Food & Drink

Lehigh Valley: Curious about Plant-Based Honey Taste? Mellody's Darko Mandich reveals the Surprise
0
Post Views: 2,731
East Coast Food & Drink Health & Fitness Health & Wellness Hottest News More Stories Most Popular

Lehigh Valley: Curious about Plant-Based Honey Taste? Mellody’s Darko Mandich reveals the Surprise

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

Lehigh Valley: Curious about Plant-Based Honey Taste? Mellody’s Darko Mandich reveals the Surprise.

Lehigh foodies are earning a reputation for being adventurous and curious.  Ready to try plant-based honey? But what does it actually taste like?

People might worry there’s a “laboratory” flavor?  Has it lost its texture? Vibrancy? Is there a “diet” feel to it?

Exclusive Interview with Mellody Food’s Darko Mandich.

Darko Mandich is a food entrepreneur in San Francisco. After spending almost a decade in the European honey industry as a business executive, Darko committed to reimagining the honey industry to become sustainable. Darko immigrated from Europe to California to launch Mellody, the world’s first plant-based honey brand. Darko is an advocate of saving the bees and wild pollinators.

Mellody Food's Darko Mandich

Mellody Food’s Darko Mandich

 

Recently, I had a chance to talk with Darko for nearly an hour.

 

Let’s talk about the honey. What’s the taste profile?

 

There are three aspects of products that people care about. Number one by far is taste. Number two is price, and number three is nutrition.

In terms of the taste, what we’re really after is the best tasting honeys that are made by bees. 

The taste has to match rare honeys that you would find in parts of Europe; France, Italy. Very high quality Acacia honey, specifically.

If we talk about New Zealand, Australia, that’s Manuka honey; and we’re matching that.

So no compromise there.

Moving to the price, I grew up in poverty and I really want to make sure that everybody has access to this product at some point. But it’ll take us some time. So right now it’s premium quality, but it’s also premium price.

In terms of nutrition, we wanna do better than honey coming from bees. How? First and foremost, honey made by the bees contains a certain bacteria that’s called Clostridium. With our product, without the bees [there’s no Clostridium] bacteria.

I’m really proud to say that our product is allergen free; and that for people with allergies to honey and pollen, this is gonna be neutral.

Finally in terms of super ingredients or superfoods, our honey has more than what’s usually found in some of the honey types made by the bees.

The sugar profile is the same, the calorie content is the same, but the twist is there’s a little bit more of certain powerful active compounds that come from the plants.

 

That’s absolutely incredible. It’s enhanced honey. Is there a better word?

 

I like to call it a plant-based honey. And that category of plant-based honey is already elevated to the level of being enhanced compared to bee-made honey.

 

I’m really happy that Melody is starting this category. We are the world’s first plant-based honey.

There’s exactly one same sentence that we get to hear across 5,000 people that were involved in tasting this before it hit the market.

That sentence is: It’s honey.

People taste it, they’re amazed with it, and they say, “Oh my God, it’s honey.”

There are certain plant-based products that have their heart in best place in terms of mission and impact, but are just not delivering on [flavor] expectations. We just want to make sure that people across different categories of nutrition say that this is honey and that they love it.

Eleven Madison Home's The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey

Eleven Madison Home’s The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey

 

Is the honey currently available at Eleven Madison Home?

 

Yeah, the honey is currently available. The Specialty Tea and Honey Box launched for the Mother’s Day collection and Earth Month.

It’s a specially curated box of artisanal teas coming from different parts of the world with honey and also amazing, shortbread cookies. All plant-based, also made with our honey. That’s available right now

Sometime very soon a standalone jar [of honey] will also be available to Eleven Madison Home.

Eleven Madison Home's The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey

Eleven Madison Home’s The Specialty Tea and Honey Box featuring Mellody Honey

 

Tell us again what’s available, how to find it; and how to follow you and support you.

 

Yeah, follow us on Instagram and TikTok at MellodyFoods

In terms of purchasing, head to ElevenMadisonHome.com and you can purchase it there.

Saving the bees is learning more about them. Learning more about pollinators and you can do that on our social media.

And finally, if you’re equally passionate about bees and plants as we are, ask your favorite restaurant to reach out to us to offer Mellody in your favorite restaurant. It can be a vegan restaurant on non-vegan.

We are gonna work with all the restaurants that reach out to us where people ask to see our product offered, either on the menu, either within a meal, or just if you order a cup of tea and you want a side of Mellody.

 

Lehigh: Ever Get So Inspired you had a 'Chocolate Epiphany?  Honeymoon Chocolate wants to Help you
0
Post Views: 1,019
Food & Drink More Stories

Lehigh: Ever Get Inspired by a ‘Chocolate Epiphany’?  Honeymoon Chocolates wants to Help you

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

Lehigh, Ever Get so Inspired you had a ‘Chocolate Epiphany?  Honeymoon Chocolate Wants to Help you

Ready for your ‘Chocolate Epiphany’ ? Honeymoon Chocolates wants to help.

Have you ever felt better after a good meal?  The flavors that linger.  The euphoria that captures your attention.  You’re inspired.  You can’t help but smile.

 

 

Today we’re talking with Honeymoon Chocolates’ Cam Loyet.

 

You use the phrase ‘Chocolate Epiphany’.  What does it mean to you?

So up in Bloomington, Illinois, where Hayley and I met there’s a restaurant called the Epiphany Farms it’s farm to table. It’s expensive because you’re getting the highest quality meal. We were only college students. So we really couldn’t afford it, except for once a year. Every meal I had there, I had what seemed like this Epiphany with food where everything tasted better than any meal I’d had in the last 4 weeks. It was just incredible and we hope that you know our chocolate can do that for our customers. 

 

It’s this experience where only a single bite can tide you over or a little bit goes a long way, because not only was the flavor so incredible, but it lasts 5 or 10 minutes, the flavor in your mouth just lingers. 

 

That’s where “Chocolate Epiphany“ comes from being sweetened with honey. It doesn’t have to be sweetened with cane sugar.

 

Honey is as local as it gets and it’s as unrefined as it gets with the sweetener completely untouched, raw unfiltered honey.

 

A lot of our competitors use coconut, sugar, monk fruit or stevia, and those are all processed ingredients, one way or another.  Even cane sugar is processed. 

 

So we’re doing our best to create this experience through chocolate and communicate with our customers; and hopefully it becomes an epiphany in the process.

 

Honeymoon chocolate is a love story, a health story, a delicious flavor, story  and an environmental story.  What else can we add to that?

 

It’s definitely a love story, my girlfriend at the time, now my wife; we met at Illinois Wesleyan University, and started this crazy business of sweetening chocolate with local honey. Yes, we need chocolate with local honey.  And it’s a bittersweet journey. We instantly found out all of the trials and tribulations of owning our own business.  

 

Also the cocoa supply chain. It’s a lot like the diamond industry where there’s a lot of slave labor and a lot of issues with those who really do all the hard work and effort.  There’s a lot of effect we can have as we scale.

 

Yeah, a love story. It;’ sweet.  It’s romantic. That’s one of the main reasons why we named it Honeymoon Chocolates because it always has its place at romantic events.

 

We do our best to attract those who want to gift our product. A lot of our customers do gift our chocolate.  

 

It’s environmental as well. It’s all compostable packaging. We have a goal of using only clean energy in the future, but again, it continues to be bitter sweet because chocolate is a very power hungry industry. It takes a lot of effort and energy to manufacture chocolate. It takes a lot of effort and energy just to get the cocoa here.

 

There’s a lot of effort in our industry to be transparent on the energy that is being used in the emissions and our goals to be a bit more transparent on that as well. But we do our best.

I never want our Honeymoon Chocolates wrapper to be out on the streets blowing in the wind without the ability to biodegrade or compost. So we go a little bit more a little bit above and beyond.

Visits Honeymoon Chocolates at: https://hmchocolates.com 

On Instagram, at: www.instagram.com/honeymoonchocolates

On Facebook, at: https://www.facebook.com/honeymoonchocolates

 

 

 

Bean to Bar’ ? Honeymoon Chocolates Cam Loyet
0
Post Views: 528
Food & Drink More Stories

Lehigh Valley loves Chocolate: Taste Hand-crafted Artisanal ‘Bean to Bar’ ? Honeymoon Chocolates Cam Loyet explains

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

Chocolate fans, Do You Understand ‘Bean to Bar’ ? Honeymoon Chocolates Cam Loyet explains it

Honeymoon Chocolates was founded in a dorm room back in 2016 making bean-to-bar craft chocolate sweetened solely with raw honey.

Years later, bean to bar is only getting more popular.  But what does it actually mean? Do you know where to go?  What to look for or ask for?

 

So we asked Cam Loyet from Honeymoon Chocolates

What does “Bean to Bar” Craft chocolate mean?  Is it as simple as a one sentence answer?  Or Is it more complicated?

 

It’s far more complicated.  In itself, it’s a little bit selfish in my opinion.  There’s a lot of benefit employing those who work in origin to also manufacture the chocolate. That’s something that we’d be interested in down the road. We just can’t afford it so right now we take all the effort, all the energy and time to do it here in St. Louis. 

 

It’s a really fun process. But you do end up taking a lot of the credit where the credit isn’t necessarily due. A lot of the credits due for the fine cocoa farmers at origin.

 

Can you walk me through the basic concept?

 

So in our industry it’s wherever you receive the dry, unfermented cocoa beans. and you roast them.  What you’re doing is crafting this flavor and you’re manufacturing a product that otherwise wouldn’t wouldn’t necessarily exist. 

 

If you have the ability to roast [in-house] and you start [you’re own manufacturing process] ]there, you’re ‘bean to bar’.

 

It just gives a little bit more local sense to chocolate. Whenever you open up a bar, and you don’t know where it’s manufactured and how it’s manufactured, you lose a bit of that local sense. It becomes more of a global or nationwide feel.

 

l got it.  So the beans come from somewhere else, they arrive under your roof and the manufacturing process happens under your roof. So beans come in and a bar comes out, but it all happens under the same roof.

 

Yes.  And it’s traceable.  That’s also very important.

 

So when I’m at a Whole Foods, or any high-end retail groceries, there are many craft chocolate bars.  What am I looking for to know the difference?

 

I love the idea of when a consumer looks at a list of 9 bars, they instantly go ‘is it a dark, milk or or white.  If it’s dark, what percentage do I like?’

 

It starts with, what percentage do they like? And then from there you go into this dialogue with the consumer when they try your product. 

But it really does start with what the consumer likes. You can’t necessarily force an 85% bar onto a consumer that enjoys white chocolate. 

But you look at the ingredients on them. There are some good makers that use Lecithin just because it makes the product easier to work with, but it does make it less of a clean label product. So you look at the clean label from nutrition. 

You are gonna look and see if it’s single origin to check to see where the cocoa comes from. Just because it does highlight the farmers’ work a little bit more. There’s some big makers that combine origins because they have more of a fruity flavor versus a more chocolate-forward cocoa bean. So then they combine them. But I do find that it kind of does take away from the efforts that do happen earlier on in the supply chain.

 

Thank you, Cam.  

Visits Honeymoon Chocolates at: https://hmchocolates.com 

On Instagram, at: www.instagram.com/honeymoonchocolates

On Facebook, at: https://www.facebook.com/honeymoonchocolates

 

 

Lehigh Valley wants more flavor! Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Reveals Tasty New Flavors in Exclusive Interview for ExpoWest 2023
0
Post Views: 1,091
East Coast Food & Drink Health & Fitness Mixology More Stories

Lehigh Valley wants more flavor! Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Reveals Tasty New Flavors in Exclusive Interview for ExpoWest 2023

By Joe Winger — 2 years ago

Yum!  Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Reveals Tasty New Flavors in Exclusive Interview for ExpoWest 2023

 

Say yes if you love coffee.  Say yes again if you love cocktails.  Say yes a third time if you love ‘em, but wanna be healthier and save some money.  

 

If you said yes to *any* of the above, you’re going to want to listen, because we just had twenty minutes with the woman who makes all those things happen for you.

 

This week at ExpoWest 2023 Jordan’s Skinny Mixes has a lot to share!

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Margaritas

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes Margaritas

 

Their Naturally Sweetened line of margarita mixes is made with real lime juice and sweetened with agave and contains 75 % less sugar and calories than other leading brands. The four margarita mixes flavors are Classic, Peach, Spicy, and Strawberry Key Lime, and they do not contain any artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. 

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes natural line of skinny syrups is available in 4 guilt-free flavors, including Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Dolce, and Chocolate Mocha

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes natural line of skinny syrups is available in 4 guilt-free flavors, including Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Dolce, and Chocolate Mocha

 

Their natural line of skinny syrups is available in 4 guilt-free flavors, including Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Cinnamon Dolce, and Chocolate Mocha, for your coffee, tea, protein shakes, baking, or just about anything. 

 

Jordan’s Skinny Mixes was founded in 2009 by female entrepreneur Jordan Engelhardt. The beverage brand was created with the simple desire to enjoy a margarita that wasn’t loaded with sugar and empty calories. Now with over 100 products, this female-led team is on a mission to craft beverages that cut the sugar and keep the fun from coffee ‘til cocktails. 

 

Skinny Mixes can now be found in over 13,000 specialty retail locations across the United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe, including Target stores, Skinnymixes.com, and Amazon.

 

 

Jordan Engelhardt is an impressive person, so when I had the chance to meet up and have a conversation, it was an easy yes.

 

 

Just to give us some background, what were you up to before launching back in 2009?

 

Back in 2009 I was a recent college graduate working in real estate as an appraiser. I launched this product [Jordan’s Skinny Mixes] right when the recession was basically at its peak. It had just started and the market crashed pretty heavily in Florida where I was living at the time.

 

So I found myself without work, and this idea that I felt pretty strongly about. 

 

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve navigated in the industry over those 10 years?

 

Oh, there’s been a lot.  The world has evolved much more to natural products, which is why we’re here at Expo West as we just have launched our new natural line so this is pretty big for us. 

 

Also,  the customization of flavors over the years have just gotten more and more prevalent. 

 

Millennials, and the population in general, really like the variety of flavors, and being able to customize everything. And then Covid really drove at-home consumption of coffee. So I think all of those trends over the last 10 years have really helped drive this company’s growth.

 

 

When Covid forced everyone to stay home, did that become a “lucky opportunity” for the business and boost at-home coffee drinking?

 

It was certainly fortunate in some ways, but in many other ways  [not as much].  We were selling to many grocery accounts. We’re selling to a lot of specialty stores which had no choice but to close their doors. So we lost quite a bit of distribution during that time, but were able to make up for it online [with website e-commerce].  So [with market] penetration and trying to drive consumer growth, in that capacity, yes, it was fortunate.   But it was also a little bit scary [for us], like many other businesses at the same time.

 

What is the biggest misconception in general about skinny mixes?

 

People don’t necessarily understand the versatility of our syrup and how you can not only use it for coffee, but you can use it for baking and protein shakes, and just anything. 

Flavored syrups are great for iced teas.  You can simply just add a dash to water and transform your water.  

 

Once we got the samples this week, the amount of random things we’ve tried [the skinny mixes] with just to see how it’d go.

 

I love it!  It’s part of the fun and part of the great relationship we have with our consumers.  They

have so much fun experimenting and making these recipes, and then including us on that.

 

So [experimenting with the syrups on different foods]  just became a benefit over the years. It’s certainly something we think about now.

 

We have this really amazing closed Facebook group that has really active members. It’s called “Skinny mixes. Share your recipe”.  You can see the amount of creativity that our users come up with and then they share their recipes.

 

One person put it with sweet potatoes, they used it on egg sandwiches. Interesting wild things that you would never think about.

 

 

Can you share a little bit about the inspiration behind the line and how you develop the flavors?

 

Yes, of course. We have a great relationship with our consumers, and they asked for it.   When they ask, we listen.  We do a lot of innovation. We launch a lot of flavors.

 

So that’s where it came from and it’s really done. We’ve gotten into Target with this line.  We take a lot of pride in listening to what our customers want, and this is what they wanted

 

What’s the development process like for these flavors?

 

We have several partnerships with different food labs and beverage labs.   We start by verbally explaining to them what we’re looking for. We have a big panel at our company and we just do a lot of tasting. It often takes quite a bit of time because we take a lot of pride in making sure it tastes exactly what we were visualizing. 

 

We can come up with anything from “Mermaid” to “Unicorn”.   The different food labs across the country are amazing and they make it happen. 

 

It’s a slow, methodical approach.  Then we have a larger tasting panel and we keep going until we find just the right mix.

 

That’s incredible.  What’s the timeline from concept to finished product? 

 

It varies widely.  It could take a couple of months or it could take over a year. Probably on average, about 4 to 6 months.

 

Do you ever try to create flavors and they don’t end up working out?

 

Oh, it happens all the time, especially in the beginning.  We’re innovating constantly.  Trends change fairly quickly.   We’ve been fortunate with a robust website where we can test things quite easily and pivot. 

 

Are there any teases as to what flavors might be next? 

 

Well at the show we’re launching our naturally sweetened flavors. French vanilla, caramel, peppermint, mocha and pumpkin spice. Maybe some new seasonal offerings after that. We’re constantly innovating, constantly looking at new categories. 

 

Switching over to coffee, what inspired you to launch coffee syrups?

 

12 years ago the company started with cocktail mixes.  With the popularity of Starbucks and people going through the drive through and having what they thought was guilt-free drinks but was not necessarily guilt free. 

 

They didn’t realize how many calories they are consuming with their Frappuccino or their latte.

 

It immediately seemed like another way to really help people not have such a sugar laden beverage every single day.

 

That’s why the coffee syrup was developed.  Since cocktail mixes are so seasonal, coffee syrup is something that consumers consume daily. So it was a natural extension for the product line with the coffee syrup

 

You have some new coffee flavors launching as well 

 

Listening to the trends and looking at the popularity of the most popular flavors just through our [tasting] panel. and you know, just having a great team that’s out and about, and looking at menus, and using some common sense, if you will, and reading up on trends, it’s then a 3 prong process.

 

You’re getting a lot of positive attention at ExpoWest. What in your opinion, makes for a successful trade show?

 

Taking the step to take the risk to be there and have your branding there; and be open to meeting consumers and buyers in the trade. We try to make it fun. So we serve cocktails, and we’re going to be serving espresso Martinis today. Yesterday we served Margaritas, and we had a speakeasy happy hour.  It helps people really understand the brand, and come by and see us.  I think that’s most important, really put your brand out there and your brand’s personality and just have fun with it.

 

 

Can you talk a little bit about the mission behind Jordan’s Skinny Mixes?

 

Our mission summarized is crafting beverages that cut the sugar and keep the fun for a healthier, more flavorful lifestyle and to make everyday moments simply sweeter.

 

What is your biggest call to action for the audience? 

 

I’d love the consumers to experiment at home. I’d love for them to make their latte at home.  Make that morning coffee at home. So many people will say it’s going to be a better experience.

 

Try our products.  You’re going to save calories. You’re going to save time. You’re going to save money.

 

Shop Jordan’s Skinny Mixes products online and view recipes at https://www.skinnymixes.com/ 

 

Check out Jordan’s Skinny Mixes latest and greatest recipes by following on Instagram – @skinnymixes, Facebook- @skinnymixes, TikTok – TikTok , and Pinterest – @skinnymixes 

 

0
Post Views: 319
Food & Drink Lehigh Valley Local More Stories

Tacos, Thai, Pizza, Ice Cream and more! Southern Lehigh Restaurant Week April 23 – 29

By Ruben Kellermen — 2 years ago

Tacos, Thai, Pizza, Ice Cream and more! Southern Lehigh Restaurant Week returns April 23 – 29

The tastiest week of the year is back in the Southern Lehigh region!

Southern Lehigh Restaurant Week April 23 - 29

The Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce, along with their community sponsors, are excited to present the 2023 Restaurant Week starting Sunday April 23rd to Saturday April 29th. During this week 8+ local restaurants from across Upper Saucon Township, Coopersburg Borough and Lower Milford Township will be offering discounts and specials for the community to enjoy.

When asked what the purpose of restaurant week, Jessica O’Donnell-Gower said “We here at the Chamber are as much a Chamber of Communities as we are a Chamber of Commerce.

In hosting restaurant weeks we strive to get the community out

and supporting the local businesses

by being able to try a new dish or a fan favorite,

all at a bargain price.”

So take the week off from cooking and get out and support your local favorites like Diana’s Café, Casa Toro (who is offering both lunch and dinner specials!), Carlo’s Pizza and even the Coopersburg Diner.

 

In addition to these local eateries, we are excited to have some regional favorites on board like Red Robin at the Promenade Shops, The Brick Tavern Inn, and new this year, White Orchids Thai Cuisine and the new Batch Microcreamery, also located at the Promenade.

Find the offers from each of these restaurants online at www.lehighvalleychamber.org/slrestweek.

And be sure to follow the Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SouthernLehighCC, for a chance to win a gift card prize pack to these restaurants.

Event Information:

When: April 23rd to April 29th

Where: Upper Saucon Township, Coopersburg Borough, and Lower Milford Township

Sponsors:

Silver Sponsor – Lehigh Valley Humane Society and Designing Wealth Management of Raymond James

0
Post Views: 393
Food & Drink Lehigh Valley Local More Stories

Coopersburg Just got Sweeter! Grand Opening of Jaquelyn’s on Main in Coopersburg on Thursday, April 20th

By Daisy Schneider — 2 years ago

Celebrate with Coffee and sweets! Grand Opening of Jaquelyn’s on Main in Coopersburg on Thursday, April 20th

There’s a newcomer to Main Street Coopersburg that is sure to be a new community staple!

Jaquelyn’s on Main celebrates their grand opening on Thursday, April 20th from 5:00 to 7:00.

Jaquelyn's on Main in Coopersburg

Jaquelyn’s on Main in Coopersburg

 

This small town coffee shop will be serving a variety of coffee drinks, using freshly roasted coffee by Red Door Roaster.

All sweets will be made on site, and from scratch using fresh ingredients. A light breakfast and lunch menu will be available shortly after opening. This new addition to Main Street also includes an event space that can be rented for parties up to 40 people. The Jaquelyn’s team will provide assistance in planning and ensure that your event is exactly how you want it!

Jaquelyn's on Main in Coopersburg

Jaquelyn’s on Main in Coopersburg

When asked about her new business venture, Jaquelyn Hall-Yurasits stated:

“I am very excited about this new expansion to Coopersburg!

I have lived here my whole life and I always dreamed of having a business on Main Street. We have already received such an outpour of excitement and support. I am looking forward to the community and relationships that we are going to build here.”

“We are excited to help welcome this young, budding entrepreneur to Main Street Coopersburg”, stated Hayden Rinde, Assistant Vice President of the Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce. “We hope it will bring more foot traffic to all the businesses located on Main Street”.

Jaquelyn's on Main in Coopersburg

This is a free community event will kick off at 5:00 with a ribbon cutting ceremony starting promptly at 6:00. All are invited to attend and join in the celebration.

Event Information:

When: April 20th, 2023 5:00 to 7:00, Ribbon Cutting at 6:00

Where: Jaquelyn’s on Main 201 N Main St. Coopersburg, PA 18036

Pricing Information: Free

0
Post Views: 701
Featured Food & Drink Lehigh Valley Local More Stories

Popcorn Pit, Triple Sun Spirits, The Sticky Pig and more! Catty’s EATS Fest is back on April 15th at Catty Park

By Ruben Kellermen — 2 years ago

Catty’s EATS Fest is back on April 15th at Catasauqua Park

The Whitehall Area Chamber is proud to partner with the Borough of Catasauqua and Columbia Care to present:

2023 Catasauqua StrEAT Fest on April 15th, 2023!

The Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce, proud partner of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber, is pleased to bring back Catasauqua’s EATS Fest for its third year on Saturday, April 15th from 11-3 PM.

 

Partnering with the Borough of Catasauqua, this event is designed to kick off the spring season with delicious eats from local food trucks, while providing a festive atmosphere with live music from DMC Duo (11 AM-1 PM) and Chasing Daylight (1:30-3 PM), plus dozens of craft and business vendors. The EATS festival will has a strong emphasis on good eats, bringing lots of great cuisines to Catasauqua for the community to enjoy.  

“In our third year,

the Whitehall Area Chamber is excited to continue to

kick off the spring festival season in 2023 with Catty EATS!

Each year, this festival has grown – people are ready for spring, ready to be outside in a fun atmosphere and excited to try great food the Lehigh Valley’s food truck scene has to offer,” said Kylie Adams-Weiss, Assistant Vice President of Affiliated Chambers for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re happy to have been working full steam ahead with the Borough of Catasauqua to support our local businesses and to entice the community to come out for a fun afternoon in 2023!”  

Festivities will begin at 11 AM in Catasauqua Park, a first for the festival which has historically been held on Front Street.

Live music EATS Catty Park’s bandshell will feature DMC Duo (11 AM – 1 PM)

Live music EATS Catty Park’s bandshell will feature DMC Duo (11 AM – 1 PM)

The festival will feature 14 food trucks and vendors, 40+ crafters, small businesses and nonprofit vendors. Live music in the park’s bandshell will feature DMC Duo (11 AM – 1 PM) and Chasing Daylight (1:30-3 PM), both based in the Lehigh Valley, as well as a rock wall for children.

Based in the Lehigh Valley, Chasing Daylight, fronted by Bobby Siegfried, performs in the park’s bandshell (1:30-3 PM)

Based in the Lehigh Valley, Chasing Daylight, fronted by Bobby Siegfried, performs in the park’s bandshell (1:30-3 PM)

Attendees are encouraged to “BYO-C”, bring their own chairs, to grab a bite to eat and hear the music.  

“We have been working hand-in-hand with Catasauqua’s borough staff to ensure

this event will be a fun event for all who attend,”

said Jessica O’Donnell

, EVP of Affiliated Chambers, Northern Tier and Easton Area Initiatives for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“In years past and due to the pandemic, we were forced to change plans and pivot frequently, and we’re grateful for much smoother sailing in 2023, much to the credit and support of our local police department and fire police. Between the handmade craft items, great food and small businesses, there will be a little bit of something for everyone!”

For more information, visit the event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1212371626040431

 

Please note: An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. By attending a Chamber event or meeting, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce including partnerships; the event venue; or other parties such as caterer or production company; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers liable for any illness or injury.

When: Saturday, April 15th, 2023 

Pricing Information: FREE to attend with items for purchase. 

Participating Food Trucks: Popcorn Pit, Triple Sun Spirits, The Sticky Pig, Mon & Mel’s Sweet Scoops, Mount Bethel Farms Winery, Slide on By, Phil’s French Fries, Greek Street, Five Maidens Cider Company, The Flying V, The Little Sicilian, Grumpy’s BBQ, Bananarama, & Kona Ice-Allentown. 

 

Sponsors:
• SJ Thomas (Giveaway Sponsor) 

• Remington & Vernick Engineers (Giveaway Sponsor) 

• Trulieve (Family Fun Sponsor) 

• JP Mascaro (Media Sponsor)  

• ATA Financial (Media Sponsor) 

• Lehigh Valley Press (Media Sponsor) 

1st Annual Allentown VegFest April 29 at Cedar Beach
0
Post Views: 457
Food & Drink Lehigh Valley Local More Stories

Join Your Community for 1st Annual Allentown VegFest April 29 at Cedar Beach

By Ruben Kellermen — 2 years ago

1st Annual Allentown VegFest April 29

Are you looking for a fun healthy family activity that will be sure to please?

Join Your Community for VegFest at Cedar Beach

 

Join your community on Saturday, April 29th from 11-6 for the First Annual Allentown, PA VegFest at Cedar Beach!

 

1st Annual Allentown VegFest April 29 at Cedar Beach

1st Annual Allentown VegFest April 29 at Cedar Beach  

A fun day with VegFest at Cedar Beach

 

Vendors, Food, Music, and adult beverages will all be present, all we need is YOU!

We will also have various workouts and classes throughout the day, including a free family friendly yoga class provided by Yoga Therapy of the Lehigh Valley & Lehigh Valley Osteopathy for Everybody, LLC.

We are so excited to bring this event to Allentown to highlight vegan and vegetarian vendors and promote health and wellness in the Lehigh Valley. The Allentown Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with the City of Allentown and we would like to thank them for their support for this event. Entertainment by Mystik Fool.

When: Saturday, April 29th 2023 | 11 am – 6 pm

Where: Cedar Beach Park (2600 Parkway Blvd, Allentown, PA 18104)

Pricing Information: Free to attend | Food and beverages available for purchase

Vendors: 22 Peppers LLC, Animal Defenders Greater Lehigh Valley, Beauty by Monette, Buff City Soap, Boomfit Strength Club, Chocodiem LLC, The Flying V, Green Pond Packaging, Green Mountain Energy, Healthy Nutrition Knowledge, Henna Chakra, Jaaz Accessories, Noraa Body Love, Seasons Olive Oil, Solace Roots, Sundance Vacations, The Bake-A-Re, The Locals’ Bookshop, and MORE!

 

Sponsors: The City of Allentown, Capital Blue Cross, Curaleaf, Green Mountain Energy

 

More information can be found by visiting the Facebook page: Click Here

 

About the Chamber: The mission of The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce is to improve the economy and quality of life in the Lehigh Valley Metropolitan Area. We accomplish this through business-to-business networking events and marketing products, affinity programs and exclusive, money saving member benefits, training programs, government affairs initiatives and public policy advocacy, and community development enterprises. With nearly 5,000 members who employ more than 200,000, the Chamber is the largest in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and in the top ten nationwide.

Connie Hoffman is founder of the company and has carried a passion for food and pastries from a young age.
0
Post Views: 786
Food & Drink Lehigh Valley Local More Stories

Join husband and wife, Matt and Connie Hoffman of Palmerton as Wild & Free Bakery Celebrates Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting on March 24th

By Sasha Sinclair — 2 years ago

Wild & Free Bakery Celebrates Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting on March 24th from 6-7pm with ribbon cutting ceremony at 6:30pm

Just in time for spring, Wild & Free Bakery will be celebrating their grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on March 24th, 2023 at the Slatington Farmer’s Market, 8281 PA-873, Slatington, PA.

Join the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce, proud partner of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, as we welcome our newest member and celebrate the grand opening of what will soon be your favorite local bakery. 

Wild & Free Bakery Celebrates Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting on March 24th

Wild Free Bakery Celebrates Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting on March 24th

 

Wild & Free Bakery is a full-service bakery located in the Slatington Farmers Market on PA-873 in Washington Township. They offer cupcakes, breads, cookies, and gourmet pastries, along with opportunities for custom orders.

The bakery is owned by husband and wife, Matt and Connie Hoffman of Palmerton, PA.  

Wild Free Bakery is a full-service bakery located in the Slatington Farmers Market

Wild Free Bakery is a full-service bakery located in the Slatington Farmers Market

“The Chamber is always excited to shine a spotlight on great new businesses in the area, but this may be guaranteed to be the sweetestnew business we have this spring,” said Kylie Adams-Weiss, AVP of Affiliated Chambers for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“Connie and her team offer up delicious baked goods to the community, including beautifully decorated cakes and cupcakes, savory croissants and breads, and so much more. We’ve been proud to work with them in past events with the Chamber and in upcoming events, too!”  

 

Connie Hoffman is founder of the company and has carried a passion for food and pastries from a young age. She started her career as a graduate (salutatorian) of Carbon Career & Technical Institute in the Culinary Arts field, studied Pastry Arts at The Restaurant School of Walnut Hill College and finished her studies at Lehigh Carbon Community College for Hospitality and Resort Management.  

Her husband and business partner, Matthew, handles the behind-the-scenes of the business; with a degree in business management and an extensive career in retail, he supports Connie by handling the clerical end of Wild & Free Bakery.  

The Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will take place on Friday, March 24th from 5:30 to 6:30 PM within the Slatington Market Place. The event is open to the public; the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 6:00 PM. Attendees are invited to enjoy baked goods from the Bakery and stay for networking and dinner at the Farmers Market at the conclusion of the event. 


“Ribbon cutting ceremonies are some of our favorite events,” said Jessica O’Donnell-Gower, EVP of Affiliated Chambers for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce. “It’s the perfect opportunity to spotlight the hard work that has gone into the creation of a business, and to bring the community out to celebrate one another’s accomplishments. We could not be more excited to celebrate with Wild & Free Bakery!”  

 

Andy Gildner, owner of Keystone Technology, LLC, and Chair of the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce, expressed his excitement, “The Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber is proud to welcome Wild & Free Bakery to our footprint and we look forward to supporting them in their growth for years to come.”  

For more information, visit the bakery’s website (https://www.wildandfreebakerypa.com), or visit their Facebook or Instagram at @wildandfreebakerypa.

For more information about the Slatington Farmer’s market, click here.

 

Lehigh Foodies: This Spring Find the Best Wines at the Best Prices, revealed by Sommelier Jaime Smith
0
Post Views: 353
Featured Food & Drink More Stories

Lehigh Foodies: This Spring Find the Best Wines at the Best Prices, revealed by Sommelier Jaime Smith

By Jaime Smith — 2 years ago

This Spring Find the Best Wines at the Best Prices, revealed by Sommelier Jaime Smith

With the coming of spring and the equinox, we start a time of renewal in nature, particularly in the northern hemisphere as the vineyards start to bud and come alive with energy. As the weather starts to warm and the plants wake up from a nice winter snooze, it’s time to think about what the last few years harvests have given us (as far as bottled wine).

With this warming, we still have cool if not cold nights, so when thinking about choosing wines for this new season, we have few limits.

We can celebrate in the day with sparklers and fade into the evening with a heartier red to keep you toasty.

These wines were chosen for QPR (quality to price ratio) as this is the single best determinate that defines well made wines. A good way to think about this is that if you have the means to drink a bottle daily, sub $20 is a sweet spot.

If you prefer one better bottle a week for a nice dinner on the weekend, perhaps $35 is a nice option; a very special bottle shouldn’t cost more than $75 (ever) in a store.

Not to give away the game but generally at wholesale if a bottle costs, for terms of simplicity, $10, in a store it would be 35% on top of that; on a shelf to you for ~ $14.

The markup for a restaurant is generally 300-400%, as they have many operating costs inlaid.

If anyone ever tells you they understand how bottles of wine are priced, they are lying.

These 15 wines represent some of the tastiness that is the exciting wine market right now. The wine will include both domestic and international selections and depending on where you live, will dictate the availability of each; the internet is the great leveler of the field!

For ease of choice to match both your moos and temperature needs, we split these up into a few categories. Mix and match!

Sparkling Springtime Wines

 

Sparkling wines are an everyday pleasure, from Pet-nats to traditional Champagne, the category is wide open, exciting and affordable.

Kobal, Bajta, Blaufrankisch, Natural Sparkling Rosé, Slovenia

Kobal, Bajta, Blaufrankisch, Natural Sparkling Rosé, Slovenia

Kobal, Bajta, Blaufrankisch, Natural Sparkling Rosé, Slovenia $22

Absolutely one of the most fun and tasty and colorful sparklers out there, the wine nerds and G-Ma would both drink this.

Buy Kobal, Bajta, Blaufrankisch, Natural Sparkling Rosé here

Alfredo Bertolani, Lambrusco, Rose Emilia-Romagna

Alfredo Bertolani, Lambrusco, Rose Emilia-Romagna

Alfredo Bertolani, Lambrusco, Rose Emilia-Romagna , Italy $14

Don’t buy this if you want that sweet & heavy sparkling red, this is another level, fully dry and zippy.

Buy Alfredo Bertolani, Lambrusco, Rose Emilia-Romagna here

Le Vigne di Alice, Tajad, Prosecco, Italy

Le Vigne di Alice, Tajad, Prosecco, Italy

Le Vigne di Alice, Tajad, Prosecco, Italy, $18

Hands down one of the best dry Prosecco’s made.

Buy Le Vigne di Alice here.

1+1=3 , Cava, Brut, Spain

1+1=3 , Cava, Brut, Spain

1+1=3 , Cava, Brut, Spain $15

Traditional Cava , off – dry, not fruity and solid QPR.

Buy 1+1+3 Cava here.

FRESNE-DUCRET, LES NOUVEAUX EXPLORATEURS, Champagne, France $41

FRESNE-DUCRET, LES NOUVEAUX EXPLORATEURS, Champagne

FRESNE-DUCRET, LES NOUVEAUX EXPLORATEURS, Champagne

A Champagne for this price that destroys all the big names in this category.

Buy Fresne-Ducret here

 

White wines for Springtime

 

White wines: light to heavy and joyous to accompany the new season!

2020 SELBACH 'INCLINE' RIESLING QUALITÄTSWEIN, MOSEL

2020 SELBACH ‘INCLINE’ RIESLING QUALITÄTSWEIN, MOSEL, GERMANY $17
Pure Riesling essence, a touch fruity, green apple crunchy!

Buy Selbach ‘Incline’ Riesling here

 

ARNEIS, COLLINA SAN PONZIO Roero , Piedmont, Italy $14
Clean, fresh, apple and fennel , zippy minerals, perfect.

Buy Arneis Collina San Ponzio here

Collina San Ponzio 2021 Roero Arneis

Collina San Ponzio 2021 Roero Arneis

Dog Point Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc , New Zealand $20
Find a better savvie , you won’t!

Dog Point Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc , New Zealand

 

Buy Dog Point Vineyard’s Sauvignon Blanc here

 

 

Scar of the Sea x Dedalus, Central Coast, Chardonnay, California $30
New school, rich and complex, no butter in sight.

Scar of the Sea x Dedalus, Central Coast, Chardonnay

Scar of the Sea x Dedalus, Central Coast, Chardonnay

Buy Scar of the Sea x Dedalus here

GRENACHE BLANC, COTES-DU-RHONE, DOM DE LA SOLITUDE, France $16

Deep and rich, a heavier wine with texture for days.

GRENACHE BLANC, COTES-DU-RHONE, DOM DE LA SOLITUDE

GRENACHE BLANC, COTES-DU-RHONE, DOM DE LA SOLITUDE

Buy Grenache Blanc Dom De La Solitude here

 

Red Wines for Springtime

 

Red Wines: lighter to heavier again, dealers choice.

Matilda Nieves, Mencia, Ribeira Sacra, Spain $18
Light , zippy, Smokey , perfect for a warm night.

Matilda Nieves, Mencia, Ribeira Sacra, Spain

Matilda Nieves, Mencia, Ribeira Sacra, Spain

Buy Matilda Nieves, Mencia, Ribeira Sacra here

Lieu Dit,  Gamay , Santa Maria, California $25
Step outside of Beaujolais and see what the cool kids are drinking from Cali.

Lieu Dit,  Gamay , Santa Maria, California

Lieu Dit,  Gamay , Santa Maria, California

Buy Lieu Dit,  Gamay here

 

CLAUDIO QUARTA VIGNAIOLO, Aglianico, Irpinia, Italy $16
Medium bodied, dense black fruits, Smokey, meaty, lovely.

CLAUDIO QUARTA VIGNAIOLO, Aglianico, Irpinia, Italy

CLAUDIO QUARTA VIGNAIOLO, Aglianico, Irpinia, Italy

Buy CLAUDIO QUARTA VIGNAIOLO, Aglianico here

 

BORDEAUX, CH LANDES, LUSSAC-ST-EMILION, France $25
A classic claret!

Buy Bordeaux, Chateau Landes Emilion here

BORDEAUX, CH LANDES, LUSSAC-ST-EMILION

BORDEAUX, CH LANDES, LUSSAC-ST-EMILION

COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES-SAINT GERVAIS, ROUVIERES, MOURVEDRE/SYRAH, France $18

Full bodied, spiced, herbed, a rich bowl of black fruits.

Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages Saint-Gervais “Les Rouvieres

Cotes-du-Rhone-Villages Saint-Gervais “Les Rouvieres

Buy Cotes Dr Rhone Villages-Saint Gervais Rouvieres here

About Sommelier Jaime Smith

Sommelier Jaime Smith

Sommelier Jaime Smith

a drone in the Sommelier Brain Collective.  Jaime Smith loves wine. He’s currently in DC causing havoc.

 

 

 

Advertisement

Scroll to top