Fancy Food Show 2022: Global Flavors Are Hot And Convenience Takes On New Categories At Fancy Food Show 2022

The Specialty Food Association (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show returned in-person to New York City this week for the first time since 2019. While more limited in its scope, energy and total attendees than mega-shows like Expo West, the biannual event represents an important showcase for CPG brands looking to grow in the specialty food market, which is expected to rise to $185 billion in 2022, according to the SFA State of the Industry report.

Overall, there were plenty of new food brands that debuted with a key, common theme: to bring a wide range of global flavors to the U.S. market. Convenience was also a common denominator between many of the emerging brands exhibiting at the show, as were new categories from comfort foods to meal starters and sweets.

Easy Integrations For Global Flavors

One of the most notable shifts in post-pandemic consumer behavior has been the transition from scratch cooking to easier and more convenient meal making, without sacrificing unique and exciting flavors. That shift was evident on the show floor with all arrows pointing toward the proliferation of Asian-inspired flavors. Simple, spice-forward meal solutions and sauces pulled from Malaysian, Indian, Indonesian and Vietnamese flavors as well as lesser-known cuisines, primarily in the form of spice packs, sauces and meal kits.

The convenient format offers consumers a low risk, easy access solution for mealtime and in some cases, even more use occasions, as is the goal with Indian-inspired spice pack brand SugarRoti. According to co-founder Bina Motiram, the packs can be used to easily test out unfamiliar herbs and spice blends with dinner, blend into a beverage, like with its Golden Milk Nu Spice product, or add to a baked good for additional depth of flavor.

But use occasions aren’t the primary purpose behind the brand. Motiram founded the company on the ethos of sustainability, explaining she was frustrated by the inefficiencies of dried spice bottles that often went bad before they could be used during their optimal period of freshness. Motiram had been working in tech and also saw an opportunity in a convenient, pre-packed format. SugarRoti spices are available in fifteen different “Nu Spice” varieties in fully compostable packages.

Homiah Foods, a brand that’s positioned itself as a Southeast Asian pantry, also sells flavor packs – available in Singaporean Laksa, Indonesian Rendang and Malaysian Red Curry varieties – but with a broader regional focus. Launched in late 2021, the company is on the cusp of larger growth, according to founder and CEO Michelle Tew, steadily gaining distribution and specifically looking to build an audience for its sauce packs,

Tew looked to solve a similar pain point as SugarRoti, but noted that many of the spices she wished to incorporate in her sauce pouches were not even accessible in the U.S. This led her to spend multiple months in Malaysia, setting up her own flavor supply chain which then took an additional few months to make it stateside, due to global shipping constraints.

Additional brands on the floor were operating with the same ethos, looking to inject unique flavors into easy to make products. Watcharee recently launched its Thai-inspired sauces in single serve pouches and Kapka Foods debuted with Indian meal starter kits. Kapka products are ready to cook with the addition of water and feature spices, herbs, and plant-based protein. Featuring a base of rice or lentils, the brand is also preparing to roll out a single serve cup format in five flavors in addition to its ten meal kit options.

Beyond Southeast Asia, fonio-focused brand Yolélé launched its first product that doesn’t feature the West African grain as an ingredient. Looking to find new ways to bring West African flavors to the grocery store, Yolele introduced spice rub and dip mixes in four varieties: Parsley, Chili Scallion; Dawadawa, Garlic and Mushroom; Scotch Bonnet, Onion and Thyme; and Mustard and Smoked Paprika. The brand’s founder, Pierre Thiam, said the rubs can also be mixed into a base like yogurt and then used for dipping the brand’s range of fonio chips.

Thaim explained the goal with the new product is to continue generating awareness of the foods and flavors of West Africa, a mission that has picked up traction recently in a Bronx-area Stop & Shop. The location is piloting a new store layout to better reflect the diverse backgrounds of its consumers, according to the Yolélé team, saying it’s the largest grocery display dedicated to West African flavors that they have seen in the U.S. thus far.

Comfort is Key and Indulgence Is In

Alongside the decline in scratch-made cooking seems to be a flagging consumer demand for healthy eating across all day parts. In the post-pandemic environment brands are catering to demands such as permissible indulgence and better-for-you comfort foods with new formats and innovations.

Grown As* Mac is bringing plant-based comfort food with a side of sauce. The new vegan mac and cheese brand which debuted on the show floor with two SKUs – Classic and Truffle – was started by David Delcourt, the creator of Seed Ranch Flavor Co’s Truffle Hound hot sauce. The product is also nut free and non GMO.

While the branding may seem aimed at the more mature consumer, according to Delcourt, his proof of concept actually came from his own kitchen. Delcourt said he began cooking a version of the mac and cheese for his children during the pandemic, and claims they soon asked for it instead of a box of Annie’s Homegrown. The idea of offering a higher turning product than a bottle of hot sauce is appealing, he said, and the two products can be used together.

Low sugar chocolate maker Cocofuel followed a similar path to its latest launch. The brand, which has been producing low sugar chocolate bars for almost a decade, recently scaled back that product line solely to Whole Foods distribution and recently launched a new format that offered consumers more “snackable chocolate” but with higher-sugar content, due to the addition of coconut sugar.

The 6 oz. pouch of keto, vegan friendly chocolate bites are aimed to be “as poppable as M&Ms” and can also be used for baking, said the brand’s founder Paula Charleson. The bites are available in Classic, Mighty Mint, Perky Espresso, Spicy Chili and Zesty Orange flavors. Made with only four ingredients – cocoa butter, cocoa powder, coconut sugar and vanilla – the chocolate contains less than 3 grams of sugar per serving.

Whipnotic is also aiming to take the sugar out of sweets, while ushering in new bursts of flavor. The brand has its sights set on innovating the whipped cream category with a product that the brand’s founders say can be used as a topping or frozen into ice cream. Aside from Whipnotic’s eye popping pack, the brand also stands out for its proprietary flavor-infusing cap that swirls the respective flavors into the product as it is dispensed.