Rosie of Susie’s Hot Sauce Honored

Congratulations

Susie's Hot Sauce

“To entrepreneur Ms. Rosemarie “Rosie” McMaster who was recently honored with the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
She is the Managing Director of the award winning
Susie’s Hot Sauce”
(SunBiz Showcase Alliance PLLC, E-Newsletter July 17, 2009)

Rosie, there is no doubt that your recent achievements will be spoken of for some time to come and that the admiration for your accomplishments is felt by all of us within the industry as well as the general public.

Please accept my heartiest congratulations for your success.

About Susie’s Hot Sauce
Susie’s Hot Sauce is a small cottage business from the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua-Barbuda, yet it is internationally renowned for its huge taste. It is almost impossible to visit Antigua without becoming intimately acquainted with this Caribbean delicacy. And once you’ve been introduced…It is even harder to forget! Susie’s has been pleasing palates since 1960 when Susie’s Original Hot Sauce was first introduced. Its award-winning red habanero and scotch bonnet hot sauces have captured the hearts, minds and taste buds of chile heads and pepper sauce aficionados all over the world. Visitors to our friendly twin islands insist on returning home with bottles of Susie’s sauces for family and friends, sharing the warmth of the sun-drenched paradise, its people, and the joy of their tropical experience. For more information, visit www.susieshotsauce.com.

Caribbean Export Takes a Bite Out of the “Big Apple”

A great time was had by many if not all exhibitors and attendees at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade’s (NASFT) 55^th Summer Fancy Food Show held at the Javitz Center in New York City —June 28-30.

According to NASFT’s website, “the recent Fancy Food Show attracted up to 24,000 attendees from every major food buying channel, influential members of the trade and consumer press and other related businesses.  This year’s show had a record breaking 2,300 exhibitors showcasing 140,000 specialty foods and beverages from the U.S. and more than 70 other countries.” NASFT will continue its YouTube Channel and blog. So join them on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook!

I had an opportunity to meet with a few friends from the Twittersphere. One of my most interesting observations at the show was that some of the exhibitors used social media as a low/no cost option to promote their company and products/services. Congratulations to the exhibitors — @MarieSharps, @SomebodysMother, @CiaoBellaGelato, @FINDOOD, @patsysnyc, @IsabellasNYC, @GagneFoods, @KlickKitchen, @midclass, @Gourmetibles — who successfully used Twitter to gain booth traffic and potentially develop long term business relationships.

Conversation snippets heard on the floor:

• Great show…better than last time I was here
• This is my first time exhibiting at the show and I am not leaving NYC until I get a distributor for my product (exhibitor secured a distributor and was able to forge relationships with others in his specialty food area)
• My legs hurt! (Oh that was me saying that….)
• Food Network stars—Bobby Flay, Barefoot Contessa—got to have them at my booth

For the 4th year, we worked with Sam Kruiner of The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in the marketing and promotion of Caribbean Export’s ”Caribbean Pavilion” participation in the show. We provided marketing consultation, event brochure design and PR services.

I was delighted to say hello to old friends as well as meet new ones at the 2009 Caribbean Pavilion. Exhibitors in the Pavilion included Baron Foods, Ltd, Belize Aquaculture, BABA Ltd, BIDC, Central Food Packers, Calypso Rum Cake, CED, De La Grenade Industries, Erica’s Country Style, JTI, Country Traders, Honey Bun, Value Manufacture, KC Candy, Matouk’s, Marie Sharpe’s Fine Foods Ltd, Susie’s Hot Sauce, St. Vincent Breweries, St. Vincent Distillers, TTABA-Flavour Islands, and West Best Foods.

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