NEW YORK — Ten years ago, the Specialty Food Association (SFA) recognized the emergence of food incubators and began working with them. Eventually SFA invited several incubators and their emerging companies to create a popular Fancy Food Show feature, Incubator Alley. This year, incubators at the 2018 Summer Fancy Food Show take on an expanded footprint, Incubator Village, and serve as a key element of the show's education program.
"Specialty foods are now a $140 billion industry," said Phil Kafarakis, president of the SFA. "Small emerging brands — innovative and totally focused on what consumers want — are leading trends, but it can be difficult to succeed in the food industry. Food incubators give new and passionate entrepreneurs a solid chance to enter the marketplace by providing them with opportunities to test concepts and create successful product launches. SFA is thrilled to showcase these incubators and give show attendees a deeper understanding of how they help grow our industry."
The new Incubator Village features 11 incubators from around the U.S., showcasing 80 companies they have helped launch or grow.
The lineup of incubators at the 2018 Summer Fancy Food Show includes:
- Chobani Incubator Program (NYC)
- Commonwealth Kitchen (Boston)
- Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
- The Hatchery (Chicago)
- Hope & Main (Providence, RI)
- HBK Incubates/Hot Bread Kitchen (NYC)
- La Cocina (San Francisco)
- Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA)
- Oregon State University Food Innovation Center (Portland, OR)
- Rutgers Food Innovation Center (New Brunswick, NJ)
- South Fork Kitchens by Amagansett Food Institute (Long Island, NY)
The Summer Fancy Food Show is a trade-only event. The Specialty Food Association provides complimentary press badges to qualified media. Learn more and register.
About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association is a thriving community of food artisans, importers, and entrepreneurs. Established in 1952 in New York, the not-for-profit trade association provides its 3,600 members in the U.S. and abroad with resources, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace. The Association owns and produces the Winter and Summer Fancy Food Shows, and presents the sofi™ Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at specialtyfood.com.
Source: Specialty Food Association
