By Scout Nelson
Minnesota's local food and beverage scene is set to make a significant impact at the upcoming 2025 Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas, scheduled for January 19 - 21. This event marks a key opportunity for these businesses to extend their reach beyond local markets, under the auspices of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Make it Minnesota Program.
The Make it Minnesota Program is an initiative designed to bolster the state’s food and beverage companies by providing subsidized booth space, promotional assistance, and logistical support. This support aims to foster growth in Minnesota’s agricultural and food sectors, enhance the use of local agricultural products, and support economic development by creating and maintaining jobs.
This year, the Minnesota Pavilion will feature six diverse companies:
- Mixly Cocktail Co offers all-natural, craft-inspired cocktail and mocktail mixers.
- Von Hanson’s Snacks presents a variety of snacks including seasoned pretzels and peanuts.
- Riff’s Smokehouse showcases their range of meat snacks and BBQ products.
- Maud Borup features seasonal and everyday sweets and snacks.
- Maazah will introduce sauces and upcoming lentil dips.
- Peace Coffee promotes their 100% organic and fair-trade coffee.
These companies represent the innovative and dynamic nature of Minnesota’s food and beverage industry. Attending the Winter Fancy Food Show allows them to connect with major retail partners and meet new regional retailers and distributors. Such exposure is vital for expanding their market presence and exploring new business avenues.
Johnna Rossbach, Founder/President of Mixly Cocktail Co, emphasizes the importance of the event: “The Winter Fancy Food Show is a great place to connect with our major retail partners and meet new regional retailers and distributers in the specialty food trade.”
The Winter Fancy Food Show, organized by the Specialty Food Association, is a premier event for specialty food makers and buyers.
It provides an excellent platform for networking, education, and business growth, showcasing thousands of specialty food artisans, entrepreneurs, and other industry professionals. This convergence facilitates invaluable opportunities for sampling, education, and business development in the specialty food sector.
Photo Credits:minnesota-department-of-agriculture
Categories: Minnesota, Business, Education