Archive for the ‘Interviews & Buzz’ Category

Better Snack Cracker – Meet Little Ragghi’s

Posted August 23, 2010 by emily No Comments

We’re obsessed with good tasting, real food and having a connection to where that food comes from. Every cracker from Little Ragghi’s is hand-rolled by the cracker’s namesake, Raggatha, a hero in the Native American Community. You support that community with every purchase of crackers you make. Meet Greg, the owner, to learn the story behind Little Ragghi’s and what inspired him to put her name on every box. Plus, enjoy FREE SHIPPING on their crackers today only!

1. What were you doing before you started Little Ragghi’s?

I have been in the restaurant and wine business for my entire life. I would still be today, if I had not seen a response on these crackers unlike anything I had ever encountered in my career. Having been on the opposite side of the business, as someone who purchased and served countless varieties of crackers for catering and wine tastings, I saw something in the customers response that I could not ignore and went with it.

2. The company was inspired by your friend Raggatha who is a Native American. How did you two meet?

I don’t think to say the company was inspired by Raggatha is entirely correct. It would be more accurate to say I was inspired by Raggatha and the product was named after her because of my respect for her and who she is to other people. We have worked side by side for countless hours to get what we feel is a great product. We met in a past restaurant that we both were employed in and have worked together off and on for years. The cracker was named after her because she was the one who was involved in the production of the original product. The story is really just a testament to who she is and a way for people to become familiar with an organization that she holds dear to her heart, and works incredibably hard to support.

3. So your customers have said Little Ragghi’s Crackers are ‘Quite possibly the world’s most addictive crackers.’ Tell us more!

The tag line was decided on after I had visited 19 stores in one day and everyone one of them told me “These things are addictive. Our customers can not get enough. And comments similar.” While driving home late that night, I came to the realization that I should take the customers praise of the product and use it in the marketing. We made this product like chef’s cook with flavor in mind. We are not shy about the use of olive oil, cheese, and salt and pepper. If you mix those three things, you are bound to get something people like.

4. What are three adjectives that describe your crackers?

Addictive! The quintessential wine pairing cracker! A food product that is fun to talk about! That may be more than three but those pretty much sum it up.

5. For every bag of Little Ragghi’s crackers sold, a portion of the proceeds will go to the charity of her choice: The National Native American Family Camp. Tell us why this is important.

For the record it is the organization of her choice. Raggatha is one of the proudest people I know and so are the people involved in the Native American Family camp. This is something that is very important to her and must be represented that way. It is important because as I created the name and asked for Raggatha’s permission to use it I believed that it was important to try to give back to her or to something she was involved in a fraction of what I believe she gives to the world she lives in on a daily basis. I have always said “If people never buy a single bag of crackers, at least they might become more familiar with the Native American Family Camp, and at the end of the day I feel we have done a good thing”.

Posted in All Topics, Interviews & Buzz

Trends in Informal Events Promoting Artisan Food Producers

Posted February 14, 2010 by susie No Comments

Last April, I wrote about 5 mobile street trends – for selling “street food” as well as food on the street and by delivery.

In recent months a trend of gathering several artisan food producers in one temporary location has made it even more compelling for potential  customers to seek out the food. Here are a few examples from New York and San Francisco.

Would love to hear of others, around the country as well as further ideas, issues, and new related trends!

“Underground” Food Shows

Forage SF has had 2 wildly successful Underground Farmer’s Markets where home chefs get together to sample, test, and sell their products with hundreds of hungry foodies. The Indie Mart mixes food makers with crafters. A couple years earlier, the Unfancy Food Show in Brooklyn led this ingenious trend in highlighting small food producers.
Fab Caramel Corn at ForageSF Underground Farmer's Market

Temporary Storefronts (Pop Ups)

“Pop ups” were something I’d never heard of until coming to New York this month. The idea is a space rents out to various producers who announce the times/dates they’ll “pop up” in the neighborhood. Like an ad hoc store. This is a huge win for the food producers as well as retailers who may have a vacant space.

While Liddabit Sweets sells at the Brooklyn Flea on weekends, their pop up at a space called Kill Devil Hill gave them a way to sell to customers for Valentine’s Day.
liddabit pop up

Social Parties / Networking Events Featuring Food Producers

simply nic
Upon arriving in New York, I headed to an event organized by Gourmates. They’d arranged for a few local food producers to come to the event, attended by several hundred people – a great way to have an instant “theme.” Foodzie partners Mother-in-Law’s Kimchi and Simply Nic’s artisan shortbread braved the weather to set up tables for sampling and sales. A win for everyone!

For such events, where people are drinking and mingling, a way to store your purchases at the door and pick them up on your way out would increase the number of purchases. Or perhaps giving an event bag to hold your purchases. Any thoughts on how to make such events successful?

Posted in Interviews & Buzz, Starting a Food Business

7 Questions with Mendocino Sea Salt and Seasoning Company

Posted December 9, 2009 by susie 1 Comment

Bob and Lora LaMarOn December 10, thousands of people will defend and celebrate their local products in the spirit of Terra Madre Day. According to Slow Food International – which is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year – “Eighty percent of agricultural biodiversity has been lost over the past century, with many more local foods facing the threat of extinction today. In addition to providing the basis of regional cuisines, local specialties can root communities to their cultures and histories, forming part of a unique identity.”

Slow Food helps food producers maintain and grow their local foods, often protecting them from extinction. Having experienced a rare Spanish salt called Salinas de Añana, a Basque Slow Food Ark of Taste product, it is especially exciting to be working with Lora and Bob of Mendocino Sea Salt and Seasoning.

Why? Because Mendocino Sea Salt is not a local food being protected from extinction — but a marvelous example of a NEW local food tradition!

Nori Sea Salt

7 Questions with Mendocino Sea Salt and Seasoning…

1) Why did you choose to start making your sea salts?
It kind of chose us actually.  We had to close our sport fishing business and were looking for other ways to share our love of the north coast with others. Quite by accident, we were visiting the Ferry Building in San Francisco and were shocked to see all the variations of artisan sea salts.  We know how clean our Mendocino ocean water is, so we assumed our salt must be equally as wonderful.  Now we just had to figure out how to craft it.

2) What’s your secret weapon for making the sea salts?
It took us about six months of experimenting before we decided on our particular method.  We believe our “secret weapon” is to begin with the purest sea water.  We happen to be blessed with that right outside our front door.  Secondly, temperature is key to crafting a crisp salt flake.  To much heat and the crystal develops too thin and light.  Too little heat and the salt forms as small and dense grains.  By closely monitoring how much heat to apply, I can literally shape the salt crystal as it forms.

3) Which product is your personal favorite and why?
My personal favorite has to be our nori salt.  There is something about blending hand harvested nori with our salt that captures the unique flavor of the north coast.  I like to say that the taste reminds me of the scent of the ocean has after a big winter storm.

4) What is a unique way to enjoy one of your products?
We encourage our customers to get creative with our products. One person told us they love to add a tiny pinch of our sea salt to their coffee.  I tried it and much to my surprise it removed any bitterness and enhanced the flavor.  Try it!  It works!

5) Any new products or flavors in the works?
You bet! Since it is wild mushroom season up here, we are exploring blending dried wild chanterelles and king boletes with our salt.  We are also housing our salt in hand blown glass fishing floats.  The glass float adds wonderful accent to our salt and makes a great gift.

6) What advice would you give to someone who wants to get started in the food business?
Holy Mackerel.  That’s a tough one.  When we had to close our fishing business it was a tough time for me.  My wife (always the optimist) encouraged me to never give up and that something better was right around the corner.  Sure enough she was right.  Foodzie has also been a wonderful and encouraging resource for us.

7) Which product on Foodzie makes you most hungry?
Lora and I have a penchant for fine jams and jellies.  Winter Chestnut makes a chestnut jam that sounds (and I am sure) tastes heavenly.

Posted in Food & Recipes, Interviews & Buzz

A Conversation with New Amsterdam Market Founder Rob LaValva

Posted October 30, 2009 by Julia No Comments

The Founder of the New Amsterdam Market, Rob LaValva sat down to share his inspiration and experiences thus far in launching the market:

What inspired you to start the market?

I had been working as a planner for the city for a local time. I was interested in local food issues. I left my job with the city government and volunteered with Slow Food and that’s where I learned about what was going on in this food movement and met many key people such as Alice Waters who have been supportive of this project. I was looking for a way to bring together my various interests and at one point I thought I might want to have a shop, but realized it would be interesting to find a way to bring together all the shop owners in one place.  I learned that New York City has such a deep tradition of markets.  And this sight [South Street Seaport] was a succession of markets for four centuries. We lost that thread , almost, but we don’t have to lose that all together, we can bring that back together.

Why did you locate it at South Street Seaport?

South Street is a really interesting place in terms of the history of New York. It began with a ferry boat coming back and forth from Brooklyn to bringing farmers and farmed goods. And since that time, there has been a continual progression of markets. The last of which  was the Fulton Fish Market which was here for almost 200 years and four years ago was moved to the Bronx and left behind this old market site. Our feeling is since this is such a rich place we shouldn’t lose that continuity, and we could this empty space to grow a new market – what better place to put one than in such a historic location in markets for the city.

How did the market get its start?

New Amsterdam market is looking at how can we tap into this need for other sources of local food, and how can we support local farmers and businesses who are selling food and for whom a market is a good way to start and incubate their business  in an affordable space.  And how to bring back a sense of food culture that was once very prevalent in this city where public markets were very much an institution and a part of daily life. As people have come to re-appreciate what food is, they appreciate all the different ways where you can experience different foods and public markets are one of those settings

What merchants are featured at the market?

One core group of vendors who are here from market to market are the purveyors the small mostly NYC businesses who are in the business of sourcing and selling local foods. They purchase what they sell from local farms and for us those are the vendors we want to cultivate because that ishow the markets used to be.  The main criteria for them is in a region roughly 500 miles from New York because we are hoping to support a regional economy –this region produces a tremendous amount of food and it could have a home in a market this like. This could become a center for that understanding

What has been your proudest moment thus far?

It’s always a really wonderful moment when we’ve been here since 5 or 6 in the morning and then the vendors all arrive and you wonder if it’s all going to get done and then suddenly the people start coming in and it gets very crowded and you know it all worked out….and then you wait for a while before cleaning up.

Posted in All Topics, Interviews & Buzz

7 Questions with Shy Brothers Farm

Posted October 12, 2009 by Christina No Comments

Get to know Barbara from Shy Brothers Farm, a cheese producer on Foodzie from Westport Point, Massachusetts!

1) Why did you choose to start making your cheese?
Our partner and cheesemaker Karl wanted to make a cheese that would be new for cheese aficionados here in the U.S.  Hannahbells are a creamy version of a dry and salty thimble originating in the Burgundy region of France.  They are treated like truffles in Paris.

2) What’s your secret weapon for making the best cheese?
We actually have two.  The way the cows are treated and fed always comes first in any great cheese.  We have ocean air, some fog, and lots of sunshine, which affects what herbs and grasses thrive in the pastures. The second secret weapon is a cheesemaker with extraordinary sensory talent, and that’s Karl.

3) Which is your personal favorite and why?
My favorite flavor is Lavender Bud. It is just yummy, and pairs well with a good red wine like Old Vine Zinfandel.

4) What is a unique way to enjoy one of your products?
Try this and weep: A piece of rosemary bruschetta, smeared with a little fig jam, topped with a warmed Lavender Bud Hannahbell.

5) Any new products or flavors in the works?
We start making Crystallized Ginger/Carrot in the fall for many chefs and caterers, and are taking advance orders on Saffron, which is phenomenal.

6) What advice would you give to someone who wants to get started in the food business?
Quality, quality, quality.

7) Which product on Foodzie makes you most hungry? We’ll chat with that producer next!
Effie’s Oatcakes.

Posted in All Topics, Interviews & Buzz

Mendocino Sea Salt Story

Posted October 7, 2009 by susie No Comments

They say “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” And when life no longer allowed the La Mars to run their fishing business off the Mendocino Coast, they made sea salt!

I visited Bob and Lora and enjoyed seeing their Sea Salt and all purpose “seasoning sand” fly off the farmer’s market table. It sells out weekly! We’re thrilled that Tasting Table found their Mendocino Sea Salt to be “crisp, clean flavor and crystals that are hollow, crunchy and delicate enough to crush between your fingers.”

I use the seasoning sand on vegetables, on popcorn, with eggs, and it’s made for home fries.

Posted in Interviews & Buzz, Starting a Food Business