Linda Green—Sales Director
The Republic of Tea
This booth immediately caught my eye with its vast array of premium teas for any occasion—including, yes, eating pizza. Their “sip by sip rather than gulp by gulp” philosophy inspires consumers to treat tea with respect for its restorative, healing properties that set it apart from sugary, carbonated alternatives. The Be Well Teas collection features beverages to improve health and well-being, such as the Get Relief label for digestion and the Get Smart for memory and focus. These are great options for pizzerias looking to expand their menu line with healthy beverage alternatives. 800-298-4832, republicoftea.com
Mamie’s Pies
These adorable, homemade pocket pies will make a sweet addition to your pizzeria. The preservative-free, New England-style pies are easy to prepare, baking at high temperatures so you can pop them into your pizza oven directly from the freezer and watch them brown to a perfect crisp. The generations-old recipes come from a family tradition out of New Hampshire, with apple, pumpkin and strawberry pies in either standard or individual-sized pockets. 415-370-4617, mamiespies.com
Bellucci Olive Oil
Bellucci’s extra-virgin olive oil squeeze packs stood out as a unique new product that makes traveling with your favorite oil easy. Additionally, Bellucci’s parent company, Candor-AGS, has worked with Certified Origins to confront one of the biggest challenges in the olive oil industry—food fraud. The Bellucci app allows customers to track precisely where in Italy their olive oil was produced and educates the consumer on how the oil should taste according to the region and how it can be used in the kitchen. The travel packs and full-sized bottles are fully traceable, so you’ll know you’re getting what you paid for. 559-475-5401, belluccipremium.com
Formosa
Of the many hot-sauce companies I saw at the Fancy Foods show, Formosa drew me to its booth because of all the people in it. It’s a family-owned company, and you could tell right away that a lot of joy and love goes into making their products. The handcrafted, all-natural sauces are made in California with three heat levels to choose from. The company also recently came out with travel-sized bottles that meet airplane size regulations so you can easily take it with you to spice up any food on the go or in the air. 408-297-3300, formosasauce.com
Revive Kombucha
Revive has taken kombucha, a once-obscure fermented brew, and made it fun and attractive for the mainstream market. Through a careful fermentation process, Revive has crafted an array of nine unique brews, including the Boogie Down, made with black tea and lemon and reminiscent of the mouthfeel and taste of soda. It’s perfect to enjoy with a pizza! Revive’s kombucha is alcohol-free but can be marketed like beer and sold on tap, in bottles or in growlers. And did I mention that health-boosting probiotics from live cultures give Revive’s kombucha its fizz? 707-536-1193, revivekombucha.com
Clifton Moody—Senior Account Executive
Giusto's Vita-Grain Flours
I’m always on the lookout for up-and-coming flour brands, and this was one of my favorite finds. Giusto’s Vita-Grain Flour is organically grown, which is a big plus in this age of clean and natural ingredients. Pizza makers will want to check out Giusto’s “00” Unbleached Flour, a European-style flour made with a proprietary blend formulated just for pizza chefs, as well as the finely ground Extra Fancy Durum Flour. Since 1940, this company has focused on healthier baking, which is exactly what so many consumers seek these days. 650-873-6566, giustos.com
Spinato's Fine Foods
Spinato’s may be located in Arizona, but it’s about as Italian as any company you’ll ever find, with a high-quality product that pizzerias will want to try. Along with a variety of sauces and salad dressings, Spinato’s offers gluten-free pizzas that are delicious, easy to prep and safe to serve to customers on a gluten-free diet—allowing operators to cater to this rock-solid segment. All products come already made, packaged and ready to bake, so you can also worry less about the risk of-cross contamination in your kitchen. 480-275-4319, spinatosfinefoods.com
Honey-Smoked Fish Company
Nutritionists say fish is the healthiest protein of all, and we’re seeing more and more fish toppings on pizzas in recent years. This company offers a line of smoked salmon with a marvelous flavor like no other. They call it the “the energizing superfood protein of the future,” and if you give it a taste, you’ll understand why they’re so confident in their product. Honey-smoked salmon can be used in pizzas, pastas, salads and appetizers. If you’re looking for a specialty item that will set you apart from a crowded field of competitors, you really ought to give honey-smoked salmon a try! 303-371-8660, honeysmokedfish.com
Conte's Pasta
A first-generation Italian named Angela Conte opened Conte’s Restaurant in Vineland, New Jersey, in 1970, and her fresh-made pastas were so good, her son, Mike, knew they had to share them with the world. Conte’s Pasta products soon found their way into fine restaurants around Philadelphia and South Jersey. Now they’re running full production lines of gluten-free products, including three bake-in-the-bag gluten-free pizzas—Margherita With Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil, Pepperoni, and Mushroom Florentine—plus raviolis, pierogies and gnocchi. The Contes have been wowing customers for two generations; grab a bite of these products, and you’ll see why. 856-697-3400, contespasta.com
