Tavolo Launches Branded Gourmet Food Line, Includes Most Complete Selection of Herbs & Spices Available in the U.S.

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 1999--

Specialty Food and Cookware Internet Retailer Builds Brand

Recognition With Launch of Premium Private-label Products

Tavolo, the leading online retailer of premium-quality food, kitchenware, cookbooks and other cooking-related products, today announced the launch of a signature collection of more than 200 private-label ingredients and prepared foods, available exclusively on www.tavolo.com.

Exhaustively researched by Bill Wallace, Tavolo's Vice President and Director of Culinary Development, the brand delivers competitively priced products with the highest-quality standards, and represents the finest and most unique offerings from artisan growers and food producers around the world.

"We are seeing a significant trend as more and more people who cook and entertain at home are experimenting with global flavors and foods," said Wallace. "The goal of the Tavolo product line is to bring people easy access to the finest quality ingredients-many of which were previously unavailable or hard-to-find-and specialty food from around the world."

The new line of Tavolo products includes the most complete offering of herbs and spices available anywhere in the United States. Boasting everything from basics like allspice and thyme to extremely rare spices such as African bird pepper and grains of paradise, all Tavolo herbs and spices are imported from their prime growing region within one month after harvest and are uniquely processed without the use of chemicals or pesticides. Tavolo also offers a range of spice blends specially designed for the busy cook.

In addition, Tavolo launched a line of more than 60 dried beans, grains and flours, including pantry staples like black-eyed peas, basmati rice and whole-wheat flour, as well as hard-to-find items such as Christmas Lima beans, pearl barley and hazelnut flour. These products will only be sold from the most recent harvest, guaranteeing optimal freshness. All Tavolo beans, grains and flours left in inventory by the next harvest will be donated to food banks.

The Tavolo line also features prepared foods like pasta sauces, salad dressings and preserves, all produced with signature recipes and chef-selected, top-quality ingredients. Tavolo products can be found on the site in the Specialty Food department, where consumers will also find full-color photos, detailed product information and preparation suggestions.

"We're thrilled to introduce the Tavolo gourmet food line," said Kevin Appelbaum, president and CEO of Tavolo. "As the interest in cooking and demand for high-quality products grows, we will continue to offer the best and most extensive selection of specialty food and kitchenware cooks can find anywhere."

About Tavolo, Inc.

Tavolo (www.Tavolo.com), in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the nation's leading center for culinary education, is the leading online retailer of premium-quality specialty food, kitchenware and other cooking-related products. The site offers thousands of specialty foods, professional-quality cooking tools, and brand-name kitchen appliances including All-Clad, Braun, KitchenAid and Wusthof. Tavolo also provides thousands of recipes, hundreds of cooking tips, buying guides and other expert cooking information and advice, in addition to useful customized features. Tavolo is a premier retailer of gourmet food and kitchenware on AOL and Yahoo! and has content licensing agreements with most major cookbook publishers and more than 100 renowned chefs. Headquartered in San Rafael, Calif., Tavolo's investors include Amerindo, Attractor, Boston Millennia, DAMAC, Hambrecht & Quist, Hearst New Media & Technology, IDG, Marquette Ventures, Scripps Ventures, The Sprout Group, Van Wagoner and Weston-Presidio Capital.