Summer 2008 : Volume 5

Dear Partners and Friends,

Welcome to our new e-Newsletter – Sweet Bites! We have been sending out our Quarterly Newsletter via email attachments, and we’re excited to have migrated to this new html-based format that’s easier to read and quicker to load.

As the summer comes to a close, we wanted to share what we’ve been up to over the past several months. It’s been a fun-filled and action-packed summer marked by new product launches, Trade Shows, new additions to our growing team, and the celebration of our 10th Anniversary. We’ve also received some great coverage in the press. Thanks for being a part of this incredible journey with us.

Bon appétit!
The Galaxy Team

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Expanding the Galaxy Desserts Universe: Our Best-Selling Items Are Now Available in the Freezer

With bite-size desserts recently named the #1 mega-trend in the food industry, the timing couldn’t be better for our expansion beyond foodservice and the bakery case into the freezer at grocery stores nationwide. We have experimented with frozen retail branded packaged items before but this is the first time we have launched an entire line of our top-selling items complete with new packaging and as part of our new Jean-Yves Charon Collection.

The Galaxy Desserts new frozen line, which is available for immediate distribution nationwide, includes the following 6 items: Double Chocolate Mousse Duos 4-Pack, Cappuccino Chocolate Mousse Duos 4-Pack, Raspberry Lemon Mousse Duos 4-Pack, Triple Mousse Cakes 2-Pack, Chocolate Lava Cakes 2-Pack, and Lemon Tarts 2-Pack. For more information about these items, please drop us a line or visit our website.

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That's Not All That's New!

Just because we like to keep busy around here, we also decided to sell our 4 top-selling Mousse Duos individually packaged with a plastic shrink band wrap that including a scannable bar code and ingredients statement. The 4 Mousse Duos flavors are Double Chocolate, Cappuccino Chocolate, Raspberry Lemon, and Crème Caramel. This new packaging allows retailers to feature these high-quality desserts in their self-service cases for shoppers who are “on the go.“

And lastly, our newest item for our foodservice and bakery customers is the Cannelé. This traditional French confection originates from the Bordeaux region and combines a baked caramelized exterior with a moist, vanilla-bourbon-rum custard center. This unique and versatile pastry can be enjoyed any time of the day.

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Galaxy Desserts Shines in the News

Galaxy Desserts has received several accolades over the past few months, including appearances in Food Technology, Frozen Food Age and the East Bay Business Times. We were also recently named to the Inc. 5,000 list for the second year in a row as one of the fastest growing companies in America! Needless to say, we’re very proud of the positive press we’ve been receiving. Click on the images below to read more!

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The IDDBA and Fancy Food Trade Shows

Galaxy Desserts regularly exhibits at various food shows throughout the year. This summer was no exception as we traveled across the country for the International Dairy, Deli, Bakery Association (IDDBA) Show June 1-3 in New Orleans and again for the Fancy Food Show in New York City, June 29-July 1.

At both shows, we featured our new items and received a tremendous response from retailers. One of the biggest trends we observed at the shows was the growing interest in smaller serving sizes. Across every food category, there were new “mini” options: from soups in a shot glass to mini-jelly donuts to mini-burgers. The next food show for Galaxy Desserts will be Winter Fancy Food Show held in San Francisco in January. Stay tuned for more information!

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Galaxy Desserts Turns 10

On Friday, August 15th, we hosted a celebration here at our Richmond, CA bakery to honor our 10th Anniversary. It was 10 years ago this summer that the stars were aligned and Jean-Yves and Paul decided to merge their two companies – Paris Delights and the Cheesecake Lady – to form Galaxy Desserts. We enjoyed showing off our new construction projects and catching up with so many of our friends, customers and vendors whose support and partnerships have contributed to our success. For more pictures, check out our online photo album.

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We’re Growing: Meet our Newest Team Members

Heather Sears: Director of Marketing & Sales
Heather joined Galaxy Desserts in February, and the company has already experienced dramatic changes. Her broad range of experience includes roles as Co-Founder and Director of Marketing for Corazonas Foods, Brand Manager at Spectrum Organic Products, and even a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nicaragua. Heather justifies her weekly intake of desserts and pastries by burning calories mountain biking, practicing yoga,
and swimming.

April Mostek: Marketing Coordinator/Graphic Designer
April Mostek came to Galaxy Desserts from the world of publishing. She spent four years as a designer for AuthorHouse in Bloomington, IN. After a big move to California, she found Galaxy Desserts and began her transition to the food industry. April played an integral role in developing the “face” of Galaxy’s brand and improving the efficiency of processes within the marketing department. Despite her reluctance in the kitchen, she is inspired by the creative process behind making beautiful desserts.

Don Anderson: Plant Manager
Don Anderson joined the Galaxy Desserts team in June. Don has a plethora of experience in the food industry, most recently spending six years at Niman Ranch, a high end meat company. One of Don’s largest projects has been improving the efficiency of each facet of production, including assembly, distribution, quality assurance and inventory, to cater to the large volume of desserts Galaxy expects to produce in the years ahead. Don is a self-proclaimed “family man” who has a natural talent at the grill. An ideal meal is rack of lamb, a nice glass of wine, and a chocolate dessert. “That’s Valentine’s Day,” he said.

Eric McRae: Warehouse Manager
When Galaxy Desserts went searching for a top-notch Warehouse Manager, Eric McRae answered the call. He has extensive experience ensuring quality and efficiency within a high volume production department, including companies like Lockheed Martin, the US Postal Service, and Barkoff Container and Supply Company, to name a few. Although he traveled extensively throughout Europe and Asia as a Staff Sergeant in the Army, he found his way back to his hometown in the Bay area. Eric shares a love of golf with other Galaxy employees, and when asked to choose his favorite dessert, he answers decisively “pumpkin tart.”

The Galaxy Desserts International Interns:
Galaxy Desserts has always provided fantastic opportunities through our International Intern Program. The Program offers the chance to work at Galaxy for one year while living and experiencing the excitement of San Francisco Bay area. These newest interns specialize in a variety of departments ranging from sales and marketing to mail order, distribution, logistics, purchasing, R&D and QA. They also bring their own flavor and unique perspectives from their home countries, including France, Germany, and Hungary. Because of the enormous talent and flexibility of each of these people, Galaxy continues to flourish and will support the program for many new interns to come!

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Fun Fact: The Cannelé

Many stories surround the origin of the cannelé. One likely candidate is they were created and invented in the 18th century by the nuns of the convent of Annonciades, today known as the convent of the Mercy, in Bordeaux, France under the name of “canelas” or “canelons”. Those first “canelas” had little resemblance in appearance to the modern cannelés: they were small cakes of very thin dough rolled around a stick and fried.