Hand-made, small-batch trend fuels Gaslamp popcorn product launch
Malibu Mix is a new fusion flavor combining Gaslamp’s sea salt and olive oil, white cheddar and kettle corn flavors. It will retail for around $3.99 per 10.5-ounce bag.
Like the rest of the Gaslamp range - which includes cinnamon caramel, and sweet and salty flavors - the product is non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free and handmade locally in small batches.
Gaslamp was established in 1998 and has expanded its footprint to major retailers from Sacramento to San Diego, company sales director Martin Neumann told BakeryandSnacks. The business has enjoyed annual double-digit growth since 2013.
High demand for local ingredients
“Locally sourced ingredients have never been in higher demand,” Neumann said. “According to [food industry consultants] Technomic, 62% consumers are more likely to buy food and beverages described as local.”
“By supporting their local popcorn company, consumers are voting with their dollar and supporting their community in a very public way.”
Neumann added that most Gaslamp customers are based out of California, which he said made shipping, flavor testing and limited-edition product runs convenient and effective.
“Our popcorn is made by hand in small batches," he said. "For brands like Gaslamp, remaining true to our purpose of being a California born and made company allows us to present ourselves to shoppers with honesty and with a story with which they feel they can identify.”
Simple ingredients and exotic flavors
Neumann said he expected to see continued consumer demand for natural and minimally processed ingredients.
“As consumer concern for healthy eating grows, so will interest in natural and artisanal foods,” he said. “Such artisanal and artistically crafted foods tend to have cleaner labels as well, which plays to the current need for transparency.”
Neumann also tipped flavor trends such as sweet heat and tangy, as well as regional and exotic flavors, as future growth opportunities for snacking.
