This week, I went to both the Fancy Food Show and Alternative Food Show. I’ve finally taken time to take a break so this article is a bit short.
Anyways, both shows were amazing and served different purposes. However, I did get close to my compatriots in Kitchentown, Sonar Foods and LOCA as we were all serving samples right next to each other in both shows.
Though there are many trends that burst through the scene in these two shows, one trend stood out to me and that’s traditional foods in innovative formats. Though it is a given that the plant-based meat movement is part of that trend (eg mushroom jerky, potato dip or jackfruit pulled pork), I was very impressed with the more established companies breaking out and innovating their product lines.
Here are some examples of what I saw:
Unlike most bars, CLEO is actually made from compressed greek yogurt and covered in chocolate. They have the texture of cheesecake, and area bit sour, but it’s greek yogurt without the water. I thought these were super smart and brings a whole new player in the refrigerated bar space. They will be availible in March at Safeway
I found these in Safeway and I am obsessed with the curry flavored one. Crunchy, but have a sticky mouthfeel, these bites bring a new experience. These were only launched 6 months ago! SunTropics had other very interesting products, but all I cared about was this one. If you don’t like curry, there’s also siracha and teriyaki. Or if you’re bland, sea salt.
Bush’s Baked Beans Chips and Chickpeas
The Bush’s booth is known for Baked Beans but they have rebranded into Bush’s and will now be selling bean tortilla chips and chickpea snacks. Awesome initiative on their part expanding their portfolio of products. Though the snacks have been done before, most people view Bush’s as a traditional company and I’m glad to see them expanding such a powerful brand.
Duck Bacon and Duck Prosciutto
There were two different booths that served cured duck products and they were both amazing. Fatty of course, but combining smoky attributes to duck’s gamey flavor really put it as a unique experience. I expect this to really take on in the artisan word for those looking for a flavor that is really unique. The great part about these cured meats is that they can be used sparingly to get people used to the concept (as compared to whole PeKing Duck, which most of my non-Chinese friends will not try).
Salmon in Different Formats
Simply West Coast had a huge booth showcasing a variety of salmon products such as bacon, candied salmon, salmon ham and salmon soap? Though only available in Canada, they hope to find a retailer soon in the US. I found their products to be really fascinating, creative and of course, tasty.
All of these products slightly break the mold in product innovation and if you’re in the boat of trying to think creatively on your product for the company that you work with, this might give you some inspiration for your next product.
