Laramie Native & Confectioner Finalist for sofi Award

Laramie native Rebecca Cassity creates high quality, specialty candy and food items via her Denver-based company, Serendipity Confections. We featured Serendipity and Rebecca’s accomplishments in our Sprinter 2013 issue, highlighting her Good Food Award she received in 2012 for her Butter Caramel with Fleur de Sel.

Now Serendipity has a new reason to celebrate. Serendipity Confections’ Sea Salt Caramel has been named a Finalist for Outstanding Confection in the 2013 sofi™ Awards from the Specialty Food Association. A sofi Award is the top honor in the $86 billion specialty food industry. “sofi” stands for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sea Salt Caramels were one of 109 Finalists selected by a national panel of specialty food professionals from 1,885 entries across 30 Awards categories. Gold Winners in the 41st annual sofi™ Awards will be announced by noted chef Marcus Samuelsson at a redcarpet ceremony July 1, 2013, at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City.

“Specialty food makers bring craft, care and joy to the foods they create. To be honored with a sofi Award nomination means the product truly stands out above the rest,” says Specialty Food Association President Ann Daw.

“We are thrilled to be named a finalist,” commented Rebecca Cassity, Serendipity Confections’ founder and chief candy-maker. “We’ve always thought our products are great and we take tremendous pride in them, and the care we put into crafting them. The Sea Salt Caramel is a customer favorite, and to hear that industry experts also think it’s an outstanding product is fantastic.” This honor comes close on the heels of another award after Serendipity Confections’ Butter Caramel with Fleur de Sel received a Good Food Award in January.

The Sea Salt Caramel is a silky-smooth caramel, rich with the tastes of butter and brown sugar, and just enough sea salt to give it a perfect salty-sweet balance. With an emphasis on quality ingredients, Serendipity Confections makes all of their products with locally sourced Morning Fresh Dairy cream and Madhava organic agave, organic butter, organic vanilla, pure brown cane sugar, and sea salt, and cooks their caramel in small batches.

About Serendipity Confections — from Rebecca Cassity

Serendipity Confections was founded in 2008 in Denver, Colorado. Our story starts with a passion for good food, and food that’s better for you. We believe you can satisfy your sweet tooth without
compromising your standards: We use local and organic ingredients whenever possible, and you won’t find any preservatives, chemicals, or artificial flavors or colors in our products. The Sea Salt Caramel and other fine candies from Serendipity Confections—always gluten-free and made without corn-syrup—are available in fine food stores nationwide and are available for purchase on-line at www.SerendipityConfections.com.

In Wyoming, find Serendipity Confections at the following locations:

Laramie — The Chocolate Cellar

Jackson — Pearl Street Market

Jackson — Jackson Whole Grocer

Casper — The Market & More

Evanston — Serendipity Books & Antiques

About the sofi™ Awards

The sofi Awards are open to members of the Specialty Food Association, a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 for food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs with more than 3,000 members in the U.S. and abroad. For more information on the association and its Fancy Food Shows, go to www.specialtyfood.com. Learn more about the 2013 sofi Awards at www.specialtyfood.com/sofi.

MADE IN WY: Bunnery Natural Foods by The Bunnery Restaurant & Bakery

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We are thrilled to team with the Wyoming Business Council to feature a Wyoming First business every week on our blog! Wyoming First is a program that promotes Wyoming member businesses. Visit their website (click here) to learn more about this service — and if you are a Wyoming business who’s not a member, be sure to inquire about membership! There are many benefits! 

This week we are featuring Bunnery Natural Foods from The Bunnery Restaurant & Bakery in Jackson, WY

Tony Labbe Bunnery Natural Foods  130 N. Cache Street  Jackson, WY 83001  855-472-6652 (855-GRANOLA) / 307-733-5474

tony@bunnery.com  www.bunnerynaturalfoods.com   www.bunnery.com

After years working in the wine and spirits importing business, Gerard Yvernault and his family were captivated by Jackson Hole after several winter vacations there.  In 1989 the Yvernault family purchased The Bunnery and Gerard put his management degree to use in this new enterprise.  The Bunnery had started as a way to provide wholesome, nutritious foods to meet the demands of outdoor sportsmen visiting the Yellowstone National Park  & Grand Teton National Park area.

 

 

 

 

Since the Yvernault family has taken over The Bunnery, it has expanded from the original bakery and restaurant to include a natural foods business.  Bunnery Natural Foods granola blends and trademarked oats-sunflower seed-millet (O.S.M) products are made from original recipes that have remained largely unchanged since the bakery’s beginnings. They carry 6 packaged products that are made from ingredients from local Wyoming producers, whenever possible. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The goal is to create products that provide maximum nutrients from minimally processed ingredients and never contain preservatives or artificial sweeteners. 

These products can be purchased in the store in Jackson, at Farmer’s Markets throughout the summer, or online at amazon.com or www.bunnerynaturalfoods.com for a purchase price ranging from $5.49 to $6.49.

 

 

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WYOMING FIRST: Uncle Milt’s Gourmet Rubs & Sauces

VISIT OUR WEBSITE & READ THE CURRENT ISSUE:  www.wyolifestyle.com

OUR SISTER PUBLICATIONS:  Wyoming Weddingshttp://www.wyoweddings.com/ Wyovore  http://www.wyovore.com/ WYO  XYhttp://www.wyolifestyle.com/WYOXY/index.html The Wyoming Woman http://www.thewyomingwoman.com/

We are thrilled to team with the Wyoming Business Council to feature a Wyoming First business every week on our blog! Wyoming First is a program that promotes Wyoming member businesses. Visit their website (click here) to learn more about this service — and if you are a Wyoming business who’s not a member, be sure to inquire about membership! There are many benefits!  

This week we are featuring Uncle Milt’s Gourmet Rubs & Sauces

Uncle Milt’s Gourmet Rubs & Sauces — Milton Dearborn — 1215 Sheridan Ave. Cody, WY 82414 — 307-272-0081

unclemiltsfoodspecialties@yahoo.com  www.unclemilts.com

Milton Dearborn (Uncle Milt) had been watching the food channel for several years and especially Emeril Lagasse.  He wanted to start his own business and wasn’t sure what to do. So by chance he had a friend come over to watch a football game on a Sunday. Needing snacks, Milton made up a Mexican Salsa.  His friend devoured it and told him he needed to make this and sell it because Cody didn’t have anything like it at all. That was in 2004.  Milton started thinking and decided to make and sample his salsa all over the place to see what people thought.  People loved it and he thought, “If people on the Food Network could make sauces and spices, why not me?”  So Milton began his journey of experimenting and discovering a rub, which he called Critter Rub.  The rest is, as they say, history.  In 2005, Milton began to market and sell his products.

There are 8 different rubs and seasonings, plus sauces:  Habanero hot sauce, Wyo-Mex salsa, five different  BBQ sauces, steak sauce, and chicken wing sauce, as well as three mustards and two jalapeño hot jellies. New products will be added soon.  Uncle Milt endeavors to make his products chemical free, free of MSG, heavy chemicals or preservatives, low salt or salt free, and most are gluten free.  Most of the products are hand made by Uncle Milt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special orders can be placed through his web site:  www.unclemilts.com, or by contacting Uncle Milt via phone or email (see top of the blog).  The Uncle Milt’s products are also available wholesale and private labels can be made for people who want products but wish to use their own label.  They can also be purchased at these fine stores:  IGA store in Powell; in Cody at: Cody Meat,  Buckstitch Canvas, Yellowstone Gift Store, & Wyoming Buffalo Company.

Uncle Milt is in the process of contacting stores throughout Wyoming and Montana.  He has a wholesale customer in Jackson, California.  He is currently contacting various stores in Red Lodge, Montana, Casper, Saratoga, and Dubois, the Rawlins and Rock Springs area to sell product. Check the web site for new locations as they’re announced! Uncle Milt also participates at craft fairs, home and garden shows, farmers markets, and the Cody Stampede.  People can always email or phone to see where he will be next or if there is a store near them that carries Uncle Milt’s Gourmet Rubs and Sauces.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE & READ THE CURRENT ISSUE:  www.wyolifestyle.com

OUR SISTER PUBLICATIONS:  Wyoming Weddingshttp://www.wyoweddings.com/ Wyovore  http://www.wyovore.com/ WYO  XYhttp://www.wyolifestyle.com/WYOXY/index.html The Wyoming Woman http://www.thewyomingwoman.com/