Summer Fancy Food Show: Keen Consolidates Brands, Tochi Expands Snack Lineup
Jersey Tomato Co, O’dang Brands No More
Private equity firm Keen Growth Capital is putting all of its eggs (or condiments) in one chef’s basket, announcing at this week’s SFA Summer Fancy Food show the consolidation of its tomato sauce, dressing and mayo lines under a new unified brand, Colicchio Kitchen, featuring chef Tom Colicchio.
The group first announced a partnership with the “Top Chef” judge in 2020, adding a rendering of his profile to its Jersey Tomato Co sauce line. This was followed by the 2022 launch of an ultra premium line of sauces called the Colicchio Collection. Meanwhile, the company also was running chickpea-based dressing and mayo company O’dang.
Executives said aligning its three brands under Colicchio’s name will allow it to expand across the entire store and access a built-in customer following.
Because the tomato sauce products have the same UPC’s, and still sport a small Jersey Tomato Co callout, Keen was able to flow the new look into retailers rather than have to undergo category reviews, executives told NOSH. The formerly Jersey Tomato Co sauces retail at $7.99 to $8.99 for 25 oz. The Colicchio Collection sauces will remain an online exclusive, with three 16 oz jars selling for roughly $48.
Jersey Tomato Co was in approximately 2,100 stores, with ShopRite and Food Lion the sauce line and O’dang’s largest accounts.
Dumpling Daughter Packaging Refresh
After growing its distribution to 700 locations, eatery-turned-CPG co. Dumpling Daughter has refreshed its packaging design and reduced the pack size of its frozen Chinese meals in hopes of widening its appeal.
The company has downsized its 16 oz dumpling pack from to 9 oz. and its buns from 17 oz. to 11 oz, moves that allows the brand to cut its MSRP from $15 to about $7.99. The brand also has refreshed its package design, adding new photos of the buns and dumplings as well as an updated cartoon of its mascot.
“For independent grocers in New England where people recognize our name, they would buy it [at the higher price],” founder and CEO Nadia Liu Spellman told NOSH at Summer Fancy Foods this week. “But if we are really trying to grow the brand and make it approachable, you have to downsize it.”
The company has doubled its store count since the beginning of the year, adding New York City chains Gristedes and D’Agostino’s as well as some Stop & Shop stores.
Along with expanding in retail, the company has found traction in food service, Spellman said, with restaurants purchasing the CPG products to serve on menus. The company was already producing wholesale boxes for its three Boston-area restaurants, and is now offering them to other outlets, along with a larger 16 oz. squeeze bottle of its Spicy Sweet Soy Sauce.
Demand has increased so much that Dumpling Daughter had to find a co-manufacturing partner to supplement its own facility’s output, Spellman said, in order to increase the volume without adding too much labor to its own team.
Tochi Snacks Pops into Popcorn
Tochi Snacks, a producer of flavored salmon chips, has added popcorn to its expanded snack portfolio. Available in four flavors at launch – Salted Egg, Black Sesame, Ube and Black Milk Tea – the new line aims to introduce Asian-inspired flavors to a wider array of consumers via a familiar product.
The launch comes at a fortuitous time: according to the most recent State of the Industry report by the Specialty Food Association, snacks earned the top spot in the top ten categories by dollar sales. Overall, popcorn, potato chips and snacks combined for more than $4 billion in 2022 sales.
“[We asked ourselves] what in the U.S. is somewhat familiar to people here, but also allows us to be playful? We wanted the [unique flavors] in a form that was easy to consume and easy to understand,” co-founder Ian Seah told NOSH.
The entire line is currently available via the brand’s website for $57 per 12-pack of 2.8 oz. bags and $105 per 24-pack. Looking ahead, Tochi Snacks hopes to enter retail through the specialty and natural channels.
Farmer Foodie Unveils Revamped Packaging, New SKU
Cashew parm maker Farmer Foodie unveiled revamped colorful packaging at the Fancy Food Show as it looks to break into larger retail accounts.
According to founder and CEO Ali Elliot, the rebrand was inspired by feedback she received while participating in the NOSH Live Pitch Slam that the previous packaging looked too tailored to farmers’ markets. The new packaging, she said, now looks both “granola and bougie”
In addition to the new botanical-inspired look, the Boston-based brand renamed its Everything Cheeze product to Golden Chedda and launched a new Italian Herb variety. Farmer Foodie products are currently sold online and at select retailers across New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut with a SRP of $11.99 per 3.2 oz. bottle.
