Starting A Specialty Food Business
http://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2012-06-06/starting-specialty-food-business
Whether it's grandma's coffee cake or mom's pasta sauce, every family has a favorite food they think they could sell. With the national "Fancy Food" trade show coming to D.C. this month, Kojo explores what it takes to start a specialty food business--from moving production out of your home kitchen to getting your product into stores.
Guests
Susan Soorenko
Owner, Moorenko's Ice Cream Cafe (Silver Spring, MD)
Clare Turner
Co-owner, Virginia Chutney Company (Washington, VA)
Ron Tanner
Vice President of Communications, National Association for the Specialty Food Trade
Comments
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I buy a wonderful salad dressing at Whole Foods which is made in Annapolis. It is a locally made family brand called Tessemae's. I am allergic to vinegar so was thrilled to find this delicious, healthy dressing which is gluten, sugar and dairy free with all natural ingredients.
I highly recommend calling Gordon at Pinecrest Equipment in Virginia if you are just starting out in this industry. We went down there after I saw one of their auctions on eBay and noticed he was local. He worked with us to figure out what we needed and we ended up saving over 50% from our original quote because they sale re-manufactured restaurant and grocery store equipment.
They had an entire warehouse of meat saws, walk-in coolers, deli case, and mixers, racks, trays, blenders, pop-corn makers, microwaves, you name it! One of the coolest things I saw there was a custom refrigerated trailer they created for "Hunters for the Hungry" Non profit group.
Their number is 540-576-3740. Even if you don't use them, I recommend buying re-manufactured to save money. Its the only way we could make it.
One guest mentioned looking for someone or company to manufacture their product. I use to own a gourmet sausage manufacturing company and had the contract to provide cooked sausage in frozen bulk packages for an international pizza company. I did not have the equipment or capacity to cook, package, freeze and deliver the quantity to meet the demand. I went to a local hospital kitchen and they cooked, bulked packaged and froze the product ready for pick up in four days from receipt of the raw materials; meat and spice mix. The hospital kitchen was willing to do this to utilize the kitchen and staff during down time in the evenings. And, they did it a a dollar less per pound then I could have done. Therefore, your listener may find a similar business with "free time" of their facility and manufacture your product. Be sure to have a confidentiality contract and legal protection from them "stealing" your recipe and making their own. Be sure to withhold some key ingredients. I would deliver the meat in premeasured bulk packs "and the spices and other ingredients in a premeasured bulk mix; one meat pack to one package of spice mix. That way the hospital had no idea what was in the spice mix to make the sausages.
One guest mentioned looking for someone or company to manufacture their product. I use to own a gourmet sausage manufacturing company and had the contract to provide cooked sausage in frozen bulk packages for an international pizza company. I did not have the equipment or capacity to cook, package, freeze and deliver the quantity to meet the demand. I went to a local hospital kitchen and they cooked, bulked packaged and froze the product ready for pick up in four days from receipt of the raw materials; meat and spice mix. The hospital kitchen was willing to do this to utilize the kitchen and staff during down time in the evenings. And, they did it a a dollar less per pound then I could have done. Therefore, your listener may find a similar business with "free time" of their facility and manufacture your product. Be sure to have a confidentiality contract and legal protection from them "stealing" your recipe and making their own. Be sure to withhold some key ingredients. I would deliver the meat in premeasured bulk packs "and the spices and other ingredients in a premeasured bulk mix; one meat pack to one package of spice mix. That way the hospital had no idea what was in the spice mix to make the sausages.
One guest mentioned looking for someone or company to manufacture their product. I use to own a gourmet sausage manufacturing company and had the contract to provide cooked sausage in frozen bulk packages for an international pizza company. I did not have the equipment or capacity to cook, package, freeze and deliver the quantity to meet the demand. I went to a local hospital kitchen and they cooked, bulked packaged and froze the product ready for pick up in four days from receipt of the raw materials; meat and spice mix. The hospital kitchen was willing to do this to utilize the kitchen and staff during down time in the evenings. And, they did it a a dollar less per pound then I could have done. Therefore, your listener may find a similar business with "free time" of their facility and manufacture your product. Be sure to have a confidentiality contract and legal protection from them "stealing" your recipe and making their own. Be sure to withhold some key ingredients. I would deliver the meat in premeasured bulk packs "and the spices and other ingredients in a premeasured bulk mix; one meat pack to one package of spice mix. That way the hospital had no idea what was in the spice mix to make the sausages.