By: Sandy Eller

The world of kosher took on a new vibe at the two day JFood kosher food expo, a two day event where favorites such as ice cream and rugelach shared space with unexpected items like dandelion yogurt and robotically-spun cotton candy.

6,700 attendees flocked to JFood, a Compass Conferences event held at Edison’s New Jersey Expo Center on June 13^th and 14^th and featured approximately 200 booths representing more than 500 brands. Day one of the show was a business-to-business event geared to supermarkets, restaurants, caterers, schools and camps, while the second half of the event was consumer-focused and open to the general public.  The two day format was a win-win for everyone said Shmiel Stern, CEO of The Compass Crew.

“In order to have a successful trade show, you need a day two,” Stern told Yeshiva World News. “You want regular consumers to have a day, because people love to come to food shows, so if they know that day two will be influencers and fun, they’re not interested in coming on day one, and day one stays pure trade.”

While JFood’s exhibitors were clearly interested in writing orders, Stern noted that approximately 25 to 30 percent also demonstrated a significant interest in being able to interface directly with consumers.  Simply Gourmet’s Rivky Kleiman had a full range of her “recipe in a bottle” spice blends on sale at the show, and reported that while each day of JFood had a distinct flavor, she was busy on both days of the show.  Esther Abraham of Skinny Coated, whose nutritionist-approved gourmet almonds were a hit with attendees, also gave the new format her stamp of approval.

“I’m focusing on sales now,” said Abraham on day one of JFood.  “You can’t focus on sales when consumers come, although I want people to come and try my product so that they will be able to grab it off the shelf in the grocery.”

According to Stern, the idea for the expo, as well as its format, was based on feedback from members of the food industry, with the June date chosen based on the venue’s availability. Stern plans to continue following the lead of those in the food business to decide on the timing and particulars of future shows.

The tone of the expo was further colored by segments that were tailored to the day’s crowd.  In addition to a supermarket panel and a session on cyber protection, the first day’s program provided an opportunity for attendees to have one-on-one meetings with representatives of Stop & Shop supermarkets.  A celebratory segment honored the show’s unsung heroes, and paid tribute to Kosherfest founder Menachem Lubinsky, who was presented with a plaque bearing the words, “Under your lead partnerships were forged and the kosher world flourished.”  The second day’s program featured well known personalities Tanya Rosen, Naomi Nachman, Kosher Guru, Shloime Zionce, Lazer Cohen and Yossi Weisz, and balanced a focus on trends and travel with cooking demos and wine tasting.

Attending the show on day one, Lubinsky took in the energetic mood and looked on proudly at the many booths, clearly happy to see the model he created thriving.  Even as Kosherfest announced its retirement two weeks ago, Lubinsky was hailed as the patriarch of the kosher food show.

“It’s wonderful to see your children grow up and be successful,” observed Lubinsky with a smile.

New and intriguing items at JFood included Meister Koyach, the first energy drink to bear a heimish hechsher, Clearly Elegant’s plastic parchment paper and Twisty, a product line of truly gorgeous baked goods that were first featured at Lakewood’s Cookie Corner.  The company’s tagline “happens to be gluten free” was an apt description of its product, which tasted as good as it looked.  Joburg’s biltong was another winner, with Yuda Holtzberg describing his cured and air-dried sliced meat as the ultimate experience.

“Once you start you won’t stop,” said Holtzberg. “There’s no sugar and no junk – it’s like steak in a bag.”

Sweet Robo was one of JFood’s biggest draws, with people gathering around its $9,000 cotton candy machine to watch a robotic arm spin out an enormous sugary treat in the colors and design of their choice.   The company, whose colorful kiosks can be found in malls, theme parks and at events, also had a $20,000 ice cream robot that churned out sundaes in 90 seconds or less.  Every Sweet Robo product emerges ready to eat and completely untouched by human hands, explained Sweet Robo’s Luisa Cahmpos.

“You just need to press a button,” said Cahmpos. “You choose your shape, different colors and pick from more than 30 combinations, or your ice cream toppings and syrups.  Pushing one button, you get your treat automatically.”

In contrast to Sweet Robo’s futuristic feel was the emphasis on getting back to the basics at Meant To Be, a Chasidic company from New Square whose products come from Amish farms in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The company’s farm-fresh display included eggs, cheeses, maple sugar and the aforementioned (and surprisingly delicious) dandelion yogurt, all produced to the highest standard of organic, with an emphasis on authenticity.

“Everything is pure and natural,” said dairy farmer Alvin Fisher, who traveled to JFood along with his family, his Amish attire contrasting markedly with that of his New Square co-collaborators.  “They contacted us about five years ago and we were looking for a partner as well, and it has been a good fit.”

Meant To Be’s eggs are hatched by grass fed chickens who are moved daily to ensure that they have an endless supply of pesticide-free and nutrient-full grass. The company’s Jersey A-2  cows are smaller than typical dairy cows and produce less milk and more cream, explained Avrumi Korn, yielding products that are far superior to anything else on store shelves, with a new yogurt line debuting in July.

“It has no preservatives, comes from grass-fed cows and is made from a very high standard of milk,” said Korn.  “There is no such product in the Jewish market, maybe not anywhere.”

Photo Credits: Kuvien Images

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