Denise Purcell

Nancy Kruse, founder of The Kruse Company, is a recognized authority and widely quoted spokesperson on food and menu trends. In this episode of Spill & Dish, she weighs in on opportunities for specialty food brands on menus, and previews the Summer Fancy Food Show session State of the Plate 2024: Outlook and Opportunity for Specialty Foods. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

In this special Earth Month episode, Anna Hammond, founder and CEO of Matriark Foods, discusses the sustainable focus of her brand of upcycled specialty pasta sauces, broths, and stews made from farm surplus and fresh-cut food scraps, and previews the Summer Fancy Food Show panel discussion, “Discover the Future of Food: Sustainably Specialty With Food Tank.” In this podcast episode, she discusses how sustainability will drive food industry innovation and other topics to be covered during the event. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

Chef Joceyln Ramirez is a best-selling cookbook author, New York Times cooking contributor, and founder of Todo Verde, a plant-forward maker of true-to-culture, non-GMO, Mexican seasonings. In this episode of Spill & Dish, Ramirez discusses how she’s bringing authenticity to American taco night, the advantages of becoming women and minority-owned certified, and winning SFA’s Fancy Face-Off pitch competition. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

Join Megan Rooney, Program Development Manager at SFA, in an insightful conversation with Mariah Hilton Wood, Co-Founder of Tilden. Together with her classmate Vanessa Royle, Mariah embarked on a journey to redefine the essence of celebration through non-alcoholic beverages. In this episode, Mariah delves into the challenges of co-packing, unexpected consumer demographics, and the pivotal role of intuition in entrepreneurship. Tune in to discover how Tilden is reshaping the way we toast to life's moments, one refreshing sip at a time. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

On this Spill & Dish episode, Jen Liao, co-founder of MìLà (formerly Xiao Chi Jie), takes listeners along her entrepreneurial journey from co-founding a Chinese street food restaurant with her husband in 2018, to pivoting during the pandemic and making local deliveries of frozen xiao long bao (soup dumplings), to shipping them nationally, direct-to-consumer, to gaining placement in major retailers. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

Developed from a dream to build a specialty market that offers all the products one would need under one roof, Pete Marczyk, founder of Marczyk Fine Foods, left his job in business to create the community-focused market. In this episode of Spill & Dish recorded at the Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas, Marczyk speaks with George Hajjar, associate editor at the SFA, about providing for a local community. He discusses growing the market, and gives advice to specialty makers and retailers looking to grow their business. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

Karl Franz Williams is a mixologist, restaurateur, CPG veteran, and founder of Uncle Waithley’s Beverage Co., maker of ginger beer with a Scotch Bonnet bite that’s based on a family recipe. On this episode of Spill & Dish, which was recorded at the Winter Fancy Food Show, Williams talks about his product’s namesake, what’s special about Scotch Bonnet Peppers, and how he endeavors to get his ginger beer on shelves and menus. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

At the Specialty Food Association's recent Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas, George Hajjar, associate editor at the SFA, spoke with Cathy Strange, ambassador of food culture at Whole Foods Market. In this episode, they discussed how to teach others to taste with their five senses, what grocery buyers look for in specialty products, and standout trends for the year. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

Denver-based beverage brand Frescos Naturales fills their beautiful cans with traditional aguas frescas with a twist, featuring classic flavors like tamarind, hibiscus, and mango. In this episode, Gretchen VanEsselstyn, SFA’s director of education, speaks with Juan Stewart about his journey to taste success, including his Shark Tank appearance! Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

Lewis Road Creamery is a New Zealand-based maker of the 10 Star Certified Salted Butter that was named Specialty Food Association’s 2023 sofi Product of the Year at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. In this episode, Julie Gallagher, director of content development for SFA, speaks with Lewis Road Creamery’s co-founder and director of marketing and communications, Lynette Maan, and vice president of sales and operations, Steve Muir, about the premium butter space, their product’s sofi win, and how Lewis Road Creamery does right by farmers, animals, and the Earth. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

New York-based shiitake mushroom chip company Popadelics is on a mission to bring attention to under-loved vegetables. In this episode, George Hajjar, associate editor at the SFA, speaks with co-founders and life partners Marilyn Yang and Michael Casali about transitioning to the food world from a finance background, the origins of the pandemic-born snack, and their recent success, particularly in alternate channels including Urban Outfitters. Additionally, Yang highlights some of the brand’s philanthropic achievements, including partnership with the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness research. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

In this episode, Megan Rooney, Program Development Manager, sits down with the dynamic duo behind SAYSO, a New York-based premium cocktail company founded by two Harvard Business School graduates. Alison Evans and Chloe Bergson take us on a journey from their humble beginnings crafting cocktails in mason jars to their innovative transition to tea bags for a convenient 3-minute cocktail experience. They share their insights on reinventing classic cocktails, and emphasize the value of taking the plunge before you feel fully prepared. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

New Zealand-based Heilala Vanilla was co-founded by a father and daughter who show their commitment to the people and land of Tonga with every bean and batch. In this episode, Gretchen VanEsselstyn, SFA’s director of education, speaks with Jennifer Boggiss about Heilala’s connections with chefs, journey to retail, B-Corp certification, and positive impact. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

Sam Mogannam is a chef and second-generation owner of San Francisco’s Bi-Rite Market and founder of the B Corp certified Bi-Rite Family of Businesses, which includes two specialty markets, a creamery, catering commissary, and a nonprofit cooking school and education space. In this episode, Julie Gallagher, director of content development for Specialty Food Association, speaks with Mogannam about the rich sensory experience that can be had at Bi-Rite, how he strives to maintain its B Corp status, and plans for a new store opening. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode

Dominic Biggi is a third-generation owner of Beaverton Foods, a gourmet condiments maker that also co-packs. In this episode of Spill & Dish, SFA’s 2023 Hall of Fame inductee talks about carving out his niche in a family business, the company’s more than 500 recipes, and what’s next for the specialty food business. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. Download or Stream the Episode