I have always loved and believed that people should only have the very best when it comes to food. As a twelve-year old, I took over cooking a lot of our family dinners and by high school, I loved whipping up gourmet dishes for my latest crushes. By my twenties, I lived in Europe. Italy, was awesome and had some of the best food in the world. Then I moved to London, which at the time had mostly dreadfully bland foods, like mushy peas and Yorkshire pudding. So I cooked for everybody in my musical, hippie commune of a home. Here ib NY, we are blessed to have the best foods in the world, which is just another great caveat to living here.
Thus, it is my great pleasure each year to attend The Fancy Food Show held every summer at the Javits Center in NYC. The show is massive with 1,500 booths full of specialty treats from sauces to artisan chocolates to cookies to cheeses and everything in between. Over 22,000 people attend over the three-day fest. By the end of each day, you are so stuffed you feel like Violet Beaugard from “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” literally ready to roll out of the center. There were also some great parties, including the opening one at the Javits. With food products from all over the world exhibiting, it is a foodie’s dream.
About The Fancy Food Show
Sponsored by The Specialty Food Association, a New York nonprofit, and is the largest show in North America with over 1500 exhibitors. The show offers food and beverage entrepreneurs a chance to exhibit their products and meet with potential buyers and the press. In addition, there are classes to teach the exhibitors how to run a successful food business. The specialty food category typically encompasses food and beverages made in small batches with a focus on high quality ingredients. These fancy foods make up a $109 billion industry–a figure that’s up 19 percent since 2012 according to SFA’s research. Over 22,000 people attend each year.
About Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association is a thriving community of food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs who bring craft, care and joy to the distinctive foods they produce. Established in 1952 in New York, the not-for-profit trade association provides its 3,000 members in the U.S. and abroad the tools, knowledge and connections to champion and nurture their companies in an always-evolving marketplace. The Association (formerly the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.) owns and produces the winter and Summer Fancy Food Show, and presents the sofi Awards honoring excellence in specialty food. Learn more at specialtyfood.com.
