Sweet tooth? Try Marich Confections

You know I get generous product donations regularly from a variety of gift basket industry suppliers but when I opened up the box of samples from Marich, I was quite overwhelmed.  Not only did they send me a generous variety but when I opened these gorgeous packages, the smell and flavor was so amazing that I had to "step away from the chocolate".  Seriously, the chocolate toffee almonds alone were enough to put into a chocolate coma and when I started trying the other flavors, I quickly realized that my customers are going to love this product.

Great for any theme of gift basket, they have the perfect variety and price point.  Visit them online at www.marich.com and visit them at the National Gift Basket Convention.

Speciality Products Introduce New Opportunities - Colle Products

If you're looking for something different, new and upscale to add to your gift baskets, I've got it for you!  Golf Shine by Colle Products is a great way to take your golf themed gift baskets to a whole new level.  Packaged in a classy matte box, this 3 oz can of Golf Mousse is dressed to impress.  Trust me, your golf clubs have never been treated so well!  Introduce this in your golf gift baskets and watch their eyes light up at this classy gift.

Impressive New Tea Hits the Gift Basket Industry: Meet Tiesta Tea

Maybe its the bright packaging or the name that just catches my eye but this new brand of tea has me completely captivated.  Just the packaging alone attracts me but then, taste it and you'll quickly find that this product has an all around winning opportunity for the gift basket industry.  In addition to the tall slender tins show above, they also sell it in a free standing pillow pouch that will work perfectly in any gift basket design.  This fresh, new, hip brand is going to add value to your gift basket designs in a way you haven't experienced in a long time.

Visit them online at www.tiestatea.com.

Mille Lacs Introduces a New Look!

I'm not sure if its the look or the taste of Mille Lacs new Fudge Mint Frogs but the packaging, price point and flavor is right on point for the gift basket industry.  Available in 6 ounce box for just $2.95, this product is perfect for year round designs.

But wait, there's more!  They also have darling caramel apples, mocha cups, chocolate caramel bunnies, peanut butter bears and fudge mint penquins.  And yes, they're just as cute as the frogs.  

Available on their website at www.millelacsfoods.com and you can see them live at the National Gift Basket Convention.  www.thengbc.com.



 

10.11.2011 Torn Ranch Plum Tree

 

It's the perfect product to have around the holidays.  Torn Ranch's Ruby Red Plum Tree is an attractive gift but the best part is the taste.  These ruby red plum are absolutely delicious and your clients will rave about them!  Visit their website at www.tornranch.com.

07132011-3 Empress Chocolate Company

I received these gorgeous and perfectly sized boxes for review but after further review of their website, this isn't their best product.  Wait until you see their themed globe chocolates.  They are perfect for city themed gifts and for the amount of San Francisco themed gift baskets I make, its going to be fun!


Empress Chocolates is out of Brooklyn, NY and each truffle is individually wrapped.  Their diamond box (shown above) is perfect for gift baskets. It's got a beautiful top that will show nicely with any collection of products.



Empress Chocolate Company
http://www.empresschocolate.com/

07132011-2 Diane's Sweet Heat

These darling little jars showed up on my desk for review and I've gotta tell you, this is a party in a jar.  The Mango Habanero Jam is my favorite and size of the jar is ideal at just 5 oz for gift baskets.  I'll be using this in a variety of gift baskets including our Happy Hour, Hot & Spicy gift baskets and in May, our Cinco de Mayo gift basket.   Diane has more than just mango - she also offers blackberry, blueberry,  raspberry, strawberry  and peach.  The quality of this product from start to finish is fabulous and your customers will love it.  The only ingredients used are pure cane sugar, fruit, red bell peppers, habanero peppers, apple cider vinegar and fruit pectin. No artificial flavorings or colorings are used.





Contact Diane's Sweet Heat and get them a try!

http://dianessweetheat.com

07132011 - Wine Country Soda

It's been a long time since a product has blown me out of the water and I've got to tell you - this is such a great gift basket item.  Vignette Wine Country Soda comes in three flavors:  Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Rose'.  It's non-alcoholic, bubbly and has a gorgeous bottle and label, is priced right and I can already see these in a wine gift basket.   The flavors of these sodas are so amazing that you're going to have a hard time keeping them in stock.

If you're looking for a fresh, new and exciting gift basket product, contact them and get your order in.  I'm crazy about this product and can't wait to spec them into my new designs.

Vignette

Wine Country Soda

http://www.winecountrysoda.com/home.html

06122011-1 Patrick's Sunscreen

 

If you're making summer time gift baskets, this is a great product to include.  Patrick's Sunscreen towelettes come in this small pocket pouches that slide perfectly in between products within your summer gift baskets.    They're sold in small quantities, prices perfectly and have attractive pricing perfect for our industry.   And, whats even better - the product itself is great.  I'm going to use these personally!  They smell great, aren't greasy and fit perfectly in my purse and beach bag.  Sunscreen "beyond the bottle".

www.patrickssunscreen.com

05152011-6 Longhorn Imports - New Pink Golf Bag

As if the green golf bag wasn't cute enough, here comes Longhorn Imports with a pink version.  The first person to make this up and send me a hires photo will get into Trends and Tips Gift Basket Magazine!  I just love this design.  It's great for a sports gift for a lady golfer and amazingly wonderful for Breast Cancer Awareness month, activities/fundraisers related to breast cancer awareness.  A great thing about this bag is the amount of pockets and little areas where you can stuff products.

Longhorm Imports
info@longhornimports.com
(800) 641-8348

05152011-5 Cape Cod Provisions

I can't say enough positive things about Cape Cod's line of chocolate covered fruits.  They have a two new products including milk chocolate and dark chocolate covered strawberries as well as dark/milk and yogurt covered cranberries.  Typically, I just try a few but on these, I ate the entire bag.  The strawberries are so amazing in either chocolate and the cranberries are my new favorite.  Not only are the flavors delicious, the package is absolutely perfect for any type of gift basket.  It's an "A" frame box with about an inch base and the front of the box denotes the delicious fruit inside.

Cape Cod Provisions

www.capecodprovisions.com

05152011-4 Kernel Seasonings

Not only do I love the bright and fun packaging of this product, I love the flavor and variety.  Often times you'll taste flavored seasonings and they taste fake and phony.  These popcorn seasonings from Kernal Seasons are great and a great addition to a movie time basket or any type of snack basket where popcorn is present.

Kernel Seasonings
www.kernelseasons.com
www.nomorenakedpopcorn.com

05152011-3 American Vintage Beer Biscuits

This new product will knock your socks off in flavor.  The pizza and beer flavor is my favorite because, well it tastes just like pizza and beer.  It's the perfect addition to a Father's Day or guys snack basket....any sport basket and is another one of those products you might find yourself using in any type of a gift basket.

American Vintage Beer Biscuits
www.americanvintage.com

05152011-2 American Vintage Wine Biscuits

The label on these delicious wine biscuits gives great character to any wine or snack basket.  Available in three flavors, the American Vintage Wine Biscuits offers their hand cut cracker with no preservatives, no trans fat and no cholesterol in white bags with a glossy label.  The price point is great too as well as the flavors including red wine & black pepper; white wine with shallot and cayenne and chianti with oregano and crushed red pepper.  Each have their own "bite" and will be a great add to your gift baskets.

American Vintage Wine Biscuits
info@americanvintage.com
www.americanvintage.com

05152011-1 WineTime

I just never know what I'm going to get in for review and today, I received a very unusual and high quality product.  WineTime offers two flavors of their "bars" which have so much wine flavor its crazy.  Both bars are packaged in beautiful, upscale packaging making it the perfect addition to any wine themed gift basket.  From a flavor standpoint, they aren't what you'd expect but are tasty and full of great ingredients.  They're heart healthy filled with more resveratrol than 50 glasses of red wine.

WineTime
ResVez Inc.
www.winetimebar.com

04152011-1 Honey Ridge Farms, Washington

I had the distinct pleasure of receiving samples of the Honey Ridge Farm Lemon Honey Creme.  Available in a small 2.25 oz, its the perfect condiment for gift baskets.  With a gold lid and gorgeous labeling, it will fit perfectly in the front of you breakfast gift basket, afternoon tea gift basket or gourmet gift basket. 

I love the flavor, packaging and everything about Honey Ridge Farms, Lemon Honey Creme and hope you'll love it as much as I do! 

Visit them online at their gorgeous website www.honeyridgefarms.com.

04082011-2 Tate's Bake Shop, Southhampton, NY

If you like real, homemade cookies, then Tate's Bake Shop has an amazing treat for you.  Their gluten free chocolate chip cookies taste like they just came out of the oven - I just wish they were hot!  I sampled their 7 ounce bag which holds two containers of cookies each holding these crispy treats.  Truly a homemade flavor ready for dunking in coffee, hot chocolate or just a great snack.

These bags will work in gift baskets.  They're a bit larger than what we usually work with but make a great impact.  The bag is attractive in a minty green color and has their company name at the top in bold letters.  It's about three inches deep and ready for any type of gift basket theme.

04082011-1 Mia Dolci, Partners Crackers, Kent, WA

Partners Crackers does it again!  As their encore to the ever tasteful Wisecrackers, Partners launches another line of all natural products available in four amazing flavors - all of which I was able to sample.  Cinnamon Crisp, Toasted Hazelnut, Chocolate Vanilla Swirl and Lively Lemon are the cookie flavors and for gift basket companies, there are several benefits. 

Their box is printed for portrait or landscape placement.  This is especially helpful for smaller baskets when placing the box vertically is the only option.  The title of the product, which means "my sweet", is at the top of the box making it easy to see/read when the basket is photographed for the web.  Lastly, the depth of the box is the perfect size so as to not take up too much room in the basket but big enough to make a solid statement.

What's amazing about this product is the flavor.  My favorite is the Lively Lemon and its lively but not over done.  I had mine with a hot cup of coffee last night but they'd be great with ice cream.  Each flavor is perfectly balanced without artificial flavors to make them taste fake.  You'll get compliments on this product from your customers. 

Love Mia Dolci and highly recommend it for gift basket professionals!

Available at www.cookiesrock.com

040242011-1 Amella Caramels, El Segundo, CA

I think I'm going to have to put a new rule out there.  If you're going to send me products that taste as delicious as Amella Caramels, you have send a case!  Unbelievable all the way around.  Not only is their packaging beautiful, the taste of their product is just delicious.  These passion fruit, carrot cake and black forest caramels are soft and are full of the real flavor they infuse. 

Aside from flavor, what makes these caramels perfect for the gift basket industry is the size.  These delightful caramels are packaged in slender, tall boxes and will fit nicely in any gift basket.  And, as with any product that has this amazing flavor, they are all natural and certified kosher.

I absolutely love everything about Amella Caramels and highly recommend that you buy them for your gift baskets.  Just be sure to buy some extras - you'll be taste testing regularly.

03282011-2 Savarozza, New York

If you're looking to impress your customers with authentic delicacies, then Savarozza is the trick.  Their imported Italian tortas are one of the best cookies I've ever had.  The quality is amazing, the flavor even better and they're perfect in Italian dinner gift baskets, coffee gift baskets or just a general gourmet gift basket.  Available in singles or larger versions, they ship out of New York - no import fees, yeah!

Savarozza Inc.
www.savarozza.com