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More Details on Gourmet's Collapse

YumSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:30:32 -0700

Yesterday morning began with breaking news that, after 68 years of publication, Gourmet was going out of print, and now we have more details on the magazine's collapse. Although the glossy will cease to exist, the Gourmet brand will live on through book publishing and TV programs. Staffers at the magazine were first unaware, then teary-eyed and harried, as they were allegedly given 48 hours to leave.

According to publisher Condé Nast, which staunchly defended its position, star editor Ruth Reichl will likely part ways with the publishing house, although this has not been confirmed. She, too, admitted her surprise, tweeting, "Thank you all so much for this outpouring of support. We're all stunned, sad . . . Hard to believe it's over."

Hard to believe indeed. From food personalities to subscribers, everyone has shown an overwhelming amount of regret. I'll miss the pages of exquisite photography and timeless travel pieces, and Party doesn't know how she'll live without the recipes. What will you miss about Gourmet?

Gourmet Magazine to Fold

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:43:25 -0700

This morning, Condé Nast announced its oldest food title, Gourmet magazine, is folding. There were telltale signs of trouble: the glossy, which will print its last issue in November, just underwent budget cuts. As early as the onset of 2009, rumors were already flying that Gourmet would not see the end of the year.

The speculation didn't prepare me for the shellshock of Gourmet's demise. After all, the magazine, which has been published since December 1940, is an institution. I would have thought they could cut issues to six a year, or even quarterly, before shutting down such a venerable publication. It's wishful thinking, but a part of me hopes this is just some sort of sick publicity stunt. Are you as stunned as I am?

Most Restaurants on Kitchen Nightmares Are Now Closed

partysugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:33:25 -0700

Ever wonder what happens to a restaurant after Gordon Ramsay whips the staff into shape and redesigns the dining room on Fox's Kitchen Nightmares? Well according to Scottish newspaper, the Herald, more than half of the eateries have closed or been sold. Of the 20 restaurants that were featured on the US version of KN, 10 are now closed; 12 out of the 22 UK establishments faced the same grim fate. Restaurateurs blame a range of reasons for shuttering, from high costs of fresh local produce to a decrease in customer counts due to the recession. Others even begrudge Ramsay saying that the show is clearly a joke.

In some ways, I have to agree. A quick makeover from a celebrity chef and appearance on a reality television show isn't going to make thousands of dollars in debt disappear. The harsh truth is that for a restaurant to succeed, it needs diners, and not even Gordon Ramsay can guarantee that an establishment will be full each night.

What do think of the news? Are you surprised to learn that so many of the eateries have shut down?

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Company Behind Salmonella Scare Files For Bankruptcy

partysugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:00:33 -0800

Not surprisingly, the Virginia based Peanut Corp. of America filed for bankruptcy last Friday. The company, which has been accused of producing the salmonella tainted peanut products, filed Chapter 7 to liquidate their assets. Plants in Georgia and Texas were closed after the positive results for possible salmonella contamination were found. Inspectors discovered the Georgia plant in gross conditions: infested with roaches, mold, and leaks.

The president of the corporation, Stewart Parnell, has turned his back on the problem, and last week authorized the shipping of knowingly tainted products. Although he refuses to speak with investigators, food safety lawyers believe that the victims of the salmonella outbreak will be compensated.

It makes me sick to think that the president of a company could willingly send contaminated goods, but I'm glad to know the government has tracked down the source of the problem. What do you think of the news?

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Is Gordon Ramsay Going Bankrupt?

partysugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:30:14 -0800

Although the fifth season of Hell's Kitchen debuts this Thursday on Fox, Gordon Ramsay's empire may be crumbling. According to the New York Post, the celebrity chef's company is "finding life pretty tough at the moment."

In the past couple of months the celebrity chef has faced many challenges. One of his restaurant's lost two Michelin stars and another establishment dramatically cut back its hours. The overall price of dining at a Gordon Ramsay eatery has dropped as well, to only $21 a head. Top that off with two years worth of unpaid back taxes, an alleged 7-year affair, and you end up with one burnt Ramsay. In an attempt to solve his problems, he's fired his public relations guru.

However, if Ramsay's luck runs out as a restaurant chef, he's always got his television career to fall back on.

Do you think Ramsay will survive the setbacks?

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The End of Gourmet Magazine?

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:15:59 -0800

In the last six months, we've witnessed many brands - for some reason in particular, cookie labels - go kaput. We're barely into the new year, and at least one source predicts that media companies will be going next, and food publications won't be excepted.

New York financial media company 24/7 Wall St. reports that things are looking glum for Gourmet magazine:

Gourmet will probably not see the end of the year. Its parent company, Condé Nast, can no longer rely on the huge profits of the newspaper portion of the Newhouse family business.

The magazine operation needs to go on a diet. Condé Nast . . . owns Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and epicurious.com. Condé Nast simply owns too many titles in this category. From 2004 to 2008, Gourmet's ad pages have dropped from 1,364 to 955, with a 24 percent drop last year. January's ad pages were down another 32 percent according to MIN. Gourmet can survive since it has a competitive audience of web visitors to its food site, but it will have to migrate totally to its website.

Although, Gourmet wasn't our favorite food magazine of the year, and you prefer Bon Appétit, I am an enormous fan of the magazine's editor, Ruth Reichl. I frequently read the glossy for its reliable and creative recipes, and would be sad if I no longer had a subscription. Do you subscribe to the magazine, and would you be disappointed to see it go?

Archway Cookies Makes a Comeback, Too

YumSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:00:21 -0800

The economy continues to tumble, yet there's no end in sight when it comes to the pattern of reviving extinguished store-bought cookie brands. Following the rebirth of Mother's cookies by Kellogg's, snack company Lance is bailing out Archway, the sister company to Mother's that also collapsed this October. Before its demise, Archway was known nationwide for its soft-batch cookies in various flavors such as oatmeal and nougat. When Archway filed for Chapter 11, nearly 300 workers were left displaced and without jobs. Last week, Lance stunned former employees by giving many of them their old jobs back and presenting each full-time employee with a $1,500 gift card. The Charlotte, NC-based company resumed operations at Archway this week.

I'm glad to hear that these cookies are coming back, and even more thrilled to hear of people getting their jobs back. At a time when layoffs seem to be the only news making headlines, I'm relieved that at least some people are happily returning to their jobs. Are you excited for the return of Archway cookies?

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Biggest Headline of 2008: Cookies Die and Come Back

YumSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:00:48 -0800

This year was a turbulent year for all, and the traditional snack cookie was no exception. Snack companies took fans on a roller coaster ride, discontinuing cookies and then announcing their revival. In January of this year, cookie classicists reeled from the loss of the Hydrox cookie, the crispy, chocolate sandwiches the preceded the Oreo. Consumers raised such ruckus over the death of Hydrox that Kellogg's, the cookie's manufacturer, agreed to bring it back. The catch? Kellogg's stated that the cookie's overall future was contingent on whether "it sells a lot."So far, Hydrox has remained on shelves. Mother's cookies, however, were not so lucky. After nearly 100 years of baking, Mother's Cookies crumbled, leaving lovers of Circus Animal Cookies and Taffy Sandwiches up in arms. Archway, which bought out Mother's cookies in 2005, also dissolved.

This month, Kellogg's announced it would be acquiring the rights to Mother's recipes, too. The company didn't reveal too many details, but did say it plans to rekindle the most popular of Mother's snacks. Did you find this year's cookie drama unsettling? Are you worried that any of these sweet Kellogg's deals will sour?

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Mother's Cookies Has Crumbled

YumSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:15:00 -0700

After 94 years, cookie company Mother's Cookies has closed its doors.

The Michigan-based company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, told its workers last Friday that cookies would no longer be made as of Monday.

The reason cited was the economic climate. Chief Restructuring Officer Jeffrey Granger explained that the company has been "operating at a loss due largely to the significant increases in raw material costs and the record high fuel costs across the country."

I'm saddened by the collapse of another company and more job loss, but the hardest part is the sudden parting I have to make with iconic cookies such as circus animals and taffy sandwiches. And there will be no holiday frosted cookies for us this season, either.

Are you surprised to hear of this? What Mother's cookies will you miss?

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Food Section Sampler - Sept. 16, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:45:58 -0700

What caused legendary Central Park destination Tavern on the Green to file for bankruptcy? - New York Times
Homemade versions of fast-food favorites turn out to be cheaper. - Washington Post
LA is facing a proposed city ordinance that would require farmers markets to pay tens of thousands of dollars in fees. - Los Angeles Times
Israeli hummus tastes nothing like its American counterpart. - Boston Globe
Learn how to make your own naan. - Chicago Tribune
A preliminary tasting of Indian wines looks to be promising. - Wall Street Journal
Even Bourbon's biggest skeptics will find no flaw with the Rhodie cocktail. - San Francisco Chronicle

Source: Flickr User phenominam