Innovation, creativity and business savvy were on display at the Great Manitoba Food Fight this past week as four local food and beverage entrepreneurs were awarded the opportunity to receive support to commercialize their own made-in-Manitoba products.
Manitoba is home to many exceptional entrepreneurs who are focused on bringing their new foods and beverages to the marketplace,” said Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler. “We are proud to support their journey through the Great Manitoba Food Fight, which is a unique opportunity to receive feedback, network with other like-minded entrepreneurs and compete for prizes that help them take the next step forward. I am pleased to congratulate each of the deserving winners.”
The competition, held on Wednesday evening at De Luca’s Specialty Foods Store, was open to companies that have developed but not fully commercialized a new food or beverage product. Winners were selected by a panel of judges, who sampled products and assessed the strength of the entrepreneurs’ business pitches. The winner of the inaugural craft beer and spirit competition is Tall Grass Dill Pickle Vodka, developed by Jason Kang of Capital K Distillery in Winnipeg. He will receive a prize package valued at approximately $5,000.
Three prize packages were awarded to food entrepreneurs. Alex Goertzen of Little Bones Wings in Winnipeg won gold (valued at approximately $13,000) for his Little Bones. Silver ($7,000) was awarded to Piña Romolo of Piccola Cucina in Winnipeg for her Hemp Macaroons. Jeremy Silcox of Mr. Biltong Beef Jerky Company in Winnipeg won bronze ($4,000) for his Biltong and Stokkies.
The prize packages will be tailored to each entrepreneur’s needs and the expertise or resources needed to help move the product toward commercialization. This might include recipe refinement, package design, marketing, workshops, trade shows, business management, food processing, or safety and handling.
The Great Manitoba Food Fight is sponsored by the Manitoba government and Food & Beverage Manitoba, in partnership with De Luca’s.
“The quality of the business presentations and the products was outstanding,” said Dave Shambrock, executive director, Food & Beverage Manitoba. “As these new products enter the market and attract new customers, these companies will create new jobs and new wealth for Manitoba.”
Food and beverage manufacturing employs more than 14,000 Manitobans and produces more than $4.5 billion in finished products every year, the minister noted.
For more information about the 11th annual Great Manitoba Food Fight, visit www.gmff.ca.
