Shani Seidman, is the Chief Marketing Officer of KAYCO which is one of the largest producers and distributors of kosher foods and beverages. Brands under the Kayco Kosher Umbrella include Gefen; Heaven & Earth; Manischewitz; and Tuscanini, to name a few. As well as the network Kosher.com
Kayco announces an exciting lineup of both traditional and innovative Kosher-for-Passover products for you and your loved one ones to enjoy! Passover (Pesach in Hebrew), one of the most beloved holidays in the Jewish calendar commemorating the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, begins at sundown on April 15th and lasts through sundown on April 23, 2022; Kayco, the most trusted name in quality Kosher products, expands their Kosher-for-Passover offerings just in time for the celebrations.
“Passover is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays, with food playing a prominent role in the celebration,” says Shani Seidman, CMO of Kayco. “During the holiday, no bread or leavened grain can be eaten, so Passover food has special certification. Kayco is proud to offer the most robust portfolio of Kosher-for-Passover products that blend the traditional with the innovative.”
FWM: Tell us about your background in marketing and what led you to CMO of Kayco Kosher?
I have been working in the CPG food space for 10 years, starting at a kosher cheese company, managing the branding and graphics for their 3 house brands. Eventually I managed their marketing efforts along with branding and product launch strategies there and moved the The Manischewitz Company as their Marketing Director in 2017. When Kayco Kosher Foods bought the family of Manischewitz brands in 2019, I relocated to Kayco’s office located in Bayonne, NJ. After 6 months of transitioning the business I was named CMO of the Kosher Food business at Kayco.
As CMO, I noticed that you bring a more modern way of thinking about Kosher Products – how has your innovation driven the new products of Kayco Kosher?
The kosher consumer is no longer lacking in products and versatility. There are more kosher products available now than ever before and over the past 5 years, and more so with the expansion of social media, kosher consumers are more adventurous and are looking for innovation. We see products on the shelf at trader joes and think “that should be kosher”. We know our consumer because we are our consumer. I use my own lifestyle and shopping behaviors to envision what a young kosher family is looking for. Kosher consumers will always have their tradition, but we see the delight they take in exploring new and innovating products. There is a rich kosher life in dining and travel. The expansion of kosher restaurants and kosher food availability only whets our appetite for more.
FWM: Kayco has many products in the New for Passover Line-up –tell us briefly about the innovation behind other products such as the Heaven & Earth; Gefen, and Tuscanni?
To understand the innovations we have to understand the brands. Kayco has a unique gift of microbranding, and building brands. This is very apparent in brands like Heaven & Earth and Tuscanini. Tuscanini is a brand all about authentically Italian food. All foods are sourced in Italy, we go and meet with our Italian manufacturers and let them guide us on what is in season, and unique to each region. All our products are premium Italian made products. Some amazing new products from Tuscanini this Passover are:
Freshly Squeezed shelf stable lemon juice, made from famous Sicilian Lemons.
Tomato Ketchup, rich Italian Tomato flavor, Freshly harvested Tuscan tomatoes apple cider vinegar and tab of herbs and spices for a gourmet kick to your fries.
Hot Calabrese Peppers from Calabria, famous for their pepper crop, premium glass bottle, preserved in Italian olive oil, authentic Italian antipasto.
Olives, Pitted green Castelvetrano, Green Cerignola, Pitted Kalamata
Heaven & Earth creates products for a better-for you lifestyle. We curate and build a brand around a promise that all products will be made without any artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or MSG. New healthier products from Heaven & Earth:
Heaven & Earth Chocolate, No Sugar Added, Dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids, no sugar added Milk chocolate, no sugar added Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts.
First and only sugar free chocolate bar for Passover.
FWM: Due to the innovation behind the new products – do you think people who don’t keep Kosher will be interested in trying the products – similar to the way other seasons offer products at key times of year?
Absolutely! Our product procurement team sources products from around the world and works with best in class suppliers for all our products. By nature of the kosher restrictions, many products on Passover are naturally Gluten free and we have gotten really good at creating Gluten free products that taste incredible!
Tuscanini is a premium Italian brand and can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in delighting in good quality authentic Italian cooking.
And lastly, Manischewitz. It is a brand synonymous with Jewish dishes but “you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy the comfort of a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup”
FWM: Lets talk about Kosher.com – which is part of Kayco Kosher, what is Kosher.com and what can people expect on Kosher.com in the way of products and recipes as we approach Passover?
Kosher.com is your resource for All things kosher. It is kosher lifestyle at is best. With over 10,000 recipes, contant launches of new original shows – all the names in kosher food in one site. Whether you are new to kosher or have served up many Seders, kosher.com is there for you. Taking you from meal planning to recipe sharing. Our new app makes it even easier to take kosher on the go, taking shopping lists with you to the store, a cook-mode designed to keep your screen alert while you cook your way through the site, and easy access to all our lifestyle and entertainment from our editorial articles to our new shows. We have an incredible feature on our app where you are able to upload all your recipes in one place. Now all the recipes scattered all over your kitchen can find a digital home on our kosher.com app – and don’t forget to share any recipe you make with other kosher.com users!
Share your vision for KAYCO Kosher in 2022.
To continue to listen to our consumers, we are in service to them but also strive to discover new ways to innovate for anyone who wants to explore kosher. Keeping kosher should be an accessible and incredible experience, full of pleasurable tasty foods and experiences. I envision that through our new product introductions, new forms of kosher entertainment and partnerships with influential people in the kosher media, we expand what it means to keep kosher and invite anyone to join us at our table, weather you keep kosher or not.
