News Release |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DATE: October 3, 2018 |
CONTACT: Kathy Sautter 716 635 5577 |
JUST THE RIGHT BLEND – TOPS FRIENDLY MARKETS AND 2NATURAL BLENDS
Locally owned company brings natural fruit water to Tops shelves |
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WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. – You know the drill. Drink eight glasses of water a day to help cure a multitude of ills from preventing headaches and improving energy, to increasing brain function, and aiding in weight loss, but let’s face it, sometimes you need some encouragement to do so. So why not enjoy your daily hydration with some naturally infused fruit water with 2Natural Blends. Denise Wist, an avid water drinker started throwing fruit in her water as she would make her way to work because she couldn’t find what she was looking for on store shelves. She was looking for something healthy without the added sugar and coloring. Not only did she want this for herself, but for her three active children who were involved in sports as well. She was so passionate about providing a healthier option for her family that she started to look into the possibility further not only as a consumer and parent, but as a beverage developer. Wist, however, is not what you would consider your “typical” candidate for producing a product of this nature. She doesn’t have a background in food science nor does she work in the beverage industry. In fact she holds a Master’s Degree in Business Education from the College of Saint Rose, a degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Cortland, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from SUNY Oneonta. She did, however, have the wherewithal and the drive to make her vision come to fruition and set out on a five year journey to develop a product she was proud to not only put on shelves, but more importantly, give to her family. “I teamed up with labs across the country as well as researchers at Cornell University to help bring my vision to life,” said Wist. “It really was a simple process called HPP or High Pressure Processing, by which a cold pressure method not only helps preserve the flavor of the fruit, but ensures the shelf life of the product.” And it’s the HPP process that sets her apart from her competition especially in Morris, NY where this was a ground breaking technique. Her signature design with fresh fruit in the bottle also caught the attention of industry leaders as well. “Everything about this business just spoke to us at Tops,” said Jeff Cady, director of produce/floral for Tops Friendly Markets. “We loved first and foremost that she was a locally owned and operated business right here in Morris, NY. In addition to that, the fact that we could offer Tops shoppers a unique and delicious product with fresh fruit right in the product, that also had no sugars, preservatives, or dyes while also being gluten and dairy free – it just hit across so many different demographics for us.” 2Natural Blends is also equipped with a unique screen in the bottle. When designing the product Wist initially put the screen in to prevent the fruit from escaping the bottle and becoming a choking hazard as consumers enjoyed the product, however after talking with the younger generation of students at Cornell they realized they needed to make the bottles recyclable as the younger generation showed concern for the environment. “That was an ah-ha moment for us so the developers and I went back and redesigned the screen so that it could only be pushed into the bottle and therefore the fruit could be removed and the bottle then recycled,” said Wist. So where does Wist go from here? “I’m looking to expand my product line for sure. I’m interested in exploring the sparkling world and teas.” Tops Friendly Markets currently offers 2Natural Blends five varieties including Lemon, Lemon Cucumber, Pineapple, Pineapple Orange, and Pineapple Mango. Just look in Tops produce department where this week they are buy one get one free! To learn more about 2Natural Blends visit 2naturalblends.com. ### About Tops Friendly Markets Tops Markets, LLC, is headquartered in Williamsville, NY and operates 169 full-service supermarkets with five additional by franchisees under the Tops banner. Tops employs over 14,000 associates and is a leading full-service grocery retailer in New York, northern Pennsylvania, and Vermont. For more information about Tops Markets, visit the company's website at www.topsmarkets.com.
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