It’s not often that a small-town shop receives national recognition on a regular basis, but Flathau’s Fine Foods in Petal is becoming pretty familiar with that feat.
After winning awards from institutions like the Best of Atlanta and the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade in recent years, Flathau’s raised the bar again by winning the “Best Baked” Gourmet Gold Award for its Peppermint Snaps at the ninth annual Dallas Gourmet Specialty Food Awards, held in June at the World Trade Center in Dallas.
“It was great,” said Jeff Flathau, who co-owns Flathau’s Fine Foods with his wife, Heather. “We love to win awards, and there was a lot of competition there – I think maybe 300 or 400 booths there in the trade center for the gourmet market.
“So we’re honored, to say the least.”
The company’s snaps are flatbread cookies made with butter, margarine, vanilla, flour and cornstarch. In addition to the Peppermint Snaps, Flathau’s Fine Foods also serves Butterscotch, Key Lime, Lemon, Cinnamon and Raspberry Snaps.
“Ours have candy that’s crushed up and infused into the dough, and that kind of sets us apart from our competitors,” Jeff Flathau said. “My wife invented that probably about 15 or 18 years ago. Ninety percent of the cookies have candy in them, like the peppermint.”
Flathau’s Fine Foods also has won “Best Dessert” in 2006 for its Cinnamon Snaps; two Best of Atlanta Awards for the Key Lime Snaps and Peppermint Snaps; “Best Snack” in 2006 for its Cheese Straws; and Double Honors for the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade for its Butterscotch Snaps and Raspberry snaps. The Butterscotch Snaps, Raspberry Snaps and Plain Shortbread were bestowed with sofi (specialty outstanding food innovation) Awards in New York.
“We’re proud of it,” Jeff Flathau said. “Everybody that works here is from the area, and we have a lot of customers in the area that buy from us.
“We’re proud to represent Petal everywhere we go, and the Hattiesburg area as well. We’re proud to be from Mississippi, and we’re proud to tout that wherever we go.”
Flathau’s Fine Foods sells its products online and at more than 2,000 stores around the country, including its line of Maddy’s Sweet Shop items, which can be found in local Corner Market stores. The company even exports to Chile, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
“We quietly try to gain as much market share as we can,” Jeff Flathau said.
Flathau’s Fine Foods is located at 209 W. Second Ave. in Petal. For more information, visit www.flathausfinefoods.com or call (601) 582-9629.
