Page 88 - Jan 2019 MM

Living La Vida
Local
Discover gourmet products straight from the source in Georgia and Virginia
The gourmet food industry’s local movement isn’t a fad; it’s a long-term trend that continues to gain momentum. Like the farming and production practices it supports, it’s sustainable with more Americans demanding to know where their food comes from and who produced it.
That’s what makes two special pavilions in the Gourmet Temporaries so attractive to buyers this January. Georgia Grown and Virginia’s Finest each feature gourmet food vendors who actually make what they’re exhibiting.
“Most of the foods at the show are shelf- stable items that will sell well for retailers looking for gourmet or artisan foods,” says Georgia Grown’s Sarah Cook.
Virginia’s Finest has a similar offering. The mix of long-time and first-time exhibitors
in both pavilions reflects the growth of local gourmet foods over the last couple of years.
“There are probably 1,200 companies in the state and about 500 are in our program,” says Virginia’s Finest promotion and events specialist Marshall Payne.
“We get new applications every three weeks, and the types of foods are all over the map. A lot of newer companies are doing non-GMO organic.”
Keeping it real – and healthy
Payne says healthy is a buzzword among Virginia’s gourmet food producers, although that will likely expand to new and interesting directions. Vendors are always finding creative ways to produce and market their foods, which ultimately makes the products an easier sell for retailers
.
“We have a few companies looking at getting kosher certification,” says Payne. “You don’t see that too often but it seems
to be catching on.”
In Georgia, meanwhile, Cook says gourmet companies are doubling down on the regional angle, creating various edibles from cheese straws to the pepper jelly
that Georgia is known for throughout the country.
“People are looking for cultural experiences through the food they eat,” says Cook.
“That’s why many of our vendors are going back to their roots and making the foods that have long been made in this state.” >
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