Missing: Hot Bell Pepper Relish

Trader Joe's has this annoying habit of discontinuing products without warning (give us notice so we can stock up!). Jack writes:

Well, I made my bi-monthly visit to Trader Joe’s for my typical purchase of 4 bottles of Hot Bell Pepper Relish.  To my surprise I discovered they do not carry this anymore.  This is disappointing, as when I made this purchase in the past, I typically bought a number of other items, and tried different stuff.  If they don’t carry this any longer, I have less of a desire to shop there.  When I departed, the cashier said “did you find everything ok” I replied “no” where is your Hot Bell Pepper Relish?  He told me that they stopped carrying it, and that a lot of customers ask about it.  He also said he was down to his last jar.  I told him that he may be able to get a good price for it on Ebay!

Kim, GrubGirl and I also miss the Hot Bell Pepper Relish, and hope they bring it back soon. I use it in my chicken salad, on sandwiches, and to make a spicy tartar sauce.

Comments

[Steve]

I really liked their seseme glazed walnuts (great on salads), but those were discontinued also. I was told by a clerk they were a seasonal item...

[Kirsten]

Speaking of missing products, I know that the King Arthur scone mixes were seasonal, but I thought they'd be back by now. Anyone know if they've been discontinued? They used to have Blueberry Sour Cream and Cranberry Orange scone mix along with the popover mix, but all I see now are the popovers.

[Nina, Frank & Nick Apicella]

Your White Plains, NY store said that the TJ's Hot Bell Peeper Relish (a huge favorite in our house). We want it back now!

[Jean-François]

The hot bell pepper relish was the one thing my father in law constantly asked us to get at TJ's. We were told it was discontinued because it didn't sell well...hmmmm....

[JR]

Sometimes products sell well in a few locations, but get pulled because they don't sell well company-wide. I think the larger problem is that TJ's doesn't always give some good quality products a large enough window of time to prove themselves. I've literally seen products show up and disappear within a couple of months. That's not nearly long enough for a good product to build a following. Sales on the bell pepper relish didn't pick up until the crew at my store had finally tasted it and could begin really recommending it to our customers. This was towards the end of its availability. The last week it was available to us, we couldn't keep it on the shelves. I'll check into the scone and popover mixes, but if they aren't back by now, I doubt that they're going to be in (although, to be fair, there a few holiday items that I'm aware of that haven't arrived yet).

[JR]

I checked into the scone and popover mixes. They won't be back for this holiday. Also not returning this year is the 10 lb. brick of chocolate.

[Sheila]

Hi! I love your site. I also don't like how Trader Joe's drops products with no warning. I haven't been able to get their hoisin sauce for over a year. I can find other sources for hoisin sauce, however.

I'm really disappointed that they no longer carry the Tahitian Blend vanilla extract. It was wonderful. TJ's now has a more run-of-the-mill bourbon vanilla instead. As a baker and candy maker, I really miss the Tahitian Blend.

[Bonnie]

We lived off of the Bell Pepper Relish and were so disappointed that they discontinued it. Does anyone know the supplier for the Relish?
We also miss the discontinuation of the "good" canned wild salmon. :(

[autumn]

we are very upset about TJ not having the TENE! hot sauce any more. Is this something anyone else loved? The new hot sauce they carry is no comparison. Itwas a sweeter hot sauce that absolutely topped off any Mexican dish we made!

[Beth]

Who did make the Hot Bell Pepper Relish for Trader Joe's?????

[Dave in Ventura,Ca]

I also am missing my bell pepper relish. I walked in to replenish my supply to find it discontinued. The product is delicious. Please bring it back.( I'm sure somebody from corporate reads these postings.)Another recent find that has disappeared is the wild salmon soup.

[tiffany]

Holy cow! I'm going without so many favorite TJs foods that I was starting to wonder if they were going out of business. For example, whatever happened to: bags of dry sundried tomatoes, frozen butternut squash ravioli, frozen whole wheat cheese ravioli, and TJs Cat Treats?

[Grubgirl]

For those of you lamenting the disappearance of the Hot Pepper Relish, a reader from my blog posted about what he swears is the replacement:

http://www.grubgirl.com/?p=65

[Roisin]

I was just at Trader Joe's last night looking for Tene's Hot Sauce. It is the best! We had several people looking, but couldn't find it. So sad. I had bought four bottles 1 year ago thinking it would be enough for a COUPLE of months. When I went back to look for it once again. I was told that it would be back. STILL ISN'T! IF Trader JOe's isn't going to make it, is it possible to get the ingredients and the recipe?

[jj]

TJ=Mystery Food
Ever notived how this company is always changing products? Even products that keep the same package change quality ( color, texture)
Because of food allergy I tried to get info on a few products from TJ's. They dont even know where half their stuff is coming from. I question the TJ brand and their source. I dont trust their labels.

[sergio]

We shop at Trader Joe's all the time, but recently we had 3 different products that had dirt in them (a cheese, a fire roasted vegetable ravioli and a mushroom kirsch). These products are probably manufactured in different places, so I don't know what is going on, I would have to say that it is poor quality control. We are very disappointed because we always shop there, and now we don't feel like shopping there anymore!

[novice]

I am guessing that the 'orange cranberry sauce' is a seasonal item. Anyone know when/whether that is going to come back this year? I would have bought extra had I anticipated that it would be a seasonal item. Now, having read other postings, I fear that it may not come back at all ... :-(

[Lij]

I am really disappointed with inconsistencies I keep finding. Every time I find a new favorite food it's discontinued. Here's some examples:
lowfat munster cheese
country style tomato soup
split pea soup (new label and new yucky recipe)
marinara starter
dried pineapple rings - packaging and taste changed for the worse
thai peanut sauce
and several other dressings and sauces.

I like being able to count on an item being there. I have also found some of my favorite items still carried dropping in quality. The creamy vegetable Medley bisque is sometimes thin and sometimes so gloopy I can hardly get it out of the carton. Recently I bought a bag of frozen blackberries and when I poured some out I thought they were big raspberries. They are so under ripe they are inedible.

I know they would most likely exchange them for me, but I shouldn't have to hassle with it. Too bad. I thought they were a great store

[Lisa Misemer]

I suspect that discontinueing items constantly is really a marketing ploy, rather than TJs looking around for a better deal for us, as they claim. Before this (German? , nothing against Germans) company owned it, I don't recall having this trouble. But in the last year or so, it seems like everything I get used to is discontinued. Especially coffees and teas, but even other things as well.

By doing this, we buy alot more in search of something to replace the one we liked. We don't know until we try new things.

The majority of their customers may be led around in this way like sheep, but I'm looking forward to the day that TJs has some competition. I hear a new English Company is coming!

[Ro]

Trader Joe's is not the kind of grocery store that carries the same products for eternity as supermarkets are, with their limitless shelf space and stockrooms. I think that people need to change their mindset a bit. Your favorite items will not be around forever! There are reasons for this. They still have to buy their products with ever increasing prices and try to keep them affordable. This is another reason why your beloved items disappear from the shelves. If it costs too much, they are not going to carry it. Could we possibly just love TJ's for what it is instead of agonizing over what it isn't? Yes, we've all experienced the disappointment of not being able to get our favorite products from the same location, but check out what's right in front of you. Have you ever stopped to contemplate how many places in the world these products come from and how much effort it takes for them to get to the shelf for you to purchase? I never realized how spoiled we were until I worked for TJ's and watched people kick and scream over a discontinued item. It definately made me check myself.
One of the cool things about your discontinued product is that it was more than likely made by someone and TJ's put their label on it. Check out some specialty stores or even your local supermarket and you might just find the same product. Think of it as an adventure!

[bg]

Have bought TJs Chunky Salsa for years. It kept well in the refrigerator. I dip salsa out with a clean spoon and immediately replace the jar in the fridge.

The last two jars have developed mold almost immediately in the refrigerator. The first a couple of weeks after opening and the other within a week of opening. The first had an expiration date in 2009; the current jar has an expiration date well into 2010. Scary!

On missing products, our store now has no frozen orange juice. I was told they are ''looking for a new provider''.

Their low sugar apricot preserves went from classic preserves with pieces of fruit to a mashed jam that seems full of pectin.

The lemon tart that they had last year (probably baked locally) has disappeared.

[Mike Ryder]

Amen, let's get the hot pepper relish back on the shelf's again at TJ's. It is a great product and I have watched the other substitutions for this product and they do not seem to sell as well as the hot pepper relish. I have talked to a few customers at the Valencia Ca. store and they agree with me. I thought I was the only person that misses this product but was surprised to read the other comments on this product. Maybe TJ's will consider getting it back on the shelves.
Keep your fingers crossed.
MR