Upper Midwest Gourmet

Brrr… Hello Fall, here comes Winter!

Please check out our newest Brewsletter – Volume 36 - Fall/Winter 2008!

Also, please go to the Brewsletters Page on our website to download and read previous Brewsletters. They contain lots of useful information!

Enjoy the new format and thanks from all of us!

Alternative titles for this entry could be Coffee fan realizes dream! or Sales rep now selling something he loves! For the past 9 years I have been a part of growing a small frozen pizza company from a small local player (Appleton, WI) to a strong regional player (WI, IL the UP). This was challenging and satisfying work but I was ready for a change.

I have for a longtime been a fan of the espresso/coffee house industry. My first Cappuccino experience was at the Ovens of Brittany restaurants in Madison, WI. in the early 80s. The people in my life know of my love of coffee and many have told me that I should be working in the industry, and now happily I am. This came about because I learned of UMG at Backroads Coffee in Hayward, WI. (By the way, very nice people, who took time when busy, to answer this customers coffee questions). I am so pleased to be a part of the team at UMG where my responsibilities will be to grow our business in IL and eastern IA. The blend of products, expertise and committed people at this company will be a joy to share with new customers.

If you would like to contact me my cell # is 612-432-8119 , email tim@uppermidwestgoumet.net.

Tim Eddy – Southeastern Sales Manager

Next time you are in Northern Minnesota take some time to enjoy a beautiful cafe in Park Rapids called “Bella Caffe.”

Thom and Cathy Peterson are the owners and they did a great job of creating the perfectly authentic Italian motif for their cafe. They serve espresso and coffee, fruit smoothies, wine, beer, cheeses, antipasto, paninis, treats, and much more.

I truly enjoyed my experience at their cafe and am positive you will as well.

Bella Caffe – 116 3rd Street West, Park Rapids, MN 56470 / (218)732-7625

Please Contact Us for more information.

Thanks.

A big congratuation to Grandpa’s Ice Cream for being listed as one of the “Twin Cities” Top 10 favorite desserts with their Black Licorice Ice Cream.

Click here to check out the article;

http://twincities.metromix.com/home/photogallery/sweet-cities-best-desserts/332357/content

We wish to personally thank Grandpa’s Ice Cream for using the Fabbri ingredients to assist with the production of this award winning flavor. Check them out, click here; http://www.grandpasicecream.biz/hoursdirections.htm

Upper Midwest is a full supplier of Gelato & Ice Cream supplies and ingredients, give us a call with your questions or needs.

Thank you for your support!

Looking to go a little greener in you daily life? I think we are all aware of the need to do our part. I ran across this great article on the web offering some great tips for making some daily adjustments resulting in becoming a little greener. 

Go to http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/GreenTeam/ to take a look at these useful suggestions.

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Hello all,

In my daily readings I ran across this set of inspirational articles indicating that consumers are still willing to treat (or indulge) themselves in their daily fix of black gold. As the economy gets tighter and our pay checks seem smaller, most consumers are making cuts elsewhere to ensure that they don’t miss out on their daily brew. This is good news for the coffee industry and just goes to show us how important our coffee is to the consumer even in tough times.

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Hello Summer!

Please check out our newest Brewsletter – Volume 35 – Summer 2008!

Also, please go to the Brewsletters Page on our website to download and read previous Brewsletters. They contain lots of useful information!

Enjoy and thanks from all of us!

I made my first gelato this week. It was actually a pineapple sorbetto (made with pineapple iperfrutta) and a panna cotta gelato (made with panna cotta delipaste and the nevepann bavierra base). It was a very interesting experience. First I would like to note that making gelato and sorbetto is very hot work. We were using a hot process and, as it was a hot day outside, it got rather warm here in our showroom. I had no idea that things could get so warm just by making gelato. Other than things being a bit steamy, it was actually a pretty interesting process.           

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Hello all,

Just ran across this interesting article about Fair Trade products and thought that you might want to give it a look.

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jun2008/db20080617_775861.htm

Upper Midwest Gourmet/Flamenco Organic Coffee company strives to offer the worlds finest Fairly Traded coffees without exception and we fully support the efforts of organiations like TransFair USA, who are attempting to enhance the lives of small farmers around the world by improving their basic life necesseties and beyond.

If you have any questions or comments about Fair Trade coffees and products, please do not hesitate to contact any of the UMG staff. If you want to see and taste some of the worlds finest Fair Trade (& Organic) coffees, please stop by our facility or call for samples. I promise that you will be glad you did!!

You can also check our our “Flamenco Organic Coffee Company” web site @http://flamencoorganic.com/for more details on our Fair Trade/Organic coffee offerings.

Always in support of the little guy,                                           

Your UMG Staff thanks you for your support and patronage. 

The next time you are in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, please stop in and visit the historical Young America feed mill that has been beautifully restored and renovated using recycled building materials from the Upper Midwest United States!

The huge historic building houses three different businesses that work together in perfect harmony.

1) The Flower Mill is a full-service florist specializing in wedding, funeral and all-occasion floral needs.

2) The Mill House offers home furnishings (old and new), antiques, candles, gifts, soaps and lotions and much, much more!

3) Millstone Pantry offers specialty cakes for all occasions and is a full-service specialty coffeehouse and cafe.

The Millstone Pantry offers top-notch baked goods along with fresh coffee, perfect espresso drinks, tasty paninis and pizzas, and a whole lot more. One of the nicest features of the three businesses under one roof is how well it all goes together. Feel free to shop or look around the multiple floors of products offered by The Flower Mill and The Mill House while you wait for your food and drinks to be freshly prepared by Millstone Pantry’s friendly staff.

Please click on this link if you would like to schedule a consulation for a cake to be made by Millstone Pantry for your next celebration.

Please Contact Us if you would like further information about any of these businesses.

Comments are open on this blog post, so please feel free to add any positive experiences you may have had at The Mill.

Look for the Big Red Roof!

18 3rd Ave SE

Norwood Young America, MN

(one mile North on County Road 34 from 212 West)

Thank you.

How does $200.00 a day sound to you? 

Ghirardelli Chocolate company is looking for experienced Barista’s to work their booth during the SCAA show May 2nd-5th.

Please see the attached form with minimum requirements and contact info if you are interested.

It is our pleasure to be able to extend this offer to our customers on behalf of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.

See you at the show!!                  scaa-barista-job-opportunity.pdf

Happy Spring Everyone!

Please check out our newest Brewsletter – Spring 2008!

Also, please go to the Brewsletters Page on our website to download and read previous Brewsletters. They contain lots of useful information!

Enjoy and thanks from all of us!

Calling all “Skilled” Baristas!

It’s that time again. Upper Midwest Gourmet is hosting our 1st “Barista Jam” of 2008. Please consider this your official invitation.  

A Barista Jam is a small non-competitive intimate gathering designed to bring together baristas for the purpose of networking, meeting new friends, sharing & leaning new skills and techniques, and gaining priceless knowledge from one another as well as from some invited experts. UMG hopes to raise the awareness and integrity of the barista position by helping to increase your knowledge of what it means to be a true, well trained and passionate barista. It IS NOT just a name and/or a job! It IS a skilled art! A barista jam builds community, increases knowledge and skills and can raise the level of understanding and respect for this highly regarded position.  

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Brand new website that you have to check out!

www.BarterABuddy.com

It’s a great place to trade items and services for BARTER!

Barter A Buddy! It’s the wave of the future.

Here we go again. Upper Midwest Gourmet is taking another road trip to Milwaukee Wisconsin to participate in the “Wisconsin Restaurant Expo” being held this March 10th through the 12th.

Go to www.wirestaurant.org/expo for more details and to register on line.

The show is being held in downtown Milwaukee at the “Midwest Airlines Center” on Monday the 10th of March through Wednesday the 12th.

Upper Midwest Gourmet will be in Booth 948 this year. We will have several products on display and for sampling. We will be highlighting our Flamenco Organic & Quarry Coffee lines and our Fabbri Gelato ingredients and various gelato equipment this year, so stop on by for some tasty samples!

If would like to attend for FREE, we have a limited number of passes for Wednesday the 12th, the last day of the show. Please contact us so we can mail them off to you as soon as possible.

We wish to thank you in advance for your continued patronage and support of Upper Midwest Gourmet. You are the reason we love what we do!!

Hope to see in Milwaukee!

Your beanhead staff.