The Monbana & Houston’s teams at Coffee Fest Dallas (2016). Photo Credit: Franck Foulloy

Houston’s is proud to not only welcome Monbana to the U.S., but also to our vendor line-up. We have spent the last several months training with and supporting the Monbana team at various industry shows, including SCAA and Coffee Fest. All of our Regional Managers participated in a Monbana training seminar while in Dallas for Coffee Fest, in which they learned how to create tasty drinking chocolate, chocolate sauce, and various frappes under the tootlage of famed International Barista, Geoffroy Maubon.

Both lines are broad enough to provide ample flavor profile opportunities, but not so wide that they become cumbersome and overwhelming to deal with. The Gourmet Chocolate Beverage line includes Tresor (milk) Chocolate, Organic & Fair Trade (milk) Chocolate, Supreme (dark) Chocolate, and White Tresor Chocolate powders. The Premium Frappe line is a little more expansive, containing some unique and exotic flavors as well as the traditional: Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, Mocha, Caramel, Lychee, Mango Passion Fruit, Lemon, and Yogurt – an exceptional base mix for any custom frappe.

While the frappes and hot chocolates are perfectly delicious and oh-so-simple to prepare following the directions on the canisters, Maubon has concocted several flavorful and indulgent recipes, morphing each product into superior beverages and dessert cocktails that one would be accustomed to finding at a high-end restaurant. How about a Saint Petersbourg that combines milk, Supreme (dark) Chocolate powder, rum, and caramels? What about a green Matcha’ Nilla shake made using Monbana Vanilla Frappe powder, Matcha Tea, milk, and ice? Or perhaps you would prefer adding an Indian-inspired flare to your beverage menu with a flavored lassi. According to Maubon, “This cocktail is inspired from the famous Indian beverage made with yogurt and fruits,” that originated in the Punjab region. We’ve included a Fruity Lemon Lassi recipe below for you to try out.

Geoffroy Maubon’s Fruity Lemon Lassi
Makes approx. 10 oz beverage

Ingredients:

• 1.5 scoops Monbana Yogurt Frappe powder
• 1.5 scoops Monbana Lemon Frappe powder
• 5 oz of milk
• 5 oz of ice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend for 20 to 45 seconds depending on the desired texture.
2. Pour into a highball or cocktail glass. Garnish with color sugar rimmer, and exotic flower, and a brightly colored straw.

Beverages made using Monbana products do not require a lot of added ingredients as the powders already include flavorful, high quality, natural ingredients including visible chunks of real fruit, caramel, etc.

As the exclusive U.S. importer and re-distributor of Monbana products, Houston’s is your go-to source for these versatile and premium frappe and hot chocolate powders. Log on to our website for additional information on all Monbana products, or visit our facebook page to see more pictures from Coffee Fest Dallas and other events.

 Ask your Houston’s Regional Manager for a copy of Geoffroy Maubon’s Monbana recipes to begin mixing flavors, textures, and ingredients that are sure to make you say, “Mmm…”

The post Vendor Spotlight: Help Us Welcome Monbana Chocolaterie! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

DR. SMOOTHIE – Frappes & ADDins

Leafy Greens ADDins

As summer quickly approaches and temperatures begin to rise, frappes and smoothies are becoming more popular with customers. Dr. Smoothie has introduced four new frappe flavors to the Cafe Essentials line: Chocolate Mint Chip, Horchata, Java Chip, and Kona Mocha. Touting less sugar and truer flavors, these four new “gourmet specialty frappe” flavors offer added dimension to any menu, and are sure to please your customers with their authentic taste.

With healthy veggie trends continuing to grow, Dr. Smoothie has also introduced an easy way to get your “5 [servings] a day” with their new beverage blend-ins; Dr. Smoothie ADDins are available in Leafy Green and Veggie blends, as well as the per-existing customer-favorite, Yogurt Lover’s Plus concentrate blend. Add a single scoop of these nutrient-packed supplements to any smoothie concentrate for that daily dose of fruits and veggies that your customers are looking for.

TORANI® – Chai Concentrates

Torani Tradition Chai (left) vs. current category leader (right). Credit: C. Graiff

Keeping up with current trends, Torani® has introduced Chai concentrates to their product line-up, available now in both Traditional and Spicy flavor profiles. Made with all-natural spices including cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves and allspice, these concentrates provide an ideal upgrade from traditional mainstream chai concentrates and offer a “well-rounded and balanced combination of sweetness, tea, and spice.” Chai has year-round appeal as it can be served hot, over ice, blended, and even “dirty” with an espresso shot. Compare Torani® Chai to your current brand and you’ll be sure to taste and see the difference!

MONIN®- Hawaiian Island & Cookie Butter Syrups

Monin® released two new innovative flavors this spring made with pure cane sugar and natural flavors: Hawaiian Island and Cookie Butter. Blending the fresh tropical fruit flavors of passion fruit, guava, and orange, Monin® Hawaiian Island syrup is an on-trend flavor that provides an “authentic, multidimensional flavor for crafting memorable specialty beverages.” Perfect for specialty coffees, milkshakes, and cocktails Monin® Cookie Butter syrup provides an indulgent coupling of spices and speculoos cookie flavoring. This versatile syrup is ideal for hot or frozen coffee beverages or specialty cocoas, milkshakes and cocktails. Both syrups are Kosher, Halal, Vegan, GMO free, dairy free, and gluten free and are now available through Houston’s!

DAVID RIO – Cub Chai Super Concentrate

Jodet, of David Rio, discussing product with a show attendee at SCAA 2016. Credit: C. Graiff

Described as the “audacious extensions of the original Cub Chai line”, David Rio recently released their Cub Chai Super Concentrate. The new 5:1 concentrate utilizes the same high-quality organic spices (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and ginger) combined with organic Indian black tea for a super tasty, all natural, and vegan chai beverage. Already being served at the organization’s Chai Bar in San Francisco, Cub Chai Super Concentrate can be served hot or cold and “offers your customers a creamy, less sweet, and distinctively spicy chai latte that will have them raving.” Continuing their commitment to supporting animal welfare, David Rio has designed the packaging so that both the bottle and full shrink label are 100% recyclable. Contact us today to request a sample of this “chai perfection.”

SCAA 2016: You may have seen it…

As a redistributor in the foodservice industry, we at Houston’s like to utilize our time at industry shows not only catching up with vendors and customers alike, but also perusing the show as attendees – to see what’s new, what’s trending, and what the “next best thing” might be. At SCAA in Atlanta this past month we had the opportunity to taste new products launched by various vendors.

Add A Scoop (C. Graiff)

Crafted for those with an active lifestyle, Add a Scoop by Smoothie Essentials provides an alternative source of dailynutrients. Eighteen tasteless blends including Antioxidant, Probiotics, Energy, Protein and even a Matcha premix provide a wide variety of options that won’t affect the flavor of your smoothies, frappes, and oatmeals. All Add a Scoop supplements are tasteless as well non-GMO, gluten-free, and certified Kosher, Halal and Vegan.

Powdered frappe, gelato and specialty beverage manufacturer Frozen Bean debuted their latest project, Cocktail Lab, at SCAA. “At Cocktail Lab, we source the finest, all-natural ingredients from around the world to create rimmers that pair beautifully with your favorite beverages.” From coffees to teas, beers to cocktails, and even frappes – Cocktail Lab now allows your customers to experience their favorite beverages in new and exciting ways.

Not to miss out on the dairy-free trend, Frozen Bean also debuted a dairy-free version of their Belgian Hot Chocolate mix that substitutes coconut milk as the dairy alternative. The light coconut notes accent the sweet chocolate flavor without detracting from the creamy quality.

Industry leader in the non-dairy beverages segment, Pacific Foods, continues to promote their new Barista Series line of dairy-alternatives. Created to withstand the high heat involved with foaming, the Barista Series delivers a consistent and smooth micro-foam while complimenting the flavor of your coffee or espresso making the line “perfect for latte art.”

Making their U.S. debut, France-based Chocolaterie Monbana® (Monbana®) created a stir with their indulgent beverages in the gourmet powdered frappe and powdered chocolate segments. Started in 1934, Mobana® is now on its third generation of family owners, all of whom have had a deep passion for premium-quality chocolate. Their continued success has been attributed to respect for European traditions, the use of high-quality ingredients, and continuous innovation.

International Barista, Geoffroy Maubon, discussing Monbana with an SCAA Show attendee (C. Graiff)

Mobana® offers a wide range of extremely versatile products and flavors, providing for the needs of all establishment types in every season. From lucious frappe, to indulgent drinking chocolates and delightful dark chocolate accompaniments, Monbana® has a product to please any demographic. “This isn’t you mother’s Swiss Miss,” one attendee stated after tasting the decadent Trésor Hot Chocolate served up by famed International Barista Geoffroy Maubon. Maubon has been crucial in the development of Monbana®’s product line, developing unique recipes (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) that highlight the versatility of these premium products, showing that frappe mixes and hot chocolates are not just for coffee shops anymore.

If you didn’t attend SCAA, or didn’t get a chance to stop by the Monbana® booth, we heavily suggest you stop by their booth (#819) at Coffee Fest in Dallas, Texas. With the help of Brandenburger-FBG, Monbana® products will be available for U.S. distributors to purchase in late-May or early-June. For more information, contact Brandenburger-FBG.

SCAA 2016 provided attendees the opportunity to experience a wide variety of new products and flavors like those discussed above. Did you attend SCAA 2016 in Atlanta? Which vendors or products were of interest to you?

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