CLEVELAND, Ohio — Wonder Women of Food is holding a market to showcase women-owned food businesses located in Northeast Ohio. The fall market is from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16 at The Vitrolite building in Cleveland’s Hingetown neighborhood and will showcase 30 makers from Northeast Ohio.
Many of the small, independent businesses are already well-known at area farmers markets. Some products are at local retail. Others are just starting.
Women and men who attend the market will find products from Chutni Punch, Cleveland Ketchup Co., Happy Pickler, MacAttack, Mugsy Bakes, PUR Spices, Sweetly Vegan, Cakes & Co., The Blonde Italian, Verbena and so many more. Their products cover a broad range of specialty food items including seasonings, spices, condiments, sauces, pickles, macaroni and cheese, cake mixes and more. All were created and are made in Northeast Ohio.
“It’s remarkable how many specialty food startups are coming out of Cleveland,” says Stacey Reid, founder and co-president of the group.
Reid is a business consultant and part owner of Cleveland Ketchup. She says the region is special when it comes to food startups.
“It’s an anomaly that Cleveland is a birthing ground for so many specialty food products,” she says. “Our communities are good at supporting local and we have a strong foodie base.”
Tickets for the event are $15 and include a tote, drink and access the market. Get them here.
The Vitrolite is at 2906 Church Avenue, Cleveland. It shares building space with Patron Saint restaurant and bar.
Wonder Women of Food began two years ago with a handful of female foodie entrepreneurs who gathered to share and resolve the “pain points” of their businesses, says Reid. It quickly snowballed into a supportive group of 50 entrepreneurs working in the specialty food industry.
The women communicate and meet regularly to support each other as they encounter challenges.
“What started off as sharing our gripes, has really formulated into a professional organization,” says Reid. “Because of the diversity in our backgrounds our skill set is tremendous. For our members the 90 percent failure rate of startup businesses becomes a lot lower.”
The group is open to new members. For more information visit Wonder Women of Food.
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