Feed Our Troops

I'm looking for some folks who'd like to help with an experiment: I get a lot of requests for APO/FPO shipping to Iraq, and it just so happens that our Biscotti can handle the trip. We've sent some over there already, but I'd like to send some more, just so I know all the ins and outs of shipping to the front lines.

If you've got a loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan and you'd like to send them a treat, please call our Customer Service number and let me know. I'll waive all the shipping charges, so you'll get actual, real, free shipping, not the fake "FREE" shipping offered by sites that can't figure out that the singular of "cakes" is "cake," and when you only offer one cake, you really should use it.

Our money-back guarantee is in effect for this experiment, so if the biscotti fail to arrive or the recipient doesn't like them, there's no charge to you. I'd say the best part of this deal is that you don't have to fill out the pages and pages of paperwork that it takes to ship overseas.

In other news, because you'll notice this, we've stopped carrying Chocolate Dipped Strawberries. Why? We're going to be adding more bakeries and products to the site in the coming weeks. As the number of products goes up, it gets harder for customers to find what they're looking for.

We've always meant to be a bakery site. That means a lot of internal wrangling about what our customers expect. At La Patisserie, for example, we've got a chocolate dipper here three days a week, a deli counter, soup, and gourmet cheese and pate along with the breads, cakes, cookies, and croissants. There aren't a lot of lunch places or gourmet shops around us, so it makes sense to carry those other items.

Online it's a different world. The gourmet or chocolate shop is just a click or two away, so it doesn't make as much sense for us to carry a lot of items that aren't baked. Chocolate Dipped Strawberries fall into that category. We still stand behind the product and the company--if you'd like some, please visit Berry Gourmet--but we'd rather keep a narrow focus and concentrate on finding the best baked goods in America.

And we wouldn't remove one product line without adding another, but you'll have to stay tuned for those details.