ROSETTE'S at Nourished Festival '23
Last weekend, we had the incredible opportunity to attend the Nourished Festival in Secaucus, NJ (basically, our backyard). This festival, also known as the Gluten-Free & Allergy Friendly Festival, offered not only education, products, and services but also a chance to connect with like-minded individuals and an overall new audience.
ROSETTE’S began with a focus on offering low carb and sugar-free options for health-conscious individuals, primarily the diabetic community. However, we soon realized the demand for gluten-free alternatives and the positive impact our products had on those with gluten intolerance, like Natalie. As we saw our own audience expand to the celiac community, we wanted to use this in-person experience to help others by sharing our gluten free options with them.
Setting up at the Meadowlands venue, we were filled with inspiration as we saw booths featuring familiar everyday brands from big box markets. It made us feel like our small business mattered and had a role to play in making a difference, regardless of its size. We realized early on that there were not many other gluten-free exhibitors that were also low carb, sugar-free, and grain free.
We were fortunate to be positioned next to Aleia’s, a well-established participant showcasing gluten-free products such as breadcrumbs, stuffing, and croutons. Our booth neighbors, Linda and Josh, were kind and welcoming, creating a supportive atmosphere.
We also connected with the team from Crispy Green, whose sugar-free dried fruits caught our attention. We had pleasant discussions with Craig and Alejandro, and we eagerly look forward to finding a way to incorporate their products into our baking mixes. Stay tuned for new recipes!
During the festival, we sampled our Classic Yellow Cake Mix, Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, and Protein Brownie Mix. Many of the attendee’s at the event weren’t familiar with sugar-free products that did not contain Stevia, Malitol, or Splenda. The response, particularly from children accompanied by their families who were eager to discover food options that met their dietary restrictions, was truly remarkable. For kids with food allergies, having safe and delicious treats like bagels, pizza, cookies, and cakes is a significant achievement.
Hearing event-goers say "this is delicious," "this is really moist," and "I can't even tell this is gluten-free", validated our commitment to providing quality baking mixes with minimal ingredients while preserving the flavors and textures that we all grew up loving. A few event-goers were not shy to describe most gluten-free product ingredients as "sh**ty” and were excited to learn that there are other options out there. We met a nutritionist who immediately turned over the bag to check the ingredients and was surprised to find “clean ingredients”. We encouraged everyone who stopped by our booth to do the same. It is important to understand what is in the food you are consuming and not blindly go by a label on the front of the bag.
A theme we heard over and over was that finding replacements can be difficult and expensive. For this reason, we are grateful to Tina, Michelle, and Jen for organizing the Nourished Festival to enable individuals to explore new brands and sample products, helping them make informed decisions about which ones align best with their preferences and needs.
As the festival came to a close, we recognized that we were part of a collective journey toward a healthier and more inclusive lifestyle. We wait in anticipation to hear from our new community members as they prepare the mixes they took home.
We welcome you to share your experience with our mixes via a review under the product page – we look forward to seeing and hearing about your experience.