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Natural Foods Field Representative – Asheville, NC

Reports to: Mark Overbay, Owner / Founder and Mackenzie Props, Marketing & Communications Manager
Classification: Part-time, Hourly + Commission
Start Date: ASAP

Position Summary

Big Spoon Roasters (BSR) is looking for an energetic, outgoing, and dependable Natural Foods Field Representative to promote our uniquely handmade products in the Asheville, NC. As our eyes/ears/mouth on the ground, the Field Rep will build relationships with current wholesale customers, perform regular check-ins to ensure proper merchandising and stock levels, and schedule and perform in-store product demonstrations to boost sales and brand awareness. They will also use their knowledge of the local market to identify and vet potential wholesale customers and work with management to plan and execute a plan for outreach. The ideal candidate is an exceptional communicator, independent, self-motivated, and highly organized.

Responsibilities

• Represent BSR on the ground in Asheville, driving sales while educating people about our story, value proposition, and attributes.
• Build relationships with retail buyers, managers, and demo coordinators for current wholesale customers.
• Regularly check product displays to ensure proper merchandising.
• Work with store management to secure preferred merchandising and POS placement for BSR products.
• Identify and vet potential wholesale customers based on thorough knowledge of the local market, retail locations, our product, and food philosophy.
• Work with management to determine and execute new customer outreach plan.
• Organize and execute tasting demonstrations at retail partner locations.
  • Communicate with store managers / demo coordinators to determine schedules, product levels, and demo guidelines.
  • Engage with customers about unique product attributes and BSR story to generate excitement, build brand awareness, and grow customer loyalty.
  • Capture demo results by timely reporting all pertinent info into tracking systems.
• Maintain adequate supplies of demo materials, promotional items, and products at all times.
• Send weekly updates to BSR Marketing & Communications Manager with upcoming demo schedule.
• Create and manage schedule to optimize time.
• Engage with community and like-minded business to find and participate in events (pop-up markets, festivals, races, sponsorship opportunities, etc.)
• Regularly communicate with home office in Durham, NC, regarding needs for events, successes, and challenges.
• Promote local BSR events on social media.
• Have fun (!), laugh and smile while promoting an authentic, handcrafted product! We know this might sound corny, but great food should be fun and pleasurable, you know?

Desired Attributes

• Must be outgoing / thrive on interacting with the public
• Excellent organization abilities and time management skills
• An authentic passion for food
• Excitement about the Big Spoon Roasters brand, values, and mission
• Highly self-motivated
• Knowledge of food/beverage industry
• Solid understanding of the local market
• Reliable transportation
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to lift 40 pounds comfortably
• Ability to be on feet for 4-6 hours
• Embrace non-traditional work hours (weekend availability is a must)

Compensation: 5.5% on paid invoices for new wholesale customers, 2.5% on paid invoices for existing in-region wholesale customers that see an increase in sales over previous quarter, $18 per hour for in-store product demonstrations, travel reimbursement for personal vehicle use (mileage) and public transportation (not including commute).

Equal Opportunity

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and celebrate our employees’ diversity, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, familial or Veteran status. Diversity makes us better.

Sound like a good fit? Please send your resumé and cover letter to mackenzie@bigspoonroasters.com.

I tend to mean what I say: in life, generally; in recipes, certainly. – Yotam Ottolenghi

This recipe for Salmon with Spicy Peanut Sauce was created and published by The Coastal Table, a quarterly anthology dedicated to capturing the essence of coastal living. Stunning photography, creative yet simple recipes, and thoughtful features make it a joy to read for any epicurean (coastal or not).

From The Coastal Table:

The Hot Peanut Butter from Big Spoon Roasters is the secret weapon in this easy, delicious sauce. We love it over salmon but the sauce would also be great with shrimp or chicken. Be sure to serve with fresh limes, as the citrus is needed to bring all the flavors together.

• 4 4-ounce center-cut salmon fillets, with skin on
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable (or canola) oil
• 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup Hot Peanut Butter
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, smashed into a paste
• Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish
• Red chili, thinly sliced, for garnish
• Rice or grits, for serving
• Juice from 1-2 limes

Serves 4.

Cook’s note: For additional heat, add a few of the red chili slices into the sauce while it simmers, serving extra for garnish.

1. Bring salmon fillets to room temperature for about 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F.
3. Brush butter over top of each salmon fillet and season each with salt and pepper.
4. In a large oven-safe skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add salmon fillets, skin-side up. Cook until salmon easily releases to flip, about 5 minutes. Flip, and continue to cook for another minute. Remove from heat and carefully drain off excess oil. Transfer salmon to oven to finish cooking, another 5-10 minutes (depending on thickness and desired doneness).
5. While salmon finishes cooking, make sauce. In a saucepan, combine coconut milk, Hot Peanut Butter, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, 5-10 minutes. Taste and adjust as desired. Once thickened, remove from heat.
6. To serve, either transfer salmon to a serving platter and pour sauce over fillets, or pour sauce into pan (once cooked, skin will easily release from bottom of salmon).
7. Garnish with cilantro and red chili and serve over rice or grits with limes for drizzling.