Less Fancy at the Fancy Food Show

Bob Vosburgh June 30th, 2009

It seems the butterscotch-infused chunk shortbread dunking biscuits have given way to more, er, pedestrian indulgences, if the reports from several sources attending this year’s Fancy Food Show in New York this week are correct.

One of our very own editors, Julie Gallagher, interviewed a number of retailers on the floor. They seemed to be looking for cheese (and accompaniments like crackers). Cheese is always one of the key categories that move at the show, but this year is seems to be enjoying even more popularity.

This might be because more people are entertaining at home, and, blah-blah-blah…. You’ve heard the recession-related verbiage.

Another of our editors, Carol Angrisani, noted a few common threads running among the winners of the Sofi awards honoring outstanding food innovation. There’s blood orange as an ingredient, salt/chocolate combinations and chip foods — as in roasted coconut chips. They can be healthy and indulgent, which is something I like to see.

The NY Daily News visited the show and noted a focus on portion control (smaller sizes, anyway) and less-haughty foods. It’s worth mentioning if only for the headline: “The fancy food fest is more like skid roe this year.” The pun refers to the level of interest being shown in caviar from less-expensive sources, like the hackleback, a relative of the sturgeon.

Nevertheless, the show is packed, as usual. It’s a fun show and there are plenty of products that ingeniously blend gourmet and wellness (olive oil is just the start). And if the gourmet factor is being downplayed this year, so be it. If anything that means it might have a better chance of showing up in conventional, everyday supermarkets.

(Photo credit: craigemorsels)

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Related Topics: Ethnic/Specialty, A Healthy Dish

2 Comments to “Less Fancy at the Fancy Food Show”

Anthony DeStefano Says:

July 1st, 2009 at 7:59 am

As always the show was wonderful. A great venue to gather information and meet new vendors. My problem with the show was the confiscation of samples as you were walking out the door. Security took the samples that vendors had given me and put them in a box stating “removing food samples from the show was prohibited.” How does that make any sense at all? A new vendor gives you a sample to take back to your office to show to people and they take it away!!! What is the point of a food show if you can’t show people, who did not attend, the food? Don’t know if this is a NASFT or Javits Center rule, but it is not a good one and needs to be changed.
Bob Vosburgh Says:

July 1st, 2009 at 10:05 am

Well, now, how big was your bag, Anthony? I’m kidding of course. I did contact Louise Kramer, the NASFT’s communications director. Here’s her response:

“It is longtime NASFT policy not to allow large hauls of samples off the show floor to protect our 2,300+ exhibitors from theft of their products. The NASFT has clear plastic bags in the exhibit halls in numerous locations for attendees to use to take a small amount of samples off the floor. Exhibitors are more than happy to send potential buyers samples after the show. Our lead retrieval sytem helps our exhibitors follow up.”

I have to say that, as a reporter who uses samples as part of story development, having product sent after the show is a huge plus. It’s less to haul through airport security and — with my packing handicap — means the package doesn’t get smashed, smushed or squashed.