September 22, 2016
10th Annual Great Manitoba Food Fight Recognizes Three Winners with Product Development Prizes
– – –Competition Encourages Commercialization, Future Success of New Food Products: Eichler
Three Manitoba entrepreneurs have won recognition and resources through the Great Manitoba Food Fight to help commercialize their food products and pursue even greater business success, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced today.
“Entrepreneurship is thriving in Manitoba’s food sector, and we continue to see new, innovative and delicious food products coming forward,” said Eichler. “The Great Manitoba Food Fight is an opportunity to learn more about Manitoba-made innovative food products that are often just on the verge of growth and broader commercial success. This competition gives us the chance to support entrepreneurs on their food product journey, recognizing how important they are to our food sector and our province as a whole.”
Ten competitors who have developed but not fully commercialized a new food product participated in the competition last night at De Luca’s Specialty Foods Store in Winnipeg. A panel of judges sampled their food creations, heard their business pitches and awarded three product development and service award packages to the following recipients:
• gold package (approximate value – $10,000): John Heim of Torque Brewing Co. in Winnipeg for their Witty Belgian Wheat Beer;
• silver package (approximate value – $7,000): Katy Unruh of Katy’s Kookies in Brandon for their Chocolate Cherries Jubilee Naturally Lean Bar; and
• bronze package (approximate value – $3,500): Kimberley Bialkoski of Flora and Farmer in Winnipeg for their Applekraut.
Each prize package will be used to build entrepreneurial capacity directly linked to commercializing the winning food product, such as recipe refinement, package design, marketing, workshops, trade shows, business management and food processing, safety and handling.
The Great Manitoba Food Fight is sponsored by the Manitoba government and Food & Beverage Manitoba, in partnership with De Luca’s.
“We are very pleased to be a partner in this event,” said Dave Shambrock, executive director, Food & Beverage Manitoba. “It is an excellent way for startup companies to get some honest feedback about their products and their plans for the market. While it’s always nice to have judges say positive things about a product, thought-provoking questions that make the business owner rethink some aspect of their product or marketing plan can be far more valuable.”
Food and beverage manufacturing employs more than 14,000 Manitobans and produces more than $4.5 billion in finished products every year, the minister said.
For more information about the Great Manitoba Food Fight, visit www.gmff.ca.
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