Cranberry foods and gifts

This article appeared in the Two River Times.

Monmouth Beach Business Proves There's More to the Cranbery Than Meets the Eye.

I heard that there was a new shop in Monmouth Beach called All Things Cranberry, and I must say, that peaked my interest. How could a business be built around just one fruit? How many things can be made with cranberries? What is this shop trying to do, and can it be successful? Does cranberry really go with chocolate? And how about peanut butter? One visit with owner Clarisse Persanyi, and I became convinced that there is more to the cranberry than meets the eye.

The quaint shop at 36 Beach Rd (back by the post office) is the retail arm and the corporate headquarters of All Things Cranberry. The overall business vision is a gourmet food company dedicated to the art of cranberry creations. Persanyi has two goals: first to spread the cranberry message in North America, that is, to have people think of the fruit as a year round delight; and secondly to introduce the cranberry products to parts of the world that are unfamiliar with this sweet, tart, and slightly bitter fruit. All Things Cranberry is a multi-faceted “one-fruit conglomerate”, with retail, wholesale, manufacturing, web-based mail order, and export ventures. Everything the business sells is either made with cranberry or cranberry flavoring, and all of the baked goods are from original recipes. The retail space is filled with delectable treats, and serves as a great venue for tastings and test marketing of new products.

Persanyi, who lives in Oceanport, spent over 25 years working on Wall Street in the world of international banking and finance. Throughout her life, she loved cooking and catering and enjoyed serving large groups. Both her mother and her grandmother on her father’s side were wonderful bakers, so Persanyi’s love for cooking started early. She has an extensive business background, and has channeled as much energy into her second career as she did with the first. Persanyi also had some help from her older brother Andy, a certified food and beverage professional, who gave her the benefit of his extensive knowledge. She launched the business from scratch last January developing the business vision, and plans for manufacturing and distribution. She acted as general contractor for the project, beginning construction of the shop and commercial kitchen by August, and opened on September 29th of this year. As one might guess, Persanyi is passionate about the cranberry, one of just a few indigenous North American fruits. “It is a wonderful fruit and so underutilized”, explains Persanyi, “ and it brightens up the flavor of anything you serve it with”.

Persanyi was lucky to meet up with pastry chef Holly Miller just at the right time, and notes that since Miller’s maiden name was “Baker”, this was meant to be! Miller is also in her second career, leaving the insurance industry a few years ago to pursue her love of baking. Miller attended Brookdale’s Culinary Arts Program, specializing in pastry arts. She worked for a caterer before teaming with Clarisse Persanyi. The initial product line for All Things Cranberry was made up entirely of Persanyi’s own recipes, but now the two women work together on their cranberry inventions, and try to introduce at least one new product each week. All Things Cranberry supplies desserts to several area restaurants, and is working on other distribution channels, including national gourmet food chains.

Just what are these fruity creations at All Things Cranberry? There are sauces, condiments, chocolate treats, confections, and fresh baked goods made daily on premise. Just some of the wonderful treats (yes, I did have to sample them myself!) are cranberry pumpkin spice muffins, cranberry cream scones, cranberry nine layer bars, cranberry chocolate truffles, and cranberry almond fudge brownies. Persanyi describes the shop’s pies as “Off the Beaten Path Pies”, including Cranberry Apple Crumble and three flavors of “Velvets and Silks”, a light frozen mousse pie. Lest you think that the business is just pastries, let me mention that Persanyi also makes cranberry salsa with a bit of jalapeno, cranberry horseradish sauce, cranberry apple butter, plus a selection of packaged goods such as trail-mix and granola, of course, made with cranberries.

All Things Cranberry offers holiday pies (order by November 21 for Thanksgiving) and will be open Thanksgiving morning for pick up. Gift packs are available for the holidays or for any occasion, ranging from $25 to $150 featuring a selection of fresh baked and packaged products. The gift boxes make great corporate gifts, and should be ordered by December 1 for corporate delivery. The gift boxes can be shipped free of charge to any of the lower 48 states. The full selection of products and gift collections are described on the company’s web-site, www.allthingscranberry.com.

Clarisse Persanyi is happy with the progress so far. She loves the clientele, and says that “They look, they taste, and they want one”, and notes that a large percent of her customers come back. Nonetheless, don’t expect this visionary businesswoman to rest on her laurels—Persanyi already has plans for next year. Next spring, look for wraps featuring sauces and “unusual ingredients such as ostrich, pheasant, and duck”, and enjoy sorbets and smoothies in the summer. If all goes as planned, maybe you will soon agree with the company’s motto --“A Day Without Cranberries is Like A Day Without…Well…Why Risk It?”

All Things Cranberry is open every day except Tuesday from 8 a.m. Most days the shop is open until 6 p.m., with early Sunday closing at 1:30 p.m. Call 732-870-8866 for more information, or just stop in for coffee and a unique treat.