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Cucina Fresca has updated its brand to Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods
to better capture its full range of product offerings and company vision.
The new branding coincides with several recent milestones, including
significant gains for nationwide product distribution, as well as strategic
brand partnerships and flavor expansions for its popular line of handcrafted gourmet Mac and Cheese.
“For more than 30 years, Cucina Fresca has always put product before
profit, creating delicious food made in small batches from only the
freshest, highest-quality ingredients at our own culinary facility,” said
Brad Glaberson, owner and executive chef of Seattle-based Cucina
Fresca Gourmet Foods. “All the business decisions I make are led by
being a chef. Being a taste-driven company is not the most efficient,
but it’s what people want, and our continued success is proof of that.”
Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods’ recent growth includes:
• Increased Sales: Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods has experienced a 62
percent sales growth over the past five years. The company attributes
a notable portion of its success to a focus on expanding specialty dis-
tributors serving the natural and gourmet foods markets.
• New Products: The company’s packaged gourmet food line now has
more than 30 retail products, and 130 foodservice offerings. Its product line encompasses fresh pastas, fresh sauces and frozen “lazy”
lasagna and gourmet mac and cheese dishes. The company recently
launched two exciting new products: Sharp Cheddar Mac and Cheese,
and Spinach and Cheese Lazy Lasagna. In 2012, the company plans
to add a natural gourmet soup line and innovative rubs for meats,
seafood and more.
• Broader Distribution: Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods is now in more
than 1,000 grocery stores, specialty shops and foodservice channels
throughout North America. Recent retail wins include grocery giant
Kroger, Gelson’s in Southern California, Bristol Farms in Northern
California, and increased placement in Whole Foods locations in the
United States and Canada.
• Strategic Distribution Partners: Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods has
also forged strategic partnerships with local organizations to further
its brand awareness and reach. It has created custom foodservice
products for Safeco Field, Whole Foods Prepared Foods Department
Seattle-Based Cucina Fresca Gourmet Foods Announces Brand Update, New Products and
Expanded Distribution
in the Pacific Northwest, and its pastas are served by Compass and Bon
Appétit, leading food management companies responsible for serving
many Pacific Northwest corporate cafeterias.
The second annual Gourmet Housewares Show® at the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) will feature refined concentrations of both
housewares and tabletop suppliers, as well as a new four-day date pattern
– running Sunday, Aug. 19, through Wednesday, Aug. 22, at the Jacob K.
Javits Convention Center.
“There is a dynamic synergy between NYIGF’s design-driven resources and
the Gourmet Housewares Show’s upscale gourmet products, offering clear
benefits for buyers and exhibitors,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director
and GLM senior vice president.
The Gourmet Housewares Show presents some 175 suppliers of high-end
resources in cookware, bakeware, kitchen gadgets, kitchen textiles, bar
and wine accessories, small electrics, specialty food, cookbooks, storage/
containers, and picnic/barbecue accessories.
Key companies expected to return for the 2012 edition include: Aladdin;
Blockhouse featuring Arc, Durand and Mikasa Brands; Core Bamboo; JK
Adams; Joseph Joseph; Mastrad; Mepra; Nespresso; OGGI; Picnic Time;
Room Copenhagen; Scantrends; Yedi Housewares; and Zoku. Several
other returning exhibitors have requested larger exhibit spaces, including:
Corkcicle, Core Bamboo, DKB, Picnic Time, Pillivuyt USA, Polder and Zevro.
The Gourmet Housewares Show’s positioning between NYIGF’s Tabletop
and Accent on Design® divisions offers synergistic access to complementary design-focused suppliers and specialty tabletop lines. On its northerly
side, Accent on Design will present ASA Selection, Blomus, Eva Solo, Mydrap,
Stelton and UMBRA; and on its southerly aisle, Tabletop will feature Arte
Italica, Beatriz Ball, Deborah Rhodes, Frances Stoia, Juliska, Kim Seybert,
Lunares, Mariposa, Match, Michael Aram, Mottahedeh, Vagabond House
and Vietri. In total, the summer 2012 market will present 350 upscale
resources for table and kitchen. Information and attendee registration are
available online at www.thegourmetshow.com.
Key Brands Sign On for Second Annual
Gourmet Housewares Show
