BON CAMPO INTRODUCES ‘TRATTORIA’ LINE OF GOURMET PRODUCE FEATURING RECIPES BY CELEBRATED CHEF MATHIEU FREY
Former special events director for New York’s Daniel Boulud

Easy -To-Follow Recipes Introduce Non-Traditional Veggies To Everyday Meals

Chef Mathieu Frey, former head of special events for Daniel Boulud and former sous chef of New York’s Essex House Hotel, has created inventive yet simple recipes for Bon Campo Trattoria, a new line of gourmet produce. The Trattoria line was created by Bon Campo to ‘mainstream’ more specialty produce into the American diet. “Our idea was to hire a great chef to create simple yet delicious recipes for the types of produce that are not typical to most Americans. Mathieu’s approach is to get more Americans over their ‘fear factor’ about vegetables they don’t normally use by creating recipes so simple and tasty they become a regular feature at the dinner table.”

Pioneering Product Bon Campo pioneered imported specialty produce here 20 years ago when it mainsteamed items once considered exotic -- like sun-dried tomatoes, porcini mushrooms, radicchio, baby potatoes and shallots – by educating the consumer with recipes on every package.

Bon Campo’s most popular items today, such as Yukon Gold Baby Potatoes, are now considered staples in the American kitchen. Bon Campo’s creative recipes are always easy to follow and result in turning items once considered ‘odd’ or exotic into everyday meals and side dishes.

Now with the introduction of Bon Campo Trattoria, the company is embarking on a new wave of healthier eating by choosing vegetables not exactly exotic, but hardly mainstream – ones that Americans tend to avoid because they don’t know what to do with them.

“I chose these items to start because while they are readily available they are not always the first choice for Americans. I believe once they try my new recipes these vegetables will become part of their regular cooking routine,” said Chef Frey.

Bon Campo: Picking winners, then educating the consumer

“Bon Campo’s secret to success is to pick winners and then educate the consumer with recipes that encourage trial,” said Chef Frey. “We decided it to time to embark on a new round of introductions by selecting items that we felt were not getting their due because Americans lacked the know-how to whip them up into tasty dishes. We make it easy with Bon Campo Trattoria.”

“Our intention is for the consumer to make the dish once and I believe will then be able to make it from memory, they are that easy,” said Chef Frey. “Once these vegetables become part of the consumer’s cooking repertory they will be inclined to buy Trattoria products again. Our entire line ultimately will extend to 20 items.”

Bon Campo Trattoria line consists of:
Baby Artichokes
Baby Bok Choy
Baby Cukes
Fennel
Peeled and Cubed Rutabega
Peeled and Cubed Celery Root
Peeled and Cubed Butternut Squash
Peeled Half Butternut Squash
In Vacuum-Packages we have:
Baby Peeled Carrots
Peeled Shallots
Peeled Pearl Onions
Peeled Cipolline


These recipes and more are available at www.merexfoodcorp.com.

YONKERS, NY December 12, 2005 --- Charles "Buzzy" Blyer has been appointed sales manager for Bon Campo, Bon Campo Trattoria and Winterglow consumer packaged goods for Merex Corp.

As a dedicated packaged produce professional, Mr. Blyer will call on retail accounts offering year-round programs, launching the new "Trattoria" brand, and coordinating in-store promotions that feature Bon Campo's 3-star chef Mathieu Frey. A CD-Rom is available of Chef Frey demonstrating specialty produce usage at both food service and in-store levels.

December 1, 2005 -  Merex Miami is redirecting is operations from distribution to direct sales,
it was announced today.

"We can no longer do the ones and twos," said Dave Blumberg, Merex President. Our investment in grower operations dictates, that we must be in a skid or skid consolidation business. This will mean greater efficiency and certainly lower costs, which we will pass on to our customer base."