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  • Spill & Dish: An SFA Podcast

    What makes a specialty food special? At the Specialty Food Association, we like to say that every member has a story. Spill & Dish brings you the stories of the entrepreneurs, makers, and sellers who are shaping the future of food. Listen and discover the inspiration, recipe, craft, culture, ingredients, and production methods that make a true specialty food and get a deeper understanding of the people and motivation behind the products—beyond what you’ll read on a label. If you have a recipe you’ve thought about bringing to market or a brand you are launching, if you are a buyer in the trade, or simply a food lover, this podcast is for you.
    Denise Purcell
    Marisol Villalobos grew up on a coffee farm and she is an expert in agriculture, microbiology, and delicious specialty food. Her one-ingredient product was the first sofi award winner from Puerto Rico! On this episode of Spill & Dish, host Gretchen VanEsselstyn talks with Marisol about the triumphs and challenges of creating and selling her plant-based, gluten-free, sustainable and eco-friendly product.
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    Denise Purcell
    In this episode, Megan Rooney, Program Development Manager, chats with David Schmunk of African Dream Foods, about delivering authentic flavors while promoting wildlife conservation through their hot sauces and spices. The 2023 SFA Leadership Award – Emerging Leader recipient discusses the curiosity that drives his career, packaging pains, and his love of trade shows.
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    Denise Purcell
    In this episode, Megan Rooney, Program Development Manager, chats with Luke Schneider of Fire Department Coffee, a veteran-owned business dedicated to providing great-tasting coffee to people everywhere. The 2023 SFA Leadership Award – Citizenship recipient discusses his Navy and firefighting background, roasting coffee in between shifts, and the importance of building good teams.
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    Denise Purcell
    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.
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    Denise Purcell
    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 under served communities, the common hurdles they face, and the ways she’s assisted hundreds of food makers.
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    Denise Purcell
    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.
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    Denise Purcell
    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.
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    Denise Purcell
    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.
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    Denise Purcell
    For Mike Noonan, vice president of operations for Bitchin’ Sauce, the time to do the right thing is now. By combating food waste through smart manufacturing practices, he has earned a 2023 SFA Leadership Award for sustainability.
    In this episode of Spill & Dish, we talk with Noonan about high pressure processing and its benefits for shelf life, the benefits of teaming up with industry partners, and what makes their 16 flavors so incredibly bitchin’.
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    Denise Purcell
    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.
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    Denise Purcell
    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. 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.
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    Denise Purcell
    Caroline Cotto is co-founder and CEO 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 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.
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    Denise Purcell
    Attorney, naval officer, and founder of Bon Appésweet Thereasa Black created the brand for her young toddler daughter who fell in love with dessert while Black was deployed. Since many sweets contain allergens that Black’s daughter needed to avoid, she set out to create a better-for-you chocolate bar and brand. In this episode, George Hajjar, associate editor at SFA, talks with Black about her journey as a Black, veteran, specialty food business owner, and her recent successes.
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    Denise Purcell
    Paula Lambert is the founder and owner of Mozzarella Company, a Dallas-based artisan cheese shop, and an author of many cheese-related books including the recently rereleased 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, leading annual trips to Europe, and more.
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    Denise Purcell
    Ray and Monique Dukes, partners in business and life, run Rosella Baked Goods, maker of Sweet Potato Pancake Mix, Stone Ground Grits, Seafood Breader, and Buttercream Pancake Mix. In this Spill & Dish episode, Julie Gallagher, director of content at the SFA, speaks with Ray and Monique about scaling supply chain hurdles, their experience with supplier diversity programs, and the famous sweet potato hush puppies that started it all.
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    Denise Purcell
    Alexandra Groezinger is president of Groezinger Provisions Inc., the owner and USDA facility which produces Alexian Pate products, including pates, terrines, and mousses, and half of a mother/daughter duo that runs the company. In this episode, Julie Gallagher, content director at SFA, talks to Groezinger about how she is managing double-digit price increases, meeting “Christmas-on-steroids” type demand, and the benefits of a woman-owned certification.
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    Denise Purcell
    Kristie Middleton is vice president of business development for Rebellyous Foods, a company that sells patties, nuggets, and tenders that cook just like breaded chicken products. She’s spent the last 20 years moving plant-based foods from the extreme to the mainstream. In this episode, Megan Rooney, education manager, chats with Kristie about the successful rebrand of Seattle Food Tech to Rebellyous Foods, selling to foodservice, and pricing so that plant-based is accessible to all.
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    Denise Purcell
    Brooklyn Delhi founder Chitra Agrawal launched the Indian condiment and sauce brand eight years ago with the help of her now-husband, food packaging designer Ben Garthus. In this Spill & Dish episode, Julie Gallagher, SFA’s director of content, chats with Agrawal about the approachability of the brand, how she scales supply chain hurdles, and a key foodservice partnership that's placed her tomato achaar in more than a million U.S households.
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    Denise Purcell
    Along with his two brothers, Emilio Mignucci spearheaded the second generation of Di Bruno Bros., a Philadelphia-based family-owned specialty food market. After original owners Danny and Joe let the younger generation take over, Mignucci was tasked with bringing the market to the present age, updating pricing strategies, championing e-commerce, and anticipating expansion. In this episode of SFA’s Spill and Dish podcast, George Hajjar, associate editor, talks with Mignucci about the store’s reverence toward its humble roots, and the struggles and joys involved in growing the business.
    HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.
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    Denise Purcell
    Consultant Lin Jiang’s grueling work schedule left her longing for the taste and sustenance of the traditional Chinese dessert that her mother made for her at breakfast time as a young girl in China. In this episode, Julie Gallagher, SFA’s director of content, talks with Jiang about how her take on her mother’s black sesame porridge grew from a worktime snack to a convenient specialty that will soon be available in every Whole Foods Market in the nation.
    HRN is home to transformative exchanges about food. Our 35+ member-supported food podcasts empower eaters to cultivate a radically better world. This month, we’re asking you to join us. Become a monthly sustaining member at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.
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