Three amazing food experiences on one amazing trip

Two weeks ago, my wife and I were on vacation and we had three food experiences that were truly amazing. The interesting thing is that each one represents a different movement in terms of culinary experiences.

The first little story happened in Canada and it´s about the road food movement - locals (and sometimes tourists) who drive for miles to eat at authentic roadside eateries. While our daughters were at camp, my wife and I went exploring the Lake Muskoka area. We drove north on Highway 11 in Ontario, close to a town called Orillia, to experience what our resort concierge told us was the best burger experience in that part of the world. Half hour later, we arrived to Weber's Hamburgers. She was right. This place is like hamburger heaven. Simple charcoal BBQ'd burgers, friendly staff, picnic tables on a backyard park-like setting, railroad cars transformed into a dinning area, storage and restrooms... the place rocks!

My second story is about the farm to table movement, a movement that celebrates the people who farm and produce in your own communities, creating more awareness about the benefits of eating local. My wife made reservations two months in advance at Blue Hill at Stone Barn Farms in Pocantico Hills, thirty minutes north of New York City.

Everything about our dining experience was magical. When we arrived, the host asked if we wanted to have a drink at the bar or watch the fireflies. Obviously, we were curious about the fireflies. He walked us onto a terrace overlooking a moon-lit section of the farm and in complete silence we watched in awe thousands of fireflies creating an unforgettable scene. Back in the restaurant, we were delighted by a no-menu evening. Waiters brought five different courses all using ingredients from the fields and pastures of their own and surrounding farms. Each course with revernce and storytelling. At the end, a cart comes up at the side of your table and, after you sleect the type of tea you want, a woman clips leaves from pots and brews in front of you. I can easily say it was the best dining experience in my life.

My third story is about the Miami Food truck movement. Arriving in Miami for some business meetings, one of my best friends invited me to go with him to one of the many food truck festivals that happen every week in different locations around Miami. Different than other cities where I´ve eaten from one truck, these events bring together over twenty trucks with live music and a rock-concert-type feel with hundreds of people with their folding chairs. Just simple fun.

Three amazing... and yet totally different food experiences.

NatuChips - made from Brazilian roots

In a few days an exciting new snack concept we have been developing for the past year will hit the shelves all over Brazil: NatuChips.

There has been a growing interest among Brazilians consumers for products that celebrate local food staples. The growth of açai, coconut water or guaraná-enhanced energy drinks are examples of how Brazilian are re-discovering local tastes... from fruits to roots.

NatuChips is a great way for Brazilians to try something completely different in terms of snacking... different, but very close to their food culture. NatuChips comes in two great-tasting options: Inhame chips (known in English as taro) and Mandioquinha chips (known as arrancacha). We're very excited with this launch.

Try them out and drop me a line with your thoughts.

Appreciation for eating local

This week, my Family and I are spending vacation in Connecticut (which is why I have been less active with my blogging).  It's great to see how the community supportive agriculture and the local food movement is growing and becoming mainstream.  The other night we had dinner at The Dressing Room, an absolutely magnificent restaurant that they position as 'homegrown', located next to the Newport Playhouse.  All ingredients used are from local farms and producers.

 

The next day, we went to The Hickories Farm in Ridgefield for blueberry picking. For our daughters, it's wonderful that they can pick fruits, take them home and help mom bake a pie.  It helps them have a greater appreciation for how things go from farm to table.

At Whole Foods, there are banners throughout the store showcasing some of their local suppliers  signed "food from around here".

It's clear that there is a growing segment of the population who love the idea of eating local food. People who are interested in supporting their local farmers and communities.  People who are looking for the simple tastes and aromas of more natural and organic eating.... close to home. Wasn't this how our grandparents used to do?  

It will be interesting to see how food marketers will leverage this trend at a broader scale.

For Brazilian consumers hungry to taste the world

This month, our snacks marketing team is coming out with a repositioning for our STAX® line - potato chips in plastic tubes for convenient on-the-go consumption. We have been in the market in Brazil with STAX® since late 2006 with three basic flavors: original, sour cream & onion and cheddar cheese.  We were in search of a brand idea that could help us better differentiate ourselves, as well as, a creative platform that can allow us to better execute at the point of sale.

The new positioning is STAX® For those hungry to taste the world - taking consumers on a journey of flavors from different parts of the world. As Brazil starts playing a growing role in the global scene, young adults have a natural curiosity for what's beyond our borders. In fact, traveling is high on the dream list of our core target group. Tapping into a an amazing portfolio of authentic flavors that have been developed in other International operations, we researched and identified four flavors that resonate well with local consumers (in addition to the original flavor for those who just love a traditional potato chip).  This the new flavor line-up:

Thailand - Sweet Thai Chilli

Argentina - Barbecue

England - Sour Cream & Onion

America - Cheddar cheese

The repositioning work was led by Roberto Angelino, Carla Araujo and her marketing team Alexandre Chiavegatti and Carol Gormezano. The packaging graphics was developed by Cornerstone - a NY-based design firm that has opened a studio in São Paulo. On the back panel, you can find cultural and gastronomic tips from each flavor destination. 

Gourmet-style mobile food concepts

A cool trend is showing up in big cities all over the world.... gourmet-style mobile food concepts. Forget the typical hot dog stand, we're talking high-quality food. One very cool example is the DessertTruck in Manhattan. This food truck, created by Jerome Chang, a former pastry sous chef at Le Cirque and Chris Chen, converts the world of fine-dining desserts into a sidewalk experience. It's located at St Marks Place (8th St) and 3rd Ave.

Another example is Skillet, located in Seattle (a place known for innovative food retail concepts), which serves high-end locally-sourced dishes. I love the retro-looking silver Airstream trailer.

I'm trying to convince my organically-correct gourmet wife, to set something up like this in São Paulo.  In a city where people like to go out for a work lunch, traffic is terrible and there's not always a lot of time for a good meal, do you think the concept would work here?

Smart insight leads to Eating Colorful

I like it when you see a product innovation based on a relevant consumer insight.  In this part of the world, many moms try to prepare meals with different colors, to provide their children with a variety of different nutrients. Nutritionists will say that colors of fruits and vegetables are associated to different nutritional properties. Therefore, a naturally colorful meal means a healthier one. Based on this insight, Knorr® launched a few months ago a line of Soups under an 'Eat Colorful' positioning. The line was initially launched in 4 colors: red, orange, yellow and green. In the case of Soup Red, it's a combination of tomato, red pepper and eggplant, with the benefits of vitamin A, C, iron, fibers and antioxidants.  

It's not easy creating a new concept in traditional categories, so I thought this was a wonderful reminder that there's always a new refreshing way way to look at things. The process always starts with a smart insight.

A Cultural Movement Celebrating Brazilian Bar Food

Saturday night I had dinner with Eduardo Maya and Eulália Araujo, the visionary founders of an annual culinary contest to find the very best Brazilian bar food, called Comida di Buteco.  What started off as a culinary contest 9 years ago is now an amazing cultural movement celebrating Brazil's botequims - the popular name for the authentic Brazilian pub - and the colorful food served with beer or cachaça. If Spain has the tapas, Brazil has the petiscos or tira-gostos as they are called.  It all started in Belo Horizonte, a city known as the bar capital of the country and is now spreading to other cities.

Eduardo Maya is a charismatic guy and an enthusiastic advocate for elevating Brazilian bar gastronomy - often considered low cuisine - to the respectful place it deserves in the country's food culture.  He also talks passionately about how this movement has exponentially improved the lives of dozens of families who own these bars and given them a sense of affiliation beyond what he had initially envisioned.

To give of an idea of how popular this movement is becoming, in the 2007 edition, 130,000 people voted for their favorite petiscos in 40 selected bars and the final event, which closes off the month-long Comida di Buteco, gathered over 500,000 people in a week-end of music and the best Brazilian bar food.  It ends with an awards ceremony.

Click here to read an article that ran on The New York Times on the Comida di Buteco movement.

Another great example of how certain cultural movements have the powerful force of mobilizing people behind a cause. 

A Love for Potatoes

We spent Sunday in London on our way to a week vacation in Barcelona. We went to visit the Marylebone Farmer's Market (a great way to get a feel for the relationship of local farming with its community) and we met this potato farmer with a stall called The Potato Shop. Because I'm in the potato chip business, I couldn't resist to speak to him. It turns out that this guy has developed 22 varieties of potatoes, from family favorites like King Edwards, Desiree to the organics Nicola, Lady Balfour to the rare Pink Fir Apple or Blue Kestrel (he needs to update his sign that mentions only 12). He has traveled through the Andes to find unusual varieties. It made me think about the trend of specialization and how, different than large corporations that benefit from scale and productivity, little companies have a wonderful opportunity to offer variety and be the very best in a very specific niche. To become the absolute, undisputable authority in a defined micro-segment. From gourmet chocolates, to rare beers from microbreweries, to oriental teas... the world is seeing a proliferation of hyper-specilaized retail concepts that build their positioning on this trend.

New Brew

A number of fabulous cafés have opened up in São Paulo in the past few years, which is what you would expect in a place where coffee is so ingrained into the fabric of local culture.  This past week-end we stopped at recently-opened Octavio® Café. 

I particularly enjoyed one of the coffee offerings that is brewed the old-fashioned way right there in front of you at your table. The ritual provided a rather nostalgic feel which reflects a trend I'm seeing more often of keeping things real.  Another interesting example that sometimes in order to find something new, a good place to start is in the old. 

New TV Campaign for Sensações®

This week we're airing our the new campaign for Elma Chips Sensações® - a gourmet-style potato chip. Earlier this year, Sensações® was relaunched with new flavors and an entirely new packaging look created by Narita Deisgn Studio. This is one more effort we're taking to develop the snacking category expanding it to reach a broader demographic since salty snack consumption is heavily skewed towards kids and teens. Sales results and past 4-week consumption among adults have been extremely encouraging.

The campaign was created by AlmapBBDO and uses the insight that men do not always pay full attention to their wives, especially when they are engaged in something they crave for... in this case the great taste of Sensações®.