Tomato growers take note – the chefs have spoken.
Pure Flavor’s Cloud 9 Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes have been awarded the coveted ChefsBest Excellence Award.
A panel of certified Master Tasters comprised of independent, professional chefs judged the entries using Sensory Attribute Quality Analysis. Modalities evaluated were appearance, aroma, flavour, basic taste, and texture. This extensive sensory evaluation led ChefsBest to conclude that “Cloud 9 Tomatoes deliver overall quality with a burst of juice, fruity and ripe tomato flavours, and a sweet taste.”
Randi Coulthard, acting CEO of ChefsBest, said that “when evaluated along with other products in the category, Pure Flavor Cloud 9 Tomatoes surpassed the standards required for the ChefsBest Excellence Award.”
Founded in 2000, ChefsBest began as an effort by chefs to provide guidance to their peers in the industry on which items to purchase for their restaurants. Today, ChefsBest is a food and beverage industry marketing resource that helps brands make first-class taste-related content, distinguished by our core value of taste claims validation represented by the ChefsBest mark.
This is the second time Cloud 9 Tomatoes have been recognized by professional chefs with a prestigious award. Earlier this year, they also won the International Taste Institute’s (ITI) Superior Taste Award.
Jamie Moracci
“To have experienced chefs recognize Cloud 9 Tomatoes is truly an honour,” said Jamie Moracci, president of Pure Flavor. “When we first tasted this uniquely sweet snacking tomato, we knew right away it was something special that consumers and chefs alike would love.”
According to Matt Mastronardi, executive vice-president at Pure Flavor, demand continues to surge for the new snacking tomato. “The response we’ve received since launch has been overwhelming and it shows that there is a real consumer demand for a fresh, premium, and super sweet product in the category”, said Mastronardi. “As a result, we’re increasing acreage to make sure there is a consistent supply year-round to meet demand.”
That surge is happening in groceries stores, but also on smartphones, tablets, and computer screens across North America with millions of people seeing and sharing recipe content featuring a Tiny Taste of Heaven. Across the US and Canada, professional and at-home chefs are sharing their Cloud 9 recipes and encouraging others to cook with a sweeter, fruity tomato.
Chef Rick Paniagua
Chef Rick Paniagua, whose new Tomato Salad with Sesame Tuna recipe features the tomatoes, said “Cloud 9 Tomatoes are outstanding alone and when combined with the other ingredients, you truly see them shine and can appreciate the complexity of their flavours.”
For Chris Veillon, chief marketing officer at Pure Flavor, the response from professionals like Chef Rick is a testament to the Cloud 9 brand strength.
“With this second award, attention from millions of social media users, and now gourmet recipes from executive-level chefs, the brand keeps gaining momentum. On all fronts, this product is getting a lot of attention,” said Veillon.
Supported by a multitude of influencers creating content coupled with a strategic digital promotion plan, both the ChefsBest and Superior Taste Award from the International Taste Institute add further power to the Cloud 9 brand.
“Consumers are writing to us on social media and in emails to find out where they can buy this product they saw shared on the feed,” added Veillon. “We’re getting requests from influencers and chefs who want to work with Cloud 9, it’s kind of taking on a life of its own.”
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