Archive for the ‘Starting a Food Business’ Category

Trends in Informal Events Promoting Artisan Food Producers

Posted February 14, 2010 by susie No Comments

Last April, I wrote about 5 mobile street trends – for selling “street food” as well as food on the street and by delivery.

In recent months a trend of gathering several artisan food producers in one temporary location has made it even more compelling for potential  customers to seek out the food. Here are a few examples from New York and San Francisco.

Would love to hear of others, around the country as well as further ideas, issues, and new related trends!

“Underground” Food Shows

Forage SF has had 2 wildly successful Underground Farmer’s Markets where home chefs get together to sample, test, and sell their products with hundreds of hungry foodies. The Indie Mart mixes food makers with crafters. A couple years earlier, the Unfancy Food Show in Brooklyn led this ingenious trend in highlighting small food producers.
Fab Caramel Corn at ForageSF Underground Farmer's Market

Temporary Storefronts (Pop Ups)

“Pop ups” were something I’d never heard of until coming to New York this month. The idea is a space rents out to various producers who announce the times/dates they’ll “pop up” in the neighborhood. Like an ad hoc store. This is a huge win for the food producers as well as retailers who may have a vacant space.

While Liddabit Sweets sells at the Brooklyn Flea on weekends, their pop up at a space called Kill Devil Hill gave them a way to sell to customers for Valentine’s Day.
liddabit pop up

Social Parties / Networking Events Featuring Food Producers

simply nic
Upon arriving in New York, I headed to an event organized by Gourmates. They’d arranged for a few local food producers to come to the event, attended by several hundred people – a great way to have an instant “theme.” Foodzie partners Mother-in-Law’s Kimchi and Simply Nic’s artisan shortbread braved the weather to set up tables for sampling and sales. A win for everyone!

For such events, where people are drinking and mingling, a way to store your purchases at the door and pick them up on your way out would increase the number of purchases. Or perhaps giving an event bag to hold your purchases. Any thoughts on how to make such events successful?

Posted in Interviews & Buzz, Starting a Food Business

Awesome Food Sampling at Foodbuzz Fete

Posted November 9, 2009 by susie 7 Comments

Foodzie producers delighted many at the Foodbuzz food bloggers event.

Get a virtual tour of all the great Foodzie producers who joined us.

(If you can’t take the yummy torture, you can get the goodies right here: Annie the Baker, p.o.p. candy, La Mar’s Mendocino Sea Salt, Stella Cadente Olive Oil, Neo Cocoa, BonBonBar, Au Coeur des Chocolats, Vibrant Flavors / Oregon Dukkah, Allspice Cafe, Gateau et Ganache, Botanical Bakery, Aunt Else’s Æbleskiver…

More to come on the many other amazing artisan treats bloggers tasted in goodie bags and sampled at Foodzie’s table.

After a long day of munching, meeting, and sampling, we and a few tired and happy producers had a great get together at Foodzie’s offices.
foodzie producers meet in san francisco

Posted in Announcements & Events, Starting a Food Business

DIY Eco Ice Packs Reusable In the Garden

Posted November 5, 2009 by susie 1 Comment

Leslie, the artisan behind Luca Chocolates, told us about an ice pack she makes using materials that won’t end up in landfill. Not only would she like to share how she creates her eco-friendly ice packs which can be re-used in the garden, she sent photos.

First, here’s how she describes the ice packs:

“The filling is just water and a superabsorbent polymer (the same stuff that’s inside diapers and lady products) which also has an application as a water saver in your garden.  If you were to buy the powder on your own, you could mix a small amount in with garden soil and it would hold the water longer than soil alone.  I think Miracle Grow also makes a potting soil that already contains it.

So, if you don’t want to use the ice packs that ship with Luca Chocolate as an ice pack, just cut them open and stir them into your garden or house plant soil.  I imagine you could also spread it out on a baking sheet and let the water evaporate (no idea how long that would take) and then stir it into the soil dry.”

Along with these eco ice packs, corn-based peanuts that can also melt down are another great earth friendly packing material, used by Liz Lovely and others.

Do you have creative earth friendly ways of creating ice packs?

The ingredients

water
superabsorbent polymer
powder
plastic bag

Instructions:

Add the powder into water
5 minutes later it will have gelled.
Put the gel into bag
Completed ice pack
Freeze it. Here’s what the frozen ice pack will look like!

Posted in Starting a Food Business, Tips & Resources

Mendocino Sea Salt Story

Posted October 7, 2009 by susie No Comments

They say “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” And when life no longer allowed the La Mars to run their fishing business off the Mendocino Coast, they made sea salt!

I visited Bob and Lora and enjoyed seeing their Sea Salt and all purpose “seasoning sand” fly off the farmer’s market table. It sells out weekly! We’re thrilled that Tasting Table found their Mendocino Sea Salt to be “crisp, clean flavor and crystals that are hollow, crunchy and delicate enough to crush between your fingers.”

I use the seasoning sand on vegetables, on popcorn, with eggs, and it’s made for home fries.

Posted in Interviews & Buzz, Starting a Food Business

A Smart Cookie – Maitelates Alfajores

Posted September 10, 2009 by susie No Comments

Congrats to Maitelates Alfajores, today featured on Epicurious as the Treat of the Week! Epicurious’ post is an interesting read for food producers, as it breaks down what makes her chocolate dipped alfajores so special, from the presentation and story to the taste experience.

Much like Cooperstown Cookies’ baseball themed shortbread, Maitelates is a great example of growing a business – partly with organic growth, by connecting with customers on her blog, and by partnering closely with people who can help – like Foodzie!

In addition to selling online, a presence at local farmer’s markets is one of the best ways to see what really works and make those wonderful in person community connections. That’s how Maite (and many of our great producers) got started. She’s now an Ann Arbor phenomenon with a loyal farmer’s market following and the word is spreading. Recently actor Chris Gorham tried Maitelates at the farmer’s market and called them “one of the best cookies I’ve ever eaten.” His quote appeared on People.com. Not bad!

maitelates

Posted in Starting a Food Business

Launching a Homerun Cookie Business

Posted September 8, 2009 by susie No Comments

cooperstown cookiesWe’re excited to see that Ladies Who Launch, a group that supports women entrepreneurs, published a great case study about how Pati Drumm Grady started and has found success with Cooperstown Cookies in the hometown of baseball – Cooperstown. Congrats to Pati, one of our great cookie producers!

Pati is a great example of taking an idea from conception to the “majors.”  It’s a useful read for the many people who also have a dream of starting a food business. Getting support from groups like Ladies Who Launch, food entrepreneurship centers, friends and family, and companies like Foodzie who want to help you expand your presence are all key to building a business. (Here are some resources to get your food business started.)

We’re often approached by cookie makers in different stages, with different business strategies. Some want to stay small and cook out of home (if the state allows a home kitchen) or in a local kitchen. Others start small then as they grow end up working with a “co-packer” who manufactures the cookies with oversight by the company owner.

Success with a food business follows the same general rules as other entrepreneurial endeavors:

  • -know your goals, which may be to stay small or hit the big time
  • -have a strategy and twist that will make you irresistible to your target market, like Pati does
  • -go with the flow as far as opportunities that open up

And – to continue the metaphor – if you strike out, nowadays it’s easy and often affordable to regroup and prepare for the next great season, with an all new strategy!

Posted in Starting a Food Business

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