S&D Turns to Charlotte Food Makers to Demonstrate the Versatility of Coffee and Tea Extracts

CONCORD, NC – When S&D Coffee & Tea was organizing its first entry into the prestigious Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo in Chicago this past July, it knew that a key element to a successful exhibit would be the quality of its samples. Samples were needed that would help conference attendees recognize the benefits of genuine coffee and tea extracts as ingredients to wonderful food items. So S&D turned to local talent from the Charlotte, NC, area and the result was a homerun in their first time at the plate.
Thanks to the bakery Amélie’s and candy maker barCHOCOLATE, food samples that incorporated S&D extracts were an unqualified success. The move was in keeping with S&D’s efforts to stay involved with the food community in the Charlotte area on a regular basis. S&D already sponsors a yearly Recipe Contest at Johnson & Wales University in support of up-and-coming chefs.
Helen Griffith, marketing manager for S&D, commented, “Since Amelie’s has a terrific reputation in Charlotte, we contacted them to work with us to make the Tea Cake with Chai Tea Frosting and Espresso Bars featuring S&D extracts. And barCHOCOLATE developed the caramel bon bons featuring S&D’s espresso extract. After we tasted their phenomenal chocolates, we knew we had to showcase them at the IFT show. Whenever possible, S&D likes to support local companies.”
Both Amélie’s and barCHOCOLATE were pleased to have a chance to create food items that turned out to be so popular in Chicago.
“We are so thrilled that S&D has chosen to reach out to local small businesses,” said Lin McKay of barCHOCOLATE. “This was a major milestone for us, and the exposure and experience is fantastic. We were so excited to be asked by S&D to create a bon bon using their Espresso Roast Coffee Concentrate. S&D’s Espresso Concentrate is a great product with a lot of versatility and tons of bold flavor. It was an awesome opportunity and we hope to create more innovative confections and products using other S&D Extracts & Concentrates.
“To have our products travel to Chicago was a neat experience and a great opportunity to introduce Amélie’s to new people,” added Bobbie Puckett, events and catering director at Amélie’s French Bakery. “We enjoyed taking part in this project. It was a challenge that we welcomed, and we felt we succeeded.”
S&D Coffee & Tea is the nation’s largest custom roaster and the largest blender of iced tea for the foodservice industry. In continuous operation since 1927, the company serves over 90,000 customers through national distribution and direct store delivery. S&D has been distinguished for supplier excellence by many of the largest retailers and consumers of coffee and iced tea, including McDonald’s and the U.S. military. In 2009, S&D added a state-of-the-art Liquid Extracts Division which extracts the flavors of coffee, tea and botanicals for use in iced coffee, shakes, iced cream and frozen desserts, energy drinks and other packaged and dispensed products.
 
For more information about S&D Coffee & Tea go to www.sdcoffeetea.com.