The Tastiest Product of 2018

Next week, the Amsterdam RAI will host the kickoff of the Amsterdam Foodpitch during Horecava: a call to develop the tastiest product of 2018. The annual trade fair is thus increasingly becoming an idea factory. So home producers, unite!

Years ago, I regularly organized the Underground Farmers’ Market. A food market for what I call ‘countertop producers’. These home producers made the most wonderful sausages, cheeses, beers, jams, sambals, marshmallows, chocolates or pies – which in most cases were only handed out at birthdays to Aunt Truus and Uncle Willem.

The Underground Farmers’ Market gave these microproducers a platform of their own. I’m proud to say that for some of them, it became a stepping stone from their nine to five office job to life as a full-time food producer.

Microproducers get their own platform with the Amsterdam Foodpitch

The Amsterdam Foodpitch, organized for the first time this year by foodservice wholesaler De Kweker in collaboration with Amsterdam Made, is essentially exactly that: a platform for countertop producers who dream of making the transition to life as a serious food producer.

Horecava

The Amsterdam Foodpitch kicks off at Horecava, after which the entire process of pitching ideas, selecting and ultimately winning takes place. The winning product will be introduced at Horecava 2019 and will get a place on the shelves of the foodservice wholesaler, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. To guide the winner, De Kweker will work with internal and external specialists and the winner on perhaps the greatest challenge of all: scaling up countertop production into a serious manufacturing process that can guarantee smooth deliveries to the wholesaler without any loss of quality.

Seize your chance

So countertop producer, do you have a great product that you’re missing in the hospitality industry? Seize your chance! And the fun part is: you’ll meet me as a jury member. You can find more information about the Amsterdam Foodpitch here.