Show Report - AmericasMart Atlanta

Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market
AmericasMart Atlanta
Atlanta, GA

NOTE: Company names are in bold.

In January, the city of Atlanta is cold on the outside, but AmericasMart is incredibly busy on the inside. Signs of spring were everywhere. Butterflies, dragonflies, ladybugs and other insects were visible on pillows, table cloths, lampshades and other home decor and decorative items.

I traveled from the second floor in the gift building straight up to the 14th. Since the Gourmet Gallery is located on the same floor in a connecting building, I thought that checking other showrooms while in route would prove fruitful. I was right.

One of the showrooms hosted A Candle in the Window, one of the many candle companies offering beautifully-scented candles for home decor and basket uses. This company stands out because the candles were enveloped in organza bags trimmed with beads or charms. Each candle scent was sweet enough to eat, and the colors were outstanding.

This line is available in votives as well as short, medium, tall and wide designs. Candles in oval and round jars are also available, and this grouping also has matching organza bags. Votive holders are made of wire which is lavishly strung with beads in colors that match five of the candle shades - cranberry, moss, ivory, yellow and royal blue.

There are about 10 fragrances in the line. The cranberry candle is rich in color, a perfect compliment to the matching bag. The rep gave me a vanilla and lemongrass votive. Its scent is of fresh squeezed lemonade in concentrated form. The Sugar and Almond Oil candle had a soothing aroma. Clove and Cinnamon is perfectly masculine. Other scents include Rain (blue), Gardenia & Narcisse (pink), Lilac & Iris (light purple) and Chamomile and Muguet (sky blue).

The size that works well with all gift baskets is the 2" x 3" pillar, which is $3 each. Add a dollar more for an organza bag and 75 cents extra if you want a charm attached to the bag.

I couldn't wait to head toward to the Gourmet Gallery, and the variety of products awaiting my arrival didn't disappoint me. Most showrooms hosted a variety of products either represented by a distributor or the actual manufacturer.

It's been a while since I've tasted Mississippi Cheese Straws, and now was my chance to reacquaint myself with their tried, true and new products.

New in their line is a Chipotle Cheese Straw, which has a slightly peppery taste without being too hot. The Lemon Straws still have a tart zest that's one of the best I've tasted. Cinnamon flavor is lightly coated with the spice, and it's just right. Three Cheese is a combination of white cheddar, parmesan and blue cheese. It's definitely a taste for cheese lovers.

The 4 oz. carton is $2.25 each, 8 oz. is $4.50. Another size, which goes great in baskets, is the 1 oz. singles, which is just 75 cents each packed 72 in a case. Also new is a beautiful, square gold tin decorated with muted flowers. This 16 oz. package is $12 packed 12 to a case. Wrapped in ribbon and topped with a bow, it makes a great presentation on its own.

Wheeler's was in the same showroom. This is one of the best pecan products on the market. It’s made plain or coated in chocolate, cinnamon, honey and other flavors. Their new product is a 4 oz. silver mini gift tin that's $3.25 each. A round company label (Wheeler’s) is placed on top. Perhaps they’ll allow you to substitute your own label for theirs.

Drambuie - now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. And now they're back with a gourmet collection of glazes, sauces and mustards sold through Vita Specialty Foods.

The Spicy Apricot Mustard in an 11 oz. jar (the smallest jar available for all products) had a light spicy taste with mild apricots. I would have preferred a little more on the apricot side. The Lemon Herb Sauce was punchier and a better preference. I can imagine it in a cook's gift basket to top on meats. Steve, the company rep, backed up my thoughts saying that the sauce is a perfect topping on fish or asparagus. It's added at the last minute, not placed onto the meat throughout the cooking process. For asparagus, it can be served as a dip. Steve also said that the apricot glaze pairs well with pork.

Then there's the Apple Treacle Glaze. A definite winner, fresh like homemade apple pie without the crust. Steve said that the Ginger Sesame Glaze is the best seller. It has a warm, oriental flavor. All sauces are $4.25 each.

Drambuie also has a cappuccino which had a robust flavor served cold (hot servings weren’t available in the showroom). It's in a 5 oz. bottle, a very nice gift basket size, which provides a 5-to-1 concentrate. I took the wholesale price list, but the cappuccino isn't listed.

Oak Hill Farms is famous for their Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette dressing, which comes in a 5 oz. bottle at $1.99 each. Their extensive line of dressings, sauces, and relishes now includes a new Fried Green Tomato Salsa ($3.15 for a 16 oz. jar), which has an extremely flavorful and tangy kick. The green tomato flavor always seems to top the traditional salsas. A new, Hot Raspberry Relish ($3.47 for a 16 oz. jar) isn't hot at all. It's more tangy, and the raspberry seeds create a nice texture in your mouth.

Salem Baking Company had plenty of samples of their straws in nine flavors. The Key Lime flavor harbored a faint key lime taste, while the lemon straws were not as lemony and tangy as the Mississippi brand I tried earlier. Sundried Tomato Basil had a nice incorporation of the sun-dried flavor - not bold, but adequate. Mediterranean Olive-Feta flavor would make a great appetizer or office afternoon snack with dip. Port Wine Gorgonzola is rich and robust, a winning flavor. Each 2.5 oz. box of straws is $1.45, each packed 24 to a case for $34.80. The 5 oz. box is $2.85 each packed 12/case for $34.20. Tins and bulk straws are also available.

Moravian Cookies were calling my name, so I went over to sample the new Double Chocolate flavor. It's chocolate heaven in a thin cookie. Yum. The Tangerine Orange has a lasting flavor on the palette. What makes these cookies a gift basket favorite are the stunning can colors and sizes. 1.5 oz cans are $1.65 each; 2.75 oz. cans are $2.65 each, and the 4.75 oz. can is $4.00 each. Moravian also has heart-shaped cookies for Valentine's or lovers, Easter sugar cookies, and a Christmas line in cans and tins.

Even though I'm familiar with Cole & Ashcroft, that didn't stop me from going into their showroom to see if anything new was added. I was right. They now sell:

1) Round popcorn buckets in two styles and three sizes. There's also a traditional square box. Prices range from $7.50 to $18.00 for 24.

2) An extensive line of single and nested baskets, basket kits containing 24 baskets, green sizzle shred, 24 bows and 25 domed shrink bags in four sizes ranging from $32 to $85 a set.

3) Galvanized container shapes of chili peppers, a longhorn, boot, star, western motif and the state of Texas. Prices for the containers are 6 for $30.00.

What’s really exciting are their new toile boxes (6 small for $9, 6 large for $16.50) and matching cellophane in black, blue and wine ($7.50 for 30" x 100'). Pretty.

Atlanta Show Report Continues -- Page 2 | Page 3

NOTE:
Information in each Show Report provides details on products displayed at trade shows. It does not constitute 1) company or product endorsements or 2) prevailing products or prices.

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