A&P’s The Food Emporium stores last week debuted “A Taste of France,” an event providing New York metro-area shoppers with over 30 new and exclusive items of French delicacies, from popular gourmet brands such as Emmanuelle Baillard, Des Lis Chocolat, Barral, Apidis and more.

The new collection of French cuisine was unveiled during a media event Friday. Serge Lozach, the managing director of Sopexa USA, and Christian Haub, executive chairman of Montvale, N.J.-based A&P, along with Hans Heer, SVP and general manager of The Food Emporium, were on hand at the gourmet format’s BridgeMarket store at 59th Street and First Avenue for a special ribbon cutting ceremony.

“For these international events, we travel to the countries and visit the factories directly,” Heer told Progressive Grocer during an in-person interview. “We make our selections, and then import them directly.”

New products are displayed in the store for two weeks, after which the grocer decides which items to carry permanently. Many are exclusive to Food Emporium. “I don’t want to carry what everyone else has,” said Heer. “We often make an exclusive deal for a year, where no one else can sell them in New York.”

The celebration will extend to all 16 Manhattan stores and feature the following brands:

—Emmanuelle Baillard: Produced locally in the Burgundy region of France, Emmanuelle Baillard’s jellies, jams, coulis and fruit nectars come in an assortment of flavors such as Peach, Raspberry, Blackcurrant and Apricot
—Des Lis Chocolat: Artisan Chocolatier Des Lis Chocolat features a wide range of chocolate specialties, including Gentil Coquelicot (poppy-flavored chocolate), Ecrin de Saveurs (fruit-flavored chocolate), and bars in poppy, violet, or mint flavors
—Barral: Barral has been producing olive products in the region of Nice for over a century. Barral AOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil is now available exclusively at The Food Emporium in Les Baux de Provence, Nice and Nyons varieties
—Apidis: As one of the largest honey producers in France, Apidis has been producing the finest quality honey since 1890. Shoppers can now purchase Apidis Honey Cake, which comes in Strawberry and Blueberry flavors

Other exclusive items featured in the promotion include Mas Des Abeilles Honey Vinegar, Fou de Gout Almond Financier Cake and Mi-cuit Cake.

In addition, The Food Emporium will also carry craft beers from the northwest France and Corsica, mustards from Dijon, and goat cheeses and Roquefort from the South, to name just a few products.

The Food Emporium developed the Taste of the World program in 2008 to help promote specialty foods and beverages from around the globe. Products from A Taste of France will be available to customers during the week of Feb. 22.