Spill & Dish: A Specialty Food Association Podcast

Twenty years ago, Jonathan Milo Leal launched Milo’s Whole World Gourmet , an Ohio-based specialty food maker of Sofi Award winning products, that also offers boutique co-packing services. In this episode, Julie Gallagher, director of content development at SFA, chats with the entrepreneur about how he got his start, the business lessons he’s learned through the years, and the unique perspective h...

In this episode, Megan Rooney, Program Development Manager at SFA, chats with David Gremmels of Rogue Creamery about the kismet that led him to cheese making, how gardening led to flavor innovation, his commitment to sustainability, and how SFA helped him jump start distribution. Spill & Dish is Powered by Simplecast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...

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-friendl...

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. Spill & Dish is Powered...

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. Spill & Dis...

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. Sp...

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...

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 She...

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 spa...

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 V...

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 partne...

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 Afr...

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...

Caroline Cotto is co-founder and COO 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-ow...

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 jou...

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 Eur...

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...

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...

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 Rebelly...

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 tom...

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...

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 s...

Have you tasted the most buzzworthy pasta in history? In this special episode recorded live at the Summer Fancy Food Show 2022 , you’ll hear the story behind the squiggle with Dan Pashman , the creator and host of The Sporkful podcast and the inventor of cascatelli , plus the wizards who used their noodles to make it, Scott Ketchum and Steve Gonzalez of Sfoglini ! Gretchen VanEsselstyn, SFA’s educ...

Remedy Organics is a line of 100% plant-based protein beverages using the finest Superfoods, Ayurvedics, Botanical Herbs, and Prebiotics with functional benefits that go well beyond hydration and general nutrition. In this episode, Megan Rooney, Education Manager at SFA, chats with Founders Cindy and Henry Kasindorf about the passion for wellness that launched the brand, how they are bringing conv...

Stonewall Kitchen started out at a local farmers’ market in Maine in 1991, but has since grown into a well-known and well-loved family of lifestyle and specialty food brands. In this episode, George Hajjar, associate editor at SFA, chats with chief sales marketing officer, Natalie King, about her experience working with and growing the award-winning family business. Spill & Dish is Powered by...