by David
on December 6, 2012
Since 1990, I have been around the block a few times with the Gift Basket business and people often ask me about what makes a successful gift baskets and how has the business changed in the last few years. In this blog post I have put together some of my ideas on the subject. I have also included images from our new catalog to help illustrate my points.
Open and eat is a term used to describe a gift basket that provides instant gratification and does not involve having to think too much (or go to the kitchen and prepare something that might not be in your DNA nor physically located where you got the gift basket). A gift basket is very much about the present’s contents and how it is presented. I certainly have lots of ideas about the ingredients and the look and feel, but if there was a golden rule here it would be the satisfaction on treating your taste buds to something you just received and saying WOW that is good. Onto the details!
First off, it needs to taste good. Within varying business cycles, it is easy to get caught up in things that do not sell, or you have too much of and say – “oh we can use that in a gift basket.” Also product that has a long shelf life is often incorporated which makes the logistics of packing a gift easier and is mighty important in that many are sold in just 2 weeks of the year, thanks to Christmas, but my own experience has told me that long shelf life components do not sell as well, and more popular gifts involve “fresher product.†I like to say that we start with what is on the inside and what it is made out of and how it tastes and the real people that make it and work from there. In the gift basket industry, the packaging is always paramount but unfortunately this leads the chief value of what is sold is the packaging and not the food. I particularly think that it is wastefully based on the added packaging that is the basket and much of this is of little value because often it is discarded quickly after receipt of the basket. [continue reading…]
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by Elizabeth
on November 28, 2012
The waterfall of Christmas lights is up in Chelsea Market and we’re definitely in the holiday spirit, and starting on Saturday we’ll be opening up our advent calendars! The advent calendar originated in the 19th century in Germany when people made chalk lines beginning December 1st on their door to count the days down to Christmas. Because Christmas occurs in the darkest part of the year, it was also traditional for families with means to light 24 candles (an additional candle everyday) so that by Christmas Eve, the home was bright and shining with anticipation!
The modern idea of the advent calendar, opening a window to reveal an image, became popular in 1908 when Gerhard Lang, a printer from the printing firm Reichhold & Lang in Munich made 24 little colored pictures that could be affixed to a piece of cardboard. Several years later, he introduced a calendar with doors or flaps.
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by Elizabeth
on November 16, 2012
One food trend of 2012 is the ever-growing interest in Nordic food, but in 2003, when Marcus Samuelsson took over the helm at the midtown Swedish restaurant, Aquavit, there was less enthusiasm for a cuisine based in pickled herring and dill.  Since then, Marcus has become synonymous with global flavors rooted in tradition and adventurous dining with a good portion of soul! Today’s blog is a small tribute to a chef who has truly changed the face of dining in  New York City, in four parts.
First, Marcus Samuelsson is a philanthropist as well as a chef: you may know him from his win in 2010 on Top Chef Masters, where as well as the title, he won $115,000 on behalf of the UNICEF Tap Project.  He followed that up by winning Chopped All Stars: Judges Remix, and $50,000 for Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). In a very topical act of serving his community, recently Red Rooster Harlem, Marcus’ restaurant on 125th Street, announced a Sandy Prix Fixe Menu with 20% of the proceeds from each dinner ordered going to City Harvest. His attitude of giving extends from a deep root of gratitude- Marcus understands how food builds community and humanity, but I’m getting ahead of myself! Let me backtrack a bit, and share a few thoughts about his recently published memoir, Yes, Chef. [continue reading…]
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