 2007, now has three locations in Manhattan, a growing e-commerce business, and more than 300 retail customers across North America.
Its frozen product line of French Macarons features more than 30 different classic and exotic flavors including pistachio, raspberry, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, matcha, espresso, coconut and passion fruit. The gluten-free cookies are hand made in New York with the high quality of ingredients.
This is just a snapshot of the abundance in store for visitors to see and sample at the 2020 Winter Fancy Food Show. Registration information is available at the organizer’s website: www.specialtyfood.com. – Reported by John Saulnier
