KTrade Magazine May Issue

M AG A Z I N E / M AY 2 0 2 0

36 OBSTACLE COURSE TOP KOSHER DISTRIBUTORS ON NAVIGATING THE COVID-19 HURDLES

How a Devastating Fire Led to One Company’s Growth

Why Europe is the Next Emerging Kosher Market

Top Recipes for Moms to Make with Kids

Departments

Contents Speak Softly and Impact the World

Rav Osher Westheim zt”l’s influence in

4

Why the Kosher Industry is Now Looking at Europe

Interview with Kosherfest Founder Menachem Lubinsky

kashrus, in Europe and beyond

28

Still Flying

Interview with Hermolis’s Mr. Moishe

34

To Get to the Shelf

Top distributors share the challenges present in the COVID era.

Featuring Elisha’s Mr. Eli Lubelsky, Kayco’s Mr. Chaim Herzog, Farmville’s Mr. Chaim Braun, and Hatov’s Mr. Avi Roth

Lisser

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Europe is Ready for Today’s Products A Look at Market Trends with Quality Frozen Foods’s Matis Soffer

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The role of the marketer in launching

By BetweenCarpools.com Fun recipes that will have both kids and mom happy they’ve gotten into

Selling Potential

the KTrade Food Show

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Top 13 Trending Health Food Products

By Tzvi Steinhart of Stein’s Foods

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Vendor Highlights

Features

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Spanning Europe Interesting products from across Europe

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The Kosher Population in France is Decreasing So Why is the Kosher Market Growing?

Casimex’s Sydney Knafou explains the

paradox

Kashrus Means Always Keeping Your Eyes Open The kashrus adventures of Rabbi Akiva Padwa, senior consultant for KLBD

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Keeping the Meat on the Table

Prime Cut’s Burach Moshe Moskowitz tells the story behind the shortages

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The Day the Pretzel Factory Burned Down

The Hashgacha Pratis Story of Major UK

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Kosher Distributor Drumsticks Products

MAY 2020

Kids + Mom + Kitchen

the kitchen together

Published by JTrade Ltd. Founder and director: Ari Feferkorn COO: David Lubelsky Editor in chief: Victoria Dwek Creative director: Yidel Landau- Initact Art director: Sruli Heskel - Initact Editorial layout - Initact All rights reserved ©2020 No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without express permission from the publisher.

Images used credited where necessary, otherwise Shutterstock.

info@jtrade.co.uk 020 8806 1998 www.koshertrade.co.uk

Founders Letter

Dear readers, shoppers, those in the food industry, and those coming along for the ride, Some have that stereotypical image of London as the place that’s always grey and always rains.

They think that Europe is still the way it was a generation or two ago, with historic buildings and quaint shops. And I may have thought so too, until I moved here. And then I saw that it’s not true.

Perhaps the Jewish population in Europe is not as large as it is in the U.S., but Europe has moved forward and Europe is innovative. The shops and groceries are modern, the consumers are savvy, they have sophisticated tastes, and they want premium products--just like the U.S. shopper.

I saw this firsthand when I organized the JTrade Show, first in 2018 and again in 2019. With 280 vendors this past year and thousands of visitors, JTrade succeeded in connecting Jewish entrepreneurs in the construction and property markets with customers, colleagues, and investors, boosting their connections and collaborations.

We saw that what’s possible in real estate, is also possible in food.

The UK and Europe is ready for more products, they’re up with the trends around the world, and whoever is on the boat will catch this market. I personally traveled worldwide, to the U.S., Italy, Spain, Austria, Belgium, France, and more to meet food manufacturers and vendors and make this happen. We invested days and nights to launch the first KTrade, to enable a boost in the European kosher food market and bring it to where it belongs. Baruch Hashem, hundreds of brands were to be represented at KTrade2020 this week.

But these are unprecedented times. Just like

all events taking place today, KTrade had to be postponed to a later date as our exhibition center, Excel London, has been repurposed as a hospital.

Some people, perhaps those who have never exhibited before, or don’t realize the benefit, have asked, “Will I see a return on my money?

Is it worth the investment? Why do I need to meet people face to face with today’s technology? It’s so easy to communicate virtually!”

I think that especially today, when we’re missing face-to-face communication, that we see its immense value. We’re missing seeing our community members in the synagogues, we’re working remotely and trying to communicate effectively with our colleagues, staff, and clients. And it’s much harder. Nothing strengthens relationships, especially that of a vendor-client, like that in-person meeting.

Grocery stores have told me that in this climate, with customers shopping online in lieu of in store, that sales are down 30-40%. When people see a product, they buy it off a shelf. When shopping online, they buy what they need and checkout. I have no doubt that once the world is back, we will all be back stronger. And that includes KTrade. The industry and this show will launch in a big way this October, putting Europe on the map in the worldwide kosher market.

Stay safe and healthy, Ari Feferkorn Founder - Ktrade

MAY 2020

3

About 20 years ago, Menachem Lubinsky tried to bring Kosherfest to Europe. It didn’t work.

“The timing wasn’t right.

The community wasn’t as developed. The retailers weren’t in Vienna and other places like they are now. In London today, you can see store after kosher store and they’re also very upscale.

Twenty years is a long time. It’s a different environment now. The time is right for Europe to have its own show. And that’s the idea behind KTrade,” Mr. Lubinsky shares.

And while the European market is still only 10% the size of the U.S. market and 5% of Israel’s, it’s expanding rapidly, with a growth rate that’s just as strong as the two leading markets.

“Europe has the advantage of being right in the middle. They can import from both Israel and the U.S. In London and Paris markets, you will likely see some local, but mostly Israeli and U.S. kosher products.” In the U.S. and Israel, though, products from across the ocean are the minority.

Yet, Mr. Lubinsky says, the kosher market has very much become a global one. “The women are reading the same magazines and using the same recipes. This is the beauty of the kosher market even in European Countries.

They want the availability of the same foods and ingredients that are available in the U.S.” Are the retailers ready? There are three types of retailers now in European cities, and Mr. Lubinsky describes each type. First are the small mom and pop shops that have been there forever.

A

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Next are the newer supermarkets.

They might not be as big as the megastores in the U.S. or Israel, but they still carry a large array of goods and they have space to fill.

There are also general supermarkets and even department stores (i.e. Selfridges in London) that try to appeal to the kosher community with “kosher sections” (just like in many out of town cities in the U.S.). There is a large halal crowd in London and other European cities that also look for kosher products.

“There is a crossover, which makes it worthwhile for an exporter to be involved in the European kosher market. We have even seen many mainstream consumers buy kosher products such as vegetarian hamburgers and deli,” says Mr. Lubinsky.

Kosher-certified products in Europe have another interesting dynamic, Mr. Lubinsky tells me.

Currently, many European products which are kosher certified do not have the hechsher shown on their packaging. Rather, consumers rely on lists published by the certifying agencies such as the London Bais Din to know which products are kosher.

This is because, while companies do want to bring in an agency to certify their product, they don’t believe that the market is large enough to bother adding it on the packaging. For example, why would a company advertise that their product is dairy-free, even if it is, if they don’t think people care? In the U.S., food manufacturers add the whole lineup of claims on their product packag-

Why the Kosher Industry is Now Looking at Europe

KTrade spoke to Kosherfest founder Menachem Lubinsky about the European market...and why it’s finally time for Europe to shine.

By Yitzchak Yaakov Kohn

“The kosher market has very much become a global one” ing...organic, vegan, kosher...every claim in the book. That’s because they believe that each claim has a market and adds value to the product. “One of KTrade founder Ari Feforkorn’s goals is to show these food manufacturers that the kosher market is larger than they think, and that they should display the kosher symbol.”

Sure, there will be cultural differences in European supermarkets.

In a French kosher store, you’ll find croissants as the biggest seller in the bakery, whereas you might not find them in a U.S. store’s bakery department at all.

“There are some other colorful nuances. They are very into cheese and they understand wines a lot better. In the U.S., there will be honey and most people perceive honey as being just that, honey from bees. In Europe, there will be honey in every flavor, tied with a ribbon on a very boutique-like upscale display. Europeans are also very much into the presentation. Go to any major European airport and see the way they display their food at the concession stands.

Even the ice cream is displayed differently and is called gelato.

They are very into the packaging.

“All these nuances will become evident at a show like KTrade.”

MAY 2020

5

Annual Growth in the Kosher Markets

U.S.

Europe

10-12% 8-10%

Israel

8%

The growth in Israel’s market, which was 8% last year, was 15% the year before. The market has more dramatic changes from year to year as it is impacted by other dynamics not tied to population growth, like it is in the U.S. and Europe. Still, growth in both the U.S. and European markets continues to be robust.

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

$19

Annual Turnover Chart Title

Billion

$12.5 Billion

$1.2 Billion

Israel

(70% of the market keeps kosher)

Israel

Us

(25% of the market keeps kosher)

U.S.

Billion $

Europe

(12-15% of the market keeps kosher)

Europe

% Kosher

Consumers who shop kosher and keep kosher Consumers who buy kosher for other reasons 6

MAY 2020

The % of the market that does not keep kosher are choosing kosher products for other reasons.

Kashrus Means Always Keeping Your Eyes Wide Open A mashgiach may start out by supervising kosher runs in local or far flung places...but even when the responsibilities leave one closer to home, the eye-opening experiences never cease.

By Rabbi Akiva Padwa Senior Consultant for Kashrus of the London Beis Din

I

I had traveled out of town to supervise the production of candy-coated chocolate buttons. It was just about 40 years ago and the kashrus authority had given me detailed instructions. They had said that the tank used for melting the chocolate was never emptied, and always only contained kosher pareve chocolate, so did not need to be kashered, only cleaned from any previous toppings (which are

added cold).

The machine was spotlessly clean and we started production. Drops of melted chocolate would drop onto a vibrating belt, which would cause the drops to spread into flat button-shaped pieces. Then, tiny sweets (such as non-pareils) would be dropped onto the semi-hardened chocolate. I had nothing much to do, so I spent time watching the buttons forming while trying to figure out how the machinery

worked.

During the second day of production, I started noticing that there were some different shaped deposits on the line; they were longer and thinner than the button-shaped pieces. I realised that chocolate that had splashed onto the insides of the machine over the years begins to melt as the machine heats up after running for an extended period.

Some of those drops, I noticed, were not uniform dark chocolate MAY 2020

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colour. They were light brown— the color of milk chocolate. This would have been almost impossible to notice once they were coated in sweets. I was nervous— so I began collecting those long chocolate pieces and kept them in a small box.

The staff asked me what I was doing. I told them, “These are abnormal shaped, so I am taking them out because I want to keep them for myself.”

When I got back to London I was able to prove what I had found!

Around the same time, I had been asked to supervise a run of baked beans in a factory. Production ran for a few days and, again, I did not have much to do. I was told by the kashrus authority, and the company confirmed, that this unit was always totally dedicated to vegetarian production, so production was allowed without a full blown 24-hour shut down and complete kashering. Towards the end of production, cooking was finished and the cooked beans were transferred to the canning department. At this time I wandered back to the cooking section and found them cooking turkey in the steam-jacketed pots that had been used for cooking the beans. I had caught them in their lie!

These were two stories from back when I began working in kashrus for Kedassia as a teenager. When I started, I accepted jobs just to have some interesting experiences and earn a few pounds.

But I realized very early on that I had a knack and a natural understanding for kashrus. I was very observant and also had the ability to work things out for myself. I started like everybody at 8

MAY 2020

the bottom of the ladder, doing simple supervision work, known as Hashgocha T’midis. By establishing that I could do much more than just watch a production, I started progressing up the ladder. Nowadays I rarely, if ever, do Hashgocha T’midis at all.

The only times I ever supervise an actual production today is if I am setting up a new project and need to set the guidelines for all future hashgocha.

But there were more adventures along the way until I’d arrive at that point, many of which took place in the Far East and Asia.

The Tuna in Thailand

Nowadays, with modern communication and media, everyone knows what a Jew is. When I started traveling for kashrus, though, I visited some places where some people had never seen a Western person, much less a Jew, in their lives! The first time I ever flew to the Far East was a trip to Thailand with Reb Avrohom Dov Weisfeld. It was 25 years ago and I was working for Belzer Kashrus in Eretz Yisrael at the time. They were giving a hechsher to a company that was importing tuna fish to Israel.

It was there that I learned what a small world we live in and how global manufacturing works.

Imagine, we were supervising the processing of massive tuna fish that had been fished on the high seas and frozen on board the massive ships. The fish were defrosted, butchered, and then cooked on trolleys in special pressurised steam cookers, then cleaned, packed, frozen and dispatched to Israel for canning. During the butchering the

eyes were dug out and sent to a company in Scandinavia who extracted high quality fish oil. The fish oil was used by an American company who incorporated it into infant formula. The intestines were collected and dried to make feed for fish and sold to Australia. The heads and the middle bones were collected and used to make bone meals that were used to fortify cattle feed in Europe. The juices released during cooking the fish were collected and concentrated and sold to Japan where they were used to make a type of fish sauce dressing. And finally, the brown meat separated when cleaning the tuna meat was used to make pet food and sold all over the Western world.

The work in Thailand with the tuna fish was not easy. The temperatures would easily reach 35°-40°C with 98% humidity.

Next to the cookers, where we had to stand to check the fish, it was easily 20°-30°C hotter.

We worked 12 hour shifts and the smell got into our skin! But the experience was fantastic and helped set me on the path for what would be my occupation for years to come and to this day.

Over the years it has become very common to produce tuna in the

Far East, but at that time we had to work out the requirements and the practicalities of how to supervise such massive productions. The practices we implemented became the norm for all future hashgochas to this day.

The Lucky Jew

This is another Far East story that is eerily relevant to today.

Twenty years ago, I had been flying on a domestic flight in China.

Next to me was a young Chinese lady who spoke English very well, which was rather unusual back then. She asked me who I was and where I was from. I told her I was from the UK, but I was Jewish. “Ah! I had heard about Jews!” she said.

A few moments later she turned to me again and asked me, “Don’t Jewish people have restrictions on what they can eat? I had read about that somewhere.”

I confirmed that this was indeed the case. “How do you manage traveling in rural China where old customs are still the norm?

Don’t people want to take you out to eat with them?”

I told her that they do, but I explain that because of my religion I have a special diet and can only eat fresh fruit. She replied, “You have no idea how lucky you are!”

And this was her story.

She was a sales rep for a big company and she traveled a lot for her work all over China. Once she was in a small town, and the people she was meeting with invited her for a meal. They offered her a special local dish. It was a cooked soup-like dish with small pieces of meat in a thick sauce. It tasted quite good and she asked what they call it.

“Qi Qi,” they told her.

“That is an unusual name for a food, what does it mean? she asked. “It does not mean anything,” they replied. “It is the noise they make!”

That is when she realised that she was eating mice–and she felt sick for two whole weeks! She finished her story and said, “That is why you are so lucky. You only eat kosher so you can’t be fed mice and rats and who knows what else!”

Always asking for fresh fruit, though, is not foolproof. This story also happened when traveling in Asia. I had been brought a great big bowl with lots of beautiful fruit. I was just about to start eating when I noticed strange spots on some of the fruit. It looked like someone had used white Tippex (the British version of White-out) and red correction fluid or nail varnish to make coloured spots on them.

“What are those marks?” I asked the person who had brought the fruit. “The fruit with the marks were from our offering to the G-ds. Every day we offer the G-ds a selection of decorated fresh fruit, but they don’t eat them, and next morning we change for a fresh fruit bowl and eat up what the G-ds left over. We know you

are a Holy Man, so we thought that the best way to honour you was to give you some of the fruit that we had given to our G-d.”

Get Out with the Evidence

Once, I was supervising a batch of a product for Pesach in a very remote place. The factory was in the middle of nowhere, but had about 12 canning lines. We were supposed to be producing eight container loads in just three days and I was surprised that they were only running our product on three lines. I could not see how they could possibly complete the amount ordered in the time specified. Then I noticed that every time they took out cans from the retort (where the cans are pasteurised at the end of production), they filled a pallet and took it into a storeroom, but they always locked the door immediately and pretended that they did not understand when I asked to see inside. I then had the siyata Dishmaya to cross over and look at some of the other lines and I noticed that several lines had different dates embossed on the lids. I quietly collected some lids from various lines, all showing different production dates both before and after the correct date for the day.

On the third day I called my contact person and I insisted that I wanted to see inside the locked storeroom to count how many pallet loads were in there. At first, he tried saying that he did not know who had the key. Eventually, when he saw that I would not give up, he admitted that they don’t have eight container loads.

He explained that the issue was not capacity. The problem was MAY 2020

9

getting enough raw material at the quality standard that they had promised the Israeli importer, so they were planning to keep on producing after I left and continue marking the cans with the same dates of production.

When I got back to the hotel I called the kashrus agency in Eretz Yisroel. They spoke with the importer who said that it was not simple at all as they had an open LOC (Letter of Credit) for over 1 million dollars! He needed proof of fraudulent activity, otherwise it was just my word against theirs. I did not think it was safe to make them aware that he was planning to reject the product while I was still there.

After all, this was a long time ago in a remote part of a foreign country and I was afraid to make too much of a fuss.

The next morning, I met with the contact person at the factory and he promised that they will continue producing “exactly like when I was supervising” so I had nothing to worry about in regards to the quality of the product. I pretended to go along with what they were doing and they drove me back to the capital city. The next day I flew back to Eretz Yisroel and presented my collection of date embossed can lids as evidence of their fraudulent activity.

Two Different Types of Supervision

There is a big difference between the structure of kashrus that I do today for the KLBD and what I did back then in Eretz Yisrael while working for Belzer Kashrus, when many of these stories took place. Israeli kashrus is mainly 10

MAY 2020

hands-on hashgocha t’midis as the kashrus is undertaken mostly on behalf of an Israeli importer who is commissioning kosher batches from a non-certified producer. Most of my work today is giving a year-round hechsher directly to a producer who will then proceed to try and sell their product worldwide as a kosher-certified product.

The former approach means that the kashrus is operating in isolation. You come into a factory, plan a production, approve the raw materials or get some alternatives with a hechsher, kasher any equipment that is required, and supervise your production.

Seal it up, label it as kosher, and you are finished with the factory until they do their next kosher production run. The latter way means we need to investigate everything that they do in the factory throughout the year and assess which activities or other productions may impact on the requested kosher production. We need to check all raw materials used and grade them according to how sensitive they are, and then try to figure out what may happen if they decide to change suppliers for example or

change products for a similar– but non-kosher–alternative. We then draw up a contract with the company outlining what we have agreed are accepted procedures, materials and suppliers and what they may change and what may not be changed unless approved by the kashrus authority. We then need to decide how many times a year would be ideal to monitor the activities at the factory and be confident that everything is still kosher. Remember, all this is only possible because the producer has requested a kosher certificate because they have realised that it will potentially or perhaps definitely assist them in selling their products.

What It Takes to Work in Kashrus

I often say that the kashrus experts are like general practitioners in the medical profession.

A GP can come across and treat patients suffering from any type of illness, and must understand and recognise them all. That does not mean that he will be able to treat them all himself. He will refer many patients to the experts in the relevant field of medicine, to a cardiologist or to a neuro-

“That is why you are so lucky.

You only eat kosher so you can’t be fed mice and rats and who knows what else!”

logical surgeon. The same is with the kashrus expert. He needs to be familiar with all types of foods, all methods of processing and all types of equipment. That does not mean that he needs to be able to do the manufacturing.

He leaves that for the experts in every field. But he does need to be familiar and to understand it all. If he does not understand the concept of centrifugation or recognise a centrifuge, he cannot follow a production flow. He also needs to know what different abbreviations refer to, such as UF, MF, NF, RO, UO. (Ultra-Filtration, Micro Filtration, Nano Filtration, Reverse Osmosis and Ultra Osmosis respectively). He also needs to know that these are all different methods of filtration and ideally, he should have at least some understanding why different filtration methods are used and what differentiates between them.

Nothing will ensure that a com-

pany will disclose everything more than if you demonstrate that you understand the processes that they are describing to the extent that you can challenge them and say that there are some steps missing. Many times I have prompted a company to correct a flow diagram by pointing out something was missing, and they called the engineers who confirmed that I was right!

Generally, they respect that we have this knowledge. You have to show them that you respect them too and try to take their requirements and concerns in consideration too. Thus, you build a relationship of mutual respect and consideration.

About Rabbi Padwa Rabbi Akiva Osher Padwa, senior certification consultant at the Kashrus of the London Beis Din, is a world renowned expert on kosher law and manufacture. Besides writing numerous articles published in Jewish media, he has given lectures about the dairy industry, whiskey and other prevailing Kosher

Rabbi Akiva Padwa Shlit�a

issues all over the world including Israel, Australia, Canada and USA. He also gives lectures to the main Kosher organizations via the AKO (Associated Kosher Organisations) in New York and other Rabbinical bodies such as the Rabbinical Council of Europe in Brussels, the Rabbinical Council of Canada (COR) in Toronto and the Chicago Rabbinical Council (CRC). He is also head of an independent Mehadrin Kashrus known as MKL Mishmeres HaKashrus London.

MAY 2020

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Europe is Ready

for Today’s Products The expansion of the kosher palette began in New York, and worked its way out.

Today, even out-of-towners have New York tastebuds. Now, finally, Europe is finally primed and ready for the latest wave of kosher products.

T

“The frozen buyer at one out-of-town supermarket used to buy the closeout Pesach blintzes for his Shavuos sale.

There used to be no spenders out of town,” says Matis Soffer of Quality Frozen Foods.

“I remember trying to convince one store owner to carry a certain line of products from Israel that was a bit more expensive than the alternative brand,” he continues. “‘C’mon, it’s from Israel, support Israel!’ I said. ‘My customers don’t care if a product is from the Gaza Strip as long as it’s cheaper,’ he responded.

Today, that same store that used to carry only Rashi and Malaga is now moving large quantities of high end kosher wines. You’ll be blown away by their selection. The buyers have changed.”

Mr. Soffer tracks the expansion of the kosher palette back to the opening of the first higher end kosher supermarket—Pomegranate. From that point, the demand for selection and quality slowly expanded outward.

“The buyers of new, trendier products used to be only New York and Lakewood. Out of town was behind. But now the young people have migrated out of New York.

They’re in Baltimore, where there is both a growing Chassidishe community and a community of young

12

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professionals. They’re in Cleveland, where tuition is free and there are job opportunities. They’re in Detroit, where real estate costs a small fraction of what it does in Flatbush.

Wherever young people migrate, they bring their New York sense of taste with them.”

What are some types of products that the current generation of shoppers want?

“They want healthy. Not just gluten-free, but healthy and gluten-free.

They want new flavors. The game keeps getting upped. Not just the cheese pretzel, but the sriracha cheese pretzel, not just kishke, but spicy kishke. At the same time that they’re enjoying the conveniences, people are also cooking a lot more,

Matis Soffer CEO at Quality Frozen Foods

and there’s a demand for high end ingredients, like those from brands such as Baker’s Choice, Wonder Mills, and Betterine.”

Europe will be the next wave of expansion for these types of food products.

“As long as there are young people present in a community, the new products will sell. Many Europeans have relatives in Boro Park or Monroe. They’re familiar with the same products; they’re seeing the same ads. This is what the buyers want.”

Matis Soffer and Bentzy Miller of Quality Frozen Foods have chosen eleven examples of product lines they feel are ready to explode onto the European market.

11 Product Lines That are Primed for European Shelves

Baker’s Choice

1

Consumers in the UK have been specifically requesting where they can find these high quality and unique baking ingredients locally.

TAP Nutrition

By Tanya

Europeans have been asking us when they’ll be able to try this popular line of diet and health products.

Zamaze

3

2

Meat alternatives is one of the biggest food trends in the U.S. now, and there are not so many options in Europe. This great-tasting super-healthy mushroom-based meatless meat is the next big thing.

MAY 2020

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11 Product Lines That are Primed for European Shelves

Snack Delite Marshmallow Bars

4

These popular kid-friendly, gluten-free, nutfree snack item is one that both adults and kids love. They move from the shelves fast and there’s lots of potential for growth in Europe.

Mechel’s Fine Frozen Pastry Dough.

5

Pastry dough isn’t new for Europe, but high quality products like these that offer such a wide range of dough varieties will sell.

Gluten Free Artisan Challah

More and more consumers need an easy gluten-free challah option, and the need isn’t limited by continent.

Chopsie’s Mozzarella Sticks and Cheese Pretzels.

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These are nostalgic for many people, but nostalgia aside, Chopsies offers lots of unique convenient items that taste like restaurant-quality.

6

Ungar’s Spicy Kishke

8

There’s not only traditional kishke anymore.

Now, consumers want more flavor options.

Sweet Loren’s Cookie Dough

9

Smackin Good Cookies This popular line of cookies are already starting to hit European shelves.

This clean, gluten-free cookie dough is made with only wholesome ingredients.

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Union Spices

11

This new line of spice mixes takes the work away from adding gourmet flair to your dishes.

MAY 2020

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The Day the Pretzel Factory Burned Down The story behind Drumsticks Products, one of the UK’s largest kosher food distributors, is the clearest lesson in hashgacha pratis.

By Rina Matalon 16

MAY 2020

Back in the 1967, it was the fashion that a man should have a job before he got married. Mr. Raphael Spitzer then was a 23-year-old bochur and had just returned from learning in Eretz Yisrael for a year and a half.

“Baruch Hashem, it is not like that today, but back then, if you found a job, you found a shidduch,” says Naftuli Spitzer, Raphael’s oldest son.

While he was away learning, Raphael’s parents had not seen their only son at all. There was no traveling back and forth for Yomim Tovim then.

Raphael’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Shlomo Spitzer, had each arrived in England before the war; he had come from Hungary and she from Germany, hence the name of the grocery store they would open together during the wartime, Breuer & Spitzer (today, the store is still one of Stamford Hill’s popular markets, and is run by a cousin). Raphael was born a year before the war’s end.

But now it was time for Raphael to be on his own. Since they were already in the food business, the Spitzers decided it might be a good idea for their son to begin food manufacturing. They had heard of a commercial machine that was now being produced on the mainland of Europe. It was an automatic pretzel machine where one could put in dough, and out came the long pretzels sticks— one shape only. The machine had a shaper, cutter, and oven incorporated inside the machine, and it would take the dough through the process of shaping it into long ropes, cutting, and

B

baking. They bought the machine and Raphael was in the pretzel business.

Raphael rented a basement and that’s where he produced the pretzels all by himself, mixing the dough in the mixer, sending them through the automatic machine, and then packaging them himself, hand sealing each package. The pretzels were produced under the hechsher of Kedassia, even then, and the company was called “Drumsticks” because of the shape of the pretzel.

“There were a lot of headaches in this business. The pretzel machine would often break down and it wasn’t easy to run.

And at the times that the pretzel machine was running smoothly, the mixer would break. My grandmother would come in and help him sometimes. They had to warm up the machine’s ovens early in the morning before it would be ready for baking. Every step was a lot of work,” Naftuly says.

One day in 1970, Raphael succeeded in obtaining an order from England’s largest store— Tesco! It was the first chain store of its kind in England back then, with 10 stores throughout the country. Raphael had gone in to speak to the manager and had come out with an order for 120 cases of pretzels!

“My father was so proud, it was so exciting for him. 120 cases from one customer was a huge order in those days. He worked overtime to get that order filled, then delivered them to the store by himself in his van. He got paid right away with a check. He took a picture of that check, it was a big deal. Tesco placed a few more

orders afterwards.”

Since Raphael was already in the pretzel trade, he had decided to begin to offer some variety and began importing Beigel & Beigel pretzels from Israel, which were

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baked in the round shape. He would import them in loose bulk and package them in his own Drumsticks packaging. Drumsticks was now manufacturing half their pretzels and importing the other half.

“One Shabbos morning, there was a knock on his door. When my father opened the door, he saw police officers standing outside. ‘Is Drumsticks Products your business?’ they asked him. He nodded. Then, they told him there had been a fire in the basement factory where he had been working for the past five years. My father lived a five minute walk away from where the factory was, so he took a walk and saw for himself--everything had burned. They never really knew what the cause was, if it had been an accident or arson.”

For Mr. Raphael Spitzer, though, Hashem had already prepared the refuah before the makah. That fire quickly proved to be clear hashgacha pratis.

Running the pretzel machinery was a laborious process, so often full of headaches. “I am already importing pretzels,” he thought.

“Why don’t I import other items now as well?”

In those days, stores sold many items in bulk rather than packaged. Women would go to the store and purchase flour or sugar by the pound. So, Raphael began importing these dry goods to sell to the stores. He also began importing cookies (made by Haddar), or biscuits as they’re called in England, in addition to the pretzels. With time, the bulk 18

MAY 2020

packages gave way for individually packaged goods. Then, he added Achva halva and techina to his product line. He was one of the first to bring in items from Israel at the time. Then, Elite began producing chocolate under the Badatz hechsher. It was the first chalav Yisrael chocolate available with a strict hechsher, and it was so exciting to now have it in the UK! “That’s how the business grew, from one brand to another brand, and over the years, it grew into a big business.”

Raphael’s son Naftuly joined the business in 1995, at first in the afternoons after learning in kollel in the mornings. A few

years later, Shmilli also joined to help with sales and buying, and then Avrumy came into run the accounts. At the time, there were no other employees other than the warehouse staff. Naftuly and Shmilli would be out selling part of the day, and in the office buying the other part of the day.

With more time, more salespeople were added to the team and more trucks were delivering; today Drumsticks distributes 2,300 different products to the kosher market and to England’s mainstream supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, and Waitrose.

“With Hashem’s help, we managed to grow the business the

old-fashioned way. Sometimes, people try to be aggressive in the market. We try to be honest and don’t look to outdo the other person. Over the years, brands would approach us to distribute for them. We would never take a brand away from another distributor without the full go ahead of the other distributor. Even if the supplier came to us and said, ‘Please take this brand, they’re not doing a good job,’ we say no!

It’s better not to have it than to take parnasah away from someone else.

“Hashem can give us parnasah in other ways.”

“That’s how the business grew, from one brand to another brand, and over the years, it grew into a big business.”

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SPANNING EUROPE There’s lots of unique European made products (and services) that will be featured at KTrade. Here’s just a few of the interesting products or European brands you’ll find.

Harissa From France Tava Hada Pilpeta is a 100% Frenchmade product, bringing its authenticity from the Middle East. Tava makes Harissa from rare, selected peppers, freshly grinding the spices on the day of manufacturing for a superb harissa of unequaled quality.

Beyond Waffles: Belgium Though Belgium-based M.S Distribution has been importing top brands of kosher food from the U.S. and Israel to distribute to all European destinations for three decades, they’ve also been integral in bringing the best of Belgium to the world. Kosher products produced by M&S include the high quality Belgian French fries in the famous Lutosa factory and great wraps and snacks by the popular Poco Loco brand. Last year, M&S introduced these Dione ice cream bars to the kosher market, made of rice Belgium chocolate, and they’ve been a huge hit.

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The Spice of Spain Founded as a family business in 1946, Dani is today one of the largest spices and food preservative companies on the market.

They are under the supervision of the KLBD.

The Unique Wines of Georgia This is not another merlot. The Georgia wine industry has the distinction of cultivating their own distinct grape varieties, including the popular Superavi. Bagadoni brings the Saperavi grape, coupled with advanced Italian wine production technology, to the kosher market.

Tucked Away in Italy My Kosher is a 4-star hotel that was missing in Italy, situated in Alba di Canazei, Trentino. This elegant and unique structure enjoys panoramic views of the majestic Dolomites and is the only boutique hotel in Canazei and in Italy with a full Kosher Mehadrin certification, for a luxury vacation in a dream setting.

The Best Beef from Holland For over half a century, Slager IJ Marcus Butchery has been known as the address for the most delicious Ossenworst and Pickled Beef in Amsterdam. Now, the famous salami is reaching the European stage.

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The Jewish Population in France is Decreasing.

So Why is the Kosher Market Growing?

It seems like an oxymoron, but it’s the truth. Even as French Jews emigrate to Israel, Canada, and the U.S., the kosher market continues to grow. Here’s why.

By Rina Matalon Mr. Sydney Knafou of Casimex has seen the European landscape change dramatically over the past 30 years.

Prices of imported products have risen, more and more products are being produced locally, and regulations have become more demanding (including the requirement to add nutritional facts and allergens on labels). The demographic of the consumer has also shifted significantly over the three decades that Casimex has been servicing Europe.

But still, although the French distribution company, with offices in Paris and warehouses in Strasburg, France (the border city in Central Europe with greater access to Italy,

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Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg and Eastern European countries) has seen the French Jewish population decrease in recent years, the kosher market has never been bigger.

“After Israel and the U.S., the third biggest Jewish community in the world is located in France. All the smaller European Jewish communities buy their kosher food from France or England. And yes, while it’s true that Jews have been leaving, the kosher market keeps expanding, with more and more customers wanting the products. First, the Orthodox are getting more Orthodox and they care about good kosher certification.

That’s at one end of the spectrum.

But most consumers who are buying kosher products don’t even keep kosher. They buy a lot of Israeli prod-

ucts, not because they care about its kashrut status, but because they want products from the holy land,” says Mr. Knafou.

Because a large part of the clientele are not kosher-keepers, the focus for distributors has been filling up kosher sections in mainstream supermarkets.

“There, you access a large client base that would never step foot in a kosher supermarket. In the past, there were only halal or ethnic sections in the supermarkets, but now kosher sections are becoming more and more popular. People look for products in those sections because they find that the products are unique, ethnic, and special. They’re not looking for ketchup and mayonnaise there, but hummus, falafel, tehina or halva. So that’s where we’re looking

to expand...to more and more large supermarket chains.

There are customers who simply want pretzels with sesame instead of salt. They want to try something different, and they can’t get that in the general market.”

The halal market also looks to buy kosher, including products such as harissa, hot peppers, coriander sauce, and pickled lemons. That in addition is a big market.

“Kosher products also have a good image. Consumers know they have no animal fats or animal-based ingredients, or are often lactose-free, and the consumer wants products with those vegan qualities. They also know that kosher products have additional supervision, and that’s a plus as consumers are also concerned about food contaminants like salmonella and listeria. They want reliable products.”

To sell to the French clientele, though, a product needs to be pack-

aged appropriately, in French-style packaging.

“A lot of Israeli products will include labels translated into Russian, Arabic, and English, but not French.

Stickers won’t work, the product won’t sell that way.”

Because Casimex buys volume, the larger companies, such as Unilever Israel which represents some of your favorite brands, including Klik, Beigel & Beigel, Telma, and Knorr provide special export packaging.

Mr. Knafou sees great growth potential in the European kosher market.

“We are always positive. We never complain about market decreases.

To the contrary. There’s a lot of directions where we look to grow, and we’re doing more and more each year.”

Demand Rises for Israeli Wine in Europe Although one would think that Europeans, and the French in particular, would be snubbing out the wines produced in other countries in favor of their own crops, Israeli wines are actually gaining popularity on the world stage, and are in demand, even among those who do not keep kosher. “Some Israeli wines are listed among the best wines in the world. Wine Spectator’s top 100 list consistently includes a few Israeli wines.

More and more people are looking for Israeli wines, not because of their kosher status, but because they are simply good wines.”

Casimex is the European importer for two of Israel’s biggest wineries among others, including Golan Heights Winery and Galil Mountain Winery, and their customers for these wines span across 22 European countries, including Austria, Hungary, and Lithuania. There’s another container of wine from Israel arriving every few weeks, and general hotels, bars and restaurants (including those with 2 or 3 Michelin stars) are customers in addition to the kosher stores.

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Keeping Meat on the Table Consumers have witnessed both full shelves and empty shelves in their local butcher shops over the past few weeks—but what is actually going on behind the scenes with our meat supply? This is how UK wholesale meat supplier Prime Cut is keeping the shelves stocked during the lockdown.

By Victoria Dwek There was some point, perhaps the week right after Purim, that my husband received a tip from a family member in the meat industry, “Buy your meat now, the supply may run low.”

And while the shelves emptied out that time as consumers everywhere stocked up with similar worries, the shelves were then replenished and replenished again.

Was there what to be concerned about in regards to our meat supply? While the U.S. industry is larger and has different variables, in England, the man working hard to keep the supply

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chain moving is Burech Moshe Moskowitz, founder of wholesale meat distributor Prime Cuts.

Prime Cuts is the main supplier for the UK community that relies on the Kedassia hechsher.

“Was there, in fact, a disruption in the supply in the UK?” I asked him. “There was quite a bit of disruption immediately, particularly with chicken, because they get schechted locally. Quite a few people, both the workers and the mashgichim, were off sick, so there was reduced manpower. As a result, there was less chicken available.”

Before Yom Tov, Kedassia’s team typically shechts 5,000 chickens a day. During the early days of the

lockdown, production was down to 3,500 a day, and then there were a couple of days where there was no shechting taking place at all.

But it was before Pesach, and the community needed chicken. So, Mr. Moskowitz organized a group up in Manchester where the virus had not yet spread as much.

“We did two big shechitahs there. And that’s what saved the chicken supply for the heimishe community before Pesach. Otherwise there would not have been enough.”

“Was the community able to notice that there was a shortage?”

“Yes, most definitely. There was quite a panic. Two weeks before Yom Tov, for example, some families ordered 20 chickens for Yom Tov and were only able to receive 5 of those. But, Baruch Hashem, with siyata dishmaya, we were able to bring in those chickens from Manchester and get everyone everything they needed.”

Now, Mr. Moskowitz informed

me, his mashgichim are all back to work locally and there is enough manpower to be back at full capacity.

The supply chain for red meat, though, has quite a different dynamic. Most of the red meat for the kosher community in the UK comes from Poland. When the lockdown began a couple of weeks before Pesach, most of the meat for the Pesach season had already arrived in the UK. “We had quite a bit of stock.

Only the last shechitah was cancelled once the borders were closed. We did a little bit more shechitah locally, and there was enough. Perhaps not everyone could get the exact cut that they wanted at the end, but there was still something for everyone,” said Mr. Moskowitz. The closed borders, though, would remain a problem in the post-Pesach time period as the mashgichim could not travel to Poland.

“At the moment, we’re shechting locally. Since all the main suppliers for the restaurants and caterers don’t currently need the meat, there’s enough for the consumers

and housewives.”

England officially has plenty of beef, but there’s not enough local slaughterhouses that are willing to let the mashgichim in to do kosher slaughter, for political reasons. The local beef is also more expensive, I learned.

“Are meat prices up then?”

I asked.

“Only minimally, about 5%.”

Prime Cut has worked to keep the prices in check for consumers.

So there’s enough--for now. But come Shavuos time, demand will peak again.

“We’re working hard on a solution to get either our mashgichim or a team from Israel, where restrictions are easing sooner, back to Poland before Shavuos.” There may be a way where the team is tested before being allowed in for a week to get the shechting that the community needs done.

Only time will tell what the solution is, though Mr. Moskowitz and Prime Cut will be working to make sure the shelves are full for the consumer come Yom Tov.

About Prime Cut The Moskowitz family’s beginnings in the meat industry began in Montreal, where Burech Moshe Moskowitz’s father had been a butcher when he was growing up. Today, the Montreal-based business is run by his brother and brother-in-law. Burech Moshe himself, though, had moved to Eng-

land after his marriage 31 years ago. About eight years after he got married, in 1995, he purchased Royal Meats, another butcher shop, from his wife’s uncle. Soon afterwards, he opened Prime Cut, a wholesale meat and cold cuts supplier, the only kosher deli meats available in the UK under the Kedassia hechsher. Today, Prime Cuts is the largest kosher wholesale meat supplier in the UK under Kedassia hashgocho and the one that the heimishe community relies on for quality meats with the highest level of kashrus.

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Rav Osher Westhiem Z”L

The Manchester community lost their leader last month when Rav Osher Yaakov Westheim zt”l was niftar from COVID-19. But Rav Westheim’s influence, especially in kashrus, extended well beyond Manchester and beyond the UK.

By Yitzchak Yaakov Kohn

Speak R Softly and Impact the World

Rav Westheim had been in kashrus for well over 40 years.

As a young avreich, Rav Westheim had exceptional clarity in his learning. He was the talmid muvhak of the Minchas Yitzhak, who had been the Av Beis Din in Manchester before becoming the Gaaved of the Eidah Hachareidis in Yerushalayim. Throughout the years they would continue to correspond with each other.

When the Minchas Yitzchak moved to Yerushalayim, he asked Rav Westheim to take over the Manchester Beis Din, as he was already held in high esteem and regarded by the rabbanim as an authority in halacha, even at a young age.

It was then that he also headed the kashrus department of

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the Beis Din. In 2003 Rabbi Westheim left the Manchester Beis Din and formed his own kashrus organisation – Badatz Igud Rabbonim, known as the BIR which was immediately universally accepted and internationally recognized as a number one in kashrus at the highest mehadrin standards.

Rav Westheim had been the originator of “the kashrus list,” a list of products that kosher without the need for a hechsher. After many years, he handed over the management of the list to the London Beis Din. Since then, many other kashrus agencies worldwide have instituted such type of lists.

He also singlehandedly elevated the kashrus level of meat

in the UK. He had learned in Eretz Yisrael with Horav Meir Bransdorfer zt”l the bedikas of the inner parts of the animal, and with his phenomenal expertise, he was able to bring shechitah to a mehadrin level, not only in the locally but all throughout Europe.

Diplomacy is the Way There was one particular company that had tried hiring a couple of other hechsherim, but no one could figure out how to make it work. What changes could be made to this product to make it kosher?

Someone suggested to them, ‘If you want to have it work, go to Rabbi Westheim. He will come up with a solution.’

“He had the capacity to figure things out and solve problems in ways that no one else could get their heads around, and they would be l’chatchilah.

People would come to him not only for his kashrus, but also because of this capability. He would do things in the most unassuming and simple way, and the factories would always abide by his requests,”

says Rabbi Mordechai Leitner, who has worked alongside Rav Westheim in kashrus for the past 14 years.

Rabbi Westheim met with this company, toured the factory, and like he often did, he figured out a solution.

Rav Westheim was also the one who came up with the innovation of fish gelatin. A lot of companies only used beef gelatin and didn’t have an alternative option they could use in order to be able to make their product kosher. Since then, fish gelatin has become a product used worldwide, and all kosher productions that need gelatin use fish gelatin.

“When I started working for him 14 years ago,” Rabbi Leitner continues, “Rabbi Westheim said, ‘There are two things I want to tell you.

Firstly, The Steipler said that it is a tremendous zechus to help people have kosher food.

It is Avodas Hakodesh to work in the Kashrus field. Second, the first and foremost thing in kashrus is diplomacy. Once you have that, you can manage any difficulty. Whether you’re

telling them ‘Yes,’ or ‘No,’ or ‘You need to make a change,’ if you have diplomacy, it works.’

“He was a very humble man.

He let them lead the way. He would stop speaking if they began speaking, and would speak in a soft way. They would all eventually do what he wanted because he never demanded. He had the siyata dishmaya to say things in a way that they would accept his words.”

Continuing Rav Westheim’s Legacy Ten years ago Rabbi Westheim requested his son-in-law, Horav Sholom Landau Shlita, who is a moreh horooh in Manchester and was, for many years, Rosh Chaburah in the Satmar Halacha Kollel, to join him in the kashrus field. Rabbi Landau, with his qualities, excelled in this field after a short while and became the Rosh Hashechitah for the Badatz Igud Rabbonim whilst working in other kashrus fields too.

Rav Westheim left a tzavaah that his esteemed son-in-law HaRav Landau Shlita should continue running the kashrus as the new Rav Hamachshir and within just a few weeks has already gained the accreditation from both local and international Rabbonim and is now continuing to lead the BIR international organisation both in the UK and Israeli offices.

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Still Flying The name Hermolis is synonymous with the finest kosher food you’ve ever enjoyed while flying in the air. Since the company’s beginnings in 1960, they’ve shattered all preconceptions about travel food and have been the shining star in an area where kosher historically has not excelled. Now that flights are grounded, though, Hermolis is filling an even greater need.

KTrade: We know that Hermolis has been supplying kosher food to those flying in the air since the company’s beginnings in 1960. Over 60 airlines turn to you to supply the kosher meals for their customers.

Now that no one is flying, how 28

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has Hermolis been adapting?

Mr. Lisser: British Airways was our first customer. And hospitals were our second clients. We supply kosher meals to every government and NHS hospital in the UK, 144 prisons, and kosher meals for the government-spon-

sored Meals on Wheels program, in which meals are delivered to the elderly who are not able to prepare meals on their own. So, Baruch Hashem, Hermolis is open.

KTrade: I imagine that the

demand in those areas is even higher now.

Mr. Lisser: Perhaps. Obviously, all the travel-related and hospitality aspects of our business are closed now. My partner, Mr. Mendel Kreditor, the finance director, furloughed most of our staff. We’re not preparing meals for the cruise liners, airlines, or the Eurostar trains. Normally, Hermolis services spread across the entire spectrum, from when a person is born and the mother receives a meal in the hospital, to catering the simchas and corporate events, to when they are elderly and they depend on us for all their meals. We cover the entire scope of the prepared food industry.

KTrade: What percentage of the business is still up and running?

Mr. Lisser: I would say it’s about 25-30%. We have our most experienced employees working, led by my son Avi, the COO, and Mr. Kreditor’s son-in-law Moishe, the CFO. Those who have been with us the longest, who work with speed and knowledge, are on the job and we’re fulfilling all orders, Baruch Hashem.

KTrade: How are you able to service 30% with only a small percentage of your staff working?

Mr. Lisser: That’s because our airline meals are the best in the world. Even the economy meals have five, six, seven components on the plate. A first class meal might have 20 items on the tray.

There’s many courses, including soups and desserts and it takes a lot of labor and expertise to pre-

Mr. Moshe Lissar and Mr. Mendel Kreditor

pare them. And we’re not doing those right now. To compare, a hospital meal is a single meal.

It’s much less labor intensive. So we’re able to get more done with less staff.

KTrade: Still, the work you’re doing now is more important than ever.

Mr. Lisser: Yes, myself and my partner, Mr. Kreditor, feel fortunate to be part of a tremendous chesed. People are stuck in the hospitals, and their families aren’t allowed in. If not for Hermolis, they would have nothing to eat.

KTrade: And the elderly as well! They’re even more on their own than they were before.

Mr. Lisser: Yes, that’s true as well.

We are also fortunate to supply many chesed organizations around the country enabling thousands of families to feel that there’s someone out there caring for them. But we don’t want people to continue to feel alone. We daven to the Ribono Shel Olam that as quickly as this dreadful disease started, He should also take it away.

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Selling Potential The role of the marketer in launching the KTrade Food Show 30

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In 2018, Ari Feferkorn approached us with his dream of launching JTrade, a Jewish property and construction expo that was the first of its kind in

By Yidel Landau, Creative Director, Initact the UK. As a marketing company, Initact’s role would be to define how he was going to position this show. What were the aims? The goals? Who would be the target audience? As a new concept, we

had to come up with a name that was clear enough that people would understand what it was.

Working on JTrade gave us the chance to learn the ropes of marketing an exhibition, both

in running a campaign which reaches a very large audience, and providing insight into the most convincing arguments and marketing techniques.

In JTrade we adopted a very MAY 2020

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ambitious tone; the message we were sending was that if you want to grow in your business, the one address was JTrade. We marketed JTrade as a revolutionary concept that was set to transform the potential of businesses and boost it massively. And it was. The UK Jewish community had never seen a show like JTrade before.

They had never had the opportunity to market, network, and meet colleagues and customers, like they did there. And it was a success. JTrade came back in 2019 with even larger crowds.

KTrade was next on the radar.

Now Comes KTrade Whereas with JTrade a large part of our audience were people who’d never exhibited previously, KTrade is targeted at the food industry, most of whom are familiar with the concept of exhibitions and have actively participated in them before, as they do at Kosherfest in the U.S. for so many years now.

But with KTrade, it was vital to communicate that we are not just an exhibition company trying to replicate our model in a new market; KTrade would actually serve an important purpose and offer real, concrete benefits to those who became involved. We really didn’t want the food companies/ prospective vendors to feel “Hey, what do you know about food?”

First, we did thorough research into the market from a vendors’ point of view. What would they want the show to accomplish?

We shaped the show around the goals of our prospective vendors.

In our advertisements, we used humour and a lighthearted tone to illustrate those pain points/

desires to those in the industry to overcome the initial resistance (i.e. “How to You Win Shelf Space When the Shelves Are Full?).

We aimed to come across like a friend in the industry, as insiders sharing good news as opposed to outsiders butting in and trying to change things.

During the next stage of marketing, once we overcame people’s hesitation, once they knew what KTrade was, once we had some major companies on board, we were able to adopt a more confident tone. Then we addressed American brands directly, telling them what we were hearing from buyers in Europe.

We spoke to the European consumers on the streets, and we were able to tell the U.S. companies that our consumers want your products. You’re missing out. There is opportunity here.

We later reached out to smaller brands as well because they too can benefit.

Our fantastic group of salespeople constantly clued us into the feedback of vendors, as they shared the reasons they were signing up, and in what areas they felt it could boost their business. This feedback was important and we continued to adapt our marketing methods accordingly.

Even though the show has not yet taken place, there’s one major thing that has thus far been accomplished: the eyes of the kosher food industry are now open and are looking towards Europe.

We’ve established that this is a place for opportunity and growth.

We look forward to maximizing that potential in the near future.

Illustrating pain points

The humorous take

An ambitious tone

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#FunFact During this campaign, when we started advertising in France, we didn’t use Google Translate but we did use artificial intelligence to translate our words into French—with hilarious results. Suffice it to say, we were soon on the phone with a proper French copywriter.

The Marketer’s Advice #1 Q: I Have a Food Brand. How Important Is a Nice Logo or Packaging? Will It Matter So Much to My Bottom Line?

The answer is that of course it won’t totally make or break your business, but when people have an image of you and your service matches up with their expectations, then they complement each other. We don’t just favour nice packaging because we are drawn to the pretty lettering or shiny colours; we favour nice packaging because we associate it with quality—which is not an unreasonable bias, as experience has taught us that this is mostly true. When you see something in attractive packaging and decide to try it, and it doesn’t live up, you won’t buy it again. But if it does, you’re getting double the amount of pleasure. Also, when you remember the product, you remember both the pleasure of the look and the performance.

There was actually a study done in California a few years ago, where they discovered that expensive wine actually tastes better in a fancy bottle.

The Marketer’s Advice #2 Q: What Approach Should I Take in My Advertising?

We at Initact have an interesting philosophy regarding advertising.

We believe that you can’t actually convince people through advertising—at least not the way most marketers like to believe.

We think all marketing falls into two categories: either an announcement or rationalisation.

With an announcement, you’re informing people that, say, there’s a house for sale, or a cure for eczema. In that case they are aware of the problem and are happy to believe that you offer a solution. A rationalisation provides an excuse for people to indulge their desires. Since nobody would admit that they want a nice car because they wanna be ‘that guy with the flash car’ on the block, you are giving them a rationalisation which allows them to tell themselves that the reason they’re going for it is the quality or the superior driving—or even that they’ll get the ‘respect.’

In other words, marketing channels the person’s own desires and needs and adapts the message accordingly. You do that effectively by knowing your target audience and what they either need—or want, deep down.

The Marketer’s Advice #3 Q: How Can I Market in This Environment?

It definitely isn’t business as usual: Be sensitive and mindful of the situation. Know what people really want and need right now, and since their priorities have now changed, adapt accordingly.

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It’s been a challenging couple of months for food manufacturers and distributors. But they’re still taking care of you. I spoke to four leading food distributors and manufacturers to get a peek.

By Victoria Dwek MAY 2020

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As consumers during this era, we’re like the audience at a show. We see products on the shelves (or on our supermarket’s website if we’re shopping remotely), and we have no idea of what had to take place to get it there. We also have noticed that there have been some products that we usually like to buy that have been missing. Why aren’t they available?

Now usually, as audience members, we don’t typically think about the behind-the-scenes because, well, it’s usually a similar linear story for each product.

But that’s not the case today. The route that every product has had to take to get to that shelf today is a story on its own...as varied and zig-zagged as the routes our mashgichim have had to take to get to the factories! I think the changing dynamic and the challenges of the food supply chain in the current climate is a fascinating story.

So, I’m pulling back the curtain to speak to four leading food distributors worldwide to learn just what they’ve been dealing with, and what it takes to bring food to market today. There’s one consensus among them all: they could only share what’s been going on over the past two months.

As far as what to expect in the future? Only time can tell us that.

A

First, you should be a little relieved to know that, as kosher consumers, we’re a little luckier than the shoppers on the general market.

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As Chaim Herzog of Kayco explains, “In the U.S. general market, both distributors and retailers generally want quick turnover of product. C&S is the largest grocery distributor in the U.S. They have 14 distribution centers across the U.S. and these warehouses are a couple of million square feet each. Despite all that space, the longest any product remains in the warehouse is 15-18 days. Products come in and they’re out the door.

They don’t sit on product. After all, if products sit, it’s not helping their cash flow. They also want freshness.”

For kosher manufacturers and distributors, it’s very different.

When food for a kosher brand is produced, the mashgichim come into a factory, equipment often needs to be kashered, and the kosher run is done, producing enough supply for two or three months. Kosher brands aren’t manufacturing their products every single week and turning it over. “So, while we strive to be as efficient and lean as possible, our role is also larger than the typical distributor; we’re essentially manufacturers as well. We sit on heavier inventories, and the kosher retailers sit on heavier

inventories than general market equivalents, so the kosher market has more time to react. Whenever there is a major upheaval in food supply, the general supermarkets, such as Stop & Shop, feel it more quickly than we do,” Mr. Herzog adds. That’s not the case, though, with fresh items such as produce and eggs, which are usually delivered fresh daily.

“Dairy and eggs were in short supply,” says Chaim Braun of the London-based Farmville Distribution, which distributes many basic essentials, much of which needs to be fresh. “There was a shortage of eggs in the market

overall. Because we are loyal to our suppliers all year long, they worked very hard, sourcing all over, to get us what we needed, even though they had a lot of new inquiries. They didn’t supply those temporary customers--only us. In the end, we were not short.

Because of our longstanding relationship with suppliers in other categories as well, we were able to fulfill the Pesach season on most of our products.”

“You just had to work harder to do it,” I respond.

“Yes, and pay a lot more money.

Some competitors had gone up 30-40% on basic perishables in

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this pandemic; we kept it as low as we could.” .

The Challenge in the Chain Even though it seems as if the worst is behind us, for many manufacturers of nonperishables, the challenges are ahead of them, not behind.

“That’s because, when we produce food, we’re producing for about two or three months at a time,” says Mr. Eli Lubelsky, owner of the Antwerp-based Elisha Foods, most well-known for their famous mayonnaise.

“So far, we’ve been fine as we already had our Pesach and post-Pesach production done.

Now, though, as we need to start our big production on items like our fresh baked cones, and some factories don’t want mashgichim in. Other factories say they’ll let the mashgichim in with all the garb and masks. Of course, we can’t produce anything without the Machzikei Hadass Antwerp, so we might not have some goods temporarily.”

Travel has also been difficult for mashgichim needing to get from Belgium to other European countries.

“The borders are closed...even locally, some towns in Belgium are closed, and there’s police stationed at the entrance of the towns, not letting people in. So, yes, some products we’re able to produce as usual and some we’re not,” he continues. “At the moment, we have enough, but we don’t know how long this will go on.”

Getting a mashgiach to a plant is one issue; the actual factory being able to attain the raw ingredients is another. Some 38

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“We do have enough stock for the next couple of months. But even if there’s a backlog and even if some products are not available, it won’t be all. Maybe there won’t be as much variety, but no one is going to starve.” raw ingredients, such as citric acid, comes from China. There was a long while that China was not shipping, although that has resumed. He attributes other possible shortages of ingredients to the lockdown of the workforce, “Pears need to be picked from the trees in Hungary, but that work is usually done by immigrants. But what if the Polish can’t cross the border to pick the pears from the trees? The farmers don’t have other labor.”

UK-based Hatov Distribution, which imports a vast variety of products from Israel and the U.S.,

has seen that some suppliers are not able to produce. Owner Mr. Avi Roth tells me, “One brand that we import employs a large number of Palestinians in their factory. But Palestininans are not able to come to work because the borders are closed. Other suppliers have advised us that they don’t have the capacity to produce so much, as they’re working with a minimal workforce. I think eventually we are going to see some shortages in the market. To what extent, it’s hard to say. For now, we do have enough stock for the next couple of months. But

even if there’s a backlog and even if some products are not available, it won’t be all. Maybe there won’t be as much variety, but no one is going to starve.”

When a company does a kosher run in a factory that typically produces non-certified products, sometimes there’s a 24 hour downtime as factory equipment is kashered. Right now, some factories simply aren’t interested in downtime. “Kosher is always a complicated production, and it isn’t highest priority for a company who can’t afford the downtime right now. So that’s one part of the current challenge in food production,” says Mr. Herzog.

The second challenge is getting the mashgichim on site, as countries aren’t letting outsiders in. “We usually send mashgichim on one flight,” he continues. “In the past month, we’ve had to send some mashgichim through three airports and then with a driver for 10 hours to get to a factory. They go in hazmat suits with doctors letters, or whatever the local guidelines require. In some places, the mashgiach had to go two weeks prior to production because of the quarantine.

Baruch Hashem, with siyata dishmaya, after working late hours and nights and dealing with different time zones, we were able to work everything out.”

I had thought that Kayco would have met its biggest challenge with its Tuscanini brand, which is produced in Italy, as Italy was one of the earliest countries to impose a lockdown as it had been one of the countries hardest hit by the virus.

“Actually, Italy was the easiest to navigate. That’s because Italy is MAY 2020

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a powerhouse in food production, they’re one of the largest exporters in the world. If that comes grinding to a halt, so does their economy. They were very cognizant to keep food production open. We were able to make allowances for the mashgiach to have a stamped letter that he is a food production worker. Once he had that letter, he was able to travel freely. Also, Tuscanini is supervised by Rabbi Hazan who lives in Milan. It happens to be that Rabbi Hazan was stuck in Crown Heights for seven weeks; when he saw what was happening in Italy, he moved his daughter’s wedding to New York and he couldn’t get back. Still, his son was able to step up and supervise Tuscanini production with no disruptions. We’re actually now launching a new line of pasta that was produced there.”

Stocking Up on Pasta (and flour and sugar and rice and…)

Pasta sales are actually up 30-40% in the U.S. right now (compared to the preceding 8 week time period), as consumers look to stock up on dry commodities that won’t go bad. They’re hoarding these types of foods, and Italy has been smart to respond. Right now, ships bound for the U.S. are leaving Italy carrying lots and lots of pasta.

“One supplier I spoke to, said he currently has 200 shipping containers on the water every week. I would estimate that’s 400,000 cases of pasta! A lot of manufacturers are actually doing something called SKU optimization to they could produce more,” Mr. Herzog tells me. “For example, one pasta company makes

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18 different varieties. But, each time they make a different shape of pasta, they need to change the parts and clean the machine.

That takes time. So, in order to achieve maximum productivity, they cut their varieties down to six. Only the ones that sell the most. They’re getting more tonnage into the market, but not variety. That’s why you might see some products available but not all varieties of what you usually see. If a sauce company usually makes 12 sauces, you might now see just half of them on the shelf.

More volume, less variety.”

Are We Buying Differently?

Personally, by shopping remotely via orders and not entering stores, I’ve found that the type of products I buy has changed. Perhaps I’ve made less fun purchases and instead have stocked up on a greater quantity of the staples that we rely on.

I asked the distributors if they’ve been able to discern changes in consumer buying habits thus far.

Mr. Roth thinks that, yes, though it’s too early to tell if any of these changes in buying habits will be long term, “As soon as people realized the seriousness of the situation, there was that mass panic buying. That was three weeks before Pesach. The shops were crazy then, people bought everything. As soon as the lockdown came into effect, though, it was extremely quiet. Now that shoppers have adjusted to the new normal, though, I do believe that we will see changes in the types of foods people will buy now.”

Mr. Lubelsky has seen the increased demand for basic items,

has come to a standstill.

Mr. Herzog continues, “The kids are home. Usually, my wife uses a loaf of bread for the week. Now it’s a loaf of bread a day. Kids being home has driven up retail consumption like crazy.”

Food production is underway at a factory for Elisha Foods.

“But also nosh. The children are home, they need to be occupied. Biscuits, chips, snacks...a large family with their children at home need a lot. They’re still buying ice cream, and there’s no more panic buying.”

In the U.S., Mr. Herzog confirmed that my hunch was correct.

“Yes. All basics. Commodities.

Pasta, pasta sauce, peanut butter, ketchup. People are stocking up.

At my local grocer, Kosher West, I saw people buying out the cereal, even before Pesach. Over Pesach, the novelty items did not get the time to shine like they would in normal years. Those purchases happen mostly by im-

pulse, but if you’re shopping by list or email or trying to get the basics in 15 minutes and get out of the store, the novelty or unique items don’t get the attention.”

The end user has also shifted.

Retail consumption is up, while large food service distribution

So, you might not be able to get everything you want at some points for a few days, a week, or a couple of weeks. Now you have some idea of why. But, so far, the supply chain, for the most part, is working, and consumers don’t need to hoard, be concerned, or engage in another panic shopping spree. The shelves will be full...or full enough.

“Yes, and pay a lot more money.

Some competitors had gone up 30-40% on basic perishables in this pandemic; we kept it as low as we could.”

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Elisha Foods: Beginning as a manufacturer of kosher oil and mayonnaise, Antwerp-based Elisha Food was named for the navi Elisha who performed the miracle with the oil.

Since then, Elisha mayonnaise specifically has gained worldwide renown as the best on the market (people bring it back to the U.S. in their suitcases). Today, Elisha has grown to supply all of Europe, including retailers and the food service industry with a wide range of products, including a large range of Elisha ice cream, ice lollies, and ice cream cones.

Founder Mr. Eli Lubelsky credits the bracha he received from the Pshevorske Rebbe zt�l, Reb

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Yankele, whom he was very close to, for the growth of the business.

Elisha is under the Antwerp Rabbinate Machzikei Hadass, which is the strictest in Europe and accepted by all those looking for the highest level of kashrus.

Kayco Beginning in 1948 with the first bottle of Kedem Grape Juice, Kayco today represents over 150 brands and is the leading kosher distributor in the U.S., with an ongoing mission of constantly improving the selection of kosher products available around the world. Kayco brands, such as Gefen, Haddar, Kedem, Tuscanini, and Manischewitz can be found in 35 countries, filling the shelves of every kosher grocery, and can also be found in every supermarket chain across the U.S.

Hatov Distribution 20 years ago, Hatov founder Avi Roth noticed there was a gap in the kosher frozen food market in the UK and Europe, whereas in the U.S. and Israel there was a much bigger variety. He founded Hatov Distribution to import the range of products that were lacking in the European market. Today, Hatov is the UK’s biggest kosher distributor of the frozen foods sector, with products in the chilled, dry foods, and wine categories as well. Hatov produces its own line of ice creams, pastries and doughs, and distributes in Europe for companies such as B’gan, Strauss, A&B, Schmerling, Zoglo’s, and Golan Heights Winery.

Farmville Under their original brand of Taam Tuv, Farmville launched 30 years ago with a focus on essential items, including dairy products such as yogurt cheese, eggs, oil, and drinks.

Farmville later launched a second line called Sweet Park, producing snacks and sweets. As a wholesale importer/exporter, Farmville represents many top brands of quality kosher foods.

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Top 13

Trending Healthy Products Europeans Are Loving The category of gourmet/healthier products is one of the fastest growing today. These imported products are among the most popular in the category to recently hit the European market.

By Zvi Steinhart of Steins Foods

1

Simply Delish Jel Dessert The vegan jel dessert is all-natural with no artificial colors or flavors and no gelatin!

2

Zeal Peanut Butter A creamy, wholesome, all-natural alternative to commercial nut butters.

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3 4

Massel Stock Cooks are forever looking for healthier alternatives to bouillon to add flavor. These stock cubes and powders contain no MSG and are a vegan, gluten-free, and wholesome option.

Zollipops

The pop kids love that moms love too--these all-natural, sugar-free, delicious pops actually makes kids’ mouths healthier by reducing the acidity in the mouth that causes cavities.

5

Nutty Bruce Almond Milk The milk-alternative market is exploding, and this product, imported from Australia, is one of the best in the category.

6

OWYN PlantBased Drinks These protein drinks give you all the nutrition you need on to go with only wholesome ingredients your body needs.

7 8 9

Nakd Bars Just fruit and nuts, and that’s it. These gluten-free, dairy-free delicious bars bring good-for-you munchies to your pocket.

Love, Corn This unique, crunchy, savory snack is all-natural, high in fiber, low in sugar and calories, and is a great topper for salads and soups.

Tutti Gluten-Free Biscotti The demand for high quality, allergen-friendly, gluten-free products has spiked, and Tutti has been one of the products that have raised the bar.

10

Brooklyn Bites Another delicious, healthy gluten-free snack with 100 calories or less per serving.

11

Corners!

First it was “Popcorners,” now there’s “Corners!” Your favorite chips, now made with veggies and still crisped to perfection.

12 13

Drizzilicious Snacks This low-calorie line of snacks has been a favorite in the U.S., and it’s now a pantry staple in European households as well.

Freedom Bars

This TOP rated snack bar has only 5 ingredients (and there’s loads of flavors)...who needs junk when wholesome options are this fresh and this good.

About Steins Foods Steins was established with the vision to bring the trendier, gourmet, and healthier products to the UK and European kosher and nonkosher markets. Steins Foods imports from all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, and other European countries and sells to stores in the UK and mainland Europe.

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VENDOR HIGHLIGHTS These are only some of the vendors you’ll meet at KTrade 2020.

For the full list, see our website and interactive floorplan at http://www.koshertrade.co.uk

Badagoni Kosher Wines, Georgia

In only its first year of producing kosher wine, Badagoni’s chief product, Superavi Kosher Wine was awarded the Gold Medal at one of the world’s prestigious wine competitions, the “MUNDUS Vini” in Germany. The wine’s second award was a Silver Medal in the competitions “Catavinum World Wine & Spirit” in Spain. Badagoni has succeeded in raising the interest in Georgian wines and their special, exclusive grape varieties, in both Israel and the U.S. https://www.badagonikosherwinegeorgia.com/

signage to enhance your brand identity.

dles, spelt flour, and award-winning Hungarian paprika.

http://bcmsigns.co.uk/

http://www.bluelagoonfood.com/

Bespoke Kosher Travel

Caledonian Supply

Kosher does not mean limitations. Bespoke offers a truly tailored travel experience, allowing you to enjoy the most amazing holidays and see the world.

Bespoke tailors each trip to suit their clients’ wishes. Once the itinerary is set, Bespoke makes all the necessary arrangements, from flights and hotels, to tours, experiences, and the kosher food, of course. You’ll be surprised at the range of places you can go and still enjoy a fully kosher experience.

See Caledonian/Mehadrin Wholesale featured on page 55. http://www.caledoniansupply. com/ Casimex

See our full feature on Casimex on page 22. https://www.casimex.fr/

http://bespokekoshertravel.com/ Chewzy Kosher Foods BCM Signs

BCM Signs, a leader in creative and custom sign design, creates vehicle wrappings and shop signs, both interior and exterior, using a range of materials, including aluminum, metal, and acrylic and more unusual materials, for the most creative, eye-catching, and innovative 46

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Blue Lagoon

Blue Lagoon focuses on importing high quality gourmet products and bringing them to the UK market. Launching with their Blue Lagoon pralines, their line of products also includes noo-

Chewzy, the line of popular treats which launched with peanut chew products in the U.S., is now expanding to Europe. Years ago, the gift box platter was only offered as a custom order, not to the general market. When one customer wished to return an order of 1,000 gift boxes, Chewzy had no choice but to offer it to

the wide market. It turned out to be one of their most popular items and continues to be a bestseller. Today, the Chewzy line includes delectable cookies, chocolate, and other nutty snacks in addition to their ever-popular peanut chews.

of food safety, and all certified by KLBD as Kosher. http://www.vuc.cz/ https://www.edfman.com/

Farmville

See Farmville Foods featured on page 43.

http://chewzy.com/ Dome Safety Ltd

CSY Retail Systems

CSY provides smarter EPOS (electronic point of sale) systems for retail stores and e-commerce systems for online shops. The CSY system is easy to customize, easy for your employees to use, and provides a variety of intelligent features that help you ring up sales smarter and faster.

They’d love to show more kosher supermarkets and businesses what their EPOS systems can do for them. https://www.csy.co.uk/ E D & F Man Ingredients & VUC Services

VUC Services produces and supplies specialised sugars, such as liquid sugars and alternative sweeteners. ED&F Man, established in London in 1783, is a preeminent trader of sugar, molasses, and coffee among other commodities. As a joint venture, the companies also refine organic raw sugars and supply a full range of organic sugars, syrups, and related products, such as organic rum, all at the highest standards

Dome provides health and safety compliance guidance and risk assessment services for the construction industry. Dome helps contractors, managers, and employees stay safe and avoid costly fines and litigation. Dome is now expanding to provide the food industry likewise with health and safety services. http://www.domesafety.co.uk/

Fidelity Payments

Fidelity means trust and loyalty, and it’s both the name and ethos that Fidelity Payment of the UK has inherited from Fidelity Payment in New York. Today, Fidelity Payment UK processes $25 billion in credit card transactions annually, and provides excellent service and tailored payment processing solutions for clients in all industries. https://fidelitypayment.co.uk/

Elisha Foods

See Elisha Foods featured on page 42. https://elisha.be/en/Elisha

Fairdeal

Fairdeal is the homemakers dream, a shop selling everything from cool kitchen gadgets to speciality cleaning products. They’re also well known for their line of high quality top brand cookware - summed up perfectly by their slogan, “ I found it at Fairdeal”. +44 208 802 4423

Friends of Health

Friends of Health sells health foods and supplements, among them Frutina Fruit Snak and Tivi Coconut Oil. They look to continually bring more and better health food brands to the kosher market. http://friendsofhealth.co.uk/

Grodzinski Stamford Hill

The Grodzinski name has been

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synonymous with baked goods since 1888, when the Grodzinskis, bakers by trade, first came to London from Lithuania, and launched their business by selling challah rolls. By the 1960s, Grozinskis was the largest bakery in all of Europe. The Stamford Hill location has expanded in the past few years to also service both the community with a variety of prepared foods as well as offer new heimishe bakery products. A full fledged milchig restaurant is also in the plans.

of smooth dairy Belgian chocolate. https://hauserofbelgium.com/

Hermolis

See our full feature on Hermolis on page 28. http://www.hermolis.com/

https://www.grodzinski.co.uk/ Indigs Bakery

Hatov Distribution

See Hatov featured on page 43. https://hatov.com/

Hauser Chocolates of Belgium

Seeking to bring kosher chocolate to a new level of excellence, for the past decade, Hauser has been producing their exquisite collection of handmade pralines and chocolates. After opening the chocolate boutique “Momentum” in Israel in 2003, the founders saw that it was difficult to obtain kosher pralines at the quality level they desired. So, they set out to produce their own.

Hauser Chocolates is now in the process of developing a new product on the kosher market: dairy biscuits made out of real butter, coated with a double layer

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This heimishe bakery provides fresh, tasty baked books to the community, including fresh baked challah, a wide selection of cakes, and both traditional and gourmet cakes, all made from scratch using premium ingredients.

37 Oldhill St, Cazenove, London N16 6LR, Great Britain

Katz Gluten Free

Back in 2006, Mrs. Katz founded Katz’s Gluten-Free in her own kitchen with just a home mixer and a determination to perfect gluten-free recipes and bring delicious products to market. Today Katz’s Gluten Free operates in a state-of-the-art certified gluten-free (nut-free, and dairy-free) facility, to meet the worldwide demand for a wide range of gluten-free products which are rich in flavor, texture, and taste. https://katzglutenfree.com/

Kayco/Kedem/Gefen/Tuscanini

See Kayco featured on page 43. http://kayco.com/

KDesserts In Touch Now

As one of the UK’s market leaders for outsourced business services, In Touch Now offers a 24/7 phone answering solution and live chat service to help companies better stay in touch and service their customers. Never miss another important call or inquiry. https://www.intouchnow.com/

The “K” in “KDesserts” stands for “Klein,” as founder Moshe Klein is from the Klein ice cream family. In the UK, though, he saw a need on the market for frozen desserts. One time in the early days of the company, a customer bought a cake and left it out overnight because he didn’t know it was made of ice cream! Now, all packages are clearly marked “frozen” and UK consumers are enjoying their sweet creamy treats. +44 7971 122991

alongside Dayan Menachem Gelley Shlita is Dayan Ivan Binstock and Dayan Shmuel Simons. https://www.klbdkosher.org/ KF Kosher

KOKO Food

KF’s activity is varied and spans several different departments, from local supervision to the worldwide industrial (factory kashrus) department, which is involved primarily in international manufacture. KF Kosher sees themselves as the kosher partner of each of their clients. As an A-Z service provider, they assist with every aspect of the design of your kosher project. Having invested heavily in a state-of-theart kashrus database and with a growing and invigorated team, under the leadership of our new Rov and Av Beis Din, Rav Zimmerman Shlita, KF is poised for continued growth.

Koko stands for “Kosher Korean” and the company produces Korean staples, including kimchi, red pepper paste, and more, necessary in a market where kosher cooks desire to expand their palettes and create diverse ethnic recipes.

https://www.federation.org.uk/ kf-kosher/

KLBD London Beis Din

KLBD has been kosher certifying factories for over a century and is Europe’s #1 kosher certifying agency. In 1902, Marmite became kosher certified, similarly Fry’s Cocoa bore “the sanction of the Ecclesiastical Authorities” in 1910. More recently Dayan Ehrentreu headed up the LBD from 1984 until 2007 when he was succeeded by Dayan Menachem Gelley Shlita, the current Rosh (Head) Beth Din. Serving

http://www.kosherkorean.com/

Kosher Deli UK / Frohweins

Frohweins has been supplying meat, including a range of beef, lamb, veal, chicken, turkey, duck, and popular cooked products such as cold cuts, pastrami, salt beef, and salami to the UK market for almost a hundred years.

Today, the fourth generation in the family operates the business.

From supplying meat during the rationing era of World War II, to the demands of today, they’ve seen and met all challenges and continue to think out of the box to supply the consumer with new, desirable meat products. http://frohweins.com/frweb/

KS Kosher Strasbourg

The Beth Din of Strasbourg has been operating a kosher division for over 100 years. Today, the KS hechsher, a division of the Beth Din, chaired by Dayan Rabbi Michael Szmerla Shlita, specializes in certification for agrifood companies worldwide with a dedicated structure and adapted strategic tools. KS brings innovation to kashrus, by developing strategies and high-tech tools for their clients to be able to facilitate management of their requirements, leading to high customer satisfaction.

Le Chef Gastronome

This start-up company plans to bring luxury foie gras products to the British market. Le Chef products will be available to both caterers and restaurateurs, as well as the private consumer.

M&S Distribution

See M&S featured on page 20. https://www.msdistribution.be/

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Made Safer

Having seen that hotplates on the market were of poor quality and unsafe, Made Safer set out to do just what their name says: make a safe, quality hotplate to meet the demand. The UK- manufactured hotplate is energy efficient and features a patented design that transfers most of the heat to the food and not the surface.

velopment, e-commerce, design, and SEO services. At the onset of the COVID era, MB helped consumers who were not online get their platforms up quick, and previous customers who already enjoyed a strong online presence were able to continue business unaffected. https://mbtechdesign.com/

www.madesafer.co.uk MyKoCo

Marcus Butchery

For the past 75 years, Marcus Butchery has been the leading meat supplier in the Netherlands.

They have our own factory in Sloterdijk and a retail shop in the Jewish suburb of Buitenveldert.

Marcus is under the hechsher of both the local Amsterdam Rabbinate and Rav P Padwa of Israel.

Marcus also provides catering services for the local Jewish community and supplies kosher meat for airline meal companies, local restaurants, and hoteliers for Pesach and other holidays. http://slagerijmarcus.nl/en/ home-english/

MB Tech Design

It’s really important to have a professional online platform to service your customers, and MB Tech gets you there with web de-

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MyKoCo enables home cooks to be able to enjoy catering or restaurant quality foods at home.

With constantly changing menus, MyKoCo makes it exciting for families to choose to stay in rather than go out, and spend quality time with their families preparing fresh meals. MyKoCo supplies all the easy-to-follow instructions and ingredients, delivered fresh. https://mykoco.co.uk/

OU Kosher

With 1 million products certified and 1,000 employees in over 9,000 plants in 104 countries, OU kosher is the global leader in kosher certification. OU offers companies step by step guidance during the certification process and superior technology to be able to provide companies and consumers access to all kosher-related information at their fingertips.

https://oukosher.org/

Palisades Paper Inc.

With an initial goal to offer the best parchment paper in the world, Palisades uses a French-imported paper to create a range of parchment products, including pre-cut sheets, parchment circles, and bakeware. An innovative parchment paper company, Palisades continually Palisades now looks to bring their product to the international market. https://www.palisadespaper.com/

Phoods

Phoods is a wholesaler of catering supplies and disposables, particularly a large range of plastic dinnerware, cutlery, and cups, aluminum pans, plastic containers (and, yes, also toilet paper and gloves). The company is also listening to trends in the market and introducing a biodegradable line. http://phoods.co.uk/

Prima Tapes & Labels Ltd.

Since 1966, Prima Tapes & Labels has been supplying printed adhesive tapes and labels and high quality packaging tape. The

company offers complete inhouse service in designing printed labels needed for packaging, from initial design through to the finished product. http://prima-tapes.com/

Royal Bake

Beginning as a little corner shop, Royal Bake now encompasses an entire manufacturing plant, supplying challahs, simcha cakes, and pastries to the wholesale and catering trade for simchas and events. The family traces their roots in the baking industry all the way back to 1840 in Hungary.

Prime Cut Butchers

See our full feature on Prime Cut on page 24. http://www.primecutuk.com/ Royal Packaging LTD

Quality Frozen Foods

See our full feature on Quality Frozen Foods on page 12. http://www.qualityfrozenfoods. com/

Royal Packaging main products include paper, plastic, and fabric shopping bags both for retail shopping and events, as well as printed mailing bags for online sellers. Royal Packaging also works with food manufacturers in developing the optimal food packaging for their products. https://www.royalpackaging.co.uk/

Renwear LTD

Renwear supplies and launders workwear for a diverse range of industries, including those in the food trade, including those used by chefs and butchers. Renwear owners Shaya Kramer credits ambition and persistence for helping Renwear become one of the UK’s emerging workwear suppliers. https://www.renwear.co.uk/

Rumplers

See Rumplers featured on page 62.

come one of the Europe’s leading kosher distributors, distributing all core grocery products. They are continually expanding and updating their range of products.

Sephardi Kashrus Authority

Originally set up to serve the Spanish and Portugese Congregation, SKA expanded to serve the wider community, providing kosher supervision to products, restaurants, and caterers. The SKA is continually looking to make kashrut affordable and accessible while maintaining the highest standards of halacha under the auspices of the Sephardi Beit Din. https://www.sephardi.org.uk/sephardi-kashrut-authority-ska/ Shefa Mehadrin

Shefa is a retailer of fresh meat, poultry, and delicatessen products. With four stores in Prestwich, Salford, Edgware, Golders Green, Shefa services Jewish communities throughout the UK. http://www.shefamehadrin.com/

http://www.rumplers.co.uk/ Snax Emporium S&J Trade

Back in 1968, S&J Trade began when Sigmund and his son Joseph (S&J) began selling grape juice from their dining room table. Today, S&J has grown to be-

Snax’s first product, a fabulous line of iced coffees called Master Cafe, launched earlier this year in 120 stores. Snax Emporium continually looks to facilitate the import of unique and exceptionMAY 2020

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al food and beverage brands to the UK, sourcing products from around the world and bringing them to the UK kosher market. https://snaxemporium.com/

Sova Foods

See Sova Foods featured on page 55

Sushi Maven / Freund’s Fish

Whether it’s the popular line of gefilte fish under the Freund’s brand, or their wildly popular sushi ingredients (such as nori, surimi sticks, sriracha sauce, and much more), Sushi Maven looks to expand the availability of the their products for all kosher consumers. https://www.sushimaven.com/

http://www.sovafoods.co.uk/ Stein’s Foods

See our full feature on Stein’s Foods on page 44. https://steinsfoods.com/ Subherb

This Badatz-certified vitamin, mineral, and supplement company has been working extra hard to meet the demand during COVID-19, developing products which boost the immune system and contribute to overall health. In collaboration with Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem, Subherb has been taking part in the research, development, and clinical trials of a unique supplement that addresses the issue of COVID-19. https://www.supherb.co.il/en/

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Uni-Shop

Successfully shopfitting for 34 years, Uni-Shop is the UK’s recommended and trusted shop fitter, specializing in both design and planning, fittings, and installations. New stores are both designed and built in their 2,000 square foot showroom and 5,000 square foot warehouse. Whether in food, fashion, and beyond, Uni-Shop supplies and builds everything you need for your shop. https://www.unishop.co.uk/

Uri’s Pizza

Uri’s Pizza is a franchise of the famous pizzeria in Geulah, which is run by HaRav Yaakov Uri, who had traveled to Italy and brought back the famous recipe which we use in London today. Uri’s Pizza also produces frozen pizza available at your local supermarket.

4 Windus Rd, Cazenove, London N16 6UP, United Kingdom

Y&C Enterprises

After starting out by distributing jars of coffee (and breaking a few in the process), today Y&C imports and distributes the world’s most popular brands, servicing retail, in addition to schools, hotels, and caterers. They also have a portfolio of health brands, and look to offer their clients an increasing selection in this category. https://ycwholesale.co.uk/

Zohar Kosher Products/Broom Lane Enterprises

When Zohar launched their first product back in the 1970s, people told them, “No one is going to be interested in a kosher toothpaste.” They proved them wrong. Today, Zohar manufactures a wide range of kosher products and sells to every kosher outlet in the UK as well as leading supermarkets, such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s. http://www.zoharkosher.co.uk/

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Kids + Mom + Kitchen Recipes & Photography by Between Carpools.com The Go-To Lifestyle Site for the Busy Jewish Woman Victoria Dwek, Renee Muller, Shaindy Menzer, Leah Schapira & Esti Waldman

Do we need an activity? Or simply something sweet to lift everyone’s spirits? No matter what the excuse, these four recipes will have the kids and mom all happy that they’ve gotten into the kitchen together.

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Featuring Products Imported by:

Everyday Essentials

by Caledonian Supply Since 1985, Caledonian Supply and Mehadrin Wholesale has been supplying both the European kosher retail market and the food service industry with all the essentials they need, from household supplies, to dry, chilled, and frozen goods, Caladonian represents over a thousand product lines and buys in great bulk, passing the savings along to their clients.

The Kosher Products You Love by Sova Foods Specializing in importing and distributing popular Jewish food brands, Sova Foods brings the products kosher households want to UK shelves. Sova services the independent trade, leading supermarkets and foodservice groups and represents brands such as Mishpacha, .Kleins, Sushi Maven, Kitov, Landau, Reismans, Tradition, and much more.

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Razzles at Home 1 56-ounce container Klein’s ice cream Mix-In Options: Caramel or Dulce de Leche Peanut Butter Chocolate Syrup Sprinkles Nut Crunchies Rice Krispies Chocolate Crunch Coconut

Add the slightly thawed ice cream to the bowl of your electric mixer. Then add the ingredients--let the kids do this part! If your family members all like different ingredients, then you’ll just have to divide up the ice cream evenly and make lots of Razzles. Make one big batch if you’re all in agreement.

One tip: don’t overdo it. You don’t want your Razzle to be too sweet to enjoy. You can always add, but you can’t take away.

The great thing about using a mixer (vs. a blender) is that the toppings retain their original texture and don’t get chopped up. The texture is what we love about a Razzle (it’s not a smoothie!). Using a mixer also turns hard ice cream from a container into the perfect soft serve consistency.

It’s just like the ice cream store...only better because when you all sit down in your cozy home to eat your Razzles, you’re enjoying an evening that your kids will remember! Your kids may ask for “Razzle Nights” on birthdays or other special occasions too (hey, it’s way easier than baking a cake!)

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Best Duncan Hines Cake

1 box Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake Mix 1 box instant chocolate pudding ½ cup brewed coffee (1 teaspoon instant coffee in ½ cup hot water) 4 eggs 1 cup sour cream or mayonnaise ½ cup oil ½ cup dark rum or any liqueur of your choice 2 cups chocolate chips Chocolate Ganache: 1 (8 ounce) container Rich’s Whip 1 cup chocolate chips

1- Preheat oven to 350°F. 2- Mix all ingredients together except for chocolate chips. After thoroughly mixed, stir in chocolate chips.

3- Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes.

4- Meanwhile, prepare the ganache. Warm the whipped topping in a saucepan or microwave. Place chocolate chips in a bowl. Pour hot whipped topping over chocolate chips and wait a minute to allow the chocolate chips to melt. Mix until smooth. Pour over cooled cake.

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We promise, these will be the best cinnamon buns you ever made. After all, there’s no point in publishing “just another” cinnamon bun unless it really is the absolute best. Don’t try to make them pareve! Use real dairy ingredients for best results.

These freeze very well too! Freeze raw (after step 4) and bake as needed. It’s even better to parbake for 10 minutes so you can pop them into the toaster oven quickly for breakfast. Keep your cream cheese frosting in a container in the fridge so it’s available whenever you’re baking the buns.

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Dairy Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup warm milk 2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast 4 cups flour ½ cup sugar 2 eggs 6 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon salt Filling: ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and chilled 1 cup brown sugar 2 ½-3 tablespoons cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 (8-ounce) container cream cheese (any type) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar ¼ cup milk

1- In the bowl of an electric mixer dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and salt. Knead until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a tinsy bit of flour but not more. It should be a little sticky. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 ½ hours.

2- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a bowl, combine ¼ cup butter (half the total butter), brown sugar, and cinnamon.

3- Place dough on a work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough to a 16 x 21-inch rectangle. Spread remaining butter over the surface of the dough. Spread evenly with brown sugar mixture.

4- Roll up tightly, jelly-roll style.

For regular sized buns: Slice into about 14 buns, 1 ½ inches wide.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. Let rise an additional 30 minutes.

5- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF. 6- Prepare the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar. Add milk, a tablespoon at a time. Add additional milk if needed to achieve a runny consistency (you want the frosting to be able to drip and melt into the crevices of the bun and not be overly stiff).

7- Bake buns for 20-22 minutes, until golden. Immediately pour frosting all over the buns, letting it melt into the buns. Serve extra frosting on the side for dipping.

Yield: 14 cinnamon buns For Mini Cinnamon Buns: Roll into a 14- x 30-inch rectangle.

Roll up jelly-roll style. Cut into 28 buns, 1 inch wide. Place cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

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Candy Bar Cookies

2 (4 ounce) sticks butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup chunky peanut butter or crunchy Lotus butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch salt 40 mini chocolate bars

1- Preheat oven to 350â °F. 2- In a mixer, cream the butters, sugars, peanut/Lotus butter and extract for 4-5 minutes until fluffy. Slowly add the eggs. Mix the flour with soda, powder and salt. Gradually add it to the cookie batter. Mix until just combined.

Do not overmix.

3- Divide the dough into 40 parts. Place the candy bar in the middle of each part and close the dough around the candy bar. Form into a round ball and place on a cookie sheet. Be sure to space them 3 inches apart as the cookie flattens.

4- Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown and have spread. Let cool and enjoy.

Yield: 40

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These cookies are definitely worth having a mixer bowl to wash. They’re so full of flavor with a surprise inside!

We had fun trying to guess what candy bar was inside each cookie and couldn’t decide which version we liked better. Peanut Butter is a classic while Lotus was different for a change. Whatever you decide (or make both versions!) they taste delicious straight out of the oven and they’re pretty good from the freezer (or so it seems, based on the crumbs left on the freezer shelf ).

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Strawberry Tiramisu

Using the ladyfingers inside the springform will take up space inside your pan. If you’re using a larger springform, or not using ladyfingers around the periphery, I recommend doubling the recipe so you have enough batter to fill the pan. ¾ cup heavy cream ⅓ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 (8-ounce) container whipped cream cheese ¼ cup sour cream ⅓ cup good quality strawberry jam 2 (200g) package Rumplers ladyfingers 2 cups fruit juice Fruit or berries of choice, to garnish

Beat heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Whip in cream cheese and jam.

Line the sides of a 8-inch springform pan with ladyfingers cut to the height of your pan. Do not dip these in liquid. Next, dip the next batch of ladyfingers in juice.

Don’t drench them, a quick dunk is enough. Layer them in the bottom of a lined springform pan. You will need to split some of the lady fingers to fill the corners (if using a square pan, you can just line them up).

Spread half of the cream mixture over the ladyfingers.

Add another layer of fruit-juice soaked ladyfingers and the remaining cream and smooth it out. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Release from pan and top with fresh berries or fruit of your choice.

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About Rumplers: Back in 1958, the Rumplers brand was launched when the family began manufacturing sweets in the back room of their London home. They’d package them up to sell in local kosher stores. The company developed into a wholesale confectionery, next adding a variety of biscuits to expand the range of the line. Today, Rumplers not only manufacturers their popular line of quality foods, but is also one of the UK’s leading suppliers and distributors for over 20 brands. The company continually prides itself on bringing only top quality kosher foods to the market, including those for retail and the food service industry. All Rumplers products carry the “Kedassia” kosher certification, and most are ready-toeat...and of course, Rumplers sweets are still especially popular with children, just as they were a half century ago!

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