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Food Brands
Food Brands Saturday
01Dec
Sweet Sunshine - Quick out of the gates!
Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 10:24AM Foodpreneur:
Paul Sarris
About the Foodpreneur:
Food has been a part of my family’s history. For years my dad used to tell me stories about his own fathers’ restaurant and always said that one of his greatest joys was to cook for us. My dad was especially great at making sauces. I’ve been thinking about a number of different food lines for over 15 years but decided that it made the most sense to start with a condiment. At the same time, I was offered an opportunity to sponsor some concerts where the public would be given a chance to sample the sauces. Once that happened and I saw all the reactions, I was committed.
About the Sweet Sunshine Biz:
Gourmet Conveniences Ltd. is the proud manufacturer of Sweet Sunshine, a line of 6 gourmet condiments. The flavors vary from sweet to heat with some dynamic flavors in the mix. The flavors are Sweet, Warm, Hot, Atomic and the gourmet blends; Roasted Shallot & Garlic, Jamaican Jerk.
Founded:
2006
Marketing Strategies:
Sweet Sunshine uses all the traditional approaches to marketing our product to at least some extent. Internet, Radio, TV, Newspapers, industry events, competitions and sponsorships.
Above all, we believe in doing samplings and demos. We attend many shows so that we can sample our sauces to the attendees (buyers, distributors, consumer) We desire that any of our retail stores give us the opportunity to sample in some capacity. Actually having someone taste the sauce has always gone a long way in gaining customers and it creates word-of-mouth advertising. Having such a diverse product line, it is hard to not like at least 1, if not all 6. We want everyone to know that we make the best product that we can by using the best ingredients that we can find. We are a healthy alternative to drab condiments. We are all natural, fat free, preservative free, extract free and vegan friendly. Best of is the great taste.
In The News:
Gourmet News, Rosengarten Report, Chile Pepper Magazine, WOR FOODTALK NYC, NFocus, The SCENE, Indi Men's Magazine, Connecticut Post, Waterbury Republican, Torrington Register, Litchfield Enquirer, Chaz & AJ (morning radio), Free Beer & Hot Wings (morning radio)
Paul knew his business was a hit when:
The first competition we entered was the Scovies. We entered 3 sauces and all 3 won something. We won a 1st place in the World Beat category with our Jamaican Jerk. We also received 2nd and 3rd place awards in the Unique category which meant even more to me. This was a blind taste test with 724 entrants. That was when I knew I had something special, something unique.
Words from the wise:
Be prepared to put in the effort, nothing comes easy!
Why is Paul in the food business?
My father. I love food and it was his passion for food and excellence that has inspired me since childhood. The initials JS, for James Sarris, are near each UPC symbol, on every bottle.
Foodpreneur Says:
How did Paul accomplish so much in just over a year? His formula of taking his passion + hobby and turning it into a business is the answer. Combining the two will help you overcome the perils of the food industry. The list of awards goes on and on. He is in the process of updating the packaging and website to further the product appeal. It is rare for a new food brand to stick with it's initial packaging design. After industry events you will receive plenty of feedback from others that will allow you to tweak your message. Most would agree Paul is quick out of the gates in while spreading some Sweet Sunshine.
Contacting Sweet Sunshine:
Gourmet Conveniences Ltd.
457 Bantam Rd.
Suite 14
Litchfield, CT 06759
860.567.3505
Website: Sweet Sunshine
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