After more than two years of testing, development, and innovation, Blount Fine Foods has announced the national launch of a full line of Blount-brand premium organic soups created to meet the demand for authentic, certified organic foods by an ever-growing segment of the marketplace.
“As the popularity of prepared foods has exploded at retail, we have seen the call for organics to be part of the solution grow from a murmur to a rumble to a roar,” said Bob Sewall, Blount’s Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “For the last two years, our chefs have been working with restaurant chefs to refine our true-to-nature, delicious handcrafted organic recipes; improving our sourcing and collaboration with certified organic farmers; and testing and studying consumer attitudes, tastes, and desires as they relate to premium organic soups.”
Blount has undergone a complete redesign of its products, which all come in 16-ounce microwavable cups featuring Blount’s exclusive Cool Grip Rim. The seven varieties under the Blount Organics line, including two new recipes, include:
Organic Vegetarian Chili (gluten-free, vegetarian)
Hearty black beans, onions, potatoes, and red bell peppers are simmered in a rich vegetable stock with a hint of spice.
Organic Tomato Bisque (gluten-free, vegetarian)
Ripe tomatoes and a creamy combination of milk, butter, and spices
Organic Coconut Lentil Soup NEW (gluten-free, vegetarian)
A robust, protein-rich vegetarian lentil soup with a mild, sweet coconut curry broth
Organic Ancient Grain Minestrone Soup (vegetarian)
Classic minestrone flavor with farro, quinoa, and barley for the health-conscious consumer
Organic Savory Harvest Bisque (vegetarian)
Butternut squash and carrots pureed with ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, finished with diced apples, sweet potatoes, and a hint of rosemary
Organic Chicken Tortilla Soup (low-fat, chicken raised without antibiotics)
Tender antibiotic-free chicken, flavorful roasted corn, diced tomatoes, Monterey Jack cheese, and jalapeño peppers
Organic Broccoli Cheddar Soup NEW (gluten-free)
Broccoli, creamy sharp cheddar cheese, and a touch of spice, this new recipe is now certified organic
Blount will be kicking off its retail trade campaign this month with online and print advertisements in food trade publications, direct response marketing electronically, and via mail. The company will also be showcasing at IDDBA in Houston next weekend, June 5-7, 2016 at Booth #1901. Retailers will have access to a catalog of in-store collateral support, including digital files for video screens and social media, floor signage and menu boards, tabletop soup ID cards for cross-promoting at the hot-to-go bar in the prepared foods section, channel strips, shelf-talkers, and floor graphics.
For the first time ever, Blount will be marketing its soups to consumers with a new campaign this September. The company’s consumer website, www.BlountOrganics.com will educate consumers on products, offer suggestions on menu pairings and serving via videos designed for social media sharing, and show how much goes into bringing a premium organic soup to market. As part of the campaign, Blount will offer the following:
“Our consumer marketing strategy up until now has been to use licensing agreements to sell retail soups under well-known and respected brands consumers seek out, and to be the manufacturer of choice for many of the country’s most successful private label soup programs, both of which will only be enhanced by our entering the Blount brand into the marketplace,” added Sewall. “With this launch, we are introducing a third option, the brand restaurant chefs have loved and trusted for decades, and a brand consumers will quickly come to understand gives them more.”
Blount will manufacturing out of its Massachusetts headquarters plant and its newly-acquired McKinney, TX, plant it acquired this January, which is currently being retrofitted for soup production and logistics, and working to achieve several certifications, including as a USDA “organic” manufacturer.
To learn more about Blount, visit www.BlountFineFoods.com and stop by IDDBA booth #1901.
