Rösti Stuft Spuds, founded by Stephen Caldwell in 2019; a Portland, Oregon-based food company with the first-to-market, crispy shredded hand-held filled potato in three bites, was named winner of the A Fancy New York Pitch Slam competition, at the Summer Fancy Food Show, Monday. Five contestant’s presented 3-minute pitch, and were scored by a panel of judges on their storytelling abilities, innovative offerings, social impact plan, branding and packaging, and market availability.
When discussing his success, Caldwell, who had worked with Sarah Masoni of the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center to bring his product to life, recalled exhibiting from Incubator Village at a Winter Fancy Food Show and catching the attention of a Whole Foods buyer who "said our stuffed potatoes were 'the most innovative potato product we’ve ever seen'…we went global two years later.”
As the competition winner, the company received a price worth $70,000, including a $10,000 cash prize, free booths at various upcoming events including SFA’s 2023 Winter Fancy Food Show, personal coaching sessions, content creation sessions, and more.
Judges included Scott Crawford, CMO of Fresh Direct; Neda Daneshzadeh, co-founder and managing partner of Prelude Growth Partners; Kate Harper, chief brand curator at Hive Brands; Michael Meyer, partner at L Catterton and CEO of “I and love and you.”
Heather Terry, co-founder and CEO of GoodSam Foods, and executive board member and founding partner of Naturally New York served as master of ceremonies, introducing each guest and announcing the people’s Choice Award winner: Waku, a Boston-based prebiotic beverage company putting a modern twist on an ancient Ecuadorian tea recipe, came out on top. As a winner, the company received a prize worth $13,000, including a cash price, free booth opportunities for upcoming shows, marketing insights and more.
Alysia Reiner, an artist, and activist known for her role as “FIG” in Orange is the New Black, spoke about sustainability in the food movement just before the winner was announced.
“I am deeply passionate about sustainability and food waste…we as Americans, throw away 40 percent of our food supply. As you are thinking about your companies, think about how you can reduce waste in your business, but also how you can improve the food waste issue as a consumer,” she said.
Other companies that competed included:
Fabalish: founded by Jessica Gebel in 2018; a New York-based food, condiments, and ingredient company harnessing the power of chickpeas and its upcycled byproduct, aquafaba, to create plant-based foods with award-winning flavor.
Maivino: founded by Mai Vu in 2017; a Brooklyn, New York-based wine company that makes it easy to enjoy premium wine anywhere, anytime.
Rule Breaker Snacks: founded by Nancy Kalish in 2015; a Brooklyn, New York-based baked goods company offering “better-for-you” plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, soft-baked, chewy brownies, blondies, and snack bites.
Related: Brand Experts Share Marketing Hacks For Small Makers; Live Broadcast Highlights Diversity, Trends at Summer Fancy Food Show