To polish rocks, nature uses water, sand and motion.
To polish ideas and identities, we use the same approach
— a mix of inspiration, grit and energy.
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
Lou Reed rhapsodizes on the classic New York treat, the Egg Cream (which contains neither eggs nor cream).
"When I was a young man, no bigger than this
A chocolate egg cream was not to be missed
Some U Bet's chocolate syrup, seltzer water mixed with milk
You stir it up into a heady fro, tasted just like silk
You scream, I steam, we all want egg cream"
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
Winemakers all over are in harvest-mode (or getting there soon). In honor of that, we're sending out a little vintage country with Mel Tillis singing Stomp Them Grapes. (The video is a bit rustic, but then, so is the song.)
"Stomp, stomp them grapes and make that wine
Put it in a bottle, boys, and ship it on down the line"
Long Meadow Ranch, an organic farm in the Napa Valley, graciously hosted us for an in-depth tour of the property and a great discussion of food and food systems in California and beyond.
The world Long Meadow Ranch has created is an inspiration and a beautiful example of what can be done when dedication, ideals and resources are brought together.
They maintain over 650 acres with a mix of gardens, orchards, vineyard, olive groves and pasture land for their herd of Highland cattle (the largest in North America). They make their own wines, press their own olive oil and run the restaurant Farmstead where you can taste everything they produce.
weekly round-up of our favorite finds from the front lines of food
Estonia barley bread and Latvian midsummer cheese, from Clouds
Vineyard growth plan for 'Bordeaux of China' raises concerns for animal habitats and livelihoods of villagers who switch to grapes "Pandas are squished into the last little upland refuge that hasn't been converted into agriculture....A species that has lost so much habitat can't afford to lose more." (Guardian)
weekly round-up of our favorite finds from the front lines of food
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
Guy Clark sings about Texas Cookin', just in time for the 4th of July.
"I know a man that cook armadillo
tastes so sweet he calls it pie
I know a woman makes pan dulce
tastes so good it gets you high
Get them enchiladas greasy
get them steaks chicken fried
Sho' do make a man feel happy
to see white gravy on the side"
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
The food-centric, satirical Beatles cover band The Eatles goes under the sea to an AquaBounty (that's the company trying to sell consumers a genetically engineered "salmon" that's a cross between three different species) Garden in the shade.
"I'd hate to be under the sea,
in a AquaBounty garden in the shade.
Let's make a wish, no transgenic fish
that they went and died away beneath the truth..."
If this one had you tapping your toes, The Eatles have a full range of subversive titles like Modified Fields Forever, I Am The Wal-Mart, and While the Microwave Gently Beeps.
On May 29, 2013 the Guardian UK reported a new study that GM 'hybrid' fish pose threat to natural populations, scientists warn Study shows genetically modified salmon that breed with wild trout can produce a fast-growing, competitive fish.
weekly round-up of our favorite finds from the front lines of food
weekly round-up of our favorite finds from the front lines of food
These cones were made for walkin: Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has created a line of shoes where the heel is decked out with a sparkly ice cream cone (right) or Brazilian plastic footwear brand Melissa. Another great find from fave blog Laughing Squid.
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
The Boston Seafood Show is here again, so we've got a fishy snack for you this week. The Chemical Brothers treat us to a super trippy video with a side of education.
"Let me introduce to you a brand new dance
I know you gonna love it if you give it one chance
Its not complicated, its not too hard
You don't even have to be a hip-hop star!"
See you in Boston!
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
This week we're going way back with the blues and Bessie Smith with her drop-dead 1933 rendition of Gimme A Pigfoot.
"Give the piano player a drink because he's bringin' me down
He's got rhythm, yeah!
When he stomps his feet, he sends me right off to sleep
Check all your razors and your guns
We gonna be rasslin' when the wagon comes
I wanna pigfoot and a bottle of beer
Send me 'cause I don't care
Slay me 'cause I don't care"
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
Yellowman gets us in the holiday spirit island-style with Breadfruit Roasting On An Open Fire.
"Breadfruit roasting on an open fire,
cornmeal porridge on the stove..."
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
Tom Waits sings about serving Fish in the Jailhouse Tonight.
"corvina opal eye hammerhead shark
steelhead salmon or a mud bank carp
sand me one side dull
whittle the other side sharp
by Saturday night I'll be in central park
they're serving fish in the jailhouse tonight, oh boy
They're serving fish in the jailhouse tonight"
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
Louis Jordan sings Saturday Night Fish Fry.
"So if you ever want to get a fist in your eye
just mention a saturday night fish fry
I don't care how many fish in the sea
but don't ever mention fish to me!"
weekly round-up of our favorite finds from the front lines of food
My-o-my, how time flies. It seems like yesterday that we were all in New Orleans eating and drinking our way though another delicous Chefs Collaborative Chef Summit. Well, time waits for no one, so here we are back from another Summit.
Seattle rolled out the red carpet, or rather an amazing blue sky, to host a wonderful conference. I know everyone loved sampling the incredible bounty that chefs enjoy up in the Pacific Nowthwest. Enjoy our little recap of the Chefs Collaborative Summit 2012- in Seattle.
weekly round-up of our favorite finds from the front lines of food
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
Louis Jordon sings his 1946 hit That Chick's Too Young To Fry.
"Hey boy don't you harm that bird, don't you dare to try
Start releasin' that chicken or you'll get a lickin'
That chick's too young to fry"
It's never too early or too late for a snack, so crank up that volume on your computer.
Rosemary Clooney, with her entourage of dancing sailors, sings her 1957 single, Mangoes.
"Now if you like the way I cook, And if you like the way I look
Then step inside my shady nook
And you'll find mangoes and papayas, anything your heart desires"
This is the third issue of our new column on branding and marketing for SEA, Seafood Experience Australia.
originally posted June 13 | by sea |
Getting your product into a distributor is just the first step, and tailoring you message for just one aspect of the business, like purchasing, can leave you stuck in the enthusiasm gap between purchasing and sales and distributors and diners.
You’ve heard the expression, walk a mile in my shoes. Well, if it’s a seafood distributor you are talking to, they better be comfortable, all-terrain shoes! Distributors are on the front lines of the marketplace. The purchasing department has to make stocking decisions and then cross their fingers that the outside sales team can actually perform to pull the chosen product through. On the other side of the warehouse, you have sales teams looking for the latest, greatest, flashiest (and unfortunately often un-tested) product to be stocked by the purchasing department.
Appreciating the needs of different players along the value chain will get your product the attention it needs. To get the excitement of everyone you’ll need, you have to learn when to turn up the romance and when to play it straight.
Purchasing — Just the Facts
The purchasing department is faced with making fast-paced decisions on what to stock and when to speculate, all while keeping close tabs on current inventory. While a fine-tuned purchasing department works closely with the sales director, there is a particular set of details and information that the purchaser needs to consider your seafood product as a viable option.
The key is concise, clear, easy to find information. Communicating clearly with the purchasing department doesn’t have to be cumbersome or even require a separate document. When developing a sales sheet, integrate a call out area with nuts and bolts product information: sizing, packs, cuts, certifications, etc.
This is not an area for a sales “pitch,” but instead the information here should be straightforward and crystal clear. Don’t make the purchaser read through a full paragraph in order to find out if your product is packed in a 20lb or 50lb box, whole or fillet. The more clear and concise you are the better chance you have of getting an order. Some distributors are partnering with foodservice groups, contract negotiators or are serving retailers who must follow particular sourcing mandates. In your product meets particular program guidelines or certifications, you should call this out in an easy to access format.
Nothing Sells Itself — Sales Reps Sell It
Facts alone can get you an order, but facts alone won’t get you into the kitchen. Once the purchaser has granted your product a spot on the shelf, your job as the producer is not over yet. It’s easy to think that the quality of your product will speak for itself and it will fly out the door to the best kitchens, but your product will only get there if you have a sales rep willing to propose it to the chef.
The more interest sales reps take in your product, the better it will move — and your job is to give them enough details to work with, both technical and personal.
Sales reps are the ultimate multi-taskers. They deal with hundreds of personalities and are the pivot point between the distribution warehouse and the kitchen. A good sales rep will need to navigate the local food scene and find the fit between their accounts and the products in their portfolio. They know how to match the product detail to the chef. A chef committed to local sourcing and supporting the community will want to hear about how you interact with your community, for example. The more aspects of what you do that your materials touch on, the more opportunities there are for a sales rep to get excited about your product and find a fit.
But keep in mind that since the sales rep is the conduit to the table, the story they tell to place the product in the kitchen may ultimately be told table-side.
Know your selling points (hint — they don’t involve the word hygiene)
The details that make the difference may be more personal than you think. We all make buying decisions partly by the facts and partly by emotion. Especially in a crowded field of similar products, emotion may win the day. A detail about the town you operate from can do more to add to your general appeal than how you use the latest device.
Seafood producers can be thrilled with the details of the latest hygiene standards or technology, but that’s not how people want to think about their food. The last thing that a diner out for a relaxing evening wants to hear about is hygiene. Diners expect chefs to have complete control over the health, cleanliness and integrity of the product they are serving. Instead, diners want to be reassured that what they are about to eat, was brought to them with the utmost respect and with their enjoyment in mind. Customers want to “feel” good about eating and enjoying their meal. They want the restaurant to paint them a picture that they feel good about choosing.
When developing your messaging points think through every aspect of you and your production with an eye to that picture. Include information about the environment, community engagement, your location and yourself. Practical details along with more “romantic” story points add up to a message than can follow your product into the distributor and out to the dining room.
