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At last week’s Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, High Road Craft Ice Cream CEO Keith Schroeder discussed his patient approach to growing the brand and his decision to eschew category trends such as plant-based and keto. He also shared how the brand plans to take on larger players this year in an effort to become “the country’s next generation leading ice cream company.”

A presentation at the Winter Fancy Food Show reviewed the category trends, channel breakdowns, consumer shopping behaviors and product positioning claims shaping the specialty food market.

Specialty food distributor The Chefs’ Warehouse announced Thursday its acquisition of specialty wholesaler Sid Wainer & Son, a deal expected to generate approximately $180 million in annual net sales.

At the Winter Fancy Food Show last week, SuperFat founder and CEO David Hauser told NOSH that as the keto market grows and conventional retailers increasingly show interest, SuperFat’s cohesive message and emphasis on taste will keep the brand going strong.

Miyoko Schinner, founder and CEO of fast-growing vegan cheese and butter company Miyoko’s Creamery, spoke about why she describes her business “a mission with a company,” the importance of empowering employees and ensuring they align with the brand’s ethos and why investors “have to love you for who you really are.”

At last week’s Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, brands continued to innovate, offering plant-based and vegan options to classic dairy favorites, from spreads and sauces to chocolate and cheeses. Check out the gallery for the new plant-based products spotted on the show floor, including the latest launches from Miyoko’s and a sweet new release from The Coconut Collaborative.

Two brands in the bean-based snacking segment — Beanitos and The Good Bean — revealed last week that they had struck a deal to go into 2020 as a unified company after The Good Bean acquired Beanitos’ assets in December. Beanitos investors, L Catterton, 2x Consumer Products Growth Partners, and BFY Capital are now each minority shareholders in The Good Bean.

In a webinar this week, research firm Innova Market Insights listed its Top 10 Trends in Sweets and Snacks, and many of those characteristics were also displayed in products at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.

John Sorial, founder of Mediterranean-inspired food brand TaDah Foods, spoke about how he navigated the company through a period of constant challenges, why finding a co-packing partner is like “getting married,” preparing for his pitch on “Shark Tank” and what it was like to turn down an offer from Mark Cuban.

Utilizing the entire coconut to minimize its carbon footprint and maximize profitability has been a long-term goal for Harmless Harvest and its CEO Ben Mand, who joined the company in June 2018. At Winter Fancy Food Show 2020, held January 19-21 in San Francisco, the company unveiled an expanded food and beverage portfolio that delivers on that goal.