specialty food association

Specialty Food Association - Summer Fancy Food Show 2023 - Breakfast Trends, Cocktail Culture, and Storytelling Focused Favorites

Overwhelming is the word used most often at this year’s Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. Occurring over 3 days (June 25-27, 2023) at the Javits Center in New York, SFA pulled out all the stops. There is a lot of ground to cover here. Let’s first start with some background about me. If you didn’t know this about me already, in my full time job I manage trade shows and events. From someone that does this in their day-to-day, I’d say it’s pretty rare to find a show organizer that is constantly improving and innovating quite like SFA. This year they had:

  • Sold-out show with more than 2,000 domestic and global specialty food and beverage makers and manufacturers.

  • Keynote speaker celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis

  • Product pavilions dedicated to the hottest categories including: Plant Based, Deli, Bakery/Confectionery/Snacks/Sweets, and Beverage. This year they also had a Sips Bay (Beverage Pavillon and Diversity Pavillon)

  • International Pavilions from 31 countries and regions across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceana, and South America, including partner country, the Kingdom of Morocco.  

  • State and Regional Pavilions including Brooklyn Goes Global, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), and Virginia. 

  • NEW NOW NEXT Pavilion featuring Incubators and Startups.

  • Unveiling of the sofi™ Product of the Year and New Product of the Year award winners.

  • 5 Borough Block Party - End of the first exhibit day featuring food trucks from the 5 boroughs + drinks and a live DJ…. A real taste of New York.


Most Notable Trends:

There were no shortage of mocktail inspired business here were a few that were on the top of my list.

Alcohol-Free Cocktail Culture

Sayso - Sayso is behind the first-ever cocktail tea bag. All you do is steep in cold water for 3 minutes and add your spirits or keep it a mocktail. Flavors include an Old Fashion, Skinny Spicy Margarita, and Rosemary Honey Moscow Mule.

Fauxmosa - A bubbly alcohol-free (0.0% ABV) mimosa that playfully blends California grapes, real fruit juice, and botanical flavors with a hint of apple cider vinegar to create a regret-free cocktail that suits your lifestyle. These little cans come in flavors such as: Cranberry with Hibiscus & Ginger, Pineapple with Lemon & Mint, and Orange with Turmeric.

Twisted Alchamic - These are 100% cold pressed, fresh juices are for those who care about quality, but would rather spend time creating killer cocktails than juicing and cleaning. I’ll admit I went for seconds on this one. The Three Citrus Margarita and Passion Fruit juice were my top favorites.


Luxury Breakfast

Since brunch is our business, I tried to source and seek out the best new breakfast products. What I found was there were so many brands that were using the finest ingredients in their products or on a mission to make breakfast more family friendly.

High Quality Breakfast Ingredients:

Runamok - Runamok is a specialty foods company focused on creating fun, innovative, and delicious products with quality, natural ingredients. At the show I had an interview with the President, Curt Alpeter, he walked me through their product line of syrups, mixers, and honey.

Newly launched this year is their Maple Grenadine cocktail mixer. They showcased this by having this really nice side-by-side comparison of the leading grenadine and the comparison of their quality ingredients. It was delicious and I don’t make a ton of things with grenadine but I’m pretty sure they converted me. Along with this, Curt really took his time to explain to me the different grades and quality of maple syrup. As well as where and how they source their honey, and what the difference is between raw and processed honey. It was a really fascinating conversation about agriculture.

Jesha’s Sourdough Pancake Mix - This pancake mix is made from stone-ground whole grains that have been slow fermented with sourdough culture giving it a ton of nutritional value. I love a sourdough, and it didn’t dawn on me how truly tasty a sourdough pancake could be. Plus, I loved that Jesha is a town over from me. Did we just become best friends?!?

Cometeer - This coffee company works with some top quality roasters (Joe Coffee, Counter Culture, Birch, Intelligentsia, and more) to brew and flash freeze into these little pods so unlimited flavor. And I will say the the quality shows. As a huge cold brew/iced coffee girl; this packed smooth, bold flavors. I could have taken 20 of these with me.

Natural Blonde Bloody Mary Mix - Admittedly, I’m not a big Bloody Mary fan, but, this bloody mary mix was smooth as so much less acidic than a traditional Bloody Mary. It’s made from yellow tomato juice giving it its light blonde color and lower in sodium.


Breakfast Made Easier for Families:

Happy Grub - Is a squeezable instant pancake mix, aimed at more fun and less messes, with the goal of bringing more families in the kitchen. Ashley, the founder has been on our podcast before and honestly I’m all for making breakfasts easier and fun with my kiddo. Plus her whole team is incredibly nice and so generous with their time.

Hidden Foods Co. - Homestyle Pancakes - With an addition of flaxseed and oats to this protein packed mix--and the hidden fruits & vitamins. I love the concept of sneaking extra goodies in, plus the pancakes tasted great.

Mama Biscuits - A gourmet biscuit company, Mama Biscuits specializes in a variety of biscuit flavors including sweet, savory, vegan and gluten free. In the fall of this year, Mama Biscuits will be launching some new ready to-go breakfast biscuit sandwiches.


2023 Overall Show Vibes:

In terms of overall show vibe, it felt different than last year. I had gotten far more Press Releases last year. I’m not sure if it is because more companies didn’t do them. Specialty Food Association honestly provides so many great resources to their exhibitors and members. Including a webinar on PR 101 and how to engage with media and they have cubbies in the press room where you can decorate and drop off materials.

My only thought here was last year in 2022 it was the first real year back with less restrictions after Covid. Perhaps companies had more time to create press releases and new product launches compared to this year. Overall, many exhibitors felt very standoffish and focused on buyers and didn’t engage much. Or even worse were the ones that didn’t sample their products at all.

This leads me to shout out the companies that made a real effort to engage, tell their stories, and had really great products

More Favorite Brands from Summer Fancy Food 2023:

Kola Goodies - Sajani Amarasiri is the founder behind Kola Goodies, vegan superfood lattes for energy, mood, immunity, stress relief & wellness. I tried the Sri Lankan Milk Tea and it was out of this world, incredibly tasty, warm, and gave you all those cozy vibe feelings.

Brooklyn Dehli - Premium Indian Pantry staples from sauces, condiments, and spices. My all time favorites are the Coconut Cashew Korma, Tikka Masala sauce, and Mango Chutney. Meeting Chitra Agrawal was also pretty epic, we mostly chatted about kids and Kingston, NY, she was super down to earth.

Yolélé - Yolélé is changing conditions for rural West African smallholder farmers. Their mission is to support biodiverse, regenerative, and climate-resilient farming systems; and to share Africa’s ingredients and flavors with the world.

Best know for producing chips, pilaf, and products with Fonio, a gluten-free African grain; what was new this year were their African Spice Rib + Dip mix set - and yes they were so tasty and make for a perfect summer dip.

Xinca - Authentic Salvadoria Food - Xinca is a family-owned company led by Cynthia Duran, a *Salvi (Salvadorian American) Latina. After her family migrated to the United States while fleeing the Salvadorian civil war, her family found comfort in cooking authentic dishes that reminded them of home. The Four Bean & Cheese Pupusas were my favorite and absolutely flying off the sample table.

Matriark x Sfoglini - Two great brands that teamed up at the show to collaborate on their products - Sfoglini pasta with Matriark’s tomato sauce.

Matriark Foods upcycles farm surplus and fresh-cut remnants into healthy, delicious, low sodium vegetable products for schools, hospitals, and food banks.

Sfoglini pasta sources the finest North American organic grains and unique ingredients from local farms and green markets with traditional Italian techniques to create fun pasta shapes that hold optimal sauce. Plus they are based in the Hudson Valley.


Would love to hear what your experience was like if you attended Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show this year. What were some of your favorite brands and trends? Let me know in the comments.

I already can’t WAIT to see what next year’s show has in store.


Speciality Food Association - Summer Fancy Food 2022 Recap

Speciality Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food at the Javitiz Center in NYC of June 2022 was nothing short of spectacular. The show itself was epic with two floors of exhibitors. One floor entirely international food focused, another floor more America and start up focused. A whole section highlighting sofi Award winners, pitch slams, and not to mention that City Harvest NYC picked up hundred of donated pounds of food post-show. Incredible.

Highlighting my top favorite companies and products in the categories of:

  • Brunch Products

  • NY Local Businesses

  • Women-Owned Businesses

Brunch Brands & Products:

Happy Grub:

The first ever instant pancake mix to come in a fun squeezable bottle. Flavors include: Buttermilk, Banana, Apple Cinnamon, Whole Wheat. Woman-owned company, Founded by Ashley Davies.

What I loved most about this booth was they had a pancake artist and were able to recreate our Women Who Brunch logo from their pancake mixes… plus the facts that the pancakes were actually delicious. Really enjoyed the buttermilk flavor and great idea for families and cooking with kiddos.


RISE Brewing Co.

RISE Brewing Co. makes all organic nitro cold brew coffee, lattes, tea, cold brew, and oat milk. At the show they showcased their cold brew coffee nitro shots (available in 2023), and full lineup of oat milk canned cold brews. Personal favorite was the London Fog Canned Tea.


Tillen Farms by Stonewall Kitchen

Bloody Mary Medley & Condiment Collection:

When building your next Bloody Mary, switch out your standard swizzle sticks in favor of these pickled veggies from Tillen Farms. Their Bloody Mary Medley & Condiment Collection includes tangy carrot sticks, petite cornichons, garlicky asparagus and spicy dilly beans all pair perfectly with this savory cocktail for edible garnishes that put celery stalks to shame.

Not to mention they have a Bloody Mary tea towel as a perfect edition to your kitchen or as a gift.

Stonewall Kitchen also has a great lineup of brunch flavor jams like bellini and mimosa as well as pancake mixes.


Runamok

Runamok is a family-owned, Vermont based company that started with a foundation of premium, organic maple syrup and has expanded to an array of maple and honey-based products. 

Highlighting some of their new (and personal favorite) products: Sparkle Syrups, Maple Ginger Mule Cocktail Syrup, and Florida Orange Bloom Honey

Honestly what is brunch without great maple syrup?


Butternut Mountain Farm:

Local farmers have been selling their maple syrup to the Marvin family of Butternut Mountain Farm for forty years. Based in Morrisville, Vermont, Butternot Mountain Farm is one of the largest maple processors and distributors in the United States.

New products: Squeeze Bottle Maple Syrups and Maple Sugar


New York Brands:

Sfoglini

About the makers: Sfoglini was founded in Brooklyn in 2012. Since its founding, Sfoglini has been operated by Steve Gonzalez and Scott Ketchum: a chef and a creative director, respectively, each with a serious passion for pasta.

In 2018, Gonzalez and Ketchum sailed Sfoglini operations up the river to Coxsackie, New York, a Hudson Valley town of just over 8,000 people, where 100% of Sfoglini pasta is now dreamt up, made, and boxed.

Newest and most popular type of pasta is the Cascatelli pasta by Sporkful.

From the mind of James Beard Award winner Dan Pashman, creator and host of The Sporkful food podcast, comes CASCATELLI (Italian for “waterfalls”). Three years in the making, this brand new shape was created in collaboration with the artisans at Sfoglini. Cascatelli is designed to maximize the three qualities by which Dan believes all pasta shapes should be judged:

• Sauceability: How readily sauce adheres to the shape

• Forkability: How easy it is to get the shape on your fork and keep it there

• Toothsinkability: How satisfying it is to sink your teeth into it

I tried a sample of the Cascatelli pasta with Carbone sauce and it was truly toothsinkable!

The Matzo Project:

Artisanal matzo company founded in Brooklyn NY, The Matzo Project introduces carefully made, artfully packaged, legitimately scrumptious matzo.

A great story of Summer Camp friends Ashley Albert and Kevin Rodriguez setting out to bake a new take on the culturally beloved, but traditionally flavorless box of matzo.

I’m officially here to say Ashley and Kevin were the nicest people to talk to and not to mention the cinnamon sugar matzo chips are my new favorite.


Quality ingredients, along with plenty of creativity, love and passion, remain at the heart of these amazing chocolate cups. Based in Brooklyn, NY, Jessie roasts fresh Virginia peanuts in-house, transform them into creamy peanut butter, add Belgian chocolate and voilá, we’ve created the perfectly nutty, two-bite treat just for you!

I absolutely loved how smooth the almond butter cup I tried was, and so rich and decadent.


Little Red Kitchen Bakeshop:

The Little Red Kitchen Bake Shop was created by Susan Palmer in 2014, a native New Yorker who always had a passion for baking. Since she was a small child, you could find her side by side with her mom in the kitchen baking cookies.

Susan has even won Brooklyn Cookie Takedown in 2011 and 2012. With cookie pies, gift boxes, DIY Cookie kits, and cookie of the month club; there’s plenty of delicious options to choose from for any cookie lover. Now I’m hungry.


Woman-Owned Companies

Sunday Night Foods:

From growing up on an Iowa farm to spending decades in corporate America, Eileen Gannon has always had a passion for baking, winning over 600 culinary awards. Now, she’s putting all her best-kept secrets into Sunday Night to share her delectable sauces and recipes.

Using a classic French technique, we make each small batch with legendary Guittard chocolate and cocoa, cane sugar, fresh cream and butter, pure Nielsen-Massey vanilla and sea salt to create chocolate euphoria.

Sunday Night also works with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and donates 1% of sales to NAMI.

Heat up a spoonful for 10 seconds in the microwave, put on ice cream or cookies and you will NOT be disappointed my friends.


Ossa Spices:

A story of Lisa Carson and Connie Wang, two co-workers-turned-friends-turned-co-founders who were so obsessed with the idea of getting just enough that they designed a spice pod and set up a factory.

In the same way a pinch of spice can transform a meal, their hope is that tiny portions can help transform the food industry.

Very interesting info from their website: (which by the way, is such a creative site. I love the visuals and copy on it. Bravo to good creative marketing!)

  • Occo spice pods are made from aluminum, the most recycled and most recyclable material on the planet.

  • Gound spices actually lose flavor within 3-6 months. Oxygen, light, heat, and humidity (common occurrences in a kitchen) cause the essential oils in spice to oxidize and decay. Without these aptly-named oils, spices lose their color, aroma, and flavor.

  • Occo spices are portioned into half-teaspoon pods and sealed for airtight freshness using a modified atmosphere packaging technique.

My favorite part of the booth was that you could customize a packet of spice pods. Loved this display and concept!


Rule Breaker:

Deliciously soft-baked vegan brownies and blondies. First ingredient? Chickpeas! Deliciously soft-baked, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, non-GMO, and allergen-free! Allergy Friendly Snacking. Woman-owned by Nancy Kalish!


Overall, I could have easily spent the full three days at the show talking to and checking out many other great exhibitors. I spent one day on mostly one floor alone! Next year if you’re in town, I highly suggest you check it out, especially if you’re a foodie like me.

Best of all, check out my epic snack and sample haul below... I don’t mess around.