New Jersey Gourmet Food Store Owner Voted on Council for NASFT

Oct. 14, 2010 - PRLog -- Bob Sickles, third generation owner of Sickles Market, Little Silver, New Jersey, was recently named as a new member to the Retailer Network Council of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc., (NASFT). He is one of seven new members asked to serve as mentors and role models to other specialty food retailers in the United States.  The Retailer Network provides special programs, services and networking opportunities to help specialty and natural food retailers stay ahead of consumer trends and grow their businesses.

The Council will be well-served by Bob Sickles’ knowledge, experience and vision. In 1998, Sickles transformed Sickles Market - a 102-year-old family-owned and operated retail business – from a seasonal farm stand into a year-round market with a unique blend of quality gourmet foods, a fine gifts department, a cut flower department and garden center.  Sickles Market http://www.sicklesmarket.com has garnered numerous awards and recognition for its reputation as a source for quality products and knowledgeable service, including the “2007 Outstanding Specialty Food Retailer” by NASFT. Only six of the nation’s specialty food retailers are chosen by NASFT members each year to receive the award.

“We are pleased to welcome these new members to our Retailer Network. They are on the front lines of bringing specialty foods to consumers and fostering excitement and growth in our industry,” says Ann Daw, president of the NASFT.

NASFT is a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 to foster commerce and interest in the specialty food industry. Today, there are more than 2,900 members in the U.S. and abroad. For information on joining the Retailer Network, please contact Janet DeCarlo at jdecarlo@nasft.org. For further information on NASFT and its Fancy Food Shows, go to http://www.specialtyfood.com.  NASFT’s website for consumers, http://www.foodspring.com  provides an insider’s look at specialty foods and the companies, entrepreneurs and artisans behind them.

The newly-elected Council consists of:

•   Sam Mogannam, Bi-Rite Market, San Francisco, CA: NASFT Board Representative
•   Linda Sikorski, The Pasta Shop, Oakland, CA: Chairperson
•   Cheryl Harrington, The Better Cheddar, Kansas City, MO: Vice Chairperson
•   Maren Ammerman, A Southern Season, Chapel Hill, NC
•   Paul Hoffman, Hanover Consumer Coop, Hanover, NH
•   Tim Manale, A Southern Season, Chapel Hill, NC
•   Emilio Mignucci, Di Bruno Bros., Philadelphia, PA
•   Madeline Romo, Savor the Flavor, Sierra Madre, CA
•   Steven Rosenberg, Liberty Heights Fresh, Salt Lake City, UT
•   Bob Sickles, Sickles Market, Little Silver, NJ
•   Natalie King, Stonewall Kitchen, York, ME: Board Liaison
•   Dennis Deschaine, Al Dente Pasta, Whitmore Lake, MI: Board Liaison

Sickles Market - celebrating 102 years in retail in 2010, is a third generation family-owned market and a trusted source for well-edited quality selections of produce, baked goods, gourmet grocery items, hand cut-to-order artisanal cheeses, prepared foods, cut flowers, a garden center, and a gift department. Sickles Market is located on ancestral property that dates back to a King’s Land Grant in 1663

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