Cottage food start-up sales, aided by food incubators, have soared from $5 billion annually in 2008 to over $20 billion annually in recent years. Chances are if you can make it, there is a market that will buy it – provided you are prepared to do more than just deliver the goods.
The benefits of bootstrapping a food start-up come from being able to dive right in without significant upfront costs, while the downside is a lack of resources that will allow you to grow consistently. However, food incubators offer a solution to a lack of resources so that you can have your cake and eat it too.
If you are known as the local chili specialist or have the chocolate lava cake recipe everyone is always asking for, then a specialty food business might be ripe for future success. While some homegrown food start-ups will grow to regional distribution in under a year, others will struggle to get out of the local farmer’s market.
What they have in common is that all food startups are started by real people with a concept they believe in. The difference between the two is strategic resources.
Photo Credit: Peerspace, Bite Unite Commercial Shared Kitchen
What Is A Food Incubator
To begin with, most cottage food businesses will be making high-value goods in low quantities, a sure recipe for quality but one lacking in a plan for scale and growth. No matter how good the idea is, you’ll need to front the investment for commercial space or a licensed home kitchen (depending on state law), equipment, and possibly most time-consuming, find your way through laws, licensing, and insurance.
The average start-up cost for a food business can easily be in the neighborhood of $100,000 before you’ve even labeled your first hot sauce.
The solution? Enter the food incubator model of the 1980s; a communally licensed and shared kitchen space. To “incubate” a business idea is to give resources to a fledgling idea before it leaves the nest.
Kitchen Incubators
Food incubator, shared kitchen, cloud kitchen, and ghost kitchen all refer to a magical place to start your food concept without the need for a big investment. These licensed commercial kitchens have been a place where small food business renters have the umbrella of shared preparation space, storage, and commercial equipment while sharing the costs with other creators. Kitchen incubators have allowed tens of thousands of “foodpreneurs” to start with minimal resources. These spaces can be rented hourly or monthly with limited contracts, allowing foodpreneurs who outgrow the space to move on and scale up without the liability of a long-term lease.
SAPi APP is an example of how a platform can make a great food incubator for a new business.
Platform Incubators
Kitchens aren’t the only business incubators available to hustling food entrepreneurs. A food APP platform, like Save A Plate (SAPi) , can also can address meaningful resource gaps as you grow. Food start-ups are more than the product. You can have the hottest biscuit in town, but without the ability to market, show proof of concept, and connect with your community, your biscuit will get cold.
This is where a digital platform, like a food APP, can help you fly. A crucial part of any operating budget is in marketing and sales. SAPi is a food incubator in the sense that it provides a shared platform of resources to reach a broader customer base. It also advertises for you, connecting your food concept to a local community looking for unique, fresh plates and products.
A food APP gives you the exposure you need without the legwork that usually follows. An APP also provides an organic marketing opportunity where the product pitch is coming from an established platform instead from just the creator. It also gives you a level of professionalism that is naturally associated with aligning yourself with a well-respected platform.
Utilizing a food incubator APP like SAPi will help you:
Reach new audiences.
Give you a place to trial concepts.
Save money on marketing costs.
Save valuable time.
Allow you to focus on the details of your product instead of sales.
Join the SAPi APP as a vendor, or find your local plate here.
An Experts Guide To Making A Charcuterie Board To Impress
The Holiday season has begun, and you are ready to show off your solid party-hosting skills. You’re great at creating the perfect mix of people. Your playlists are famously the kind that gets people’s heads bobbing. You love a good theme for dinner night. One problem: you’re cooking skills are lacking, or maybe time is just not on your side to prepare. Either way, we can fix that problem with two words: charcuterie board.
Is it just us, or does it trigger your foodie endorphins to see a beautiful cutting board full of finger foods with all the flavors; savory, salty, sweet, and sour? It’s like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory for adults. It’s a time for fancy cheeses you wouldn’t buy yourself, and cured meats that smell like the best holiday gathering is underway.
Charcuterie is more than just a fancy French word for cured meat. A charcuterie board is a key gathering spot for any social get-together. A beautifully done display of mini edible delights is an easy way to level up the evening without too much effort. It is also a great way to buy yourself time while you finish preparing the main course.
To put together an Instagram-worthy charcuterie tray, you’ll need a few key neighborhood players and a little bit of creativity. Below, we outline an expert’s guide on creating a charcuterie board to impress.
First Things First: Get Prepared, Stay Prepared
The great thing about preparing for your charcuterie board debut is that most ingredients are non-perishable. We find it handy to keep some of the items we’ll lay out below on hand at all times. In case you find yourself suddenly hosting an emergency social gathering.
Also, tap into your local neighborhood vendors. Everyone needs their own “meat guy,” “cheese lady,” and “super friendly baker” in their life. You can find these people in food incubator apps like SAPi or in your neighborhood. The closer the ingredients, the fresher the goods.
Not only are you supporting local businesses, but you’re spreading the word when people ask you, “where did you find this salami!” In doing so, you also support a circular economy where everyone wins.
The Six Essential Ingredients To A Perfect Charcuterie Board
Before we dive into ingredients, there’s one not listed below that plays an essential role: the board—the vessel for your epic finger food display.
We recommend natural wood serving platter or cutting board with a lot of real estate to spread out the edibles. There are also customizable boards with tiny drawers to hide cutlery or matching serving bowls when you’ve decided to go all in on your display like this one from Uncommon Goods.
You can place parchment paper over a cake platter in a pinch or bust out a trusty serving platter. And now, without further adieu, the categories are balanced in harmony to make the perfect charcuterie display.
Every Charcuterie Board needs a salty component like olives, nuts, or crackers.
1. Salty
Peanuts aren’t just for tiny bowls at the bar; they’re also for your charcuterie board. So are almonds, cashews, and exotic pistachios. We love salty additions for the way they encourage another sip of your holiday beverage, as much as we love them for the way they balance with all the other flavors on the plate. It’s not all about nuts. Here are some other ideas for the salty component of your charcuterie tray:
Crackers
Roasted nuts
Cured meats
Olives
Gherkins
Cheese is a must-have component for any charcuterie tray. There are alternatives for the lactose intolerant that can be even tastier than their traditional counterparts.
2. Cheese
A crucial component of any snack tray is the cheese. Not just one, at least two, three is satisfactory, four varieties of cheese show you’re serious, and five is “I’m cultured.”
A charcuterie tray should be all-inclusive – there are alternatives for the lactose intolerant that can be even tastier than their traditional counterparts. Whatever message you want to send with your cheese selection, just make sure it’s fresh. A local cheese shop can make seasonal recommendations about what goes well together, what to pre-slice, what to leave whole, and even what drinks pair well with your selections. Try for at least one hard and one soft.
Brie
Gouda
Goat cheese
Bleu cheese
A classic sharp cheddar
Cured meats like salami and prosciutto are a must to round out the umami flavors of your charcuterie tray.
3. Meat
Some call this the star of the charcuterie world. You can’t go wrong with a locally cured salami, Italian prosciutto, or Spanish chorizo for this category. When in doubt, ask the butcher. Also, look next to where you choose your cheeses for good pairings. Cube some, slice some and have fun with the display. Other protein potential for your board includes;
Rillettes
Genoa salami
Capicola
Mortadella
Figs, berries, and even chocolate can balance out a party tray to perfection.
4. Sweet
Sweet additions create harmony between savory components like cured meats and salty additions like nuts or olives. The options here are open to creativity, but having one that is spreadable is key. Think apricot chutneys, jams, or honey. In addition, densely sweet fruit like figs, apples, or berries are not only great for diversity, but they also create a beautiful eye-pleasing color palette. Because, after all, cheese and meats come in only so many shades of color, right?
Bread is the perfect component to hold over your guests until the main course.
5. Bread
Go ultra fresh on this one if possible. A dense sourdough pairs well with creamy cheeses, the same way a baguette pairs better with a salty cured meat. Have one or both! Slice some, toast some, and leave some uncut.
A stuffed fig tells people you take your charcuterie board seriously. If you have time, combining any two complimentary flavors to create an interesting combo is a win.
6. Things That Make You Say “What Is This?”
We also firmly believe in introducing new flavors to every charcuterie board. Something visually interesting that adds a talking point! Think goat cheese stuffed figs, chili chocolate, or unexpected spreads like pesto or olive tapenade. Keeping things interesting will make a memorable experience for your guests and can only boost your reputation as King or Queen of the snack tray.
Charcuterie Extra Credit
Once you’ve mastered the charcuterie ingredient categories, it’s time to level up your presentation. Here are a few ways you can go the extra mile without having to actually go another mile. Low effort, big impact details can make the difference!
Pairings
Consult with your local wine seller for recommendations on pairings that go well with your ingredient selections. Even the most economical wines can create a dynamic pairing bringing out the savory flavors, making the sweet notes more vibrant, and harmonizing with the salty or sour.
Levels
It can make a huge visual difference to give height to an otherwise flat-looking snack board by stacking cheeses and meats or putting them on top of an upside-down serving bowl. In addition, you can display cut meats in a semi-circle or alternate with slices of cheese.
Themes
Once you are comfortable with your charcuterie skills, you can think outside the box for themed snack boards. Consider theming a brunch board with pancake stacks, berries, and toppings. Or maybe you to transport your holiday guests into the warm Mediterranean with cous cous, feta cheese, and kalamata olives. In the south? Think hushpuppies, fried okra, and biscuits. There are no hard and fast rules to charcuterie trays! Go wild.
Colors
Lastly, it’s all about the colors. No matter the theme or ingredients, make sure that you have at least 3 to 4 color tones on the board. Even the more artisan cheese and exotic salami will be overlooked if the board is too “beige.”
May your holidays be made of overflowing charcuterie trays, family, and friends!
Download the SAPi App here to find a local maker to make your holiday spread shine bright.
How To Stand Out And Sell More At Your First Farmer’s Market
Photo Credit: Coastside Farmer’s Market, Half Moon Bay, California
Last year was the first that every state in the US offered some kind of cottage food law, the regulatory framework that allows small food businesses to sell legally from a domestic kitchen. These laws also made it easier for new foodpreneurs to enter the market via Farmer’s Markets in their local area.
Check out our article here about why the Farmer’s Market is a great place to test a concept or menu as you scale your food business.
Rolling into your first Farmer’s Market may feel intimidating, but fortunately, most are full of like-minded people who value the community aspect of the market. These events are a good place to launch your new food business for several reasons.
They attract a diverse group of people.
A market offers a place to test your concept and get honest feedback.
They are a way for people to meet YOU, the maker!
Your market table offers a great place to take pictures and use them for marketing.
It is an invaluable forum to network with potential customers and future collaborators.
Markets are a place that encourages communal growth, with vendors helping each other learn the way.
Whether you sell only to friends, on an online plaform, or through a food app like SAPi, Farmer’s Markets are a great place to connect with the public once a week. Your product may be the best available in town, but that’s not always enough to grab the attention of new customers or set you apart from the competition. Your first foray into the market should be bold and polished.
So we’ve created a list of where to start, how to make your brand stand out, and sell more.
8 Ways To Stand Out & Sell More At The Farmers Market
Farmer’s Markets are a feast for the stomach AND the eyes. Walking in, weekend markets can be full of hustle and bustle and people who know what they want. Your job is to be the pleasant new addition to their shopping list.
When it comes to catching the eye of potential new customers, you’ll need to go bold and prepared. While some markets may have just ten vendors, other more competitive markets may have 150 vendors or more. This creates massive competition over the attention of a potentially large amount of foot traffic that you hope to convert to loyal customers.
We love a “fake it til you make it” moment in foodpreneur. We’re not talking about dishonesty; we’re talking about showing people that you are serious about your product, that you have a cohesive vision, and that your product is boldly the best through clean branding that can be more effective than food samples.
While you might think that just dipping your toes in a market environment to test a product out doesn’t mean thinking about a branding strategy, the average consumer doesn’t want to wait for you to believe in your own product.
Coming with matching table clothes, color-coordinated signage, and proper labeling are imperative to building a subconscious experience for new customers. The truth is, humans are visually drawn to and psychologically driven to go towards products that look polished and proven.
2. Clean Signage & Pricing
Clear signage with pricing may seem obvious, but customers like to know about pricing. Not all customers feel social enough or want to wait to have a conversation with you about the pricing of your goods. A clear sign with pricing goes a long way to silently communicating to your customer base, speeding up transactions, and can even be a place where you further explain your product.
Hopefully, you’ll find yourself too busy at your market table to be able to answer every question. When this is the case, signage about ingredients, sourcing, and contact information that can answer customer questions! Also, consider popping a QR code up for people to quickly access a landing or social media page to see your products in action or answer commonly asked questions.
In regards to pricing, do your market research (no pun intended) and make sure that you are competitive with other like minded vendors. Too low and you’ll undercut the competition while potentially making your product look low in value. Too high and savvy shoppers will move on from sticker shock.
3. Stay Clean and Organized
The organization of your Farmer’s Market booth provides insight into your food business operations. While a busy day for a market vendor may mean some chaos may happen with boxes flying, empty sample trays stacked in the back, and marketing materials being blown around, do your best to have your booth represent your brand.
4. Come Prepared
Ensure you bring more than enough stock, marketing materials, sample packaging, and takeaway packaging. The latter is a big one. Imagine having an excited line of new customers and no packaging to serve your product in!
However, it’s not necessarily a bad thing to run out. Let us explain. There is nothing more intriguing to a consumer than a “sold out” sign.
“Was it THAT good?”
“How can I get it?”
“I’m coming early next time!”
It’s the good old crowd that attracts a crowd principle.
5. Everyone Loves A Free Sample
Building on the “crowd attracts a crowd” principle, nothing attracts a crowd like samples. Don’t be precious with your product, especially the first few times into a public forum. Letting people try your product gives them a risk free way to experience your goods rather than weighing a purchase to try.
Be prepared to chat with people, and receive honest feedback. Keep a notebook! Customer trials are a great barometer for what flavors people reach for most, whether you need to tweak a recipe, and if they fully understand the product. It is a valuable, free, real time research opportunity.
6. Founder Representation
Show up. Don’t leave your booth to a teenager who is just trying to make an hourly wage. Selling is an art and authenticity is a gold that should come directly from the Founder’s mouth. No one cares more about your product than you do. No one will be able to answer questions, upsell, and make strong connections better than the maker of the product.
Letting people see you is important in establishing that real local face that is behind your product.
7. Create A Call To Action
Your job isn’t done after the sale is complete. Asking people to become ambassadors in an organic way can create a domino effect in attracting and retaining customers. A call to action (CTA) can be as simple as a sign that says:
“Tag Us On Social Media”
“Follow Us On Instagram”
“Come Back Next Week To Try Our New Flavor”
“Enter Our Contest To Win a Free XXX”
Catching the attention of your audience and convincing them to continue interacting with your brand is the key to food business sustainability.
8. Consider A Market Promotion
The sky is blue, the grass is green, and humans love a good deal. If it’s your first few appearances at a market, start with some goodwill! A two-for-one deal that includes a new product is a great way to incentivize people to buy more and try new products. A sales promotion is a marketing activity that is designed to increase sales, encourage customer loyalty, or generate brand awareness.
Farmer’s Markets are an incubator for new food businesses, a place to grow and learn in equal measure. The connections built and feedback given are incredible assets to a new business. Start small; just start!
SAPi’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide For South Carolina Foodies
Gather around the SAPi tree while we lay out the best gifts for your South Carolina foodie friends for 2022. You know the ones, the Aunt that’s always hosting parties with elaborate charcuterie trays or the best friend who always knows where to find the most authentic Jamaican food in town. The culinary experts we call friends and family deserve the best food-themed gift 2022 has to offer!
The Best Holiday Gifts For Foodies | 2022 Edition
Photo: Root Note Food Truck
1. Root Note Food Truck Gift Card
Give the gift of food truck love with a gift card from Root Note Food Truck. This isn’t your average casual dining destination. Root Note is located conveniently beside the Charleston Pour House in case you get thirsty and is the perfect place for date night. They specialize in gourmet tacos – think tandoori chicken, pho-inspired pork, and vegetarian aloo gobi tacos featuring curry cauliflower, sweet potato, chickpeas, lentil, and queso in a chili tamarind sauce. It’s an experienced-based gift that will also delight the appetite!
Photo: Sobremesa
2. Sobremesa Mole & Salsas
Sobremesa is a small-batch mole & salsa company in Charleston, South Carolina. Only a true foodie friend will appreciate the rich and velvety texture of a Mole Poblano that is blended from four different chiles, nuts, fruits, seeds, and a hint of chocolate to create a layered sauce that will step up your favorite foodie’s home-cooking game.
The Sobremesa Bundle costs $40.00 and includes sauces, salsa, and moles. It is available for shipping to your Latin food-loving friends and family.
Photo: Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
3. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit | All-Night Kit
Repeat after SAPi: you can never go wrong with a locally sourced gift basket. And in South Carolina, you can never go wrong with biscuits. And in the case of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits, even if your giftee is Gluten Free. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit is widely recognized as an iconic Southern brand with national retail exposure, grab-and-go eateries and a food truck in Charleston, as well as a cult-like national following.
Their All Night Kit retails for $52.95 and is a sure win every time. It includes:
A half-dozen Cinnamon Biscuits
A half-dozen Buttermilk Biscuits
Cocoa & Cream Cookies
Cheese Crisps
Optional Addition: Traditional Pimento Cheese*
4. Charleston Culinary Tours Gift Certificate
Looking for a different gift idea for a foodie or a friend? Charleston Culinary Tours offers Gift Cards that make great gifts for all food and drink lovers and adventurous travelers in your life!
The tours explore Charleston’s historic cobblestone streets while participants can sample food from some of the hottest new restaurants. Whether you know a Lowcountry local or someone planning a trip to Charleston, a food tour is a great way to explore a new or familiar city.
This 2.5-hour tour offers insight into Charleston’s historic Upper King Street neighborhood, which has been named one of the top 10 food neighborhoods in America.
This 2.5-hour food tour explores Charleston’s Historic French Quarter and City Market, offering the tastiest of Charleston’s history and food while walking some of the oldest streets in America!
This 3-hour tour showcases the Lowcountry’s seasonal bounty and a local chef’s creative prowess.
Photo: Swamp Rabbit Cafe
5. Swamp Rabbit Cafe | Taste Of The South Gift Basket
South Carolina has so many talented artisan food makers the Swamp Rabbit Cafe created a mailable gift basket that represents the ingenuity of the artisan food makers from the region. The once abandoned building along the Swamp Rabbit Trail is now a thriving food community where you can find an artisan grocer, cafe and bakery.
The Taste Of The South Gift Basket retails for $100.00 and includes items curated from local artisan vendors. If you want your loved one to choose, they also have Gift Cards! Baskets are available for same-day pickup or delivery.
Photo: Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
6. Lowcountry Oyster Company& Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit | Lowcountry Bundle Gift Basket
This collaboration between Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit and Lowcountry Oyster Company is a match made in heaven that will benefit both you and your giftee if you’re invited to their next party.
The most savory Lowcountry staples have been combined to create the Lowcountry Bundle. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit and Lowcountry Oyster Co. have come together to make the perfect gift for the foodie who like to entertain. From tide to table, enjoy a bushel of oysters straight from the ACE basin atop a crunchy sea salt biscuit cracker with a dollop of traditional pimento cheese!
The Lowcountry bundle is available for delivery, retails for $135.00, and includes:
• Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit Sea Salt Biscuit Crackers
• Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit Traditional Pimento Cheese (12oz)
• Lowcountry Oyster Company Bushel of Oysters
Photo: Mushroom Mountain
7. Mushroom Mountain Spring Cultivation Workshop
For a unique twist for the foodie who loves exotic ingredients and farm to table dining, how about a Mushroom Mountain Spring Cultivation Workshop? Let the Mushroom Mountain team give your giftee the adventure of 2023.
Participants will learn about fungal ecology and life cycles while immersed in hands-on methods to cultivate mushrooms on logs, stumps, wood chips, and straw design mushroom gardens as well as how to compost or recycle with fungi. The workshop includes a tour of the Mushroom Mountain Farm, where guests will be able to check out the myco lab. The gift of a workshop also includes breakfast snacks, lunch, an oyster mushroom fruiting kit, and a shiitake log to take home from a hands-on activity. Workshops start at $275.00.
Ace Leather and Knife Works Photo Credit: Soda City
For an heirloom gift look no further than this beautiful hand-forged iron Kitchenware byACE Leather & Knife Works. The company makes a wide selection of bespoke cookware, including hand forged iron knives, grill utensils, iron, and carbon steel pans, and more. You can find the former finalist of the TV show Forged In Fire, Jon Medelin, representing his wares at the Soda City Market in Columbia or he also takes custom orders on his website.
Photo: SimpliThai
9. SimpliThai Cooking Kits
SImpli Thai makes all in one craft cooking kits so that your foodie family member won’t have to run around to import stores looking for special ingredients! There’s something about learning how to cook something that may otherwise seem complicated in a compact kit with real good instructions. That way your giftee can be the kitchen hero they are.
Cooking Kits start at $22.00 and are available for local pick up at farmers markets in Charleston and Columbia. They also SHIP cooking sauces and cooking kits to nearby states.
Cubo Woodworks Photo Credit: Soda City Market
10. A Locally Crafted Charcuterie Board | Cubo Woodworks
Nothing but the best to impress with a Cubo Woodworks Charcuterie Board for the party-hosting fiend in your life. If you’re hosting a party, you’ll want the best cutting boards around. Their inventory ranges in cutes and grains, and they also take custom orders with up to 10 days notice. We love a gift that will remind our loved ones of us and great cheese simultaneously.
In any holiday season, you can never go wrong with supporting local. Also check out the SAPi APP for local plates from local makers in your neighborhood to keep you and your friends and family fed while also supporting local small businesses.
Several years ago, our SAPi founder Brandon Gantthad an epiphany over Mac and Cheese. Ok, it was arguably about more than one of the best Thanksgiving sides ever introduced to the family table; it was about where to find it.
This happened in COVID times when grocers were understocked and understaffed, and many restaurants were closed or reduced to takeaway (let’s never go back!). So on a hunt to put together a proper Thanksgiving dinner, the kind with all the choices and traditional fixings, he started calling around to friends and family.
Southern Fixings (Courtesy of Eat This, Not That)
Who could bring the Mac and Cheese? Who’s on top of mashed potatoes? Whose secret recipe for sweet potatoes pie was poised and ready?
Although this wasn’t the whole story, it played a big part in Save A Plate’s (SAPi) inspiration. How can we connect local plates with local people? Everyone knows that the special touch that real people give to their signature dishes is what makes them unique. So how can we support local foodpreneurs and local bellies at the same time? And thus, SAPi’s seed was planted.
Today the SAPi APPconnects a diverse group of local foodies with plates as diverse as they are delicious. And you might tjust be able to find your favorite holiday sides covered as well.
In honor of the upcoming holidays and all the side dishes that get our stomachs growling, we’re covering the Best Of Southern Thanksgiving sides – look for local plates in your area on the SAPi APP!
Top Five Best Southern Holiday Side Dishes
Southern Living Fried Pecan Okra (Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas)
Fried Pecan Okra
Fried okra is an institution in the south year-round – but for the holidays, you can level up this classic dish with pecan infused breading. Giving the pecans a quick toasting session in the oven makes all the difference.
Everyone should have a corn casserole in their holiday arsenal of go-to recipes. This dish gives it all; creamy, savory, and filling. Bacon, rainbow confetti of chopped peppers, and cream cheese round out this party pleaser.
Historically black-eyed peas have been associated with a “mystical and mythical power to bring good luck.” So you’re not only coming through with a delicious dish but good vibes for the whole family, nice one! Traditionally Southern Black-Eyed Peas dishes have a good dose of pork belly, ham hock, or both.
Controversial for the traditionalists, but not for Southern tables who say that coleslaw absolutely belongs next to the turkey. When done right, it’s a Southern delicacy, and the secret is always in the sauce – a maker’s mix of mayo, vinegar, sugar, and spices.
Cornbread in its fried form, no Southern holiday celebration is complete without a side of sharp cheddar and jalapeno-infused Hushpuppies. As the story goes, fishermen in the 1800s would toss their dogs some fried batter from fish fries to stop the puppies from begging, hence the “hushpuppy” moniker. This is a delicious ode to those who just can’t wait to eat!
