It’s fall and that means pumpkin spice everything. From new entries to some fall staples, not to mention signature cocktails, we are inundated with the heavenly fragrance of pumpkin, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg this time of year. A few new 2024 offerings include Oui Pumpkin Caramel Yogurt (delicious), Good Culture Pumpkin & Spice Cottage Cheese, Aloha’s Pumpkin Spice Protein Bar and my favorite, Bonne Maman Pumpkin Spice Spread. But the best of the best this season are the traditional Philly favorites: Ivins Spiced Wafers, available only at Acme Markets and Brown’s Super Stores’ Sweet Potato Pie…it’s even better than homemade. Enjoy!
A tip of the hat to Wakefern Food Corp. for putting on their first showcase since 2019, and what a show it was! Wakefern Food Corp. successfully hosted the 2024 Wakefern Showcase on September 18 and 19 at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, NJ. Photos are on page 14 and 15. Bigger and better than ever, the event provided a valuable opportunity for Wakefern members and over 2,500 of their retail associates to interact with three hundred vendor partners and the extensive range of services and innovative solutions the cooperative offers its members and wholesale customers. “We were thrilled to bring back the Wakefern Showcase this year – with more vendors and Wakefern divisions present than ever before,” said Bob Cerullo, vice president of meat and seafood at Wakefern. “We wanted to provide our members the best possible opportunity to connect, learn and explore the full range of services that Wakefern provides.”
Formerly known as the “Perishables Show,” the 2024 showcase was expanded to include both perishable and non-perishable categories. Also new this year, members and store representatives were able to take advantage of special discounted prices with on-the-spot ordering, turning it into a selling show. Also featured was a 25,000 square foot, state-of-the-art “supermarket,” (including a full blown DiBruno’s section) showcasing up-to-the-minute trends in equipment, layout, décor and planograms.
“At Wakefern, we equip cooperative members with the tools, trends and go-to-market strategies they need to continually innovate and deliver exceptional customer experiences,” added Mike Stigers, president of Wakefern Food Corp. “This year’s showcase demonstrated our ongoing commitment to ensuring that our members have what they need to compete and win in the competitive supermarket industry.”
I hear the showcase will be an annual event going forward. A special shout out to Ocean Mist, the premier grower of artichokes in the USA for the delicious huge artichokes they gave me at the end of the show that I cooked the minute I got home. Coincidently, it’s their 100th birthday this year. Cent’anni and grazie mille.
If you live in Pennsylvania, you know about the archaic liquor laws we have. Pennsylvania is one of 18 control states where all spirits sold in Pennsylvania are in Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) stores, called Wine & Spirit Stores, which also sell other alcoholic beverages. Malt beverages are sold in case lots by licensed beer retailers known as distributors, and in smaller quantities by licensed grocery stores, convenience stores, and on-premises establishments. The number of licenses to serve alcohol (including beer and wine) in restaurants is limited based on county populations. The laws are intricate and annoying, but sometimes the evolution of the alcoholic beverage industry forces the PLCB to become more flexible. Such is the case with ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDC). In mid-September, with the enactment of Act 86 of 2024, the sale of RTDCs became effective in Pennsylvania and retailers have responded positively. Act 86 defines ready-to-drink cocktails as pre-mixed drinks made from distilled liquor and other nonalcoholic liquids packaged by the manufacturer in containers of up to 16 ounces. Many retailers have jumped on the bandwagon choosing to sell the RTDCs. Weis Markets said that a selection of RTDCs will be available at 92 Pennsylvania Weis Markets beer-wine cafés. Customers will have up to 37 of the best-selling RTDCs to choose from, including local brands such as Stateside and Surfside, made in Philadelphia.
“Introducing ready-to-drink cocktails to our Pennsylvania beer-wine cafés will offer both convenience and variety to our customers’ shopping experience,” said Bob Gleeson, Weis Markets senior vice president of merchandising and marketing. “This new offering allows our customers to find a wide range of premium, pre-mixed cocktails all in one place, saving them an extra trip.”
The Giant Company (TGC) also announced its intent to make these products available at nearly all its TGC and Martins stores with operating beer and wine departments throughout the Commonwealth this fall.
“Our stores have been a destination for beer and wine since 2011 and 2016, respectively, and we have heard from our customers about the convenience of being able to grab ready-to-drink cocktails while grocery shopping too,” said Rebecca Lupfer, senior vice president and chief merchant, TGC. “We’re excited to expand our offering to customers starting today, with canned cocktails rolling out to 138 stores across Pennsylvania.” TGC anticipates having ready-to-drink regional and national brands like Surfside/Stateside and High Noon available for customers. While they haven’t announced the number of stores that will be selling the RTDCs, we know that Acme also has plans to add the RTDCs to their offerings in their cafes. Drink up, Pennsylvania.
Congratulations to Tricia Greyshock, president and CEO of the National Refrigerated and Frozen Food Association (NFRA), and her capable team for the excellent 2024 NFRA Convention held at the Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, MD October 5 to 8. The NFRA Convention isn’t just your typical industry meeting. While there are breakfast speakers, luncheons, a networking reception, and the Taste of Excellence Reception, most of the time is spent at in one-on-one business meetings with the companies of one’s choice. The real value of this convention is that all the major companies in the industry; retailers, manufacturers, sales agents, logistics providers, suppliers are all in one place, making it possible to hold dozens of meetings in just a few days. There’s even a “speed meeting” space. Plus, the NFRA Café was a good place to meet suppliers and sample the dairy and frozen food products they had to offer. Photos from the event are on page 37. See you next year, October 18 to 21 in Orlando, FL.
Kudos to the sales team at Dietz & Watson as they have been honored with the “Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility” award by their partner, Amazon Fresh. This award recognizes Dietz & Watson for the following: their role in the Amazon Fresh Store Expansion Project, their desire to partner with innovative and forward-thinking retailers to deliver best-in-class shopping experiences and their commitment to quality above all else. Philly’s own…doing what they do best!
Members of the leadership group from both Campbell’s and Saint Joseph’s University have been working together over the past several months to renovate the food marketing section of the library. The goals for the Campbell Collaboration Center are: to elevate the prestige of the food marketing major at SJU by showcasing a local, long-time corporate partner of the program, resulting in increased enrollment; to provide a dedicated space for food marketing recruiting events, including meetings with prospective students and families; to create a first-class learning environment for food marketing classes and guest lecturer engagements; To create a unique setting to host the food marketing speaker series. To offer an inviting atmosphere for employers to hold Lunch & Learns, information sessions, and interviews for co-ops and full-time placements in the food and consumer packaged goods industry; and finally, to supply a dedicated meeting space for the student-run Food Marketing Association. Congratulations, the new space is fabulous!
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding and Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger announced the 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show theme, “Powering Pennsylvania” on September 24 at Oregon Dairy in Lititz. The Lancaster County business embodies the 2025 Pennsylvania State Fair theme as a family-run agritourism destination, green-energy producer, and community economic driver.
“Agriculture powers Pennsylvania,” said Secretary Redding. “We hope you’ll join us in January to kick off your 2025 with people like Oregon Dairy’s Hurst and Forry families, who power our families with nutritious food every day. Thousands of farm families join them in powering our economy, supporting 593,000 jobs and pouring more than $132.5 billion into our communities every year; and increasingly producing green energy that literally keeps lights on and businesses running. The Shapiro administration is proud to support Pennsylvania agriculture and the innovative Pennsylvanians who power our daily lives and make us a national leader.”
Every year, the PA Farm Show, Pennsylvania’s State Fair, brings half a million visitors to the capitol city for eight days of competition, and family fun with an educational twist. The 2025 event will run from January 4 through January 11 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. The 2025 Farm Show will feature fan-favorites like the 1,000-pound butter sculpture, delicious Farm Show Food Court, thousands of competitive agricultural events, homegrown cooking demonstrations at the PA Preferred Culinary Connection, and more than one million square-feet of hands-on agriculture education opportunities and chances to engage with the people who power Pennsylvania through agriculture. For more information visit farmshow.pa.gov. It’s an awesome show and a great way to begin 2025.
Celebrating another trip around the sun this spicy month of October: Chad Vilotti, Liscio’s Bakery; Frank Nardi, retired from Wakefern; Ray Nemeth, Snyder’s/Lance; Justine Giordano, Vincent Giordano Company; and Nina Weiland, FTN alumna. Buon compleanno a tutti!
Quote of the month: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Desmond Tutu
Maria can be reached at maria@foodtradenews.com or 443.631.0172.
