Gourmet News

Utz Unveils Salty Snack Foods at Sweets & Snacks Expo

Published May 14, 2024

Utz Brands, Inc., a leading U.S. manufacturer of branded salty snack foods for more than 100 years, will showcase new and best-selling products from multiple brands as a returning exhibitor at the National Confectioners Association Sweets & Snacks Expo, held May 14-16 in Indianapolis.

Since Utz Brands last exhibited at the Expo in 2019, it has experienced significant growth, adding multiple brands to its portfolio, including On The Border, which will be sampling at the expo alongside Utz, Zapp’s and Boulder Canyon.

“We are excited about sharing our incredible lineup of potato and tortilla chips, pretzels and other crunchy, flavorful snacks with this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo attendees,” said Utz Brands, Inc. Senior Vice President of Marketing Stacey Schultz. “As an over-100-year-old company, we pride ourselves on offering snack fanatics new, on-trend flavors and takes on classic favorites while maintaining the crunch and quality our consumers love.”

Attendees can get a first look at new products and sample best-selling items from each brand in Hall D, Booth 12108.

As consumers continue to reach for spicier snacks, Utz Brands is bringing the spice to products across its portfolio. On display at the Expo will be Utz’s Mike’s Hot Honey EXTRA HOT potato chips, the newest limited-time collab between Utz and America’s No. 1 brand of hot honey, and Zapp’s Sinfully Seasoned Pretzel Stix: New Spicy Cajun flavor, delicious twisted pretzels dusted with Zapp’s signature Cajun seasoning.

Bringing even more flavor-forward products to the pretzel category, Utz will also be sampling the new Garlic Butter Mixed Minis. This fun take on classic Utz pretzels offers three garlicky, buttery, bite-sized shapes: twists, rings and waffles. Mixed Minis are also available in two additional flavors: Mike’s Hot Honey and Sea Salt.

The Boulder Canyon line of better-for-you snacks will sample its newest product innovation on shelves now, Aged White Cheddar Canyon Poppers, which offer a Non-GMO Project-Verified cheesy cheddar taste made with avocado oil for a poppable crunch. Boulder Canyon will also give visitors an early look at an upcoming limited-time offering.

On The Border, the nation’s No. 2 unflavored tortilla chip brand, will sample its top-selling chip, Cafe Style Tortilla Chips. Made with a blend of yellow and white corn flour, the chips offer a unique flavor and crispy, bubbly texture ready for dipping.

All Utz Brands products are available for purchase online at www.utzsnacks.com or in leading retailers nationwide. For more information, follow Utz on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, Zapp’s on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, Boulder Canyon on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and On The Border on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

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Nassau Candy Debuts Nancy Adams Cookie Bites, Tub Line

Published May 13, 2024

Nassau Candy, leading manufacturer of specialty and private label confections, will debut a new look for its flagship factory fresh chocolate brand, Nancy Adams, along with new items at the 2024 Sweets & Snacks Expo (Booth #11002). Joining the roster of the beloved brand are single-serve package options, Cookie Bites, as well as new additions to Nancy Adams’s wildly popular Tub Line.

A longtime fixture in the candy and chocolate space, Nancy Adams is known for creating elevated American confectionary classics. The updated new look for Nancy Adams pays homage to the brand’s traditional roots while pulling in modern elements.

Each package features text and graphic elements in a rich brown to reflect the brand’s long tradition of premium, expertly-crafted chocolate paired with modern colors like lime, light yellow, teal, peach and purple.

“Nancy Adams is such a respected and beloved brand we knew we wanted packaging that reflects the brand’s status as a chocolate icon,” said Dana Rodio, director of brand strategy. “The new packaging is elegantly understated, highlighting the wholesome, handcrafted feel of our Nancy Adams’ creations while also creating a premium presentation.”

Along with a new look and feel to the brand’s best-selling gifting options like its Premier Pretzels, is the launch of Nancy Adams’ single-serve package options.

The inaugural items in the Nancy Adams single-serve line will be individually wrapped versions of the brand’s best sellers — chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered graham crackers, sea salt caramels, and s’mores. All the individual items will come packed in an acetate tub. Individual servings in a tub makes Nancy Adams single-serve confections convenient for impulse sections at point of sale and corporate breakroom snacks.

“Consumers are looking for balance between indulgences and their active lifestyles,” explains Andrew Reitman, executive vice president, national brand confections. “Single-serve options of confectionery classics, like our Nancy Adams chocolate creations allow customers to treat themselves on a smaller scale every day.”

Nassau Candy will also be announcing the launch of the Nancy Adams Cookie Bites. The first baked goods for the Nancy Adams line, manufactured in Nassau Candy’s Hicksville, New York factory are bite-sized cookies each with an indulgent chocolate element.

The first items in the Cookie Bites line will be tubs of the following bite-size cookies:

Chocolate Chip — Crisp chocolate chip cookies with a milk chocolate drizzle.
Oatmeal Raisin — Chewy classic oatmeal raisin cookies with a rich dark chocolate drizzle.
M&M’S — Crispy cookies studded with M&M’S Minis.
Birthday Cake — Crisp cookies enveloped in white candy and topped with rainbow sprinkles.
Lemon — Tart lemon cookies topped with white lemon candy drizzle.

Along with Cookie Bites, Nassau Candy will also be adding more chocolate items to its popular Tub Line. The Nancy Adams Tub Program features some of the company’s finest bulk chocolate items packed in a clear acetate tub. They’re a popular option for Grab & Go sections or retailers without a bulk program.

New items for the Nancy Adams Tub Line include:

Milk Chocolate Raisins — Juicy raisins drenched in creamy milk chocolate.
Dark Chocolate Raisins — Plump raisins coated in rich dark chocolate.
Jumbo Milk Chocolate Malt Balls — Crisp malted milk center covered in creamy milk chocolate.
Milk Chocolate Nonpareils — Creamy mounds of milk chocolate topped with colorful nonpareils.
Dark Chocolate Cashews — Buttery cashews coated in rich dark chocolate.
Milk Chocolate Pretzel Poppers — Bite-size pretzels dipped in creamy milk chocolate.
Yogurt Raisins — Plump, juicy raisins enveloped in sweet yogurt.
Milk Chocolate Mini Sandwich Cookies — Crisp chocolate sandwich cookies coated in creamy milk chocolate.
Milk Chocolate Banana Chips — Crunchy dried banana chips drenched in creamy milk chocolate.

The updated Nancy Adams line, including Single-Serve, Cookie Bites and new tub additions will be available in early fall. To check out the entire Nancy Adams collection, visit NassauCandy.com/brands/nancy-adams.

Nassau Candy is a wholesale manufacturer, importer, and distributor of confectionery and gourmet food products. Along with distribution of thousands of sweets and snacks to retailers across the country, the company also specializes in manufacturing and importing private label confectionery, and manufactures, develops, and merchandises customized souvenir, food, apparel, and promotional products.

From its six strategically located distribution centers in New York, Florida, Michigan, Texas, and California (San Francisco and Los Angeles), and two manufacturing facilities, the company manufactures and distributes more than 10,000 products to thousands of customers ranging from the largest retailers in North America, to thousands of independent confectionery stores, corporate, foodservice, grocery, and alternative market customers.

For more information on Nassau Candy please visit www.nassaucandy.com.

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Bitzel’s Chocolate Names Foley Executive Chef & Chocolatier

Published May 13, 2024

Bitzel’s Chocolate, the 7,000-square-foot chocolate factory and attraction in Suwanee, Ga., has added George Foley to its team as executive chef and chocolatier. Foley, who most recently was a Viennoiserie baker at Bacchanalia and Star Provisions, will focus on menu development, culinary training and building relationships with local farmers and national companies.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of such an amazing concept and to get to work with a chocolatier like Ray Bitzel,” Foley says.

Bitzel’s Chocolate, the brainchild of chocolatier and entrepreneur Ray Bitzel and his business partner and co-founder Dave Rose, creates affordable, chef-crafted chocolate confections and offers visitors an unforgettable, Willy Wonka-style experience as they watch as various treats move through the production process.

“Of course, the chocolate is the star of the show, but what I love is that we’re giving visitors an entire experience here,” Foley says. “We’re taking them on a journey from learning how chocolate is made to seeing the machines and the production process to tasting the different types of chocolate that they may have never experienced before, such as gold chocolate and ruby chocolate.”

Foley comes to Bitzel’s from Bacchanalia, where he concentrated on croissants and pastries. He also has worked as a corporate chocolatier at Bodega Chocolates in Fountain Valley, Calif., as executive pastry chef for the Dolce Group in Los Angeles, as pastry chef at Salty’s on Alki Beach in Seattle and as the overnight baker viennoisarie at 3 Michelin Star The Inn at Little Washington.

Foley, who’s enjoyed a long career in the hospitality industry, says that continuing to focus on hospitality is what helps keep things fresh and exciting for him.

“Hospitality is the gift of making everyone feel welcomed, accepted and comfortable in your presence,” he says. “It’s a privilege to be a part of that. And that’s especially true when you’re working with chocolate, which everybody loves, in an environment like Bitzel’s that’s just full of wonder and excitement. I’m looking forward to seeing the smiles on our guests’ faces on an everyday basis.”

Bitzel’s Chocolate is a 7,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, located in Suwanee, Ga. Bitzel’s Chocolate features a line of affordable, chef-crafted delicacies prepared while guests move through the production process in a true Willy Wonka-style experience.

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