Food Entrepreneurs Set For Showdown
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFinalists have been selected for the annual Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge in central Indiana. This year's competition features a bike-delivered bakery, a “take-n-bake” cookie dough maker and a business that makes bacon marmalade. June 26, 2014
News Release
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – (June 11, 2014) – From organic flower-based beverages to garden-inspired soul food and bike-delivered bakery, this year's top food business concepts for the Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge combine flavor with health consciousness. Three start-up finalists and three early stage finalists will compete in the regional contest to find the next great start-up and early stage food entrepreneurs. The Challenge is sponsored by
Ivy Tech Community College and by Reliable Water Services a local provider of commercial water heaters, boilers and water softeners.
Start-up business finalists include:
-John and Andrea Burkhardt (siblings) – Fishers, Ind. – Petality – Organic Flower Tisanes and Organic Flower Soda –Biz concept: Delicious and healthy organic flower beverages; freshly‐brewed tisanes and soda that would be packaged and sold to grocery stores, restaurants and online.
-Eddie Williams – Indianapolis, Ind. – Vineyard Fishery Deli – Biz concept: Creole & Mediterranean-inspired restaurant/deli specializing in smoked meats and seafood (salmon and shrimp) offering easy-to-go meals, in-store tapas and wine food pairings.
-Melissa Thornburgh – Indianapolis, Ind. – Indy's Bikery – Biz concept: Premium handmade baked goods such as Japanese cheesecake, brioche donuts and chocolate mousse cake delivered to neighborhoods via bicycle with goal of creating a worker cooperative.
Early Stage finalists include:
-Ben Fogt – Columbus, Ind. – The Flatrock Flatbread Company – Makes neo‐Neapolitan pizzas with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and sells as a vendor at public events and farmers markets and as a private caterer. Challenge is expanding his market range and developing a brick and mortar restaurant.
-Lynne Driscoll – Greenfield, Ind. – Greenfield Cookie Dough Company – An all-natural preservative-free TAKE-n-BAKE cookie dough sold as a frozen product to extend its shelf life. Challenge is to find the best distribution method and market angle.
-Matthew Kornmeyer – Indianapolis, Ind. – Scratchtruck Bacon Marmalade – A sweet, smoky bacon marmalade that tops everything from burgers, meatloaf to scrambled eggs. Challenge is to build distribution to large retail stores (Kroger, Marsh, Fresh Market etc.) and eventually expand the line with other items from the Scratchtruck food truck.
Finalists will compete for the grand prize in a judging event at Ivy Tech Corporate College and Culinary Center, 2820 North Meridian St., Indianapolis on Wed., July 30th at noon. The grand prize winner in each category will receive $2,000 in seed money from Reliable to start their business; expert consultation and scholarship from Ivy Tech Community College; $1,250 in kitchen design services from Zesco.com and Navigator business plan and marketing plan software from ISBDC.
Judges for the contest include:
-Scott Wise, president & CEO, Scotty’s Brewhouse
-Carrie Abbott, owner, Newfangled Confections
-Ian Kille, executive chef, MCL Restaurant & Bakery
-Erin Edds, co-owner, Hoosier Momma
-Brian Shapiro, owner, Shapiro’s Deli
-Heather Tallman, editor, Kitchen Sink Media
“These finalists stood out as having unique and appealing concepts that we felt could really succeed in a competitive marketplace,” said Heather Tallman, contest judge. For more information, visit Reliable Water Services at www.hotwater247.com.
Source: The Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge