Hassle-Free Mother's Day Gifts

Merchandise food treats that can be enjoyed without any extra cooking. From teas to pickled beets, see what retailers around the country are recommending.

By Nicole Potenza Denis

Evelyn Ignatow, Hyde Park Gourmet Food & Wine, Cincinnati, OH

Sweet and salty indulgences like chocolate, cookies and ice cream make great mom gifts. Caffeine-free teas are a perfect complement. My picks include:

• The French Farm Le Grand Meil Honey Pail
• Jeni’s Salty Caramel Ice Cream
• John Kelly’s Truffle Fudge Bites with Hawaiian Alaea Sea Salt (above)
• Lark Fine Foods Salted Rosemary Shortbreads
• Little Ragghi’s artisan flatbread crackers
• Steven Smith’s Meadow Tea

Karen Rose, City Olive, Chicago, IL

We bundle gift items together for Mother’s Day that usually will contain an olive oil and vinegar and sweet products such as the following:

• Gracious Gourmet Sour Cherry Spread (right)
• Guido Castagna Truffles
• Harvest Song Tea-Rose Petal Preserves
• Michel Cluizel Dark Chocolate Bars
• Teatulia Earl of Bengal Tea

Jean Rarick, Annona Gourmet, Minneapolis, MN

Customers like to know where their products are coming from and will choose food gifts for moms like coffee, salsa or honey from local vendors. I recommend:

• Café Palmira Vienna Roast Coffee
• Cooked with Pride Apricot Salsa
• Kayak Kitchens Haute Chocolate Sauce
• Martha’s Joy Pickled Beets
• Twin Pine Farm Cinnamon Honey

Bob Sickles, Sickles Market, Little Silver, NJ

We create gift packs that offer tastes from savory to sweet and even some spice. The products are meant to add convenience for busy moms while satisfying a taste for excellent specialty foods. They include:

• Biscottea Earl Grey Tea Shortbread
• Herbertsville Honey Company Organic Honey
• Les Moulins Mahjoub Natural Preserved Whole Lemons with Red Pepper
• Mázi Piri Piri Portuguese Hot Sauce
• The Republic of Tea Earl Greyer Tea

Cross-Merchandising Non-Food Items

"For something that smells so good you wish you could eat it, I recommend Napa Soap Company’s Cabernet Soapignon. Mom would love these skin-friendly, earth-friendly soaps. They are made with wine and grapeseed oil, one batch at a time. They smell great as well."

—Evelyn Ignatow, Hyde Park Gourmet Food & Wine, Cincinnati, OH

Nicole Potenza Denis is a contributing editor to Specialty Food Magazine.

This article was featured in the April 2011 issue of Specialty Food Magazine. See other articles in this issue at: April 2011 Specialty Food Magazine.

More Articles in Trends and Statistics

• Boozy Condiments
• New York's wine grape crop is high in quality with less quantity
• The Florida Department of Citrus will target the Millennial generation
• Pinterest rolled out three new Pinterest apps