BUFFALO, N.Y. — Looking to up your cookie game but don’t know how or where to start?
Rich Products, which acquired Christie Cookie Co. in 2019, is promoting its cookie portfolio that includes more than 250 options for convenience stores. The acquisition of Christie allowed Rich Products to offer c-stores ready-to-serve premium cookies and develop a custom cookie program. From ready-to-bake doughs to fully finished cookies, Rich’s offers a variety of cookie shapes, sizes, formats, flavors and price points.
Named “Best Cookie in the South” by Southern Living magazine, Christie Cookies are handcrafted with high-quality ingredients such as 100% real butter, Madagascar vanilla and pure cane sugar. Christie Cookies hast an inclusion rate of up to 35%, compared with 10-15% in other brands, according to the company. Each cookie contains ingredients such as chocolate chips made from sustainably farmed cocoa beans, California raisins and macadamia nuts imported from South America and South Africa.
“Rich’s cookie portfolio is so diverse and extensive, we can create a program for most any c-store operator,” said Alyssa Barrett, customer marketing manager for convenience for Rich Products. “Whether c-stores have capabilities to prepare fresh-baked cookies in-store or lack the labor and kitchen space and need a ready-to-serve option, Rich’s has a solution.”
The acquisition coincided with a growing demand for the frozen cookie category in c-stores, which grew by 18% to $12.9 million in 2019, according to Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery’s June 2020 State of the Industry Report.
Christie Cookies are available in 11 premium flavors and in a variety of formats. There are seven flavors of baked fully finished cookies, which come eight per retail-ready box in gourmet and crispy varieties. There also are five tray-packed flavors that ship fully baked and frozen and can be thawed and displayed in a bakery case, plated or used as a component in other desserts. Tray packs have a shelf life of 365 days frozen or seven days when thawed.
In addition to Christie Cookies, Rich’s offers pre-portioned, frozen cookie doughs in four price points. Each variety meets Rich’s baseline clean-label guarantee with no artificial flavors, sweeteners or colors. Another option for baking in-store is Rich’s specialty dough portfolio, which includes creative solutions like filled cookies and macaroons.
Stores without a kitchen can consider Rich’s individually wrapped, fully baked portfolio. Retail-ready, packaged and bulk tray-packed cookies go from the freezer to shelves. This line includes sandwich cookies, mini cookies and gluten-free.
Based in Buffalo, N.Y., Rich Products manufactures a variety of foodservice products ranging from pizza, seafood and salads to cakes, cookies and icings. The family-owned company operates in more than 100 countries and has annual sales exceeding $4 billion.
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