Christina Ng

After learning about the basics of kitchen incubators, part two of FBU’s kitchen incubator series focuses on the costs of working in such a facility, the necessary permits and certifications you will need before starting, and the inner workings of developing your product in the kitchen incubator space.

For early-stage food and beverage entrepreneurs, kitchen incubators are often one of the first stops on the road to brand development.

Ask most industry trend spotters about what’s hot in food and beverage, and functional ingredients often show up near the top of the list.

We love hearing stories behind new brands, and at the 2015 Winter Fancy Food Show, FBU interviewed with a great number of entrepreneurs to find out their story. We asked them how they got started and what they did before launching their businesses, to which many replied had nothing to do with food or beverage.

When you’re one of a handful brands (or perhaps, the only one) attempting to introduce a new or innovative ingredient, how do you educate consumers about it?

While at the show, we did some polling: 1) What is trending in specialty food? 2) What advice would exhibitors give to entrepreneurs knowing what they know now? 3) How does a brand owner start building an independent retail network?

It wasn’t just food and fun at the 40th annual Winter Fancy Food Show last week. There was also learning on top. We hit a couple of sessions off the floor to see what we could bring back for the FBU crowd.

One of the biggest marketing issues still plaguing many food and beverage companies is how to implement a successful social media campaign. Many wonder, “what’s the secret to interacting with consumers online?”

With booming consumer demand for specialty and artisanal foods, a growing number of entrepreneurs armed with little more than a dream and recipe are turning to kitchen incubators in hopes of turning their ideas into reality.

With our comprehensive list of expected food and beverage trends for 2015, subscribers now have access to critical information as to what’s hot and what’s soon to be on-trend in the coming year.