Styling and Photography By Jason Coronel

The Nassau Candy Specialty Food & Confectionery Show is THE place for the latest in specialty sweets, snacks and gourmet food.

We host hundreds of the top specialty food brands from around the world, from up-and-coming to longtime staples.

There were so many fun new things to see that we lost count. But for those who couldn’t make it, here’s some of the major highlights and food trends.

Cooper Street 

When it comes to snacks with a touch of sweet, Cooper Street believes in keeping it simple. 

The emerging women-owned snack brand new to Nassau Candy had their full assortment of wholesome cookies on display.

Dairy free, soy free and peanut free, low calories and made with locally-sourced Michigan Based fruit. Cooper Street ticks all the boxes for better-for-you snacks. 

And the flavors are just as indulgent. Their Blueberry Lemon Twice Baked Cookie is reminiscent of a blueberry streusel muffin.  And their Oatmeal Cranberry Granola Cookie Bars a homemade oatmeal cookie.

With individual snack packs, standup pouches and multipacks, Cooper Street is good for Grab & Go as well as snack aisles. 

Field Trip

Field Trip Snacks takes protein-packed snacks to the next level, with premium cuts of meat and unique spice blends.

The brand was excited to show off its new flavors – some ONLY attempted in the meat snack space by Field Trip.

The star of Field Trip’s new assortment — Everything Beef Jerky. The grass-fed beef jerky is seasoned with onion, garlic, sesame and poppy seeds. It’s everything they’re looking for in a protein-packed snack. 

For those looking to spice up their snacking routine, Field Trip has added two new bold global-inspired flavors. Their Gochujang Beef Jerky with flavors of Korean Barbeque and Carne Asada with flavors of a Mexican street taco.

Field Trip’s playful packaging along with simple, premium ingredients make them a favorite for Grab & Go.

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates 

A newer brand to Nassau Candy, Vermont Nut Free Chocolates was dishing out rich nut-free chocolate indulgence.

Made in a completely nut free facility with strict safety checks, customers with nut free allergies can eat Vermont Nut Free Chocolates with confidence.

While its chocolate covered pretzels are a favorite, what Vermont Nut Free was most excited to show was their Sun Blossoms.

A nut-free take on the classic peanut butter cup, Sun Blossoms feature a creamy sun butter center. In Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate two packs, they’re a great nut-free option for impulse sections. 

Clearly Canadian

A nostalgic beverage meeting today’s dietary trends. Clearly Canadian Sparkling Water was showing off its big flavors all with simple ingredients.

The 90’s flavored sparkling water powerhouse is back thanks to a crowdfunding campaign. And they’re still serving up the combination of great fruit flavors added to pure Canadian spring water.

Representatives from the company were excited to explain that it might be nostalgia that brought the brand back to life, but it’s younger generations unfamiliar with the Clearly Canadian’s legacy that are really helping to drive sales.

What’s drawing the younger crowds to Clearly Canadian are what’s clearly NOT the beverage. Food dyes and high fructose corn syrup. 

The bubbly beverages are dye free and sweetened with pure cane sugar for a taste that’s clearly a winner. And with flavors like Mountain Blackberry, Peach, and Country Raspberry, they’re flavors not found in other lines.

Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery has been a New York City destination for 30+ years, known for its premium desserts. The brand is now bringing its signature flavors to packaged goods and we couldn’t be more excited.

The first rollout from the brand on display at the show – banana pudding cookies. A play on the bakery’s signature banana pudding, each banana pudding cookie features real bananas, butter and vanilla wafer pieces. 

From classic Vanilla, to Chocolate Chunk, to Confetti, there are many ways to indulge. 

Graza

A brand getting a lot of eyes at the show was Graza and its line of olive oils.

Beyond the whimsical packaging, what makes Graza unique is the flavor and the quality olives used.

Graza uses the Picual olive grown in the south of Spain. The olives are harvested at different times to achieve a signature taste for each oil type.

Olives for their Drizzle Oil uses 24 pounds of olives harvested earlier in the year per bottle for a punchy taste. Perfect for use in bread dips, drizzling on salads, or even on ice cream.

Their Sizzle variety is perfect for cooking. It uses 11 pounds of mature olives per bottle for a light taste that won’t overpower recipes.

Both oils are made with single origin olives and cold pressed to ensure superior flavor.

Muddy Bites

A brand giving us childlike excitement was Muddy Bites and its version of the best part of the sundae cone.

Each Muddy Bites mini waffle cone is filled with premium Milk, Dark or White Chocolate.

Attendees at the show got a preview of the brand’s latest cone creation – a chocolate waffle cone filled with white chocolate. It offers a fun cookies and cream like flavor customers will love.

Muddy Bites recommends putting their sweet cone treats near the ice cream section for a nostalgic combination. This is in addition to their traditional Grab & Go location.

Nixie

Another beverage brand that was a standout at the show – Nixie Sparkling Water.

Nixie offers up sparkling water that’s full of flavor, made with Non-GMO ingredients and no sweeteners.

What sets Nixie apart from other Sparkling Water brands is that it offers more robust flavors and a higher carbonation. The end result is a fuller flavor beverage that rivals any soft drink minus the sugar.

Nixie was highlighting their new Black Cherry Lime flavor at the show. But we think all their flavors are worth trying!

Nonni’s

A longtime fixture of Nassau Candy’s offerings, Nonni’s was at the show too. They were sporting a new package design and sharing new wholesome Italian-inspired goodies.

The new package design features a bold color for each flavor, making the crispy, crunchy biscotti a highlight. 

New for the show were the company’s Biscotti Bites. Each bite-size extra crunchy biscotti cookie is packed with bold flavors great for snacking. Like tangy Limoncello and Chocolate Orange, as well as rich Chocolate Chip.

Also new to their full-size biscotti line was the Espresso Chocolate Chip Biscotti. The espresso-flavored biscotti dipped in dark chocolate and filled with chocolate chips is a tribute to biscotti and coffee.

Chuao Chocolatier

Another longtime staple of the Nassau Candy assortment is Chuao and its line of premium gourmet chocolate bars.

All bars are made in Chuao’s dedicated Carlsbad, California factory where their premium toppings are added by hand.

With both a 2.8 oz bar and a smaller 0.39 oz bar, customers can indulge a little, or a lot. And with premium mix ins like honeycomb, waffle cone, sprinkles, even plant-based bacon, Chuao Chocolatier’s will make your assortment a gourmet destination.

Check Out Our Whole Assortment of Wholesale Specialty Food