Gourmet Business, December 2010

News

Roles Shift at Prepara—with Exciting New
Twist after Oprah Show
Terrapin Ridge Brand Under New Ownership

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Riding a wave of holiday excitement after Oprah handpicked its Herb-Savor for her “Ultimate Favorite Things Show,” Prepara announced in November that executive roles had changed at the company.

Dean Chapman is now leading the Soho-based business after the departure of Evan Dash, who is no longer affiliated with Prepara. Ed Kilduff is the other owner of Prepara.

“Ed and I have had great success and are so excited to be moving forward on new projects,” says CEO Chapman. “Having Oprah select our product was a big boost. She asked for 300 Herb-Savors for audience members, but we sent over 350 just to be sure everyone got their hands on one.” The office phone started ringing with customer requests right after the show went off the air.

Founded in 2007, Prepara has designed and delivered products that cause a buzz in the media industry and in kitchens nationwide. Before founding Prepara, Chapman and Kilduff’s boutique industrial design firm, Pollen Design, earned dozens of international design awards and accolades, including the famous Rabbit Corkscrew and Nuscup – the world’s first wet/dry measuring scoop.

Oprah’s choice, the Herb-Savor ($29.95) is a green kitchen product that keeps rosemary, basil, cilantro and other herbs fresh for weeks. It has been featured in Eating Well, House Beautiful and other magazines.

“Oprah’s Ultimate Favorite Things 2010,” her most popular show of the year, aired to about 30 million viewers in the U.S. on Monday, Nov. 22. You can see the show here.

Any correspondence, sales orders or media requests should now be sent to info@prepara.com. You may also call the company at 888-878-8665.

Clearwater, Fla.-based Terrapin Ridge Farms LLC, owned by Brian Coughlin and Mary O’Donnell, has purchased the Terrapin Ridge brand from Furst-McNess Co. of Freeport, Ill., according to a Nov. 10 statement.

O’Donnell is a specialty food industry veteran and business leader with more than 25 years of experience in the food and consumer packaged goods arena. Prior to purchasing the Terrapin Ridge brand, O’Donnell spent seven years as CEO of Robert Rothschild Farm, located in Urbana, Ohio.

Most recently, she served as CEO of Pelican Bay Ltd., a specialty food gift producer based in Dunedin, Fla.

Coughlin is an entrepreneur who grew his previous Cleveland, Ohio-based company from $600,000 in sales to more than $90 million. He sold his business in 2006 and is now focused on acquiring brands and businesses in the specialty food industry.

Terrapin Ridge Farms LLC continues selling the original award-winning Terrapin Ridge products, including gourmet condiments, jams, sauces, dips and dressings. Additionally, the company will introduce new products to re-energize the brand and keep it relevant in the specialty food industry.

“Terrapin Ridge had a strong reputation for being innovative,” states O’Donnell. “We will be working hard to carry that reputation forward.” Terrapin Ridge Farms LLC has retained Susan Furst, co-founder of Terrapin Ridge, to help develop new concepts and products. Furst has a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. She has worked extensively in the fine dining arena, primarily with the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. She also helped launch the Seattle fresh seafood hot spot, the Flying Fish.