A Piece of the Pie… Introducing Our New Line of Fruit Tarts

I wrote a few blog posts ago about the process of product development (at least from our side in the food industry). The past few months, we’ve been keeping our fingers busy (and sticky!) working on refining and launching our new line of fruit filled tarts.

I can definitely say we’re pretty excited about the outcome. We work hard on keeping our products top quality as we scale and grow.

Our fruit tarts have been a long time coming. Not so much in the product development (that’s what January and February were for), but considering how to figure out where best to address the market demand.

Ever since our first farmer’s market we’ve had customers come up to us and ask if we were doing fruit tarts. My very first presentation to New Seasons Markets, the buyer asked if we were doing any fruit versions. I knew the market was there (but back on both occasions, the timing was wrong).

In the past 18 months (against a flat economy, to say the least), we’ve been growing and morphing into the next stages of where I want to company to be, and after this past holiday season (where we did some small fruit tart tests), I felt the timing was right to get on getting fruity in 2011.

We’re keeping to the classics, as our target audience hits all ages. I want our fruit tarts to be something kids would enjoy as well as adults. Portable for picnics and lunches or dress up with a scoop of ice cream (and um, eating for breakfast as we discovered).

In this past week, we put our fruit tarts out to market (starting exclusively with New Seasons around Portland).

Our flavors out of the gate: Cherry, Strawberry and Ginger Peach.

Have you tried one? Let us know what you think! I’ll let you know how they’re doing after a bit, and if there’s a clear favorite of the group emerging.

How Do You Like Dem Tomatahs? Comments On This Week's News

I couldn’t let this story pass by without commenting on it, and anyone in the farming or food industry will understand why. This past week $250,000 (yes a quarter of a million dollars) worth of tomato crop were stolen from a farmer in Florida. You can find the (free) article here via ABC.

While I am relieved we’re not having food riots in our country, a great tomato heist like this shows us how much of a commodity our food has become. Our food prices are directly tied to fuel (eg the cost of gas), growing conditions, and calamities going on in the world (whomever has had a flood, freeze, drought or earthquake is purchasing food from us).

Additionally, it brings to mind a few questions (and some comments):

Where are you going to fence said tomatoes? (they were originally destined for Wendy’s)

“Psstt… hey mister… these nice tomatoes just fell off the back of the truck”. I suspect if the thieves went through such trouble to set-up a fake company, they already had a buyer in store so to speak.

What does this do to our efforts to have more traceability in our food? Doesn’t matter where they were destined, would you eat one knowing it was stolen not knowing how it was handled (though by now you know where it was grown)?

Which brings me to think if it had been beef or pork, there would’ve been a nationwide man-hunt out to stop it from getting into our food system

This very well might not be the last time we hear a story like this. Next time you’re at one of your local farmers markets (ours are just starting up) remember what a commodity your local farmers truly are to your own dinner table.

Lessons From Having Too Much Make-Up On In Daylight… or Why It’s Important to Understand Your Customers

Like many industries, the cosmetics industry holds a twice yearly products showcases where they invite consumers to take a seat and try out some make-up and skincare products. The local location of Nordstrom was hosting one over the weekend.

Our tarts are considered higher-end existing in the “gourmet” and “artisanal” food sections of stores and deli cases (and in many cases “grab & go”). How does this tie in to a few hours at the cosmetics counter you ask? I thought it would be interesting to compare how other industries market and present higher end products to the consumer (which sometimes, is me) and see if I could gain anything from the experience.

I decided my skin and my patience could handle two product samplings from two very different skin care and cosmetic companies, with two very different results.

Cosmetic company one: In the world of higher end skin care, a mid-tier line which touts their botantical ingredients and environmental stewardship.

Upon sitting down, the product associate asks me one question about my skin (oily? Normal? Dry?) then proceeds to wipe off the small amount of make-up I had applied that morning and lather my face with products, stopping only to give me the briefest overview about what she was using and why it would be good for me. I will admit, at one point my skin was silky soft, but I could not tell you how many products it took to get there, or did I have an inkling if I would be interested in any of the products she chose. After an abbreviated make-up session (most of their color pallets were a little too natural for my liking), and a product card outlining several times daily skin care products and regimes, it was time to move on.

Cosmetic company two: (after a side trip to the ladies room to wipe down a bit of the first company) A definitely high end marketed line, lots of glossy magazine advertising touting a certain lifestyle and products to match.

Upon sitting down the product associate asks me what products I currently use, what I’m concerned about and how much time would I like to spend looking at their products (it’s free and I’m sitting, what’s the rush?). She showed me a few tiers of skin care products, making recommendations but allowing me to choose if I wanted to have it applied. End result pre-make-up was also silky smooth skin and I knew how we had gotten there. I allowed her to have some fun with make-up, since I so rarely really deck myself out these days, and I thought the eye-treatment she did was fabulous. Had I had the budget to acquire some of the products, this associate would have gotten a few sales.

The experience reinforced the importance of listening to your customer, offering them solutions and while giving them options to choose from. And while your product may not be the right solution for them now, leaving them with a good taste and feeling about your products leaves the door open for possible sales in the future.

This has me wondering, what sort of situations have turned you off from purchasing a product (in any industry)?