Iconoculture: It’s hard to speak pretentiously about terroir with secret sauce dripping down your chin. Los Angeles-based Learn About Wine’s Blind Date tastings pair a variety of respectable reds with beloved In-N-Out Double-Double cheeseburgers.
The tastings are held on assorted Friday nights in a downtown loft and boast 20 one-ounce blind pours. Each night of the series features a different red: merlot, cab, zinfandel, pinot noir and Rhone. Afterwards the wines are revealed so that tasters can ensure they pair the right bottle with their next combo meal.
But you can’t get fries with that — wine tasting has to retain some level of class!
Californians, with their own lively vinoculture, know that wine is not just for snobs, and most oenophiles know the scene at the end of the movie Sideways speaks the truth: Wine goes with just about anything, including a hamburger.
The BBC is planning to invest £25m in children's TV programmes over the next three years, meaning TV Brackets and TV Mounts could be reaffirmed as positive assets to any modern environment.
LCD TV's, programmes and TV Brackets and TV Mounts have taken a battering in recent years with many suggesting that watching TV may encourage laziness. LCD TV's and therefore accessories like TV Brackets and TV Mounts have become staple additions to most homes, but our love affair with the LCD TV has been
changeable. Click here for more info!
Springwise: Slappy Cakes is a full-service breakfast and lunch restaurant that features a variety of dishes made from fresh and organic ingredients. It chooses local and regional vendors whenever possible, as well as operating its own courtyard garden for herbs, vegetables and berries. Most interesting of all, however, is that each table at Slappy Cakes features a built-in griddle. Patrons can choose from a variety of batter options—including buttermilk, pumpkin, vegan and gluten-free—and do the cooking themselves, right at their table. Accompaniments such as nuts, berries and chocolate along with organic maple syrup can then be added to create the customized pancake concoction of one's dreams.
A Bottle Of is Australia’s first Naturally Positive Spring Water. On closer look, you will see that its bottles are branded with positive affirmations. You can read these over and over again to assist you in being able to Transform your life with every sip. You can now drink on the run with the added benefit of a positive thought.
Start with 3 bottles to help you on your road to transformation and self-discovery: A Bottle Of Strength, of Love and of Wellbeing.
Four popular "cookie diets" are the latest quick-fix weight-loss fads. Followers eat special cookies about six times a day, and sometimes an additional "normal" meal of low-fat foods, for less than 1,000 calories total per day.
Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet has been endorsed by Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson. The treats contain protein, amino acids for appetite control, and cellulose for satiety. The plan includes a daily multivitamin.
Smart for Life not only sells cookie kits, but other prepared foods. The Hollywood Cookie Diet serves up a proprietary mix of protein and fiber for sustained energy. The Soypal Cookie Diet, which originates in Japan, mixes in soy pulp to keep people fuller longer.
In the case of fad diets, long-term health and wellness goals take a backseat to the pursuit of a beauty ideal. Cookie diet followers want results, and they want 'em fast, with minimum of effort or thought in regard to calorie counting, meal planning, shopping and exercise.
BakerTweet is a way for busy bakers to tell the world that something hot and fresh has just come out of the oven. It's as simple as turning the dial and hitting the button. All of the baker's followers get a Twitter alert to tell them that it's bun-time.
The first BakerTweet device has been installed at the Albion Cafe on Boundary Street in Shoreditch, London. To find out what's cooking follow @albionsoven on Twitter.
BakerTweet allows businesses to use Twitter to communicate in real-time about offers, pricing and stock from a device that can withstand kitchen peril and is much simpler to operate than a laptop or a mobile.
Every Wednesday, Dulcinea will deliver to your door six generous portions of a handcrafted baked good inspired by the best seasonal produce and ingredients available that week. Six jumbo apple spice muffins, a robust zucchini tea cake, and a half dozen red currant scones are just a few examples of past deliveries. Dulcinea always uses the finest ingredients, which are from local farms, organic, and sustainably produced whenever possible.
TrendOriginal: Entitled The Sex Pistol, this ice cream cocktail is claimed to have similar effects to the libido-boosting drug Viagra. It contains ingredients such as ginkgo, biloba, arginine and guarana and is served with a shot of the highly intoxicating La Fee Absinthe, so it’s guaranteed to leave you feeling energized and confident. Customers are limited to one serving per person. The Sex Pistol costs £11.99 and is available to customers (aged 18 and over) from September 10 at Selfridges, (London) store’s basement.
Iconoculture: Pie Lab — a pop-up dessert shop in Greensboro, Alabama — serves pie, with a little hope on the side. Hale County, where Greensboro is located, is one of the poorest counties in America and it still struggles with deep-seeded racial divides. The organizers of Pie Lab hope to create a neutral space where folks can visit — and begin to heal.
The small shop was founded by two non-profit groups, Project M (a group of designers, writers and photographers who apply their talents to the greater good) and Hale Empowerment and Revitalization Organization (an organization that helps families in Hale County).
Pie Lab's tiny menu includes two types of pie (chocolate bourbon pecan and apple were recent offerings), coffee, lemonade and milk.
Springwise: Offering a self-service system that can be retrofitted anywhere is the TableTender by TableTap.
The TableTender system, available in Britain and the United States, is designed and built for each specific venue. There's a tap (or several) located at each table, which allows patrons to pour at their leisure—to a point. The system is designed to comply with drinking regulations, shutting off after dispensing around 11 pints of beer and only resuming once a waiter has checked the table. The amount dispensed is displayed on a meter at the table, as well as recorded on the proprietor’s database to monitor sales and consumption by hour, day, month and table.
DailyMail Online: Homemade strawberry jam is very much back in fashion. It's partly down to budget-conscious and organic consumers, and partly because the summer has been brilliant for fruit-growers.
And there's one more thing: forget the redoubtable ladies of the WI, the MTV generation are getting in on the act.
After all, the Tefal electric jam maker, the cheat's route to homemade jam, is the best-selling product at Lakeland, with more than 8,500 of them flying off the shelves this year. Sales of jam-making equipment like jars, lids, thermometers and pots are also through the roof at other retailers.
Iddictive.com: There’s more to Coca-Cola than just brown fizzy drinks. The company owns hundreds of brands and variations covering everything from juices to bottled waters.
Unfortunately, putting all those options on display in your local fast food outlet would be a little impractical – and so most dispensers stick to a few favourites. Although these options can be localised based on regional preferences, there are still a lot of people who walk away dissappointed with the (lack of) choice.
Enter ‘Freestyle’, Coke’s new RFID-based drinks dispenser that’s being trialled in selected US states this summer. The dispenser uses a touchscreen interface to allow customers to choose from over 100 different options, mixed to order from 30 different flavour cartridges.
Most interestingly, each cartridge is fitted with an RFID tag which feeds data on consumption to a reader built into the machine. The reader, in turn, sends the data via private network to Coke’s head office.
Springwise: If the underground restaurant known as Charlie's Burgers departs from the norm in part through its secrecy and its constantly changing venue, Open ChefAMe is in some ways its opposite, featuring instead the creations of different aspiring chefs at each of its well-publicized monthly events.
Through the participation of a few Philadelphia restaurants, Open ChefAMe offers what it calls an "open mic night" for local aspiring chefs on one Monday each month. The chosen culinary talents for each event get to pick the menu for a three-course meal, take over the kitchen at the participating restaurant and then cook dinner for a crowd. The dinner in May, for example, featured the talents of local food blogger Felicia D’Ambrosio and pastry arts student Alyssa Shilliday; the menu included sweet corn soup with chives and bacon garnish, gougéres with dry-cured ham, watercress and Dijon cream, Moroccan spiced braised lamb shoulder with lentils and minted yoghurt, Thai watermelon soup, sake-poached halibut with marinated cucumber salad, and Korean style skirt steak with pears. The next event—the fourth so far—will be on July 27; tickets are USD 35. After each event Open ChefAMe donates more than 25 percent of its profits to at least one charity, chosen by the night's chefs.
‘Steinfinger’ — aptly named for its ability to move up to four beverages with a single hand, or indeed finger — is a world first in concept and design and represents a stunning new media opportunity for brands to communicate relevant promotional offers to patrons at sports stadiums and events.
Gone are the days of venues providing flimsy cardboard trays (often at a cost). Because cups are held around the rim, Steinfinger is virtually spill proof; it is also lightweight, reusable and recyclable.
Iconoculture: Well-known Los Angeles chef Susan Feniger has opened Street, a restaurant that takes its inspiration from street vendors from across the globe.
The menu — a mix of small plates, medium-sized portions and proper entrées — features dishes from Singapore to India. Kaya toast, a common breakfast dish in Singapore, is two pieces of grilled white bread spread with sweet coconut jam and served with a soft-boiled egg. Indian-style fritters come topped with yogurt, mint sauce and tamarind chutney.
To complete the global adventure, Street offers beers from around the world, as well as exotic non-boozy options like Mexican-style aguas frescas (fruit juice drinks) and lassis (yogurt-based bevvies) from India.
Most consumers can't afford an international vacation these days — but they can afford a Belgian brew and a few global snacks.
Trendwatching.com:TCHO, the San Francisco based chocolatier, produces "beta editions" of its dark chocolate. Continuous flavor development and customer feedback mean that varieties are constantly evolving, with new versions emerging as often as every 36 hours. TCHO’s first version of chocolate recently came out of Beta (after 1,026 iterations) and is called Tcho 1.0. Last October, TCHO also opened its Beta Factory Store on Pier 17 in San Francisco.
Iconoculture: Consumers will soon be seeing some new names in the butcher case. The beef industry spent five years and $1.5 million studying the chuck roll, the area under the shoulder blade that's normally turned into moderately priced steaks and chuck roast — and came up with five new products.
Country-style Chuck Ribs are boneless and best braised, like a short rib. America’s Beef Roast can be roasted in the oven and makes a great sandwich. The Denver has lots of marbling and is best cooked to medium-rare. The Sierra is similar to a flank steak and needs to be marinated for several hours before grilling or broiling. The tender Delmonico steak is best grilled or broiled.
Welcome to Flatiron Marketing 2009. More consumers are making their own dinners these days, and are seeking relatively cost-effective ways to enjoy a good steak by being educated about right cooking methods.
Iconoculture: From frozen meats to breakfast cereal, cost-conscious shoppers are bidding on heavily discounted items at grocery auctions, with average savings of between 50-90%.
Sprouting up at auction halls across the country, the gatherings put leftover and slightly damaged groceries on the auction block. Arriving from supermarkets, distribution centers and restaurant suppliers, the goods might otherwise have found their way into salvage stores or food banks.
While the items may be dinged up or close to expiration, everything is hawked as perfectly edible, and guaranteed with a full refund.
The combination of the recession and rising food costs has consumers opening up to new and often creative ways of saving on basic staples like food.
ProductDose: Here it is, the make your own soda machine. This thing is simple to use right out of the box, allowing you to make your own sodas such as cola, root beer, lemon-lime, etc. Not only do you know what you're putting into the beverage you also save on bottles and cans.
In early 2008 RyLo Products, LLC launched the Revive Energy Mint Distributorship program to allow qualified individuals to get in on distribution of the product. Through vending machines and retail outlets these distributors are make a living selling the Revive mints. What is the Revive Product you ask? Revive Energy mints are what many people are calling a “supermint” energy and superfoods packed into a breath mint. Each mint packs the power of a cup of coffee along side the world’s most powerful antioxidants, the Acai Berry, The Goji Berry and The Mangosteen Fruit. Each mint has a smooth mint taste that is followed up by refreshing wellness and energy burst.
RyLo Products, LLC has hand picked distributors across the U.S. and Canada to promote the product and become distribution channels. These distributors receive 25 custom vending machines which they then set up vending routes in their territories. Along with the vending machines distributors are given retail rights and coaching to pursue and land retail accounts on a local and nation level. According to the president of RyLo Products, Logan Chierotti distributors are doing extremely well, “We are extremely happy with the success of our distributors, many of our distributors are utilizing trade show’s and other promotional events to really push the product.”
Revive distributorships are available throughout the united states, parts of Canada and according to Ryan Russo, COO they will be opening their doors to the United Kingdom and Australia in late 2009 early 2010.
Springwise: The establishment, Minibar, is set to open soon. How it works? Customers leave a passport or driver's license with a staff member and are given an ice bucket and a key to their bar. The numbered mini fridges fill an entire wall, and vary in size and content—guests can choose from beer bars, champagne bars and mixed bars. Like an old-fashioned food automat, the mini bars are stocked from the back, making for easy restocking and out-of-sight logistics.
Designed by renowned Dutch design firm Concrete, Minibar offers consumers a new experience—one that's sure to be welcomed by those who are fed up with waiting in line or aren't willing (or able) to shell out for pricey bottle service. We wouldn't be surprised to see similar concepts popping up around the world.
Bar lets patrons serve themselves from personal mini bars [Springwise]
Iconoculture: Restaurants are finding creative ways to play the culinary field while minimizing financial risk — for themselves and their customers.
In Williamsburg, Brooklyn, two Vietnamese restaurants — Bep and Bonjin — use the kitchens of other restaurants and are each open just one day a week during off hours.
More restaurants within restaurants: New York's Craft and Beer Table break stride to offer affordable "Frugal Friday" and "Tuesday Night Dinner," respectively. In Chicago, "Dine with Dale" takes over Relax Lounge weekly.
Even Rachael Ray has gotten in on the act with Café Una Notte, which used the kitchen at New York's Barbuto
Star-Telegram.com: Given the recent global financial crises, it comes as no surprice that many families would be looking for budget-friendly activities for their kids while school is out. Open your own culinary school in the kitchen by exploring some of the recipes in these easy-to-follow cookbooks for kids. With these recipes, your family can learn new skills and travel the world — all for a few dollars.
Springwise: Restaurants on wheels have already come a long way, as upscale pizza, ice-cream and dessert trucks have joined the ranks of the Good Humor man and the hot-dog stand. Now the taco truck—a longstanding institution on the streets of LA—is getting a whole new spin thanks to Twitter and the infusion of some Korean spice.
Launched last fall, Kogi Korean BBQ takes the taste of Korean barbecue and melds it with the portability of Mexican tacos and burritos for a whole new category of delectable food. Kogi's signature Korean short ribs taco, for example, combines marinated short rib trimmings with sesame-chili salsa roja, lettuce and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, and cilantro-green onion-lime relish. Spicy chicken and pork tacos are also available, as is a version with tofu. That all sounds mouth-watering, of course, but at least as compelling is that the company sells its food primarily through two trucks that are always on the go to new locations in the Los Angeles area—to know where to find them, customers must follow Kogi on Twitter (and more than 7,000 already do).
Reuters: Starbucks Corp, whose chief executive is trying to fight "misperceptions about affordability" for the coffee chain's brands, unveiled on Tuesday its new Via Ready Brew instant coffee that sells for less than $1 per cup.
The latest move from the Seattle company, which grew rapidly by selling pricy lattes and other "affordable luxuries," is another example of how management has changed course since its business succumbed to overexpansion and the world tumbled into recession.
Starbucks now hopes that Via will expand its reach in the $17 billion global coffee market by appealing to travelers, campers, home coffee brewers and other coffee lovers who have their coffee outside one of the company's 12,000 global cafes.
Starbucks will begin selling Via next month in select markets in the United States and in London. A trio of single-serve Via packets will sell for $2.95 in the U.S. and 12 packets will be priced at $9.95.
"The coffee consumption landscape is ripe for disruption," Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz said in a statement. "This is a big move for us - an opportunity to reinvent a category, create new rituals and grow our customer base."
Its latest move would pit Via against best-selling instant coffee brands like Nestle's Nescafe and Kraft Foods' Sanka. Kraft distributes products for Starbucks.
TrendHunter: In this fast-paced world, keeping your energy up is crucial, and doing so efficiently is even better. Blitz Caffeine Energy Gum delivers 55 mg of caffeine per piece, and can be transported and consumed far more quickly and conveniently than a cup of coffee.
examiner.com: There are so many thing which are going right for Peppod, an energy product produced by a small company in Boulder, Colorado. These little alka-seltzer-like tabs are perfect for so many people. They are not easily destructible, taste absolutely fantastic, dissolve quite easily and fit easily into a normal opening of a water bottle. I would not hesitate to buy a box of these - as they provide great energy and decent nutrition in an easy to handle pack.
The design, marketing and thought process behind this one is that it is for healthy people needing a boost, more than your average caffeine junkie. Everything about the formulation of ingredients is all about health, from keeping a body hydrated to only using 80mg of caffeine per pill - so it is not an extreme dosage.
Daily Herald: After 162 years, the New England Confectionery Co. wants to be more than your Valentine.
The maker of Sweethearts -- the tiny heart-shaped candies inscribed with messages like "I Love You" and "Kiss Me" -- and other sugary nostalgia such as Mary Janes, Necco Wafers and Clark Bars says now is the perfect time to broaden its offerings, despite the recession and saturated candy market.
Next month, Necco plans to unveil a new line of Sweethearts connected to "Twilight" -- the young-adult vampire-romance book series. They'll be released at the same time as the DVD of the movie and feature such sayings as "Bite Me," ''Bedazzle" and "Live 4 Ever." Around Memorial Day, Necco will introduce a "Red, White and You" series aimed at veterans returning from Iraq with messages like "Proud" and "Love the USA."
"We're going outside of just the seasons," said Jackie Hague, the company's new vice president of marketing. "And during the seasons we want to expand at the right time. And these brands are perfect for that."
As for releasing new products during a recession, Conroy said candy is inexpensive. "People still like to reward themselves," said Conroy. "At the end of the day, a little candy won't tilt their budgets."
PR Web: With the economic climate tight this year, consumers are witnessing retailers going the extra mile to get their business this Valentine's Day. One wine retailer, Cellar360, approached nine international winemakers and one sports legend to sign their wine bottles for gifts and is even dipping wine in chocolate.
Called the "Signature Series", Cellar360 is offering a collection of wines signed by the individual winemaker. These are then wrapped in tissue paper and gift boxed along with the tasting notes. Winemakers include the 2005 and 2008 Wine Enthusiast Magazine's "Winemakers of the Year" Peter Gago of Penfolds and Margo Van Staaveren of Chateau St. Jean. Other powerhouse celebrity Winemakers include Ed Sbragia of Beringer Fame, Kevin Morrisey of Stags' Leap Winery and Jon Priest from Etude, among others.
"We realize that people are thinking harder about where to spend their money," explains Sales Manager Susan DeMatei. "As retailers, we need to go the extra mail to provide something truly unique to gain their business."
Another example of creative packaging is dipping a bottle in eight ounces of chocolate. "I was reaching out to my local Napa chocolatier for our typical 'wine and chocolate truffles' gifts, when we thought, 'how cool would it be to dip the entire bottle in chocolate?'" After some experimentation, they came up with a perfect pairing - a dark artesian chocolate over a Souverain Dessert Syrah. This port-like wine from Sonoma is cleaned and wrapped in cellophane, then dipped in chocolate and gift wrapped. Instructions come with the wine on how to pull off the inner cellophane so the wine comes off in decadent chunks around the bottle.
"I gave one to my mother's bridge club as a test run," says DeMatei. "It was a huge success - they want five more!"
The "Signature Series" is only available online at www.Cellar360.com. The Chocolate dipped Dessert Syrah is available online or at the San Francisco Store.
CScout: Cosmetics company Fancl of Japan is connecting the dots between its customer base’s concern about their appearances and their presumed health consciousness by partnering with food manufacturer Itoyakado to create a line of snack foods containing various allegedly healthy additives.
The Fancl Collaboration Series includes items such as bread, tofu, and sweets with added collagen, kale extract, germinated brown rice, and “twintose” (a Fancl branded supplement made from Chicory root that purportedly aids mineral absorption). These supplements are also used in Fancl’s existing beauty and healthcare products, and are recognized components of the Fancl name.
Springwise: At the prototype uWink restaurant in Woodland Hills, California, customers use tabletop touch-screen terminals with a proprietary user interface to self-order and self-pay for food, drink and digital media, including selections from a library of more than 70 single- and multiplayer games. Now, through a partnership with tech provider Volanté Systems, those same capabilities are available to other restaurants via the end-to-end uV Hospitality Solution. The software allows for the delivery of digital advertising and the monetization of customer game play via a unique micro-transaction game credit purchasing and redemption system that's tied directly into Volanté's integrated point-of-sale and back-office enterprise system, which features open-source, peer-to-peer technology along with credit/debit processing, loyalty programs and gift card management. Larger average checks and margins, labor savings, increased customer loyalty, increased transaction speed and accuracy, and reduced lines are all among the benefits the companies claim the system provides.
Springwise: Pomme Bébé is an unusual restaurant in Newport Beach, that serves nothing but organic baby and toddler meals prepared fresh in its on-site kitchen. Pomme Bébé peels, steams and purees by hand the ingredients in its meals, which feature seasonal recipes developed by critically acclaimed, five-star chef Laurent Brazier. Fall flavours, for example, include Apple Cranberry Puree, Chicken Pot Pie Blend and Autumn Stew. With prices beginning at USD 3.25 for a four-ounce serving, foods are also available online or through Whole Foods markets nationwide. Prepared without high-heat processes—which can destroy vital nutrients, tastes and colours—Pomme Bébé's meals contain no preservatives, fillers, artificial flavours, chemicals, hormones or antibiotics.
Springwise:Graze encourages consumers to do just that by offering a wide variety of natural foods in snack sizes for regular delivery by Royal Mail. Consumers can select from three types of standard snack collections: the grazemini, which combines fresh fruit with dried fruits, nuts or seeds; the grazeclassic, which adds vegetable, savoury and bakery options to that mix; and the grazeluxury, which includes deli and sweet indulgences. Focused nutritional selections are also available, chosen by Graze's team of nutritionists for energy, well-being or workout enhancement. Whichever box style they select, consumers then tell Graze how they feel about the various food options in that mix—whether they like, love, or would like to try them.
Customers then indicate how often they'd like to receive their boxes, on which days of the week, and in what sizes. Following that schedule, Graze will send a rotating selection of snacks designed for variety and good health. All food offered by Graze is hand-picked from the finest producers, the company says, and free of artificial colourings, flavourings and preservatives.
The Sunday Morning Herald: Hudson Meats could be mistaken for a gourmet boutique. Shelves of pasta, cabinets of cookbooks, fridges of fine cheese and baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables are elegantly displayed in a chic, cutting-edge interior.
The meat counter has all the hallmarks of a high-class restaurant menu: grass-fed beef, Spanish jamon, toulouse sausages, aged Tasmanian ox, organic chooks, Byron Bay pork and Flinders Island lamb. Welcome to the world of the new butcher.
This year's winner of best butcher in The Foodies' Guide To Sydney awards, Hudson Meats is at the leading edge of a constant and conspicuous upgrade in Sydney's butcher shops over the past decade.
These new-wave butchers don't just sell meat, they sell the story - where the animal came from and how it was grown - and the means to turn meat into a meal.
Edmonton Sun: Sometimes even the greatest fans of the cafe experience are on an instant coffee budget. But that doesn't mean you have to say "Ciao" to your favourite steaming hot beverages.
Tassimo, Canada's No. 1 on-demand brewer, has teamed with renowned appliance manufacturer Bosch to create a sleek new one-step process for making hot drinks.
Forget a giant-sized (and giant-priced) espresso machine with attachments, button, bells and whistles. You can whip up tea, hot chocolate and cappuccino with this high-quality and easy-to-use gadget.
You can make your favourite coffee, as well as cappuccino and lattes, espresso, crema, tea and hot chocolate.
Patented technology purports to enable the machine to read the bar code of the T-disc to ensure that the brew temperature and amount of water are automatically adjusted for each beverage. The energy-efficient flow-through water heater virtually eliminates pre-heat time.
There's minimal setup required. Open the box, remove the packaging. Rinse out the water container to clean the machine before the first use and add the water filter (an additional feature of the Suprema).
Pop in the disc of the hot beverage you choose, put your favourite mug underneath and press the bottom. Voila.
One thing that wasn't listed in the Tiffany's table manners handbook is the difficulty that comes with balancing your champagne glass and cracker delight simultaneously. Well, surprisingly enough, the answer to this complexity comes from Fred & friends: FINGERFOOD™. Mini plates attached to rings that enable you to wear your food. No need to worry about awkward balancing acts. Just small talk…
TrendsSpotting.com is a trends agency focused on developing exciting tools for Trend Spotting. We follow current trends and are constantly looking for new ones. We specialize in trends research and the social media. Dr. Taly Weiss, TrendsSpotting CEO, is a Social Psychologist, with extensive experience in branding strategy and marketing research. Feel free to explore our trend spotting tools on www.trendoScope.com.
TrendCentral: Grown high up in the Andes, the roots of the Yacon plant are just now making their way into farmers markets and natural food stores around the US. Similar in texture to water chestnuts or jicama, the taste of yacon is often described as a cross between an apple and a watermelon. A high concentration of oligofructose (a sugar that cannot be broken down by the body and therefore cannot be absorbed) makes yacon naturally low in calories and good for diabetics because its sugar does not raise blood glucose levels. In addition, oligofructose promotes beneficial bacteria in the colon, making it a natural prebiotic.
CoolHunting: Nothing livens up a cocktail party like talk of tragedy and there may never be a classier catastrophe than the Titanic. With that in mind, the clever folk at Fred & Friends designed the perfect conversation piece with Gin & Titonic. It's an ice cube mold that is shaped to depict miniature Titanics and icebergs that form a dramatic diorama when sunk into your drink.
TrendCentral: Putting a "twist" on the standard beverage bottle design, this new airtight cap also serves as a storage device, keeping active ingredients separate from the liquid. Once the cap is twisted, the ingredients are released, creating a fresh, instant, power-packed drink. Activate drinks feature these twist & release caps, which keep vitamins and herbs fresh. Because vitamins and other healthy ingredients can deteriorate in water, Activate promises a fresh, potent beverage, no matter how long it sits on the shelf.
TrendCentral: There may not be lines at Pinkberry anymore now that we know it's not quite as "natural" as they claimed, but the ever resilient frogurt trend shows no signs of defeat, with the number of frogurt stores starting to rival that of Starbucks. While we've yet to reach a consensus as to which is our favorite, we must say we're pretty stoked on the Yogurtland business model. Not only do they have 16 flavors and 33 toppings, but customers pay by the ounce.
jobwerx: New Greenshoot fresh soup range selects the innovative packaging format for ambient soups launched by RPC Bebo Nederland and RPC Containers Halstead.
According to Urban Foods, Greenshoot Soups is the first really convenient individual fresh soup range to be launched for the French market, and the company wanted the packaging to combine practicality and ease of use for consumers with a stylish new look to create maximum shelf impact.
Designed to meet the demands of busy lifestyles, the new pack from RPC offers optimum consumer convenience, being lightweight, easy to open and microwaveable.
The container is co-extruded and thermoformed in PP/EVOH/PP by RPC Bebo Nederland. The multi-layer construction offers significant barrier protection to ensure, in combination with processing, that the soup has a shelf life comparable to traditional packaging.
The cup’s rounded design delivers sufficient durability to withstand high filling temperatures and is compatible with standard in-car cup holders so that soups can be enjoyed safely and conveniently on the move.
The cups are sleeved before being hot filled. The new packaging features a bold design with a black cup and lid and striking graphics in bright colors illustrating each product’s ingredients.
Julien Ponceblanc of Urban Foods says, “Fresh takeaway soups are a relatively new concept in France so we wanted this new product launch to reflect this innovation with stylish, convenient and high quality packaging which attracted attention."
Springwise: The line between kid and adult beverages began to blur a few years ago, when vintners began offering wines in Tetra Paks resembling juice boxes. Now, the confusion goes the other way with First Blush's Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay fruit juices. First Blush varietal grape juices are alcohol-free and entirely suitable for kids, with no added sugar or preservatives. Like wine, however, they're also full of polyphenol antioxidants. Launched last May, the drinks are available in upscale grocers such as Whole Foods and Wild Oats, along with delis and restaurants in select states nationwide. Retail pricing is about USD 4 for each 16-ounce bottle.
Juice is already well-entrenched in the world of 'snobmoddities', as we've noted before. But rather than focusing on organic ingredients, as so many others are currently doing, First Blush takes a different approach with its use of grape varietals. It just goes to show: not only can everything be upgraded, but there's usually more than one way to do so!
Merlot & other premium grape juices [Springwise]
With a twist of the air-tight cap, 1.4 grams of traditional Kyoto matcha (high-grade green tea) is released into the mineral water below, creating a serving of fresh (yet instant) tea with no added chemicals or preservatives. In the same fashion, CIC Co. also offers Ukon (tumeric) and Aoijiro (kale juice) health drinks.
What happens to all the moisture when a juicy hunk of sirloin is transformed into chewy beef jerky? Truth is, we don’t know. But the salty, savory flavor of this vitamin and mineral packed concoction will make you think we collected all that sweet, meaty juice just for you.
Gizmodo: This oversized cartoon-esque pistol can be filled with your favorite condiments and fired at your food for the ultimate in BBQ fun. Naturally, the temptation to misuse this device will be overwhelming, but at least you can take solace in the fact that you will have the upper hand in any food fight you instigate. Tabasco anyone? Available soon for £14.95.
Springwise: We wrote recently about the interactive wine bar at Adour in New York City's St. Regis Hotel, and since then we've spotted several mentions of iBar, a related innovation by UK-based Mindstorm.
Unveiled in 2006, the iBar is a customisable surface technology that turns any bar into a giant version of an interactive, touch-sensitive screen. Integrated video projectors can display any content on the bar's milky surface, while built-in intelligent tracking software continually maps the position of every object touching its surface. That input is then used to let the projected content interact dynamically with the movements on the counter, allowing coloured lights, for example, to illuminate, link and follow every movement of hands, bottles and glasses. Multiple people can interact with the iBar at once, and virtual objects can be "touched" with the fingers, enabling a game of pinball where players shoot with their thumbs, for example. Content that can be displayed on the iBar includes internet content, interactive games and advertising; bars can also be fitted with Bluetooth technology to allow consumers to download their own content. The iBar is a stand-alone system comprising modules 2m long, and it can be networked wirelessly to allow interaction between two or more separate units.
Teraoka’s new the Deli Touch pen allows customers to place orders without human contact. Using a menu with barcodes embedded in the photos of the items, the pen’s camera scans the codes and transmits the information via wireless to a server, which is connected to a printer in the kitchen that prints out the order. On both sides an automated voice announces that an order has been placed.
The advantage of the the Deli Touch pen seems more user friendly as compared to a touch screen order system. Besides, the Deli Touch pen is considerably cheaper than an actual waiter.
Springwise:Zen Burger aims to revolutionize the fast food world with natural, wholesome vegetarian foods that have the look, feel, texture and taste of meats without the negative effects on health and the environment. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the restaurant specializes in meatless comfort foods that mimic those sold in traditional fast-food environments, such as the ZenSausage breakfast sandwich, ZenBeef burgers, crispy ZenChicken sandwich, ZenTuna sandwich, ZenHotDog, ZenChicken tenders, ZenShrimp and French fries.
The midtown Manhattan eatery, which just opened a few weeks ago, even recreates the ambience—if you can call it that—of the big fast-food chains, with bright lighting and a 1970s colour scheme heavy on the oranges and greens. Also available at Zen Burger are organic soups and chili, organic salads, non-dairy ice cream, organic teas and coffees, and natural sodas, as well as kids' meals complete with tiny toy. Pricing for a standard meal is about USD 7.
Emerging technology from South Korean fried chicken chain BBQ Chicken. Popcorn chicken rides up top; cola chills out below.
It's perfect for snacking on the move, having it all in one hand. While there're some concerns in the threats of condensation to your food, we think that the idea's innovative and some fine tunes to it would make wonders. It will be an excellent implementation at the cinemas - having your popcorns and drinks all in one (obviously in a bigger packaging).
Cherryflava: Mmmmm - doesn't this, slightly off-colour, slab of meat and seed bun cheese burger look tasty?
Not only does it look yummy, but it comes in a convenient can. No more late night drive-through for you. We're convinced that it may have been fluffed up just a bit for the purposes of this commercial shoot ['cause a round, plump burger popping out of a tin can looking like this, defies the laws of physics] Some quarters seem to be making fun of the groundbreaking invention, but tuna was probably also knocked and made fun of when it was revealed in a canned version over 100 years ago.
Now with a canned BigM close at hand, hiking in the Cedarberg will never be the same again.
Brand Noise: Ice isn't just for chilling drinks anymore, or for packing fish and treating sprains. It's a hot snack. Some Sonic Drive-In franchises sell it in cups and in bags to go. Ice-machine makers are competing to make the best chewable ice, with names like Chewblet, Nugget Ice and Pearl Ice. One manufacturer calls the ice-loving South the "Chew Belt."
Sales of machines that make easier-to-chew ice jumped about 23%, to 16,673 units in 2006 from 2003, according to data from the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute. Some ice chewers, including country-music star Vince Gill, have had the machines installed in their homes.
Ice chewers swap tips on Icechewing.com. A recipe for preparing the perfect cup of ice: Use a glass, not a plastic cup. Let crushed ice fuse in water. Drink the water. Shake the cup to loosen the ice. Dig in.
A little trading down, a little retro, a little irreverence, a little retro. No wonder ice is gaining commercial steam.
Springwise: Customers of You Bar can choose every ingredient that goes into their nutrition bars: the base, protein powders, nuts and seeds, fruits and berries, sweeteners, seasonings, grains and infusions. One consumer might select cashew butter with shredded coconut, organic molasses and nutty rice cereal, for example; another might choose dates, soy protein, walnuts, ground cinnamon and dried banana. Special requests such as for organic ingredients or "extra crunchy" can also be accommodated. Consumers can choose a name for their specially designed bars, and You Bar will print it on each wrapper. For those feeling overwhelmed by the list of choices, on the other hand, You Bar offers three popular bar styles—"Honey Cashew," "Great Date with Chocolate" and "Breakfast Bar"—that are still customizable, but based on set ingredients. All bars are freshly made to order in You Bar's kitchens; pricing is USD 40 plus shipping for 12 fully customized bars, or USD 30 plus shipping for 12 of one of You Bar's popular styles.
Cool Hunting: From hot canned coffee to warm corn soup, Japanese vending machines do their best to meet all your vending machine needs. This May, Kyoto-based company Fujitaka began selling Sapporo-style canned ramen for ¥300 ($2.67) a pop to nerds in Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics district. Yes, you can buy canned noodles! For the country that invented instant ramen, vending machine noodles must be a godsend! The product is so popular and the demand is so strong that the maker is having difficulty filling orders. This summer, Fujitaka also began selling chilled canned noodles and plans to introduce curry udon and Hakata-style ramen.
Since the noodles are made from konnyaku, they won't go soggy and can be stored for up to three years at room temp. No wonder local authorities have even contacted Fujitaka about stockpiling the canned noodles for emergencies. More than perfect nerd food!
TerraPass: Chocolate bars. They're supposed to taste good, but can they also be good? We think so!
Climate Change Chocolate bar is meant to educate while tasting great. It comes in a wrapper with 15 tips for lightening your environmental impact. These helpful hints teach you how to save energy by making small changes to your daily habits. And of course, thanks to Bloomsberry & Co., you can be sure the finest chocolate is attached to these green lifestyle lessons.
Climate Change Chocolate comes with a verified TerraPass offset of 133 pounds of carbon dioxide reductions, the average American’s daily carbon impact. This small offset will be the first taste of a lower-carbon lifestyle for Whole Foods shoppers who decide to take responsibility for their climate change impact.
In addition, the carbon emissions associated with the production and distribution of the chocolate bar has been balanced out.
Strange New Products:The Fizz is a plastic cup that screws on to a plastic PET bottle allowing you to create a mobile ice cream float.
Once you screw the cup to a bottle, fill it up with ice cream, then insert a straw, and finally, squeeze the bottle. This fills the cup with soda, allowing you to sip out a mixture of ice cream and soda.
Strange New Products: Fruit Stickles are wooden skewers used for sticking together chunks of fruit. Except the skewers are seasoned with cinnamon and tropical fruit flavors that leach into the fruit chunks.
The idea is that gives fruit an extra boost of flavor to tempt children into eating more fruit.
The seasoning contains no sugar, just pure seasoning. It's similar to the cinnamon toothpicks that restaurants used to give out in the 70s, except for making fresh-fruit shiskabobs.
I'm sure this can be extended into meat seasoning skewers, for real shiskabobs.
Trendwatching.com: Get ready to welcome honey to the world of PREMIUMIZATION. Most supermarket honey is imported from China and Argentina, and/or blended from many sources, creating a homogenous taste. But, like water, marshmallows, and beer, honey is now striking back with a sweet vengeance, and artisanal honeys are on the rise. Since honey's flavor and color are determined by the source of nectar, there's a huge variety of very local and exclusive types of honey, with floral sources varying from tupelo gum tree and Tasmanian leatherwood to cranberry and orange blossom. The Savannah Bee Company, for example, sells its honeycomb jars with this awe-inspiring description: "Filled with honey equaling the life's work of two bees, each golden cell brims with the concentrated nectar of thousands of rare and remote Georgia flowers.“
Sense: Y Water’s new bottled drink is aimed at children and highlights many of the factors impacting on the industry. The LA start up’s new product tackles sustainability concerns by packing its drink in a bottle with a second life as a toy. Once the contents of the bottle has been consumed multiple bottles can be collected and joined together in a modular structure. With many US schools banning soft drinks outright and water seeming like a boring option Y Water fills a gap in the market, addressing the concerns of health conscious parents whilst appealing to kids through the sheer wow factor of its packaging. The health benefits of the drink are explained to kids through witty and engaging cartoon style labeling.
Entrepreneur: While a bed and breakfast is by definition a lodging that serves breakfast as part of the room rate, there are several different types of B&B properties ranging from intimate family homes with less than a handful of guest rooms to full-fledged country inns with a dozen or more rooms. Part of the charm of B&Bs is that each is a bit different, but they all fall somewhere within five basic categories. A homestay, also called a host home, is a private home with one to four guest rooms that are used to bring in supplemental rather than primary income. Homestays don't typically post signs on their property or advertise, relying instead on reservations services. A bed a breakfast is a step up from the homestay, typically consisting of four to five (but as many as eight) guest rooms and a live-in owner or host family. Bed and breakfasts typically have a sign out front, advertise and conform to zoning, health and other government regulations. Bed and breakfast inns are full-fledged lodging establishments rather than a family home with rooms to rent. With six or more guest rooms and a live-in host, the B&B inn has a well-posted sign, does lots of advertising and adheres to all government regulations. Bed and breakfast hotels are really B&Bs but instead are hotels with 30 or more rooms in a historic building. Breakfast is offered as part of the room rate. Unhosted apartments or cottages are sort of a cross between a vacation rental and a B&B, a self-contained lodging that is completely separate from the host's home.
Cool Hunting: Bulky design, fussy mechanisms and the trickiness involved in resealing the bags offsets the glory of vacuum sealers' ability to keep our precious Roquefort, pineapples, mushrooms and the like at their freshest. In steps Oliso's Frisper Freshkeeper to the rescue. With its compact egg-shaped design, stupid simple operation and bags that open and reseal almost effortlessly, the Frisper solves all the problems of your grandma's vacuum sealer and then some.
Its patent-pending technology makes sure that it works quickly and powerfully to suck the air out of the specially designed bags. Unlike other models that require alignment with the entire edge of the bag, the device seals along predesignated spots making it easy to position. The modification means that the Frisper is about a quarter of the size of other sealers, not much larger than a person's hand—something that those of us who store their vacuum sealer in the basement, unused, are pretty stoked on. It's great when reinvention improves on usability, but better yet when it makes it useful at all.
Cool Hunting: With the look of fossilized dinosaur eggs, Kakawa Cocoa Beans represents chocolate in five different delicious forms. Covered in layers of white, milk and dark chocolates and finished off with a dusting of velvety cocoa powder, the roasted whole Criollo/Trinitario cocoa bean (some of the best in the world) in the middle provides a satisfying and needed crunch. We like the way you can really taste the different types of chocolates in waves of distinct flavors.
Authentic, rich and with great contrasting textures, the Kakawa Cocoa Bean is available for $28 per 12 oz. bag from Cocoa Puro.
Strange New Products: Said to be the world's first "energy potato chip", the line of NRG Potato Chips ushers in a new age of television snacking.
Containing a energy-boosting combination of Taurine, Caffeine, and B-Vitamins, NRG Potato Chips are sure to make a couch potato bounce their legs ad-nauseum throughout an entire sitting of the Rocky Balboa series.
The potato chip's website says its now shipping to stores all over the South-East. I guess that's where people burn a lot of energy watching television.
Springwise: Combining three unremitting consumer trends—convenience, organics and health—YoZone by YoNaturals is a vending machine dedicated to organic products. Based in San Diego, YoNaturals offers an alternative to vending machines that are typically stocked with junk food.
YoNaturals offers a wide range of items, from fresh fruit to products by well-known brands like Tazo (tea), Clif Bar (energy bars), Vitamin (beverages) and Horizon Organic (dairy). Operators and location managers can choose from more than 150 natural and organic foods and beverages, order through an online ordering system, and have the products delivered in less than three days. YoNaturals is actively seeking locations such as schools, shopping centres, offices, hospitals and fitness centres for placement of YoZone machines, seeking to cater to consumers on the go who are interested in healthier food options.
Engadget: And you thought non-stick chewing gum was the heat. Turns out, Coca Cola may be plotting a new version of Sprite that actually chills itself upon opening. Apparently, the drink has to be kept at a specified temperature before being snapped up, and once the oh-so-thirsty consumer pops the top, "a mechanism inside creates ice made from the drink, so it is not diluted." Reportedly, the beverage would sensibly be called Sprite Super Chilled, and if it does indeed hit the UK (and prove successful) by "early next year," the technology could then be passed along to Coke, Diet Coke or even "super cold alcoholic drinks, particularly beers."
Popgadget: I love tea and I love being able to make a truly personal and original gift to my friends, which is why I love Blends for Friends.
Blends for Friends is run by a former professional tea taster who mixes custom tea blends based on the personality of the intended recipient.
To help create the most unique blend, you're asked to provide some personal information about the individual the tea is meant for, such as his/her job, hobbies, physical appearance, etc. New blends cost £ 27, but if you wish to order previously created blends the cost is just £ 7 plus postage. The gifts can be delivered anywhere in the world.
Springwise: Appealing to a 'not leaving the beach yet' kind of spontaneity, Danish Sommergrill offers seaside barbecue on speed dial. Consumers can call or SMS Sommergrill from the beach, and the service will deliver a ready-to-go bbq set: marinated meat, salad, bread and dessert, plus a disposable barbeque, plates, napkins, etc. A set for two is priced at DKK 180 (USD 33 / EUR 24 / GBP 16).
Instead of waiting in line for mediocre beach-side (fast) food, Sommergrill's customers have access to gourmet grub, with the convenience of having everything delivered, and the pleasure of grilling it themselves. Sommergrill is a seasonal offering by local restaurant Ricky's Køkken. Vans deliver to two urban beaches near Copenhagen, Amager Strandpark and Islands Brygge, and payment is in cash or by debit/credit card.
TrendHunter: It was only a matter of time until someone applied the green-business model to pizza. Pizza Fusion offsets 100% of energy used with renewable wind. They use hybrid vehicles. They use 100% certified organic ingredients in their sauce, dough, and vegetables. The chicken they use is all-natural, free-range. The beef is 100% certified organic and is free of any hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and insecticides. Save the earth - eat a pizza.
Creative Match: An observational study and consumer workshops revealed just how peckish people get when they see and taste this delicious, healthy snack and Ziggurat Brands. The new Munchy Seeds tubs will be launched in September, feature a host of hungry birds created by hand models and a skilled body painter.
A toucan, goose and rooster appear to peck at the Munchy Seeds typography, which also features seed-shaped counters in the lettering. The Munchy Seeds branding also incorporates other hand-animals – zebra, horse and crocodile which unify the product range and ensure consumer recognition via the single creative idea. It has immediate impact, effectively disrupting the fast growing seed category. The branding works across all marketing collateral and will appear throughout corporate stationery and website communication.
Ziggurat and Munchy Seeds conducted workshops to understand the consumer’s mindset and category nuances, ensuring that the client and the agency shared an understanding for the brand’s essence and desired brand positioning. It was not surprising that the workshops revealed that many parents are increasingly health conscious, wanting to encourage children to eat nutritious foods.
Treehugger: Downtown Manhattanites with a case of the lunchtime munchies can mosey down to Battery Park for a bite at Picknick, a new sustainable food kiosk that considers itself a "mini-model of consumer and eco-conscious food service."
Serving a medley of sandwiches, salads, and sweets, Picknick sources most of its ingredients from small farms and local businesses, while any global vendors must meet social-responsibility standards. A percentage of the company's profits is piped back into the Battery Conservancy gardens surrounding New York Harbor, famed for their views of the Statue of Liberty and assemblage of imitation-Rolex peddlers.
Takeout containers, cutlery, and cups are made from biodegradable bioplastics. Even the kiosk's menu boards are made from Richlite, a fiber composite manufactured using Forestry Stewardship Council-certified paper.
Springwise: Heineken is about to soft launch a sparkling cider brew for the fair sex. Christened Charli, the drink combines cider, barley malt and fruit flavours. Although barley malt is one of Heineken beer's main ingredients, Charli is marketed to the 63% of women who, according to Heineken, don't like its main product. The brew is also being presented as an alternative to white wine, the quality of which varies widely at Dutch bars.
Charli contains 5% alcohol, has a fresh, fruity flavour and will be sold both bottled and on tap. Like its aforementioned sister sips, the drink is packaged in attractive bottles. Heineken has also gone one step further by creating a svelte and sexy tap for Charli, which should help draw attention to the new brand in bars.
TrendHunter: The Heart Attack Grill, located in Phoenix, Arizona, features everything that’s bad for you. The menu is full of heart clogging food, plus dangerous combos like cigarettes and beer with your meal. The staff is dressed in (sexy) nursing attire to help complete the imagery (and anger residents). Here’s a nice bonus: If you can finish the Quadruple Bypass Burger, they’ll give you a free push back to your car in a wheelchair.
The t-shirts sum it up, “Heart Attack Grill - Taste Worth Dying For.”
Ubercool: Tongue-in-cheek references to the illegal is a trend propelled by Generation X-tasy. First there was Cocaine Energy Drink, which caused a stir earlier this year, leading 7-Eleven to pull the drink from its shelves. Then there’s Meth Coffee. Both were preceded by Pimp Juice – introduced in 2003 by St. Louis’ Fillmore Street Brewery and based on a Nelly rap song of the same name. Now comes Bong Vodka – from the limit-testing Dutch:
You can’t blame the Dutch for constantly pushing the boundaries. Their latest Generation X-tasy exploit, Bong Vodka, is imported by Bong Spirit Imports of Orlando, FL.
Scientific American.com: Organic chocolate sales are booming as more U.S. consumers seeking untreated natural ingredients are choosing the sweet treat to satisfy their cravings, and mainstream companies are entering what was once considered a high-end market.
Chocolate is the largest growing snack segment in the U.S. organic market, according to an industry study, with organic sales tallying a 49 percent increase in sales in 2006.
Organic chocolate sales totaled a still small $70.8 million fraction of the market in the year, according to a Euromonitor report cited by the Dagoba Organic Chocolate company, compared with total U.S. chocolate sales in 2006 of about $6 billion.
Entrepreneur Daily: Some food connoisseurs in Paris, London, Sydney and Beijing seem to think so. That's right, the new trend in dining is to enjoy your meal without being able to see it. According to this New York Times article, the idea is that by depriving one's sight, their other senses will be heightened. So how does this work? Some waiters wear night-vision goggles to lead customers to their seats, and at some of these restaurants, the wait-staff is actually blind. The first-ever pitch-black eatery, Blindekuh, meaning blind cow, opened in Zurich in 1999 with the sole purpose of creating jobs for the blind and handicapped.
The trend is already making its way to the U.S. on both coasts. In fact, it's being tried out at several Los Angeles and Greenwich Village restaurants. Not to worry, dishes requiring sharp utensils are eliminated from these eateries. And the server will usually guide diners with helpful hints as to what they're eating and how to eat it.
Response Source: Enjoyed by the British since the reign of Queen Victoria, Worcestershire Sauce is surely one of our more versatile and well-loved “secret ingredients”. So when Geo Organics decided to produce a version that is not only organic but vegetarian and gluten-free, they knew they faced a challenge to meet the exacting standards of Worcestershire Sauce fans.
Geo Organics Worcestershire Sauce is vegan, gluten-free, certified organic and Soil Association approved. It contains no synthetic ingredients, colours or preservatives and is available at Asda, Fresh and Wild, good independent health food shops and www.naturalgrocery.co.uk.
Vegetarians in particular will love the fact this Worcestershire Sauce is not based on anchovies – like the traditional recipe. As it’s free from barley derivatives, it will also be welcomed by those on a gluten-free diet. And if you eat meat and fish and are not gluten intolerant you’re still in for a treat – because, as ever, Geo Organics has ensured this product tastes superb.
Geo Organics may have adjusted the ingredients, but they have stayed true to the traditional taste that blends Eastern spices with a fabulously fruity flavour.
TrendHunter: If you believe ‘the better the water the better the ice’, then how about sealed ice cubes made from spring water from the Vendee Region of France? You will have to freeze them, but the water is hermetically packaged in disposable recyclable containers.
With the recent global proliferation of the coffee industry and it's ever increasing number of consumers who are getting younger by the day, the UofMeT coffee slogans prove to be a fun and timely product targeted at a captive and well-defined niche market.
Coffee shops are found in ever more diverse locations such as book stores, college campuses, internet cafes, and, funnily enough, coffee shops.
Spearheaded by the seemingly ubiquitous Starbucks, who are constantly being challenged by an increasing list of a variety of chains of coffee shops pushing their own brands of coffee, the UofMeT coffee slogans could be an ideal fit for a company seeking to increase it's visibility over the competition, or merely for the general public to make a statement regarding their
favorite drink.
The UofMeT's mission is one of self empowerment, and strives to encourage us all to rededicate a focus on our often overlooked personal strengths, helping us to look inward, rather than outward, for personal validation.
And what better way to state that claim, and our love for coffee, in a fun way!
The UofMeT brand is owned by Deon van Rooyen and he's looking for expansion opportunities. Interested? Email us here.
The Miami Herald: When The Cereal Bowl opened its doors on 1560 S. Dixie Highway 16 months ago, the trio behind the venture (twin brothers Josh and Kenneth Rader, 25, and their childhood friend Michael Glassman, 26) were hoping to prove that customers would be willing to fork over $3 for the opportunity to mix and match 40 different kinds of breakfast cereal and dozens of toppings -- from healthy fresh fruit to decadent cookie dough.
Set amid plush couches and abuzz with strong coffee, yogurt parfaits and other treats, the Bowl quickly became a haunt for cramming college kids, early morning commuters and grass-stained Little Leaguers.
Springwise: Customers who want to start their day on an ecologically friendly note may want to fill their mugs with Solar Roast Coffee—a fresh new brew for java lovers that is roasted using clean abundant solar energy.
Based in Pueblo, Colorado, Solar Roast Coffee uses only 100% organic or fair trade coffee beans. Their special solar-powered roasting technique ensures the least impact on the environment. Not just a regular roaster powered by solar panels, Solar Roast’s Helios 2.0 catches rays of sunshine directly on a drum roaster filled with beans. The roaster is capable of reaching temperatures upwards of 550 degrees Fahrenheit, and swivels and tilts allowing it to track the sun throughout the day. No fossil fuels are burned to heat the beans, and no electric connection is needed to power the roaster’s fans and motors. The result? Likely the most earth-friendly coffee available on the market—and one the owners are hoping will be a hit with consumers.
Popgadget: Instant noodles have been around long enough that we take their 2-minute preparation time for granted. Now Japan brings us Hotto! Raisu - specially packed rice that can be served up as a piping hot meal, just by pouring water over the packaging. No cooking required!
The rice is packed by being subjected to 4,000 times the normal atmospheric pressure and thus retains its moisture. The rice packet contains an exothermic agent which is activated when water is poured over it, taking about 15 minutes to heat the packet's contents to an appetizing temperature.
The Cool Hunter: Amidst the chaos of dietary requirements, five-a-day, buying organic, food miles and a new fangled sense of providence, choosing food has never been so wrought with issues. Whatever happened to buying something based upon the principle it tasted good?
Well, thankfully, one company has ticked all the ethical boxes and made sure their new lollies taste of something. Bensons, a small family run business based in the English countryside, has produced an ice-pop that contains nothing but fruit. Chilly Billy consists of no added sugars, waters, preservatives, or artificial colours – just pure English pressed apples and a handful of raspberries. In fact, eating two counts as one of your five portions of fruit and veg a day.
TrendCentral: While organic and all-natural foods and beverages have become popular choices when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, another category of products that boast medicinal or healing properties is also growing. From digestive health products such as Kashi Vive and Dannon Activia to joint health products such as Minute Maid Active with Glucosamine, we’re beginning to see food and drink emerge as alternatives to taking medicine. Expect to see this category rapidly expand in the near future, with new and innovative food options designed to combat other common health issues.
Iconoculture: Canned peas. Jarred mayo. Even (gasp!) store-bought pie crusts. Once banished from the gourmet kitchen, they've come back with a Twist of the Wrist in a cookbook by famed chef Nancy Silverton. Her recipe for luring lapsed cooks back to the stove? Quick-and-easy meals that jazz up gateway ingredients like boneless chicken breasts with jarred or canned delicacies like tapenade, capers and white asparagus.
"You talk to a chef who works all day and comes home hungry, these are the things they make," says Silverton, who tapped pals like Gourmet editor Ruth Riechl for recipes. "They don't come home and make a braise".
The New York Times: This past January, Anheuser-Busch rolled out a new product called Spykes. It comes in two-ounce bottles, in flavors like Spicy Lime and Hot Melons. The label says it’s a “premium malt beverage,” containing caffeine and ginseng; it’s meant to be drunk straight, or used as a mixer with beer, or as an ingredient in some new cocktail of your invention. It’s “whatever you want it to be,” the new brand’s Web site says. Spkyes, in other words, is a hodgepodge of every recent trend or fad that has caught the attention of alcohol consumers in the past five years.
Like all big beverage companies (alcohol or otherwise), Anheuser-Busch has been on a novelty binge lately, trying to come up with new products to break through to fickle consumers or to capture tiny niches. It has marketed wheat beers, a gluten-free beer for people suffering from Celiac Disease and another specifically for Coloradoans. “The days of only drinking one beverage throughout your whole drinking life — it’s not there like it used to be,” explains Pat McGauley, the company’s vice president of innovations.
YumSugar: The first trend on the list is personalized cakes. Edith Meyer said that "Cakes for 2007 seem to be much more personal and less I-saw-this-in-a-magazine." She's even had clients bring in handpainted heirloom china to create on the cake. Another personalized trend is the introduction of the initial monogramming, as well as the return of the personalized cake topper.
Another trend in the wedding cake world is a unique shape. People are steering further from the traditional three-tiered cake and are delving into the worlds of odd shapes, crooked pieces and unique shapes. Colette Peters, author of Colette's Wedding Cakes, believes that this year, in addition to more personalized cakes, there are more crooked cakes. This cake was made by her and definitely features a rather unique stacking.
An additional trend for 2007 is colorful cakes. Susan Morgan stated that although she has been doing colored cakes for years, now "everyone wants coordination throughout the wedding." Cakes are no longer just white and cream. You'll now find colors from hot pink, orange, spring green, etc - whatever matches the wedding scheme.
Personally I think wedding cakes are going to start upstaging wedding dresses. Watch out fashion designers, these cake decorators are really stepping things up!
CherryFlava: Ok so there's that restaurant in Thailand called Bed where you eat dinner in...well...a big bed. And now - this place, WDuck...where you sit on a toilet during your meal. It's perhaps a little extreme for South African steakhouse tastes, but the point is that the hospitality industry is getting a personality. From boutique hotels like Daddy Long Legs in Cape Town to restaurants like this, these brands are in a unique position to offer an experience a little different to the rest. Even if it does require extra bottles of toilet duck.
Iconoculture: U of North Texas students don't have to worry about gaining the "freshman 15" if they eat at Mean Greens.
Kids eat up a healthy menu of herb-crusted chicken, sushi rolls and plenty of fresh veggies. No, really: Mean Greens outsells two competing cafés that dish up traditional campus fare like cheeseburgers and pizza.
"Eat your greens" used to be anathema to anyone under 21. No more. Amid all the uproar about childhood and teen obesity, it's nice to take note of a significant counter-trend.
In overweight America, the scales are still heavily tipped to the junk food side. But if a new generation is starting to eat lighter, it bodes well for a healthier future.
Strange New Products: Now they're selling sunflower seeds laced with energy boosters like caffeine, taurine, lysine, and ginseng.
The product named, "SumSeeds", are described as premium roasted sunflower seeds supercharged with the same stuff found in "energy" sodas. The manufacturer then goes on to boast the natural goodness of sunflower seeds, such as Vitamin E, Zinc and Iron, to make its product doubly good.
I imagine something like this will be popular with baseball players.
Springwise: Mumtaz Foods Industries offers ten varieties of baby food suitable for infants from 4 to 7+ months old, including Potato, Lamb & Spinach, and Spring Vegetables and Chicken. GEM Food's Petit Gems comes in culture-spanning flavours, from Vegetable & Roast Beef to Middle-Eastern Lamb Tagine.
Aimed at Muslim parents who want the convenience of prepared baby food without compromising their religious beliefs, halal baby foods should do well both in Muslim and non-Muslim countries. Mumtaz Baby Food is currently available in selected supermarkets and drugstores in the United Kingdom and in Carrefour supermarkets in Saudi Arabia, with other Gulf Region countries to follow this year. GEM Food's Petit Gems is sold in the UK and France. Two to partner with or distribute! With an estimated 1.4 billion Muslims world-wide, this is hardly a niche market.
Springwise: New York restaurant booking service PrimeTime Tables - "specializing in impossible reservations" - has created a bit of a storm in the NYC/food blogging teacup. The service, touted as a very exclusive dining club, can procure members short-notice reservations at the hottest restaurants in New York, Miami, Colorado and The Hamptons, many of which are booked weeks in advance.
The company was founded by Pascal Riffaud, former concierge at hotels like the St. Regis in New York and the Ritz in Paris. Mr Riffaud also runs Personal Concierge International, a concierge service that can enhance its members' lives in many ways, including access to 'fully committed' restaurants.
Iconoculture: Soda-Club machines let consumers control the flavor and fizz levels of their seltzers and soda pops by making them right at home. The freestanding, no-batteries-required device uses tap water, a carbonator, flavored mixes and reusable/resealable bottles. Each carbonator will create about 110 liters of soda and each mix will flavor the equivalent of 36 cans of soda.
Soda-Club's regular soda flavors have two-thirds less sugar than regular store-bought varieties, thanks to a blend of Splenda and sugar. Diet versions are 100% Splenda. Carbonated soft drink consumption is down, but a product that emphasizes control, personalization, value and reduction of bottle waste stands a chance of revitalizing the category once again.
Bend Weekly: In December, Bumble Bee began selling packaged, cooked, skinless and boneless chicken breasts that are intended as entrees and can be heated in ovens or microwaves. The chicken is available in three seasoned varieties: garlic and herb, southwest seasonings and barbecue sauce.
It marks the first time any products other than seafood have been marketed under the Bumble Bee brand.
Chicken and prepackaged entrees are part of the tuna industry's efforts to market its products to younger customers who don't buy many canned items, as well as to counter damage to its image caused by mercury health scares.
"We knew that a lot of people liked chicken, but it really wasn't too convenient to prepare," Lischewski said. "But if we can give people something that is nutritious and high-protein that they can prepare in just a couple of minutes, they will accept it."
Iconoculture: Victor and Elvia Galindo first started selling chips and sodas to keep tire-shop customers out of the way. In 2004, Elvia turned that into a full-time restaurant.
While Victor specializes in hubcaps and shiny custom wheels, Elvia specializes in tamales and sincronizada, a quesadilla stuffed with ham, avocado, cheese, green pepper and tomatoes.
Now Victor’s Tires is more than a tire shop. It’s a place where neighbors gather to socialize and catch up.
A surefire way to build customer loyalty: Serve them good food.
Cars and food are staples of Latino culture.
Bradford.co.uk: If you're looking to be energised, want a boost for your love life or just a hangover cure, crushed fruit, yoghurt and milk may just hold the answer.
According to a new report by consumer analysts Mintel, smoothie sales have soared in the past five years, and Bradford's health conscious shoppers have been reaching for the drinks in their hundreds moving the product from niche market to mainstream.
Concoctions of blueberries, raspberries, bananas, coconut, passion fruit and peach either laced or blended with honey have helped smoothie sales rise by 523 per cent to hit £134 million in that time.
Larger companies are also cashing in on the consumer trend.
Bradford-based drinks company Soya Health Foods is launching a new soya smoothie later this year.
The company which employs 15 people at its factory in Bradford Lane, Barkerend, claims the new product will help lower cholesterol.
Marketing manager Robin Gleave said: "The market for smoothies has exploded and is no longer a niche market.
"The product we are launching is a little bit different and is soya-based.
"People are buying into smoothies because they think that they are better for you than other drinks but there is no evidence to suggest that."
Iconoculture: Duda Farm Fresh Foods in Florida has engineered celery stalks with hollow centers.
These "celery straws" can flavor Bloody Marys through sipping or hold a hidden cream cheese or peanut butter surprise.
Watch for the edible swizzle sticks to start appearing at restaurants and hotels soon; marketing to the home chef might come further down the road.
An element of surprise and novelty makes eating and drinking even more festive.
Fringe consumers who are wary of any sort of nature tinkering might balk at tweaked celery, but most imbibers will relish the chance to rev up their Bloody Mary or snack-time experience.
dBusinessNews: Metro-area parents have a fresh new – and local – choice when feeding those important first morsels to their wee ones. Nice Cubes, maker of frozen organic baby food, is now available in all area New Seasons and Whole Foods locations as well as Food Front market co-op.
Nice Cubes is the first local brand of frozen organic baby food to be made available in the Portland area. Its launch underscores the nationwide growth trend in the organic baby food market, jumping 18 percent from 2004 to 2005 and double the overall growth of organic food sales according to marketing research firm A.C. Nielsen Co.
Made with only the finest of ingredients, Nice Cubes frozen organic baby food offers delicious mixed-ingredient purees made for babies seven months and older. The well-balanced meals introduce babies to wholesome combinations of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes in five yummy flavors.
“The idea for Nice Cubes came one day when I ran out of my own home-made baby food that I would freeze in ice cube trays,” said Katie McNamara, founder and president of Nice Cubes. “My only choice was jarred baby food and I found it difficult to feed my children something I could barely bring myself to taste.”
Because Nice Cubes is frozen, a greater portion of nutrients, fresh flavor and color are maintained. In contrast, the processing and preserving of jarred baby food exposes ingredients to extreme levels of heat, breaking down nutrients and the overall flavor of the food.
Nice Cubes is also conveniently portioned into four-ounce servings in shallow square trays, stacked three high to form a cube shaped carton. A single flavor carton costs $4.95.
Cool Hunting: If you haven’t heard about the wonders of Pinkberry, it's neither a new fragrance nor a nasty skin condition but rather a frozen yogurt phenomena that's already taken over LA and recently opened their first NYC location in Koreatown. Available in only two flavors, plain and green tea (although I've heard no one ever gets the green tea), it’s the many toppings—fresh fruit, crunchy sugary cereal, cookie crumbs, nuts, etc.—that elevate the frozen treat into a personalized dessert. Especially delicious after a salty, garlic-y Korean meal, the yogurt is tangy like real yogurt and not overly sweet like normal frozen yogurt. The space is modernly decorated with Philippe Starck's crystal-clear Charles Ghost stools and Victoria Ghost chairs and wavy, repro pendant lights by Poul Christiansen. Be on the lookout for new stores in Chelsea, the Upper East Side and Soho.
GUSH: Bling H2O has a limited edition bottle available in two sizes, that are frosted and have genuine Swarovski crystals that spell out the water’s name. “Bling H2O is to bottled water what Rolls Royce is to automobiles; a premium product with premium packaging that merits a premium price. Bling is a stand-alone beverage as well as the perfect compliment to your favorite cocktail.” (Baller Status)It has been featured at the Grammy’s, VMA’s and BET Awards and has been sampled by Jamie Foxx, Paris Hilton (and Tinkerbell), Mariah Carey and Shaquille O’Neal, just to name a few. Prices range from $24.00 to $40.00, that’s right for a bottle of water.
Springwise: No other substance screams WAKE UP as effortlessly as coffee. Australian company Muzz Buzz has capitalised on the realisation that people want their coffee to be quick, convenient and satisfying. At Muzz Buzz, all consumers need to do is drive thru. After all, in-transit consumption is designed with one purpose – saving time.
Craig Muzeroll, founder of Muzz Buzz, identified a gap in the Australian market and decided he wanted to give Australians a reason for getting out of bed in the morning. That reason became Muzz Buzz, a growing franchise drive-thru coffee chain which offers quality coffee at a reasonable price and convenient (high traffic flow) locations.
Premium coffee beans and unique Muzz Buzz flavours tempt consumers' tastebuds and since inception the Muzz Buzz menu has expanded to include convenient-to-eat-while-driving food. (Let’s just hope the government doesn’t ban drivers from eating and drinking while driving...)
Iconoculture: Ice Kids are secured ice cubes, colored with natural fruit extracts like blueberry, lemon and strawberry. According to the website, "Children can thus pour spring water over Ice Kids fruit ice cubes and enjoy the same tastes as their favorite juices without consuming extra sugar".
Secured ice cubes are made with purified water, guaranteed free of things that can ruin a tropical vacation (E. coli, hepatitis) or an expensive single-malt Scotch (minerals).
Some consumers might find the benefits of high-priced ice debatable at best. But the addition of natural fruit flavoring lends a healthy twist that may justify the cost for some parents.
Iconoculture: Think of Mobo as curbside takeout for urban dwellers. The service – short for "mobile order" – enables Manhattanites to order and pay for food ahead of time. Here's how it works: Hungry citizens use their cellphones (or a computer) to text an order to a restaurant from a selected list and pay with a linked credit card. The restaurant sends a text message when the order is ready and has a special Mobo counter for pickup. So far, participating eateries include Subway, Quiznos and a few independent salad and sushi joints. Want the usual? Frequent Mobo users can save their "faves" for speedier service.
Hyper lives demand maximization of all the gadgetry at our fingertips. "Fast food" doesn't mean the same thing it did even five years ago, and consumers expect businesses to keep up.
Iconoculture: Time to outsource those bleary-eyed mornings of sandwich making. Bay Area parents of pre-K to eighth-graders can sign up for Kid Chow to really pack it in – lunchboxes, that is.
Here's how this independent (not school-sponsored) delivery service works: Parents order online and pay via PayPal one week in advance.
Rather than mystery meat, think teriyaki chicken rice bowl and Caprese pasta salad. Other selling points? Kid Chow uses local, nitrate-free and trans fat–free ingredients, as well as biodegradable packaging.
Meal delivery services are popular at homes around the country – why not at schools? Busy parents are happy to call themselves "assisted gourmets" when they can feel confident about the quality and nutrition of the food.
PR Web: The next big thing to hit the Cocktail Kingdom is a retro-modern shaker full of fun from Phoenix, Arizona-based Sweet’s Brand, Inc. The company is proud to introduce Cocktail Kick — a new product that adds an extra puckery, tart, tangy taste to adult beverages like margaritas, mojitos, martinis, bloody marys, and more.
“I like a good margarita and whiskey sour,” says company founder and CEO, Ed Sweet. “But they’ve never been sour enough for me…Until now. Anyone who favors drinks with lemon, lime, and other fruit flavors will find my Cocktail Kick a terrific enhancement.”
Sweet’s Brand Cocktail Kick can be mixed into drinks and used to rim the glass. “Some people like to create a rimming mixture by combining Cocktail Kick with sugar or salt,” says Mr. Sweet. “But I’m a purist who prefers the puckery taste of Cocktail Kick all by itself.”
Sweet’s Brand Cocktail Kick consists of 100% citric acid crystals, and is as safe as it is sour. Citric acid comes from lemons, limes, and other fruits and is used in sodas and candy.
Iconoculture: If the Chicago City Council passes an ordinance letting dogs dine alongside their owners at outdoor cafés, chef Didier Durand of Cyrano's Bistrot will serve a $5 prix fixe canine menu to his patrons' pets. Chef Durand has spent months testing the canine menu on his poodle, Princess. Possible dishes include ostrich pâté and bone marrow gateau – and a ceramic bowl full of mineral water, naturellement.
Strange New Products: Why couldn't they've had stuff like this when I was a kid?
"Hose Nose" is a new offering from San Diego, CA-based Kandy Kastle. The nose is filled with "Candy Slime". It appears to have elastic straps on the back, as if you're supposed to wear it over your real nose.
The package is marked, "Catch It On Your Tongue", presumbly allowing you to wear a novelty nose that leaks sugary mucus on your mouth. A different kind of nose candy!
Now and then I'll see a two-year old kid with real mucus running out of his/her nose and over their lips. Kandy Kastle would like us to never grow up.
Cool Hunting: Ice Rocks are prepackaged, ready-to-freeze individual ice cubes made from French spring water. Geared primarily toward the (upscale) tourism market, they assure worried travelers that the ice is safe to use. Scotch Rocks, a version marketed to bars and whisky drinkers, and Kid Rocks, cubes made from fruit juice, are also in the works. Visit the Ice Rocks webpage for more information.
GRAB YOUR FORK: Does anyone remember wax straws? And how there was a fleeting fad of coating the insides with chocolate syrup so it would flavour your milk as you sucked?
The chocolate flavour never lasted very long (and I always ended up destroying my straw in the process) but as we all know, retro is in, and technology is rampant!
Enter the Sipahh: easily the most exciting product we saw at the Fine Food Show last week. And we weren't the only ones. This innovative flavouring straw won Best New Retail Product at the Sydney tradeshow as well. The straws are unique in its use of tiny flavoured beads entrapped within the straw. A special filter at each end of the straw keeps the beads in but allows milk to be sucked through. The beads, which are made of tapioca starch, gradually dissolve and flavour each mouthful of milk.
The Daily Telegraph: FOR those who find baked beans on toast just too messy to put together, help is on the way. Heinz has devised a frozen baked bean sandwich which simply needs to be heated in a toaster.
Heinz chief Bill Johnson said the company needed to give people "new ways to use beans".
"If people take the time to cook beans and put it on toast, why shouldn't we cut the process for them and give them beans on toast?" he said. The technology is being developed by Heinz researchers in New Zealand.
Springwise: Although nothing beats fresh fruit, and apples and bananas are conveniently packaged by nature, sometimes consumers favour something even easier.
E4B ("Easy for Busy") steps up to the challenge, packing the puree of multiple fruits into portable pouches. E4B's mango flavour, for example, contains 2 mangos, 1 apple, half a banana, and no artificial additives. Packaging was originally developed in Japan for Nasa, and the pouch's seven layers make for a shelf-life of a year.
The products are slurpable, but presented as snacks, not drinks. Pricing seems a bit steep at USD 5.99, and the product is currently only available in (parts) of the United States.
Springwise: The concept has exploded in the past year. Entrepreneurs across the US have started their own dinner assembly stores, and the field's leader, Dream Dinners, has expanded from 49 locations .
Though they vary in style, all of the dinner assembly companies offer essentially the same service: customers schedule a session online, picking meals from a monthly menu. Customers move around the store, assembling a meal at each station by scooping ingredients into freezer bags or disposable baking pans. Meals are easily customized to accommodate personal tastes or diets. Finally, the packaged meals are clearly labeled with cooking instructions.
Business is booming for a reason: the meal assembly concept offers time-starved consumers an innovative and convenient way to provide their families with nutritious, tasty, home-cooked meals, with more variety, healthier options and at a lower cost than take-out or frozen supermarket meals.
Springwise: Banana ice cream with peanut butter cups mixed in? Not a problem for MooBella, a high-tech vending machine that makes ice cream to order in 45 seconds.
Because it uses flash freezing instead of the standard slow churning method, MooBella can produce ice cream on demand from room temperature ingredients. The front of the machine features a touch-screen display showing a menu of flavours and mix-ins, allowing customers to create any combination they like. If the machine runs out of a flavour, it's removed from the menu and an order is automatically placed for a refill.
Raised in Massachusetts, MooBella is decidedly high-tech. Not only does its onboard computer run on Linux, the machine also communicates wirelessly through satellite technology to provide company headquarters with inventory and sales data.
Strange New Products: President's Choice, a Canadian brand of food products, introduced new "Crispy Lettuce Wraps", leaves of hybrid lettuce for the purpose of making low-carb bread-free burgers.
Because so many carb-conscious people are using lettuce leaves in lieu of hamburger buns, Loblaws Inc., which owns the President's Choice brand, decided to sell lettuce leaves designed expressly for this purpose.
They claim it's a versatile cross between Romaine and Iceberg lettuce flexible enough for folding, but still crispy.
ConvenienceStoreNews: 7-Eleven and Javo Beverage Company Inc. joined forces to launch an extensive line of fountain dispensed specialty iced coffee and latte beverages in five flavors. Customers can prepare the drinks themselves at the 7-Eleven self-service coffee bar.
"Our iced coffee and lattes are more consistently delicious than those served at high priced coffee houses," said Gary Lillian, Javo's president. "The tasty selections reflect the successful innovation and testing by the product and operations teams at our two companies."
Yenra: Ipifini's Programmable Liquid Container technology employs buttons on the container's surface that release additives (flavors, colors, fragrances) into the liquid. Additive buttons allow for the consumer to choose variations of the liquid in the container at the point of consumption. For example, a programmable cola bottle with buttons for lemon, lime, vanilla, and cherry flavors as well as a caffeine button allows for thirty-two potential choices of soda. A programmable paint container with twenty pigment additive buttons allows the consumer to choose from one million colors.
SBS: A green and red-striped tomato is the latest "designer" food set to hit the supermarket shelves in Britain. The cherry-sized fruit was created in response to increased demand for novelty produce, said Marks & Spencer. Called the tiger tomato, it has magenta-coloured flesh and is slightly sweeter than standard varieties. The tomatoes were grown in Lancashire and the Isle of Wight.
M&S is also launching an even sweeter-tasting variety called the "strawmato" which it says goes well with melted chocolate. Tiger tomatoes cost STG1.99 (A$4.80) for 275g.
Indiantelevision.com: Clear lime brand of PepsiCo India, 7UP, has unveiled its curvaceous new packaging Curvy. Promoting the new packaging is 7UP's popular brand mascot Fido Dido in company with Bollywood siren Mallika Sherawat.
Says Pepsi Foods Pvt Ltd, India executive marketing director Punita Lal, "We are pleased to present the new 7UP 'Curvy' bottle which spells style, aesthetics & differentiation. A unique, packaging solution with stylish contours, 7UP Curvy is unlike anything we have seen so far in India. We are positive that the cool new 7UP 'Curvy' bottle will enhance consumer connect with the youth".
Ubercool: In 2005, U.S. energy drink sales grew to US$3.3 billion, up 75% from US$2 billion, making it the fastest growing portion of the non-alcoholic beverage market, according to Beverage Digest. Globally, the energy drink market topped US$5 billion in 2004.
Dozens of energy drink brands have hit store shelves since Red Bull was introduced to the U.S. market in 2001, including PimpJuice, which Nelly promises will “make you party all night just like a pimp.”
Given the sagging libidos of hundreds of millions of baby boomers, Austria’s energy drink Turn On, containing Schizandra, a native Chinese herb that has for centuries been used for its aphrodisiac effects, should find ready appeal.
Yahoo! Finance: As Americans look for easy, everyday solutions to get more fruits and vegetables into their diet, Dole Packaged Foods, LLC introduces DOLE® Frozen Fruit -- a new selection of delicious fresh frozen fruit with the natural goodness and nutrition benefits of fresh fruit. Judged best tasting overall among major national competitors by a panel of professional chefs of American Culinary ChefsBest(TM), Dole's extensive selection of over a dozen fruits includes colorful antioxidant-rich berries and Dole's signature Tropical Gold(TM) Pineapple. All DOLE Frozen Fruit products are 100% natural fruit, flash-frozen at the peak of ripeness, washed and ready to eat.
David H. Murdock, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dole Food Company, Inc., stated, "Dole is committed to introducing nutritious products that can help people achieve their healthy eating goals. Our newest product line, DOLE Frozen Fruit, is a great fit for busy, on-the-go American families striving to eat nutritiously."
Local6.com: A brewer in Dallas has created a beer that promises to be better for you because it is filled with vitamins, according to a Local 6 News report. Stampede beer is enhanced with B vitamin, folic acid and other essential vitamins, according to creator Lawrence Schwartz.
"Stampede is the first Vitamin-enhanced beer," Schwartz said.
Schwartz said the federal government told him that he cannot claim the beer is good for drinkers and can't list vitamins on the labels because it would be an implied health claim. However, that's how the beer maker is setting his beer from the rest of the brands, according to the report. Schwartz said Stampede tastes just like regular beer but with a kick.
BRANDWEEK: Known throughout the ad world for its iconic “Doublemint Twins” ads, the Doublemint brand today debuted its first new product in nearly a century, along with an ad campaign that satirizes its own brand.
Wrigley’s Doublemint Twins mints feature two flavors in one mint. Offered in both Wintercreme and Mintcreme flavors, Doublemint Twins mints packaging comes with the familiar blue and green Doublemint arrows and come in a convenient, flip-top pack. Suggested retail price is 69 cents for 37 mints.
“Consumers told us that they were looking for an innovative and exciting way to enjoy the Doublemint brand that they grew up with," stated Paul Chibe, senior marketing director for Wrigley.
DailyCandy: Caffeine, as many a sanctimonious health freak has informed us, is a drug. One you can be very, very addicted to.
To which we reply: So call us Pete Doherty and pass the biscotti.
Still, the late-night runs to your dealer for double espressos have gotten a little out of hand. What you need instead is SpazzStick, the lip balm formulated with copious amounts of caffeine. Invented by an Alaskan police officer in need of a wake-up aid (polar bear-on-polar bear crime is apparently way down), the balm contains skin-softening ingredients that heal your lips in even the coldest weather and comes in tasty flavors like vanilla toffee and cool mint. The large quantities of caffeine, meanwhile, are absorbed quickly and effortlessly through your lips. So you can cop a fix any time you need it.
DailyCandy: There are those who do the whole nondairy/nonanimal product thing by choice. To them we say, best of luck. We’ll just be over here enjoying our Easy Cheese and Slim Jims. And then there are those with allergies who do it because they have no choice. Them, we feel for — that sucks.
But things are about to turn around, thanks to Divvies. The company’s treats are made without dairy, eggs, or nuts. For an afternoon refreshment, try an oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, or molasses cookie. Or take a goody bag filled with kettle corn, chocolates, jawbreakers, and gum balls to the movies. But the best bet is the website’s monthly delivery program, which will save you from scouring grocery store shelves and poring over labels for a safe indulgence.
eBizAsiaLink.com: Drinks come mostly in cans or bottles, but tubes? No way.
Well, tell that to the Wenger Co, which has been making mustard, vinegar, ketchup, etc for more than a century. In 2003, it decided to fill metal tubes with energy and vodka drinks under the GO range, and it has never looked back since.
The tube is small and handy and can be slotted into bags or pockets without taking up as much space as a bottle. Also, the small tube prevents others from putting drugs into your drink, should the thought ever occur to anyone.
There are nine types to choose from, including GO Wodka Energy, GO Wodka Extreme Cranberry, GO Pure Energy and GO Sport Isotonic Cherry.
inQ7money: Fortune cookies used to be found only in a few Chinese restaurants. Or seen in Hollywood movies. This delicacy was immortalized, for instance, in a 1966 film "The Fortune Cookie" starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau.
Fortune cookies, which resemble the boat-shaped ancient Chinese gold ingots, are each imbedded with a strip of paper containing a prediction, lucky number or aphorism, either thought-provoking or outrightly amusing. First popularized in the United States, these are now available in the local market and have become a "Kung Hei Fat Choi" giveaway.
Lucky Fortune has yet to go full-blast with its domestic promotions, but the duo say the "Gold Coin" cookies are hot products during the months of December, January and February. Barely a year after the product was launched, the company's plant in Cainta now operates at full capacity 24 hours a day to cope with huge demand this peak season.
Although initially created as an anti-hangover elixir, Resurrect is now becoming a part of the daily diet for the health conscious individual. Formulated with over 19 vitamins and herbs, Resurrect has the properties to help detoxify your liver, aid digestion, neutralize intestinal toxins, and increase energy and endurance.
These vitamins and herbs help detoxify the human body from all the toxins faced on a daily basis, such as alcohol consumption, air pollution, and cigarette smoke. Resurrect can also be used as a mixer with your favorite liquor. Because of its refreshing, fruity flavor and the ability to help detoxify the body, Resurrect mixes wonderfully with vodka, gin, and rum.
The VanCouver courier.com: T&T Supermarket is celebrating the arrival of the Year of the Dog in style this month.
Walk into any T&T right now and you'll be greeted by a blaze of red and gold, as the stores gear up to celebrate Chinese New Year-which this year includes a more polished offering of T&T's popular table-ready, takeout Chinese New Year's menu.
The Hired Belly is a big fan of T&T, if for no other reason than its well-stocked live seafood tanks, which offer up an affordable, fresh shellfish feast on a whim. There's more, of course, from aisles of staples and specialties to frozen dim sum, Asian vegetables, barbecued meats to go and baked treats.
Whether you're a self-confessed kitchen klutz or a seasoned dabbler in Chinese cuisine-no fuss, no muss-these well-executed dishes offer the perfect chance to put on your own Chinese New Year's celebration at home.
"Think restaurant food at supermarket prices," jokes T&T's Melina Hung, who says busy schedules and the lack of an official Canadian holiday make it challenging for people to find time to prepare the dishes they need to celebrate in style.
Iconoculture: Mothers of Organic – otherwise known as M.O.O. – is an online beehive of pro-organic moms. The maternal healthnuts share info and inspiration about how to raise healthier, happier kids and steer clear of pesticides, preservatives, and pollutants.
The all-natural network was created by farmer-owned food label Organic Valley. Nutritionists, organic chefs, wellness experts, and celebrity activists (like Raffi!) regularly contribute advice, exposés, and personal experiences.
Multimedia downloads, educational tools, and fun activity suggestions help wellness-minded moms instill the organic spirit (and healthy eating habits) in their kids.
Organic has moved out of the specialty aisles of our grocery stores and now pop off almost every shelf.
USATODAY: Leaning out the window of her SUV, Tami Cornwell orders the same drink she gets almost every day: "Double-tall, four-pump vanilla caramel Macchiato."
A high-tech recruiter, she's gotten hooked on the growing number of drivethrus Starbucks has been opening in recent years.
"On weekends, I like to go into the store," she said one morning at a drivethru north of downtown on her way to work. "On the weekdays, it's more about convenience and caffeine."
Eventually, it got hard to ignore coffee lovers' demand for a quick java fix without leaving the warmth of their driver's seats. The 2005 fiscal year, which ended Oct. 2, marked the first time drivethrus comprised more than half of Starbucks' new company-operated stores — those that aren't licensed in airports, hotels, grocery stores and the like. Drivethrus will continue to add to Starbucks' bottom line, making up about half of the new stores the company opens domestically over the next few years, Donald said.
Five Star Reviews: We were excited to see a new product that celebrates the value of water without trying to transform it into a sickly sweet diet beverage or loading it with gimmicky supplements.
In the fast growing bottled water market, HINT stands out for what it is AND for what it is not. Founded by Kara Goldin, San Franciscan and busy mother of four (yes, 4!) , she really knows her stuff. Prior to founding the company, Kara was a busy senior executive heading up shopping for America Online.
Unlike the sugary clear “water beverages” you may have seen, Hint is water, nature’s original refreshment, accented with a hint of natural flavor. Think ice cold water with a slice of fresh fruit - water that quenches your deepest thirst while adding just a bit more flavor.
With a clean refreshing taste and no sugar or artificial sweeteners, Hint and Hint Kids is sweeping the nation. It will remind you why you drink water and will make you want to drink more. Best for drinking after a workout or during lunch, Hint water will easily become a celebrity craze.
Yenra: Pearl Persephone super-premium pomegranate-flavored vodka combines the balance and smoothness of Pearl Vodka with the flavor of the pomegranate. The resulting flavored vodka has a fresh bouquet and subtle sweetness that makes it a satisfying discovery for vodka connoisseurs.
"Today's consumers are constantly searching for unique flavors," said Todd Nickodym of David Sherman Corporation. "Its delicious flavor caters to individual tastes and can be enjoyed chilled, mixed with juice or soda, or as an exotic addition to your favorite martini."
"Creative bartenders are always looking to remain cutting edge and be responsible for introducing customers to tastes they've never experienced."
"We're hearing that bartenders at high-end clubs and upscale restaurants are discovering Pearl Persephone and embracing it because it is versatile and the only one of its kind," Nickodym said.
Fort Worth Business Press: Justin Avery Anderson, 18, came up with the idea for his product, Anderson Trail’s Original Premium Moist Granola, on a trip in the mountains of New Mexico when he was 16 years old. There, he visited a bed and breakfast that served granola that didn’t damage his braces, as crunchy food can. He offered to buy some from the owners, but they refused to sell. So when he returned home, he began to experiment with granola recipes to develop something similar.
After about 10 tries and “a lot of burnt granola,” he came up with the perfect recipe and served it at a Boy Scout camping trip.
“Most granola is so hard and tasteless, like cattle feed,” he said. “I asked my friends at the campout to try it and it was gone before breakfast the next morning. They said they would buy it. So that’s where the idea to plan the business came from.”
TrendCentral: As research geeks, nothing gets us more excited than a good quantitative study. So when we saw that, according to a recent survey conducted by Dunkin’ Donuts, more adults would give up sex before coffee, we knew we had to investigate. Turns out, we knew that most people need a daily coffee fix, but had no idea to what degree this jonesing for java really is. Just like that other primal urge, people are looking for more variety than soy milk or extra foam in their caffeine, and don’t want to just choose from a list of frappalatteccinos anymore. Along with t-shirts and sneakers, coffee is the latest “it” item to customize. In fact, 28% of American adults prefer to customize their beverages compared to other items, which may account for the recent surge in flavored coffees. Coffee drinkers want to make their respective beverages their own, which is why you can now get a coconut cinnamon marshmallow coffee along with your box of Munchkins, as Dunkin’ Donuts now has a flavor menu from which customers can choose up to three add-ins to their cup ‘o joe. Finally, we can get a cup of blueberry chocolate coffee to start the morning.
TrendCentral: While young drinkers (21 and up, of course) aren't dropping cheap beer anytime soon, the trend for more "refined" beverages seems to be going more mass lately, with affordable wines being marketed heavily to older Gen Ys and young Gen Xers. Qualitatively, we've already seen the beginning of the "hip" wine market with Sofia Coppola’s mini champagne cans, and young wine drinkers already gravitate towards affordable brands such as Yellow Tail. We've yet to really see a wine label aggressively target this demo, but now the category seems to be expanding.
Launched at New York Fashion Week, Virgin Vines is Virgin Group's latest venture. Hoping to separate their wine from the stereotypically stodgy, sommelier-approved wine culture, Virgin is marketing the wine with the tagline "Unscrew it, let’s do it". With just two varieties (red Shiraz and white Chardonnay), the screw-top wine brand is hoping to make the wine purchasing process less intimidating to those lacking Sideways-level wine knowledge, while also offering something a few steps up from Boone's Farm or even Charles Shaw (aka "Two Buck Chuck").
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Iddictive.com: There’s more to Coca-Cola than just brown fizzy drinks. The company owns hundreds of brands and variations covering everything from juices to bottled waters.
Daily Herald: After 162 years, the New England Confectionery Co. wants to be more than your Valentine.
One thing that wasn't listed in the Tiffany's table manners handbook is the difficulty that comes with balancing your champagne glass and cracker delight simultaneously. Well, surprisingly enough, the answer to this complexity comes from Fred & friends: FINGERFOOD™. Mini plates attached to rings that enable you to wear your food. No need to worry about awkward balancing acts. Just small talk…
TrendCentral: There may not be lines at Pinkberry anymore now that we know it's not quite as "natural" as they claimed, but the ever resilient frogurt trend shows no signs of defeat, with the number of frogurt stores starting to rival that of Starbucks. While we've yet to reach a consensus as to which is our favorite, we must say we're pretty stoked on the 
Brand Noise: Ice isn't just for chilling drinks anymore, or for packing fish and treating sprains. It's a hot snack. Some Sonic Drive-In franchises sell it in cups and in bags to go. Ice-machine makers are competing to make the best chewable ice, with names like Chewblet, Nugget Ice and Pearl Ice. One manufacturer calls the ice-loving South the "Chew Belt."
Entrepreneur: While a bed and breakfast is by definition a lodging that serves breakfast as part of the room rate, there are several different types of B&B properties ranging from intimate family homes with less than a handful of guest rooms to full-fledged country inns with a dozen or more rooms. Part of the charm of B&Bs is that each is a bit different, but they all fall somewhere within five basic categories. A homestay, also called a host home, is a private home with one to four guest rooms that are used to bring in supplemental rather than primary income. Homestays don't typically post signs on their property or advertise, relying instead on reservations services. A bed a breakfast is a step up from the homestay, typically consisting of four to five (but as many as eight) guest rooms and a live-in owner or host family. Bed and breakfasts typically have a sign out front, advertise and conform to zoning, health and other government regulations. Bed and breakfast inns are full-fledged lodging establishments rather than a family home with rooms to rent. With six or more guest rooms and a live-in host, the B&B inn has a well-posted sign, does lots of advertising and adheres to all government regulations. Bed and breakfast hotels are really B&Bs but instead are hotels with 30 or more rooms in a historic building. Breakfast is offered as part of the room rate. Unhosted apartments or cottages are sort of a cross between a vacation rental and a B&B, a self-contained lodging that is completely separate from the host's home.
Springwise: Combining three unremitting consumer trends—convenience, organics and health—YoZone by YoNaturals is a vending machine dedicated to organic products. Based in San Diego, YoNaturals offers an alternative to vending machines that are typically stocked with junk food.
Engadget: And you thought non-stick chewing gum was the heat. Turns out, Coca Cola may be plotting a new version of Sprite that actually chills itself upon opening. Apparently, the drink has to be kept at a specified temperature before being snapped up, and once the oh-so-thirsty consumer pops the top, "a mechanism inside creates ice made from the drink, so it is not diluted." Reportedly, the beverage would sensibly be called Sprite Super Chilled, and if it does indeed hit the UK (and prove successful) by "early next year," the technology could then be passed along to Coke, Diet Coke or even "super cold alcoholic drinks, particularly beers."
Creative Match: An observational study and consumer workshops revealed just how peckish people get when they see and taste this delicious, healthy snack and Ziggurat Brands. The new Munchy Seeds tubs will be launched in September, feature a host of hungry birds created by hand models and a skilled body painter.
Springwise: Heineken is about to soft launch a sparkling cider brew for the fair sex. Christened 
The Miami Herald: When The Cereal Bowl opened its doors on 1560 S. Dixie Highway 16 months ago, the trio behind the venture (twin brothers Josh and Kenneth Rader, 25, and their childhood friend Michael Glassman, 26) were hoping to prove that customers would be willing to fork over $3 for the opportunity to mix and match 40 different kinds of breakfast cereal and dozens of toppings -- from healthy fresh fruit to decadent cookie dough.
TrendCentral: While organic and all-natural foods and beverages have become popular choices when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, another category of products that boast medicinal or healing properties is also growing. From digestive health products such as Kashi Vive and Dannon Activia to joint health products such as Minute Maid Active with Glucosamine, we’re beginning to see food and drink emerge as alternatives to taking medicine. Expect to see this category rapidly expand in the near future, with new and innovative food options designed to combat other common health issues.
Iconoculture: Canned peas. Jarred mayo. Even (gasp!) store-bought pie crusts. Once banished from the gourmet kitchen, they've come back with a Twist of the Wrist in a cookbook by famed chef Nancy Silverton. Her recipe for luring lapsed cooks back to the stove? Quick-and-easy meals that jazz up gateway ingredients like boneless chicken breasts with jarred or canned delicacies like tapenade, capers and white asparagus.
YumSugar: The first trend on the list is personalized cakes. Edith Meyer said that "Cakes for 2007 seem to be much more personal and less I-saw-this-in-a-magazine." She's even had clients bring in handpainted heirloom china to create on the cake. Another personalized trend is the introduction of the initial monogramming, as well as the return of the personalized cake topper. 
Springwise: New York restaurant booking service PrimeTime Tables - "specializing in impossible reservations" - has created a bit of a storm in the NYC/food blogging teacup. The service, touted as a very exclusive dining club, can procure members short-notice reservations at the hottest restaurants in New York, Miami, Colorado and The Hamptons, many of which are booked weeks in advance.
Bend Weekly: In December, Bumble Bee began selling packaged, cooked, skinless and boneless chicken breasts that are intended as entrees and can be heated in ovens or microwaves. The chicken is available in three seasoned varieties: garlic and herb, southwest seasonings and barbecue sauce. 
GUSH: Bling H2O has a limited edition bottle available in two sizes, that are frosted and have genuine Swarovski crystals that spell out the water’s name. “Bling H2O is to bottled water what Rolls Royce is to automobiles; a premium product with premium packaging that merits a premium price. Bling is a stand-alone beverage as well as the perfect compliment to your favorite cocktail.” (Baller Status)It has been featured at the Grammy’s, VMA’s and BET Awards and has been sampled by Jamie Foxx, Paris Hilton (and Tinkerbell), Mariah Carey and Shaquille O’Neal, just to name a few. Prices range from $24.00 to $40.00, that’s right for a bottle of water.
Iconoculture: Ice Kids are secured ice cubes, colored with natural fruit extracts like blueberry, lemon and strawberry. According to the website, "Children can thus pour spring water over Ice Kids fruit ice cubes and enjoy the same tastes as their favorite juices without consuming extra sugar". 
PR Web: The next big thing to hit the Cocktail Kingdom is a retro-modern shaker full of fun from Phoenix, Arizona-based Sweet’s Brand, Inc. The company is proud to introduce Cocktail Kick — a new product that adds an extra puckery, tart, tangy taste to adult beverages like margaritas, mojitos, martinis, bloody marys, and more. 
Iconoculture: If the Chicago City Council passes an ordinance letting dogs dine alongside their owners at outdoor cafés, chef Didier Durand of Cyrano's Bistrot will serve a $5 prix fixe canine menu to his patrons' pets. Chef Durand has spent months testing the canine menu on his poodle, Princess. Possible dishes include ostrich pâté and bone marrow gateau – and a ceramic bowl full of mineral water, naturellement.
Strange New Products: Why couldn't they've had stuff like this when I was a kid?
Cool Hunting: Ice Rocks are prepackaged, ready-to-freeze individual ice cubes made from French spring water. Geared primarily toward the (upscale) tourism market, they assure worried travelers that the ice is safe to use. Scotch Rocks, a version marketed to bars and whisky drinkers, and Kid Rocks, cubes made from fruit juice, are also in the works. Visit the 
The Daily Telegraph: FOR those who find baked beans on toast just too messy to put together, help is on the way. Heinz has devised a frozen baked bean sandwich which simply needs to be heated in a toaster. 
Strange New Products: President's Choice, a Canadian brand of food products, introduced new "Crispy Lettuce Wraps", leaves of hybrid lettuce for the purpose of making low-carb bread-free burgers.
Yenra: Ipifini's Programmable Liquid Container technology employs buttons on the container's surface that release additives (flavors, colors, fragrances) into the liquid. Additive buttons allow for the consumer to choose variations of the liquid in the container at the point of consumption. For example, a programmable cola bottle with buttons for lemon, lime, vanilla, and cherry flavors as well as a caffeine button allows for thirty-two potential choices of soda. A programmable paint container with twenty pigment additive buttons allows the consumer to choose from one million colors.
Local6.com: A brewer in Dallas has created a beer that promises to be better for you because it is filled with vitamins, according to a Local 6 News report. Stampede beer is enhanced with B vitamin, folic acid and other essential vitamins, according to creator Lawrence Schwartz.
DailyCandy: Caffeine, as many a sanctimonious health freak has informed us, is a drug. One you can be very, very addicted to.
eBizAsiaLink.com: Drinks come mostly in cans or bottles, but tubes? No way.
The VanCouver courier.com: T&T Supermarket is celebrating the arrival of the Year of the Dog in style this month. 
Iconoculture: Mothers of Organic – otherwise known as M.O.O. – is an online beehive of pro-organic moms. The maternal healthnuts share info and inspiration about how to raise healthier, happier kids and steer clear of pesticides, preservatives, and pollutants. 
USATODAY: Leaning out the window of her SUV, Tami Cornwell orders the same drink she gets almost every day: "Double-tall, four-pump vanilla caramel Macchiato." 
Fort Worth Business Press: Justin Avery Anderson, 18, came up with the idea for his product, Anderson Trail’s Original Premium Moist Granola, on a trip in the mountains of New Mexico when he was 16 years old. There, he visited a bed and breakfast that served granola that didn’t damage his braces, as crunchy food can. He offered to buy some from the owners, but they refused to sell. So when he returned home, he began to experiment with granola recipes to develop something similar.
TrendCentral: While young drinkers (21 and up, of course) aren't dropping cheap beer anytime soon, the trend for more "refined" beverages seems to be going more mass lately, with affordable wines being marketed heavily to older Gen Ys and young Gen Xers. Qualitatively, we've already seen the beginning of the "hip" wine market with Sofia Coppola’s mini champagne cans, and young wine drinkers already gravitate towards affordable brands such as Yellow Tail. We've yet to really see a wine label aggressively target this demo, but now the category seems to be expanding.