The Houstons team supporting Monbana Chocolaterie at Coffee Fest

The weekend of October 13th – 16th brought coffee aficionados from around the country to Portland, Oregon for Coffee Fest Portland. Coffee Fest holds three regional shows across the country each year, with shows held in Nashville, Tennessee and Chicago, Illinois earlier this year.

Our Sales and Marketing Teams have worked the Coffee Fest Shows, as well as the SCAA Global Coffee Expo in Seattle, since June 2015 in support of our international vendor, Monbana Chocolaterie. Coffee Fest Portland was the culmination of Houston’s tradeshow support for the French chocolate and frappe manufacturer, and we went out with a bang!

The entire Outside Sales team was present for opening day of the show, following a two-day sales meeting hosted at the Wilsonville office. The Regional Managers manned the Monbana booth all three days of the show, passing out samples of Supreme, Tresor, and White Tresor sipping chocolates. West coast Regional Managers Matt Clark, Angie Lightening, and Steve Franklin had the chance to touch base with customers who were in attendance. Oregon/Idaho Regional Manager, Matt Clark, was able to refer several interested local attendees to Houston’s customer, Longbottom Coffee & Tea of Hillsboro, Oregon.

Coffee Fest typically caters towards companies involved in the retailing of coffee, tea, and related products, but the show provides Houston’s with an excellent opportunity to connect with vendors and keep tabs on industry trends.

Houston’s had 15 vendors exhibiting at Coffee Fest Portland including: Torani, Monin, Bevolution Group, Two Leaves Tea Company, and David Rio, among many others. The Inside Sales and Purchasing teams attended the show on Saturday, October 15th, giving them the opportunity to try vendor products and make vendor connections, as it’s rare for these teams to have the opportunity to meet some of their vendor contacts face-to-face.

In terms of trends, this year’s shows have proven that tea is making a comeback within the industry, as consumers are looking for natural, healthier options to coffee (and sugar or creamer), especially in the evening. Oatmeal, while it was big in previous years, seems to have taken a backseat to Matcha, with vendors showcasing everything from individual ceremonial Matcha sticks to baked or packaged goods containing the finely ground green tea leaves. Cold brew also continues to gain popularity, especially Nitro cold brew which provides consumers with a smoother flavor experience than traditional cold brew.

As the 2017 show schedule comes to a close, we look forward to the 2018 shows in Baltimore, Denver, and Los Angeles and the trends those shows will present from their various regions.

David Rio

Torani

Monin

Umpqua Oats

Dr. Smoothie

Almond Breeze

Two Leaves and a Bud

Java Jacket

Cappucine

Espresso Supply

The post In Our Own Backyard: Coffee Fest Portland appeared first on Houston's Blog.

On behalf of our vendors, we invite you to stop by, say hi, and see what’s new!

Torani® – Booth #506, 508

Flavor seekers around the globe enjoy Torani® in their favorite beverages every day. And Torani® has continued to stay on the creative edge with new product lines and ideas for the last 80 years.

Monin® – Booth #613, 615

Monin®’s sole purpose is to create flavors that people around the world can easily use in their everyday life.  Founder Georges Monin’s motto La Passion de la Qualit® (“Passion for Quality”) became the Monin® slogan.

Monbana Chocolaterie, USA – Booth #402

Monbana has combined a respect for tradition and a continuous passion for chocolate innovation through selecting the finest ingredients and the very best varieties of cocoa from Ivory Coast. Creator of chocolate squares to accompany coffee, Monbana is also famous in the HoReCa sector for its excellence of its indulgent chocolate drinks.

Java Jacket – Booth #701

The original green coffee sleeve is the best insulating cup sleeve on the market.

Dr. Smoothie® – Booth #618

Dr. Smoothie® formulates its beverages with your health in mind to maximize the benefits to your body. Functional beverages are what Dr. Smoothie® is all about since 1997.

Cappuccine® – Booth #413, 415

Many people don’t know that Cappuccine® created the first blended iced coffee mix over 15 years ago. Today, its product line consists of more than 20 gourmet flavors that are proudly served all over the world.

David Rio™ – Booth #406

David Rio™ makes chai because it is inspired by traditional Indian milk tea, and it set out to blend Eastern traditions with Western style to create America’s Premier Chai.

Pacific® Natural Foods – Booth #409

Pacific® Foods has one simple goal – to make tasty, healthy foods with integrity. Making foods it can be proud of is as much about the ingredients it uses and the way those ingredients are grown, as it is the actual recipe. And GMO’s? Not on Pacific® Foods’ watch.

Espresso Supply – Booth #709

Espresso Supply, Inc. has used its expertise to develop a full line of espresso accessories and small wares designed to facilitate the operation of an espresso bar or coffee business.

Kerry Big Train / Oregon Chai – Booth #600, 602

Kerry is a known innovator in the food and beverage industry. Kerry shakes up the industry with its unique approach and inventive solutions in beverage, coatings, and seasonings providing consumer driven, operationally friendly menu solutions.

Maya Tea Company – Booth #713

Maya Tea Company custom blends the finest teas from far reaching regions of the globe, creating tantalizing and tasteful teas for use from home and in restaurants, hotels, and coffee shops across the nation.

The post Check Out Houstons’ Vendors at Coffee Fest Chicago! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Here is a list of our vendors that will attending the show. Stop by and say hello!

Torani® – Booth #405, 407

Flavor seekers around the globe enjoy Torani® in their favorite beverages every day. And Torani® has continued to stay on the creative edge with new product lines and ideas for the last 80 years.

Monin® – Booth #310, 312

Monin®’s sole purpose is to create flavors that people around the world can easily use in their everyday life.  Founder Georges Monin’s motto La Passion de la Qualit® (“Passion for Quality”) became the Monin® slogan.

Java Jacket – Booth #701

The original green coffee sleeve is the best insulating cup sleeve on the market.

Dr. Smoothie® – Booth #416

Dr. Smoothie® formulates its beverages with your health in mind to maximize the benefits to your body. Functional beverages are what Dr. Smoothie® is all about since 1997.

Cappuccine® – Booth #411, 413

Many people don’t know that Cappuccine® created the first blended iced coffee mix over 15 years ago. Today, its product line consists of more than 20 gourmet flavors that are proudly served all over the world.

David Rio™ – Booth #423

David Rio™ makes chai because it is inspired by traditional Indian milk tea, and it set out to blend Eastern traditions with Western style to create America’s Premier Chai.

Pacific® Natural Foods – Booth #700

Pacific® Foods has one simple goal – to make tasty, healthy foods with integrity. Making foods it can be proud of is as much about the ingredients it uses and the way those ingredients are grown, as it is the actual recipe. And GMO’s? Not on Pacific® Foods’ watch.

Espresso Supply – Booth #617

Espresso Supply, Inc. has used its expertise to develop a full line of espresso accessories and small wares designed to facilitate the operation of an espresso bar or coffee business.

Kerry Big Train / Oregon Chai – Booth #500, 502

Kerry is a known innovator in the food and beverage industry. Kerry shakes up the industry with its unique approach and inventive solutions in beverage, coatings, and seasonings providing consumer driven, operationally friendly menu solutions.

Maya Tea Company – Booth #306

Maya Tea Company custom blends the finest teas from far reaching regions of the globe, creating tantalizing and tasteful teas for use from home and in restaurants, hotels, and coffee shops across the nation.

Monbana Chocolaterie, USA – Booth #422

Monbana has combined a respect for tradition and a continuous passion for chocolate innovation through selecting the finest ingredients and the very best varieties of cocoa from Ivory Coast. Creator of chocolate squares to accompany coffee, Monbana is also famous in the HoReCa sector for its excellence of its indulgent chocolate drinks.

Straw Propeller Gourmet Foods – Booth #429

Straw Propeller Gourmet Foods offers 15 flavors of oatmeal and 5 flavors of muesli. All of its artisan products are made with certified gluten-free oats, non-GMO, all-natural and kosher certified ingredients.

Remember, if any of these vendors have hot new products you need in your restaurant or warehouse, call Houston’s to see how we can help.

Credit: All of the above company descriptions were paraphrased from the vendor’s website linked to the vendor name. Images are also courtesy of our vendors.

The post Check out Houston’s Vendors At Coffee Fest Nashville! appeared first on Houston's Blog.