Jump to content

  • Announcements

    George Hajjar
    Sisters Jessica Amel and Angela Kmeck co-lead Janet’s Finest, a specialty food brand started by their mother that incorporates spicy jalapeños into sweet fruity compotes. In this episode of Spill & Dish, George Hajjar, associate editor of the Specialty Food Association, speaks with the sisters about driving success on social media and the importance of family and community in their brand.
    Christy Schmitt
    Thursday April 13th @ 1pm ET
    Supplier diversity is an important strategy for retailers and distributors, focusing on the inclusion of small businesses and businesses owned by minority and underrepresented groups in their buying plans. Join us for this informative panel featuring retail and distribution perspectives on how diversity buying works and how it can work for your business.
     
     
    George Hajjar
    Dani Zuchovicki, member and community manager at The Hatchery, began observing and later assisting her grandmother in the kitchen from an early age. Her culinary curiosity continued during her teen years when she tested out recipes by hosting supper clubs with high school friends. These days she assists early-stage food entrepreneurs at the Chicago incubator in getting their businesses off the ground. In this episode of Spill & Dish, Julie Gallagher, content director for the Specialty Food Association, speaks with SFA’s Emerging Leader Award winner about her work with women from underserved communities, the common hurdles they face, and the ways she’s assisted hundreds of food makers.
    Christy Schmitt
    Thursday, April 20th @ 1pm ET
    As a specialty food company, you’ll likely have opportunities to work with partners, and a license agreement or a strategic partnership agreement is crucial. Before you jump in, you need to understand your rights and be prepared to face potential legal pitfalls. This presentation will shine light on important elements including intellectual property, quality control, and royalties. Bring your questions!
     
     
    Christy Schmitt
    Thursday, March 23 @ 1pm 
    The food industry, along with society at large, suffers from widespread employee abuses, including sexual harassment and discrimination. Recently, food and agriculture company Bolthouse Farms took a stand, announcing changes to its NDA policy to allow employees the freedom to report on potential wrongdoing they experience at the company. This move comes as part of a wave of policy changes, both at the legislative and corporate levels to protect workers’ voices. Join us for this dynamic and informative panel discussion with four top experts on these issues. You will learn about: the latest federal, state, and company policies that are shifting the way we think about NDAs and forced arbitration and protecting employees; why Bolthouse Farms decided to make the changes they did and how your company can do the same; the personal toll silencing mechanisms can take and why it’s important to address workplace abuses.
    Participants:
    Michele Simon, Moderator
    Sarvenaz Bakhtiar, Lift Our Voices
    Matthew Ayres, Bolthouse Farms
     
    George Hajjar
    Michele Freeman, CEO and co-founder of Venice Beach Beverage, always had a love for tea. Growing up in Ohio, all her mealtime memories included her family's iced tea recipe. Today, she has taken that recipe and evolved it into the first plant-based, shelf-stable tea with 100% daily vitamins in the United States.
    On this episode of Spill & Dish, guest host and Cuisine Noir Magazine editor Sheree Williams speaks with Freeman about becoming a small business owner at the age of 57 and how it is never too late to follow your dreams and do what you love. Michele also shares how she took a recipe passed down from generation to generation to create a beverage that not only tastes good but is good for you too.
    George Hajjar
    Director of center store for Town & Country Markets and winner of the 2023 SFA Leadership Award for Outstanding Buyer, Dwight Richmond has helped bring prominent specialty food brands to retail, including Xinca Foods, Lotus Foods, and Siete Family Foods. 
    In this episode, George Hajjar, associate editor at SFA speaks with Richmond about enabling makers to self-mentor, understanding the spark that makes a good business, and the familial element that’s inherent in the specialty food industry.
    Christy Schmitt
    Thursday, March 16 at 1pm ET
    DTC and grocery can live together in perfect harmony – in this webinar, you’ll learn how! We’ll explore the best uses and practices for each channel, expand into creative ways to build your direct-to-consumer following through product offerings and programs, and show how to make both channels complement one another. Bring your questions! 
    George Hajjar
    After leading a platoon of 45 marines in combat at the age of 23, David Kemp was looking to leverage his Harvard Business School degree. He became partner in Les Trois Petits Cochons in 2015 and has increased sales by 25 percent per year since 2017.
    In this Spill & Dish episode, Julie Gallagher, director of content development for SFA, talks with Kemp, SFA’s 2023 Leadership Award Winner for Vision, about his road to success, the impact of inflation, and what’s next for Village Gourmet.
    Christy Schmitt
    Thursday, Feb 9, 1pm ET
    Costco has become a popular option for consumers who are looking for quality products at a discount. Jeremy Smith, the President and Founder of LaunchPad and expert in all things Costco, is here to help you figure out if the club channel is a good fit for your business! He will provide guidance on how to work with Costco, as well as winning strategies to get your product in the customer’s cart.  
     
    George Hajjar
    The Winter Fancy Food Show edition of Specialty Food features “Top Food Trends for 2023” and profiles the winners of SFA’s Leadership Awards for Citizenship, Vision, Sustainability, Emerging Leader, and Outstanding Buyer.
    It also includes news related to the Winter Fancy Food Show, taking place January 15-17 in Las Vegas, and “Sin City Specialties,” which highlights new food destinations in the Show’s host city. 
    As part of Buyers’ Picks, a trio of retail buyers share recommendations for foods supporting resolutions in the new year. In addition, members of SFA’s 12 Under 35: Breakout Talent to Watch list weigh in on their biggest concerns in 2023. Read now.
    Megan Rooney
    Thursday, January 5 at 1pm ET
    On November 21, 2022, FDA published its long-anticipated final rule on food traceability. The rule covers many key areas of interest to SFA members situated throughout the supply chain, from makers, to distributors, to retailers and in key areas such as seafood, cheeses, and nut butters. Join attorney Jeni Lamb Rogers as she provides a summary of key provisions of the rule, critical aspects for your business, and when you need to comply. Please bring your questions for a great discussion!
     
    Megan Rooney
    Thursday, January 26 at 1pm ET
    Are you a maker brand with limited time, resources, and money? This webinar is for you. You’ll learn how to segment your audience and personalize communication via better Customer Relationship Management to organize and engage via helpful, human, and holistic online marketing. You’ll also learn how to improve online sales and audience reach with nano- and micro-influencers. 
     
    George Hajjar
    Chef, author, and co-founder of Yolélé, Pierre Thiam saw the opportunity to start his business after discovering the dearth of West African cuisine in New York City and observing how smallholder farmers in Senegal made fonio, a nutrient-dense ancient grain, and West African staple. While working on the company, he thought about the positive social and economic impacts it could have both in West Africa and across the world. 
    In this episode of Spill & Dish, George Hajjar, associate editor at SFA, speaks with Thiam about starting his business, the importance of collaboration, and the global food supply chain.
    George Hajjar
    Dufour nationally supplies artisanal hors d’oeuvres and other savories as well as ready-to-bake tart shells, all-butter puff pastry, and now, a plant-based dough from its plant in the South Bronx. In this episode, Megan Rooney, Program Development Manager at SFA, speaks with Carla Krasner, co-founder and co-owner at Dufour Pastry Kitchens, about running a women-owned company since 1985, respecting tradition while being open to change, and transitioning from a career in music to one in food.
    Megan Rooney
    Thursday, December 1 at 1pm ET
    “There’s no success without a successor,” says Harry T. Jones – and his experience proves it. It’s crucial to put a plan in place for the next phase of your business, and that plan should be flexible, transparent, and true to your values. In this session, you’ll learn about the potential pitfalls – and remedies – in order to build your own plan for succession success.
     
    Megan Rooney
    Thursday, December 8 at 1pm ET
    In this insightful webinar, Rachel Saul, Co-Founder and Chief Strategist of the award-winning agency Chelsea & Rachel Co, will share five of the most common pitfalls food brands encounter when starting a direct to consumer business. Rachel will share tactics, strategies, and real success stories from brands that have increased DTC revenue up to 25x and “nom-nomed” their competition.
     
    George Hajjar
    Caroline Cotto is co-founder and COO of Renewal Mill, an upcycled food company that works with byproducts from plant-based milk such as soybean pulp, oat pulp, and almond pulp, that are dried and milled to produce ingredients that are rich in nutrients. In this Spill & Dish podcast episode, Julie Gallagher, director of content at SFA, talks with Cotto about the history of upcycling, collaborations with other women-owned brands, and how specialty food businesses can get involved in the space.
    Megan Rooney
    Thursday, December 15 at 1pm ET
    In this introductory session, Felice Thorpe, a consulting sales director with deep experience in specialty foods, will get you ready to sell. You’ll learn how to set goals through SWOT analysis and KPI’s, build a sales funnel, understand sales channels, and craft an elevator pitch, talking points and point-of-sale materials. 
     
    Megan Rooney
    Thursday, November 17 at 1pm ET
    Launching your brand on Amazon is like a road trip for your company! For that reason, the most successful brands do extraordinary preparation before ever arriving at Amazon’s door. They invest the time and resources required to understand the selling platform, unit economics, content needs, optimal product and pack configurations, and other best practices that are fundamental to winning on Amazon. This masterclass will guide you through the components of your Amazon strategy in order to chart a smart course and avoid bumps in the road for a successful journey.
     
    George Hajjar
    Paula Lambert is the founder and owner of Mozzarella Company, a Dallas-based artisan cheese shop, and author of many cheese-related books including The Cheese Lover’s Cookbook and Guide. In this episode, George Hajjar, associate editor at SFA, chats with Lambert about the process of making and innovating cheese flavors, growing her business, and leading annual trips to Europe.
    Megan Rooney
    Thursday, November 10 at 1pm ET
    When you sell through retailers, you will likely pay them to promote your products to their customers – that’s trade spend. In this webinar, expert John Maggiore will discuss why trade spend is important, what components to consider, and how to spend your allocated dollars in the most effective ways. Bring your questions!
     
    George Hajjar
    The fall issue of Specialty Food features profiles of members of SFA’s 12 Under 35: Breakout Talent to Watch list and highlights from Today’s Specialty Food Consumer research.
    This holiday-themed edition also includes Buyers’ Picks for holiday confections, a look at festive appetizers in “Category Spotlight: Home for the Holidays,” and pairing ideas in “Cheers to Cheese and Beer.”
    It also features the Specialty Food Maker section that includes topics and business news to help producers and suppliers build their operations to stay prepared for challenges, like “Maker Mix” including the article “How to Talk to Co-Manufacturers About Your Product,” “Maker Q&A: Working With Co-Manufacturers,” and “Strengthening Organic Enforcement: What You Need to Know.”
    Read it today!
×
×
  • Create New...