Johns Hopkins University & Medicine - Development and Alumni Relations’ Post

So, this week was a big week for many reasons. We have built a business up over the last 32 years with a simple purpose 'to inspire and serve chefs in every kitchen'. Our role is to help forage and find the very best products from across the Mediterranean and Middle-East'. It's a role we take seriously. For us we don't set out to be an award-winning business but it's humbling when we do win awards. It's because, it's not just us saying we source, make and sell great products. It's independent verification. Anyone who deals with us knows we are a super passionate team who love food and sharing that passion with others. When this product first was tasted in our 'Pembury innovation kitchen' a while back, we knew we had a winner. Everyone in the kitchen, everyone in the office, everyone in the car park was talking about how good it was. Have you tasted the sour cherry molasses? It's unbelievable(!!) was most people's reaction and it has just continued to 'dance' around peoples mouths and on alot of our dishes ever since. We recently were informed by the lovely people at the Guild of Fine Food that we had won 3 great taste stars (the highest score), which in itself is an exceptional achievement. As a consequence, that meant we had a chance of winning the 'Golden fork'. Which in simple terms is like winning best actor/actress at the Oscars, a lifetime goal. The best of the best three star products. On Monday night this week, that became a reality! In the pic below is Bob (our product guru) and Alice (our PR manager) from our team with the prize, in front of some canape's we prepared (I think) - Medjool dates, filled with sour cherry molasses and mascarpone dipped in chocolate. If that's a little too adventurous (for me being a simple boy from Northern Ireland) then drizzled over Vanilla ice-cream works equally well (I was always taught less is more). If you haven't tried it the message is simple, you must. We are already on with continuing our search to bring you many more wonderful products. Thanks for all you support and to the epic team Belazu | B Corp™ - delighted to be part of it 🙏

Here's just some of the reasons why you should enter your beer or cider into this year’s International Brewing & Cider Awards:  ✅ Gain global recognition  ✅ Raise your brand’s profile and credibility  ✅ Receive valuable feedback from professional peers  ✅ Provide talkability with buyers, importers and distributors   ✅ Great to add to marketing material   ✅ Boosts team morale     https://lnkd.in/dKt-T_3 

Although not many wineries, let alone Amercan companies, acheive the level of success as the Gallo Family and the time is right (yes, now) in the American market for many more serious winemaking success stories. As wine has barely scratched the surface of being a household daily beverage, many things have hindered its rise as a ‘go to’ drink of choice. The current generation of wine professionals is fast identifying many of those hinderances and it really is just matter of time……if and only if we (the wine industry) respond to these intuitive insights. Gallo has always been an example of leadership and being ahead of the game, always seeming to know where to be and what to get into and when to get out of what. Today, with the varied and powerful tools the average professional possesses to develop and market wine, there’s much less excuse for producing inferior product or adhering to ‘best practices’ in #dtc marketing and sales, etc. The ‘trick’, if you want to call it that, is the grueling hard work that is still the mainstay of achieving lofty goals….in anything. Again, Gallo has been a cornerstone of definition in grueling tenacity and persistence in work ethic. Carrying the flag of greatness is something that only great effort, strategy, and individual approach has and will still achieve, ever. For those who wish to impact the market with unique and value driven beverages, whether $10 or $100, value is driven by perception aligned with excellence. Stray off of this “law”, and what one visionary does to achieve goals, others with a lack of vision (or misconstrue ego with vision), will destroy what can be accomplished in the American wine industry in a fraction of the time it took to build something of value. There again, Gallo has excelled and shown how value, strategy, work ethic, vision, and timely market humility has led and is leading still the largest wine company in American history….and maybe for all time. Some have nipped at the heals, others have wished for success assuming short term efforts (less than one whole generation) can build a legacy brand or stay the course of ego-shedding family transitions to achieve greatness. The laws of history remain the same. Changing history and repeating history, for the good or the detrimental, is a matter of philosophy and Gallo seems to still be running on all cylinders, tuning up on the fly while the rest of the world stops in the pits, flies off course, self destructs, or never quite achieves a vision worthy of following. 🎤 #gametheory #techtalk4wine #winemakersforum #legacybrand

A story to illustrate you CAN realise your dream … My son John has a passion for making craft beer. So, 15 years ago, he wrote to a brewery in London to see if they had a job for him. That’s how it all started.     In November 2022, he opened, together with two beer-loving friends and experienced brewers, a small craft beer brewery in Hoxton, London: Great Beyond Brewing Company.   And now, in April 2024, they are among the four 2024 winners of the Raise The Bar Award, a national competition organised by We Are Beer for the best new breweries in the UK and beyond.   These four winners will pour alongside the industry’s best at the Bristol, Manchester, and London Craft Beer Festivals.   Congratulations, guys, what a remarkable Team achievement! ____________________________   😎 Hi, I am Reinoud. 👉 I am helping you to grow as a manager or leader. 👍 No nonsense, practical, results-oriented leadership coach.   If you like my posts, ring the 🔔 on my Profile, and share this post with your network!     #leadershipcoaching #creativeleadership #leadershipdevelopment  #resilience #psychologicalsafety #leadershipcircle #selfawareness #personaldevelopment #growth

So many brands feel the need to add to their marketing mix to make an impact. Sometimes all they really need is to make better use of the assets they already have. I love this effort from the Molson Coors Beverage Company that takes an inherent truth about a category where they've invested heavily and leans into it, driving value for the sport, its players, and its fans. Not only is it a genuine display of support for the players vs. being just another logo on a jersey, but it is also memorable and impactful in a way that pops in a crowded space. So, before you jump into adding more to your marketing mix, I encourage you to evaluate the assets you have and make sure that how you're showing up is driving both brand values and consumer value. #marketing #marketingstrategy #creativity #sportsmarketing #womenssports #beer

If you're heading to Traverse City, stop by Black Star Farms. In this interview with Sherri Campbell Fenton, she shares the history of Black Star Farms, what cool things they are doing to celebrate their 25th, and what new food and wine you need to try. My chief takeaway: Always go for the "experience" when dealing with customers. While it's easy to focus on the product, the experience is what is going to bring people back year after year. Watch the interview here ⬇️⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gtYk5SJs

This President's Day, we're looking back on the leaders who left a lasting mark on America's beer industry, from the early 19th century to the present day. Click the link below to learn more about how these former presidents have helped the beer industry thrive. 🦅🇺🇸🍺 https://lnkd.in/ehFSNiYq

America's beverage companies have a long history of #givingback to our communities. It's at the core of everything we do. Learn more about specific efforts by companies and individuals at www.HereForYou.us #HereForYou #GivingTuesday

How does Molson Coors get the "best brewing barley in the world"? It's all thanks to hundreds of growers who take part in our best-in-class barley program that ensures quality in every bottle or can. Read more about how the 78-year-old program helps make Molson Coors a better company, and what's coming next. On the blog --> https://bit.ly/3WH423N

The NIQ BWS team recently conducted some thought leadership work looking at the impact of the recent change in ABV duty on the BWS category. The answer to the question has the BWS market changed as a result of the duty change is both yes and no. In spirits, changes have been negligeable. Where movement appears to have occurred, this is typically driven by the popularity of a brand rather than a big trend. However, in beer and wine trends suggest that shoppers are showing a preference for lower alcohol varieties. But is this driven by manufacturer push or shopper pull? If you would like to see the entire document, please reach out to your NIQ client service team who will be happy to share it with you. #NIQthoughtleadershipUK #NIQinsights #ABVduty #BWSmarkettrends #BWSshopper