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Contact Information: Cape Cod Chips Couples with Cabot Cheddar to Create Shapes of the Cape  The official name, Shapes of the Cape Baked Snack Crackers, made by Cape Cod Potato Chips, may be a bit of a mouthful, but the concept is quite simple. Start with the premium potato chip company in the country, partner with the finest cheddar in the land, add the technical capabilities of Lance, Inc. – Cape Cod’s parent company and a major premium cracker manufacturer – and the result is the first superior-quality snack cracker on the market today. According to Bill Germano, vice president of marketing and sales for Cape Cod Potato Chips, “This is Cape Cod’s first entrée into the snack cracker category and, being a premium product, we wanted to make a splash.” The new snack cracker line, which includes four varieties, comes on the heels of the company’s most successful new product launch in its 23-year history, Nantucket Spice potato chips. First introduced in May 2003, Nantucket Spice has earned nearly 100 percent distribution in supermarkets in the United States. Last month alone, sales for Nantucket Spice accounted for nearly 10 percent of the company’s total potato chip business. TASTE OF THE CAPE Cape Cod is using this same new product commitment and expertise with the introduction of its first snack cracker line. According to Germano, Shapes of the Cape will be available to retailers nationwide beginning in February. “Not everyone can personally experience the picturesque beauty of Cape Cod and its Islands, so we have crafted some of the classic seaside shapes found here – a seagull, a shell, a sailboat, and a lighthouse – and turned them into delicious, bite-size crackers,” said Germano. “While we can’t bring all of our customers to Cape Cod, we can certainly bring a bit of old Cape Cod to them.” THE CHALLENGE Cape Cod’s research team designed Shapes of the Cape to be appealing for all ages, but particularly to the more discerning customer who expects more from a snack product – namely great taste. Cape Cod was committed to staying true to the company’s brand profile – Shapes of the Cape would be all baked, featuring only the finest ingredients. “The challenge to creating Shapes of the Cape was to develop an upscale, bite-sized snack cracker with strong flavor and precise bite, texture and crunch,” explained Germano. “Typical bite-sized crackers on the market today are more compressed both in flavor and in appearance. Our baking specialists have developed crackers that retain both the visuals of the Cape shapes as well as the precise expansion for the right bite and crunch.” THE BIG CHEESE Next came the challenge of selecting the perfect cheddar cheese. As the premiere kettle-cooked potato chip maker in the country, Cape Cod would consider only one – Cabot Cheddar. Renowned for its award-winning exceptional flavor and extremely high-quality ingredients, Cabot, combined with Cape Cod’s snack expertise, would be a powerful combination unprecedented in the marketplace. According to Charlotte Green, senior vice president of new products for Cabot Creamery Cooperative, “This is a marriage baked in heaven – two traditional New England-based companies combining to create snack crackers with honest-to-goodness flavor. The dairy farm families who own Cabot are honored to have the quality of their cheese highlighted in such a tasteful way.” QUICK BITES • Name: Shapes of the Cape Baked Snack Crackers, made by Cape Cod Potato Chips. • Available: Nationwide, beginning February. • Varieties: Sharp Cheddar, Smoked Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar 40 percent Reduced Fat and Beach Party Classic Mix, which adds Cape Cod’s lighthouse pretzels and peanuts. • Shapes: Each variety will include crackers in the shapes of a lighthouse, seagull, scallop shell and sailboat. • Size: Shapes of the Cape will be available in seven-ounce standard re-sealable bags for portable snacking. Each is a Doy bag pouch with re-sealable system. Cape Cod made the strategic decision to move away from typical cracker usage, that is for entertaining or meal accompaniment, by packaging for individual snacking. This non-traditional packaging enables Cape Cod to merchandise Shapes of the Cape as a convenient snack food. • Retail: $2.99 Since 1980, Cape Cod Potato Chips has led the potato chip category in the return of old fashioned kettle-cooked potato chips. Celebrating its 23rd anniversary, Cape Cod has grown from making 200 bags a day to producing 150,000 bags a day – each kettle-cooked one small bag at a time. Today, Cape Cod’s potato chip line has expanded to include Classic, Russets, Reduced Fat, Nantucket Spice and a Whole Earth Collection. Cape Cod is a Division of Lance, Inc. Cabot Creamery Cooperative has been in continuous operation in Vermont since 1919 and makes a full line of cheeses, butter and other fine dairy products. Cabot dairy products have won every major award for taste. Over the past five years alone, Cabot has held the titles of “Best Cheddar” and “Best Flavored Cheese” from the World Championship Cheese Contest, “Best Cow’s Milk Cheddar” from the American Cheese Society, “Most Outstanding Cheese” from the National Milk Producers Federation and “Best Cheddar” and “Best Aged Cheddar” from the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest, among others. Cabot is owned by the dairy farm families of Agri-Mark, the Northeast’s premier dairy cooperative. More information on Cabot Creamery is available at www.cabotcheese.com. Printer-friendly version  |
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