Dishing with Stephanie's Dish

On today's episode, we dive into snack foods with Nosh Posh. With a focus on unique and healthy products, Tatiana Freeman brings her passion for Bi-POC and Women-owned businesses into an innovative snack vending machine, corporate gift box, and snack subscription business. We will explore her experiences with social media, the importance of resilience and resourcefulness, and the plans for expansion and partnerships. Stay tuned for an exciting and inspiring episode of Makers of Minnesota with Nosh Posh’s Tatiana Freeman.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:

Stephanie [00:00:12]:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the makers of Minnesota Podcast where we talk to cool people doing cool things, And this cool thing I saw for the very first time at Modern Well. I saw it at Modern Well. I walked in the door. I'm a monthly contributor there. And the first thing I noticed was this cool new space age looking vending machine called Nash Pache, and I'm here today with Tatiana Freeman, and she is the founder of Nash Posh. And I have to say the cool vending machine aside What a great concept to help Minnesota makers and BIPOC and women owned businesses get exposure by helping group them together into something that is more than the sum of their individual parts. Thanks for being here today.

Tatiana Freeman [00:00:59]:

Yeah. So excited, to be here, and thank you for connecting with me.

Stephanie [00:01:03]:

Yeah. How did you think of this idea?

Tatiana Freeman [00:01:07]:

so I was actually working in housing at the neighborhood house, which I really enjoyed that work, But I wanted something different. I was working in an office during COVID, and I just realized going back into the office space was not for me. and so I was, you know, kind of in transition. I was like, okay, what am I gonna do now? Like, I can't go back to sitting at a desk, 9 to

Stephanie [00:01:29]:

5.

Tatiana Freeman [00:01:30]:

and so I was actually and I know this is, like, not the impressive story that life people, I feel like, hope to hear, but I was at home, and it was dinner time, and I typically eat out pretty regularly, but, you know, spending 30 to 50 bucks, you know, every night for a salad was, like, not something I wanted to do. And so I was like, I just want a salad and why is it so hard? Like, why do I have to go to a restaurant to get a good quality salad? I went to the next day. I was just like, I'm just gonna start a business. I'm gonna, you know, connect people with the type of foods I wanna eat. And I started doing all this research and the rest of his history. So

Stephanie [00:02:05]:

-- And you kinda settled in on snacks and particular. And you have snack boxes that you can ship to people, you have subscription boxes, the vending machine, and then You have specific types of snacks in these boxes, so get more into the methodology of why you pick what you pick.

Tatiana Freeman [00:02:25]:

Sure. So, I knew when I first started, we were actually looking at doing, like, a convenience store concept. And so we're gonna host a pop up, get interest in that. but finding a venue was really hard. and so we started doing tabling and people were consistently asking for how they access the product. and so that's how we created the snack box.

Speaker C [00:02:45]:

and so we've kind of made some tweaks to

Tatiana Freeman [00:02:47]:

it over the last year and a half or so, but essentially, the target market right now is meeting boxes because we have a lot of corporate clients that wanna have, you know, tasty treats, especially in the morning that aren't pastries. And so we have, like, a morning tailored option that has, like, breakfast cookies, bars in it. And then we have, like, our favorite box that our favorite box that has some of our life best sellers in it. And essentially, like, you can have that shipped to your home or your work, and so that you can have access to those snacks without having to go to Costco or Target. and they're fun. A lot of products that we carry are not things that you would typically see. So I really enjoy, like, you know, scouring Instagram and constantly researching and testing all these new products to bring them all together for, NashBot shoppers.

Stephanie [00:03:33]:

Can you give me an example of some of the items in your favorites box? that are just one in different?

Tatiana Freeman [00:03:40]:

Sure. So we have our simply fruit bites. I don't know if a lot of people are familiar, but they make gum. and so they also create, like, different, candy items. And so they create this really nice fruit bite that's similar to, like, a fruit snack but way better. we also have the pit corn cheese balls in there, which if you're a big, you know, crunchy snack cheese ball person, they're favorites, kids like them, then there would also be like a bar in there typically. So like Blender bombs has a really nice selection of different flavors.

Stephanie [00:04:10]:

With all those different kinds of snacks that you pick and the research that you do, what are the characteristics that you're looking for from a vendor? we have a lot of makers that listen to this program, and maybe they would be a candidate for you.

Speaker C [00:04:23]:

Yeah. So I would say we've been really fortunate that, all the products seem to visually kind of fit well together. And so a lot of times people assume that I create them, and so it's really nice in terms of packaging and the see the colors and everything that it all kind of fits together because I want it to be synonymous with the brand. But other than that, we're looking for products that don't use artificial ingredients that are kind of niche. They can be kind of re, like, you know, innovative favorites. So maybe you take something that people are familiar with, but maybe you use different flavor profiles. we also like to appeal to people that have some dietary restrictions. So vegan, you know, paleo, kosher, some of those things that, just kind of create access for more people. But at the core, we wanna just make sure they're not using artificial ingredients, you know, if it can be organic, great. and then just trying to take that health aspect into consideration what type of ingredients are they using? No, you know, preservatives and so I think for us looking into the future, I definitely wanna, start sharing more information about the nutrition ingredients so that people are just better educated on how to snack well as well?

Stephanie [00:05:34]:

You have many different types of way to enter the business model. Right? You have the subscription box, you have meeting boxes. do you do like a holiday box too? Is that something that you're interested in? And then I'm specifically to 2 in the vending machine itself. Like, whether you bought one off the rack or whether you founded it.

Speaker C [00:05:54]:

Sure. So, we do have a holiday box last year was the 1st year we did it, and it went really well. and so that should be coming out in November and will be available through January. And so that's a great client gift. I think that, you know, a lot of people have their go to for who they purchase gifts from. And so we're really excited to kind of be more visible when people are looking at, you know, sending their clients, gifts, friends, and family. in terms of vending, So it was actually really tricky. I was actually gonna go with another company that had more of a refrigerator style configuration. but looking at snacks that didn't really make sense. and so we ended up, my uncle actually sent me the link for discount vending, and so they customized the machine, they wrap it in our design, and they can also, you know, custom fit product, the machine to fit the products that we carry. So that's been really great, because you think that just looking at a machine, everything is gonna work well and smooth. but that's not always the case. So being able to, like, send them the products and make sure that everything bins well has been really helpful.

Stephanie [00:06:58]:

And how many of these do you have around the Twin Cities and are you in other markets too?

Speaker C [00:07:03]:

Yeah. We're only currently in Minneapolis, right now. So we have 6 machines, and there are one at each of Coco's locations, the wilderness, modern well, FinnLab and then lucky shots pick a ball club.

Stephanie [00:07:18]:

Oh, and so co working is obviously a big piece to your business. Also, the pandemic in some respects might have helped you because people are still having all these Zoom meetings. And there's nothing exciting about a Zoom meeting, but a snack box makes it a little bit more.

Speaker C [00:07:34]:

Yeah. So, that was kind of the reason I went with the co working as the you know, the access point just because I knew we were in this changing work environment. And so I said, well, if you're not at home, you're likely gonna be kinda seeking out these coworking spaces. And so we've been really fortunate, you know, in the twin cities to build those relationships. And so I wanna continue to expand in the co working space, but then also start kind of moving towards more sporting facilities and luxury apartments.

Stephanie [00:08:01]:

Oh, that makes total sense. Now you were in an incubator group. that kinda helped with your launching. Can you talk a little bit about that experience?

Speaker C [00:08:09]:

Yeah. So I've kind of

Tatiana Freeman [00:08:11]:

I've kind of been

Speaker C [00:08:12]:

a part of a lot of the program locally, everything from, you know, women venture to NDC, META. but I did participate in lunar, which I think was probably the most beneficial program that I've done. And I would say

On this episode of Makers of Minnesota, we hear from Angela Comeck and Jessica Ammel, daughters of Janet Birkin, as they share how they turned their family recipe into Janet’s Finest Compotes, a successful company. They discuss the unique flavors of their compotes, the difference between jelly and compote, and how they maintain high standards of quality set by their mother. The guests discuss their unexpected success during the pandemic, their direct-to-consumer growth, and how cheeseboard preferences have changed. Tune in to hear their journey and learn how they became the premier jam brand for cheeseboards on Instagram.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:Stephanie [00:00:12]:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the makers of Minnesota podcast, where we talk to cool people doing cool things. Today we have Angela comeck, and we have Jessica AMMEL, and they are the daughters of janet birkin, and the name of their product is janet's compotes. And I have to hear how you guys decided that janet's product was so worthy that you wanted to start a company behind it, because this has been like, a family recipe for a long time. So let's see how you guys got started.

Angela Kmeck [00:00:50]:

First of all, thanks for having us on. This is really she actually created the products in forever ago when we were teenagers, so we were her kind of little guinea pigs when she was just kind of, like, playing around in the kitchen. She just loved to cook. She's still around. She's still our best friend. That was real interesting. She kind of struck on gold in the 90s when spicy wasn't really that popular in the midwest, so kind of getting this sweet and spicy combination was unique and pretty cool at the time. Angel, I don't know if you want to give a little couple of minutes.

Jessica Amel [00:01:44]:

Yes. Hi. Thank you so much for having me. So she actually grew her business in a commercial kitchen. She moved out of our house, the one that we were growing up in. She lived in the house, but she moved the production out, obviously. And she really grew the business out of her commercial kitchen, which was just a few blocks away from our house. And she was shipping all over the country to gift shops and specialty food shops until she retired in 2017. And she said, if you want the recipes, you can have them. There's no pressure. Jessica and I were both doing different things at the time, and we both had kids, but we were like, yeah, we'll do it. Of course, knowing nothing about how much work was going to go into it. So we actually renamed the company after her because why not? We had the opportunity, the time to change. And we always say she's the finest. So janet's finest compotes makes sense, and it also not just sort of honoring our mom, but also being able to honor her legacy of what she had built, that she always did things the right way to the finest. And so even now, when we're doing things, it's like, that's not Janet's finest. We really make sure that our quality is high and kind of everything we do, we sort of set this bar from our mom.

Stephanie [00:03:11]:

A compote is different than a jam or a jelly in what way?

Angela Kmeck [00:03:20]:

I'll describe, a jelly really is made from fruit juices. The bulk of the fruit is strained out, and you're left with the juices, which are then processed with pectin, and it's delicious. A compo, however, is started with whole fruit, and it remains as a part of the ingredients the whole way through so what you end up with are the textural elements, like the seeds and parts of the fruit in there that kind of give it a little bit.

Stephanie [00:04:00]:

More oomph, if you will, and your current flavors. I know the Blueberry Jalapeno is a big seller, but you also have is it Raspberry Habanero?

Jessica Amel [00:04:11]:

Actually, all of our this is my sisters. We talk over each other. All of our compotes are just Jalapeno. We don't use any other kinds of peppers. We are still using just our mom's recipes. So that's what she used. Raspberry Jalapeno is our best seller. And then Cranberry Jalapeno is actually our second bestseller, which is something that a lot of people don't think about. We think it's super unique, but especially for the holidays and entertaining in the fall, it's just a really unique flavor that she came up with, which, of course, we always ask, how did you do this? And she's like, I don't know. Typical Midwestern woman. So humble, so true.

Stephanie [00:04:53]:

Now, as we've matured in our palate, since the Food Network came on board, we are having boards and cheese and Shakuta platters. But in the day, how were people using the compuls? Were they using it in the same way, or has it changed over time?

Angela Kmeck [00:05:15]:

It's funny how things have evolved. She always said it's best over a block of cream cheese. And so that was sort of the easy Midwest kind of cheese board back then, like in the she still loves it. A lot of people love it. We've kind of moved forward and we think that goat cheese and Gouda and some of the other cheeses that are more available now than back in the day are also really great pairings and what we see a lot more on the cheese board these days.

Stephanie [00:05:55]:

Were you able to retain a lot of Janet's original accounts? And then how did you build on that? Or how are you building on that moving forward?

Jessica Amel [00:06:07]:

Yeah, we have I mean, it took us a little bit of time to get back to her level. We did retain a lot of her accounts because it was so relational. She had so many amazing relationships with her customers. And for us, customer service is really high on importance. So the quality of our ingredients, the quality of our product, and then paired with just good old fashioned good customer service, we actually have retained a lot of her customers, wouldn't you say, Jessica? And then this crazy thing happened during COVID We had made this grand plan that we were going to grow, and here's how we were going to grow. And then COVID hit. And so, like everybody else, you take a few weeks to go, let's go watch Netflix for a little bit, and then now let's go assess how we're going to do this. I think we made plan B-C-D-E-F that year and what ended up happening. And I have to give a little bit of credit to Jessica here on this one, is that we sent samples to, I think, like, eight cheese board makers on Instagram. And we were pretty new to Instagram at the time. We're both in our 40s, full disclosure. So we hadn't been on Instagram before. That not a lot, at least. But anyway, so we met, for example, Kelsey from the board Loon locally, and then several others nationwide. And then out of nowhere, we became kind of the premier jam brand for cheeseboards on Instagram. And so we had built a website out, and we started selling wholesale off our website to these cheeseboard makers all over the country. And, I mean, that first year we sold I don't even know what percentage, like, so much more than we thought we would ever do. In fact, they asked, can you make smaller jars? Can you make mini jars? We need some for our small cheese boards. We need some for our medium size. And so our jar size actually changed. Our product changed because of this, which was such a shock. So, anyway, your long answer to your question of how are we growing, that was the next step, and it was not the plan. But it has been incredible, actually, because now we're doing kind of backwards where we're getting on shelves after having an explosive growth via straight to direct to consumer.

Stephanie [00:08:39]:

That is a pretty cool story. That probably couldn't have happened without the pandemic because cheese boards in general sort of branched out during the pandemic because it was one thing that you could buy or arrange or have or deliver to feel like you're having this communal experience because we were all having these weird food experiences, for sure. Can you guys talk about were you nominated or did you apply for a Good Food Award?

Angela Kmeck [00:09:11]:

We have not. We recently became a Good Food member just a few months ago. So we did miss the window for the Good Food Awards. Definitely one of our goals.

Stephanie [00:09:25]:

Yeah, because I can see your product is really a premium flavor and it's unique, and I can see that being a good next step for you.

Jessica Amel [00:09:34]:

We did attend the Good Food Awards, though, in April, and that was super fun just to be around that community and the people who care, really passionate about quality food. That was awesome.

Stephanie [00:09:45]:

Were there any products that you encountered there that you've just not been able to get out of your mind or you thought were excellent?

Jessica Amel [00:09:54]:

My gosh, they had the smorgasborg the first night for all of us. Yeah, we're both like remembering it. I mean, it was unbelievable. Like, the cheeses and just the chocolates and the way things all interconnected. It was overwhelming.

Stephanie [00:10:08]:

Stephanie, to be honest, I love it. That sounds amazing.

Angela Kmeck [00:10:11]:

It was. You should come with us next time.

Stephanie [00:10:14]:

Yeah, I think I'm angling for an invite here. Okay, so your mom is still around and are you guys making your own products in a commercial kitchen, or do you make them through a distributor at this point? Or a copacker?

Angela Kmeck [00:10:29]:

Yeah, right now we're using a copacker in Minneapolis northeast, and that has been a wonderful experience for us. We've been with them for about a year and a half. It feels really nice to contribute to the Minnesota community in that way. Sure. Long term goals are to have our own facility. We would love to

Welcome back to Makers of Minnesota! Today, we have a special guest, Christie Johnson, the creative mind behind United Goods. Christie is a talented artist who shares her passion for illustration and collaboration in her work. Christie's journey in the art world has been filled with surprises and successes, from her notebook filled with ideas to her unique artwork that can't be found in big box stores. Tune in as we delve into her story, from her beginnings in greeting cards and event design to her participation in the Stone Arch Bridge Festival, where she connects with a community of fellow artists. We'll also explore Christie's love for drawing people's houses, pets, and landmarks while maintaining creative control over her prints. Stay tuned for an inspiring conversation with Christie Johnson, the creative force behind United Goods.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:

Stephanie [00:00:12]:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the makers of Minnesota Podcast where we talk to cool people doing cool things. And today, I'm talking to Christie Johnson, and her company is called United Goods, and your company is a funny name because it doesn't sound at all like what it is that you do. Did you ever get that from anyone? I haven't,

Christie Johnson [00:00:31]:

because it fits more than what it was when first began, which was red shoes 26. Okay. I love this. So,

Stephanie [00:00:39]:

Christy, will you explain how you describe your company? Because you're an artist, you're a designer, and I have a couple of your pieces. And I just want I know when you describe it that people listening will know who you are.

Christie Johnson [00:00:53]:

So I make, what I call state icons. They're little, framed illustrations that focus on the US landmarks. So I draw anything from the really well known to the quirky ones that only the locals would know.

Stephanie [00:01:10]:

So, like, the Corn Palace.

Christie Johnson [00:01:13]:

Right. That's one. I have that one. Yep. First Avenue, you know, Paul and Babe and then some dive bars and things that have been closed for years that people miss. So they like to, you know, have that little reminisce moment when they see it hanging in there. Yes. I think I have the Monte Carlo.

Stephanie [00:01:33]:

That's on my dad's dresser. And he has since passed, but his wife keeps it on the dresser because that's where they met. we have First Avenue that someone gave me as a gift. You're just you really capture with your illustrations, the essence of a lot of these places. How did you get started originally?

Christie Johnson [00:01:54]:

I worked for a while at Minneapolis St. Paul magazine.

Stephanie [00:01:57]:

Oh, you did? I did I meet you there? I don't think so.

Christie Johnson [00:02:02]:

in special sections. So I did, writing and editing for the, advertising sections. And a coworker of mine, hired me to do her wedding invitations because I used to do a lot of that kind of thing. And, then after I left, she reached out to see if I could draw some they're, called they're little table cards, like escort cards, They were doing teacher in the wedding issue of the magazine. And I said I had never done them, but I would dream up with some concepts and send her ideas. So, I came up with this couple getting married in Minneapolis, and they were gonna have a Minneapolis themed wedding. So I drew these teeny little illustrations of spoon, bridge, and cherry, and the Fauci, and things like that. And I just really love drawing them, so I just kept doing it even after that hit the newsstands and everything.

Stephanie [00:02:56]:

So how long have you had this business?

Christie Johnson [00:03:00]:

It'll be 20 years in October. Wow.

Stephanie [00:03:04]:

And did you ever think, like, when you started doing illustration that this would be, like, a business versus just like a hobby?

Christie Johnson [00:03:13]:

No. I was doing greeting cards And like I said, a lot of the event and wedding stationery, so that was kind of the track I was rolling down and enjoying it lot of logos and branding and stuff too. So I was just sort of doing that as my main gig and then the illustration stuff on the side. And I said, I would never ever do art shows because that seemed like so much work, but I had a bunch of friends that did them. So I thought I'll just try one and see how it goes. And I did them for, well, I still do pop ups and things like that. But so, yeah, it snowballs. Yeah. And they became a business because people like them, I like drawing them, and it just kept growing and growing. I was doing art shows in other states, so then I would draw things from those states. And it throughout of Minnesota to be all US?

Stephanie [00:04:02]:

Yes. So you start with an illustration, and then do you make multiples. How do you tell me about your process?

Christie Johnson [00:04:11]:

Yeah. I draw everything with a mouse. So their digital illustration to begin with. And I actually draw them at the small size that they're printed, the finished product. I've always drawn really small ever since I was a little kid. So that was just sort of natural. And, so, yeah, I draw them with a mouse on the computer and then I print them from my home studio. I, like, have the control of the colors and everything. And then my parents make the little wood frames for them. So they think so, you know, and I collect them from them in shoe boxes. That's how we transfer the product back and forth. And then I, so I put my little prints in the frames, and then they're complete. How did that process of them making the frames begin? Well, I went to a big box store when first started because I was like, there's no way I'm gonna find frames for this small print. So I thought I was gonna have to make them bigger, but I did find a little frame that I liked, but then as it grew, the business kind of grew the that store couldn't keep up with me. I was driving around all over the twin cities trying to buy all the frames that they had on the store shelves. So I was frustrated by that and mentioned it to my dad who was just a part time for fun woodworker, and he was a electrical engineer by trade. And so he said, I'll try to make them for you, and it took off from there. They're still making them for me. My dad retired from his job.

Stephanie [00:05:43]:

like, 10 years ago now, but, I keep him very, very busy, and my mom hand paints every single one. Okay. I love this. So in their retirement, it's given them, like, something to stay active. And, I mean, that's so important. Right?

Christie Johnson [00:05:59]:

Sure. Yeah. Most things they like it. Most some things they don't.

Stephanie [00:06:04]:

Yeah. And plus communication with their daughter and helping her seed. That's so sweet. I love that part of your story.

Christie Johnson [00:06:10]:

It's so it's important to me that everything is handmade. I always wanted that, but I just thought I would never ever find anybody to make them. So good old dad. Yeah. Now do you ever beer from

Stephanie [00:06:24]:

landmarks into, like, I don't know, pets or other types of illustrations?

Christie Johnson [00:06:30]:

Yeah. I have done that over the years and only just recently started kind of advertising that I do it. so I'll draw people's houses. I really like doing that. And then pets have been something I've been doing. it's expanded a little bit into, like, I did a TV show landmark series last year and then a few movie landmarks. So that's something I might continue to do. And then every once in a while, I do something just that I want to draw pop culture, maybe, like, Bernie Sanders at the inauguration

Stephanie [00:07:04]:

and things like that. Yeah. And sitting in the chair with the mitten

Christie Johnson [00:07:08]:

looking miserable. Yeah.

Stephanie [00:07:11]:

Yeah. I love all that, and that's I think part of what makes your stuff so unique. too is there's amongst all of your landmarks. There's always like a little bit of a wink and a nod and a little bit of humor in some of it, which I really appreciate.

Christie Johnson [00:07:24]:

Yeah. I have people at shows say, oh, these are so cute. Oh, maybe I shouldn't say that. And I say, no. They're cute. It's fine. Yeah.

Stephanie [00:07:32]:

And it's also one of the things that I liked about it. It's an entry point price point. like it's not super expensive. So I think people get really wound up. First of all, one of the things I like to do, and this is a weird thing about me, but I like to walk around at night and look in people's windows. Now, I don't like to walk right up to their window and people, Thomas, but when I'm walking, I just like, look, and I like when people have lights on, I like to see, like, there are decorations, and I'm always stunned that people don't have more art on their walls. They're very, They might have photographs, but they real very few people have art, which I'm all about the art. Yeah. So I like the you're giving people an entry point that maybe feels accessible to them.

Christie Johnson [00:08:17]:

Yeah. It's the small size makes them fit just about anywhere too. So you don't have to commit to hanging it on the wall. Either you can just set it on a desk or a bookshelf or something. just have that little reminder of a place that you love or a funny story from your past or something. So, yeah, they're kind of a little gateway drug to figure art.

Stephanie [00:08:39]:

Now that this is a business, is it different? Because I feel like for me, you know, cooking and food has started as a hobby, and now that's becoming a business for me. And it feels dif

On this episode of Makers of Minnesota, Stephanie interviews Danielle Goss, the founder of Kul Mocks, a woman-owned beverage brand that offers non-alcoholic mocktails. Despite having no prior experience in the industry, Danielle and her husband were determined to provide a fun and social drinking alternative that caters to health and wellness enthusiasts. In this episode, the couple shares how they adapted to the pandemic's limitations by leveraging virtual meetings and social media to promote Kul Mocks, using micro-influencers and authentic content. They also discuss their challenges in building the brand, such as collaborating with distributors, developing beverages, and navigating through supply chain issues. Additionally, listeners will learn how the brand's success led them to focus more on the retail and distribution market, including grocery and liquor stores. Tune in to hear a unique entrepreneurial story that offers insights into creating a successful business in a crowded industry.

Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of Makers of Minnesota, Stephanie talks with Ralf and Mary Loeffelholz, the founders of Dampfwerk Distilling Ralf and Mary share the unique story of how they found their niche-producing high-quality spirits, fruit brandies, and liqueurs. They also talk about the importance of having a strong team with diverse skills and how this has contributed to the success of their product. Additionally, they discuss the development of their cocktail lounge and the unique menu featuring collaborations with local personalities. Ralf and Mary highlight the importance of storytelling, packaging, and having a strong network in the industry. Tune in to hear about their journey and learn more about Dampfwerk Distilling.

Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

SHOW TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS:

Stephanie [00:00:12]:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the makers of Minnesota podcast, where we talk to cool people doing cool things. I'm here with Ralph and Mary Luffaholtz, and they are part of the family that owns Dump Work. Distilling and I have met your daughter Bridget. She's been on our radio show The Weekly Dish before. I've not met Christian, and it's fun to meet the two of you for the first time. Welcome to the program.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:00:40]:

Well, thank you, Stephanie. Thank you for having us. We're excited.

Stephanie [00:00:43]:

Okay. We've talked to a lot of Distillers, but you right out of the gate. Identify yourself as a German owned distillery, and that has different connotations for the way that you produce your products and the way you present them. Can you talk a little bit about your heritage and why that was important to you?

Ralf Loeffelholz [00:01:10]:

Well, I suppose that's my question. Right, so you hear from the accent. I'm German born, raised, and educated in Germany. I came over here a long, long time ago. One of my first impression, I was actually pre craft brewing, so I'm dating myself. Right. So at that time, I was really sad because there was no pop up beer, at least for German, and the only thing on the shelves were gigameister. Luckily, the craft brewing industry took off, and we have awesome beers, so it was really great, but still only gigameister. So that was kind of, for me, the notion to say, okay, you know what? There are so many different spirits, not only in Germany, but the surrounding areas, which we kind of I don't want to say forgotten spirits, but they didn't make it over here. And I always wondered why. And I still have different theories, but with my background in chemical engineering and having worked for the food and beverage industry, primarily brewing industry, I'm like, if I can't pull it off, then no one can pull it off. That's an exaggeration, of course. So finally, I think I got to the point where I said, you know what? I would like to try? My dear wife motivated me saying, okay, create a business plan and check it out if you can pull it off.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:02:33]:

And make me a good gin.

Ralf Loeffelholz [00:02:38]:

So that's kind of like the history of how I got started.

Stephanie [00:02:43]:

So gin is your spirit, Mary, and you have a very delicious barrel aged gin. But that probably wasn't the first one you started with.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:02:53]:

No. And the first one that Ralph started with, initially, he wanted to make fruit brandies. I mean, that is truly his passion. And we're grounded in really being driven by wanting to be known as one of the best fruit brandy producers, not just in Minnesota, but in the country. But if we're going to own a distillery, we need something a little bit more for me. So he started off, he made me this beautiful, beautiful London dry gin, which is very earthy. We're a craft distillery, so things evolve, but very kind of mushroomy. And it was just the life. I'm like, okay, you know what? If nothing else, I've got this great product, and you go make your brandies.

Stephanie [00:03:46]:

I think the first product I had from you was a pear brandy.

Ralf Loeffelholz [00:03:51]:

Oh, wow. Awesome. Thank you. What did you think about it?

Stephanie [00:03:55]:

I loved it, and I am not a big brandy person, but I realized it was because I hadn't probably ever really had a good one.

Ralf Loeffelholz [00:04:04]:

Yeah, well, we're now on the fourth generation, and I have to say, it's like with every craft distillery, we learn as we go, every single time, you realize what you could have improved on and the next time you implement it. So we have just released earlier this year, our last generation of pear brandy, which is phenomenal, much better than the first ones. And we have our supply chain lined up for this coming season, and I'm working on that tracking part, getting the product in. So very excited.

Stephanie [00:04:39]:

I was surprised when I had your peppermint schnopps. I don't know why I was surprised, but it was extremely delicious and also tasted different than other peppermint schnops that I had had.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:04:54]:

It was the story behind this.

Stephanie [00:04:58]:

Okay, I want to hear it. Because I'd had, like, crappy peppermint schnopps in hot chocolate on a ski hill, and someone gave it to me as a gift, and I was like, oh, okay, well, this is fine. And then now I'm just drinking it straight up on the rocks.

Ralf Loeffelholz [00:05:16]:

Yeah. So the story behind it, if you know Shatuzva, the French liqueur, bennet benic dicton kind of liqueur, one of the best liqueurs, I think in the world. I've been working on it for six years straight. And one day, one of my last prototypes I presented to the family, not actually explaining what I'm giving them. And my dear daughter says, oh, it's like a peppermint schnapps. And I had to admit it was very peppermint forward. So I'm like, nah, I'm not throwing it away. I'm making it a peppermint schnapps. So this is the most complex, most expensive peppermint schnapps you can make.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:05:59]:

It's so good.

Stephanie [00:06:01]:

That would explain why, because I just was sort of like, oh, peppermint Schnaps, whatever. But no, it's very complex, but also just lovely and refreshing and obviously minty, but not as cloyingly sweet as some that you would normally have, so well, good. I guess my palates may be better than I thought, because I noticed right away that it was like, oh, this is sipping Schnopps. This is amazing.

Ralf Loeffelholz [00:06:30]:

Thank you.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:06:31]:

Yeah, it is terrific. I mean, obviously, drinking it neat, we keep in the lounge here. We keep it in the freezer so you can have it frozen. But it's fantastic in cocktails. An espresso martini is dynamite. Dynamite.

Stephanie [00:06:49]:

Yeah. Okay, well, that's got my name all over it. You guys started a cocktail room. How long have you had your cocktail room? Now three and a half years gosh. Has it been that long? Wow.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:07:01]:

Yeah. November of 2019. Great timing is when we opened, and then we've had multiple opportunities to reopen over.

Ralf Loeffelholz [00:07:11]:

We got good at it.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:07:13]:

Oh, my goodness.

Stephanie [00:07:15]:

And you are in an industrial type space. So tell me about your location, why you picked the space that you did.

Ralf Loeffelholz [00:07:23]:

Yeah, so initially, when I started this business idea, I envisioned to have just a pure production site, so the least expensive production site I could find close to the home, because you'll be spending a lot of time in the distillery and falling back. And falling back. So this is just eight minutes away from home, a very good landlord, very attractive lease. And I was not thinking about a cocktail lounge. I'm not a mixologist, so I drink things neat. The most complex mixed drinks I make for myself have three components, and they contain ice. I mean, I count ice. That means it's a gin and tonic, it's a Jack and Coke. So well, it's simplistic and what we realized very quickly. So, first my son joined, then my daughter joined, and my daughter had the knack of taking awesome cocktail pictures and making awesome cocktails. And she really can run a cocktail lounge. I couldn't. So that's where Bridget came in. And then we really kind of mary and Bridget worked on this cocktail lounge, saying, okay, well, we are not in the perfect location.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:08:37]:

So we had a fantastic architect, snow crylic, and a great GC, which is mixed. And we developed this lounge space, which is really a brand builder for us because we don't have spirits that you look and like, oh, I know exactly what that is. Right. So they need to have a story around it. And this is a playground for the team to really showcase our spirits in ways that you wouldn't expect. Yeah, it absolutely is a destination. So, yes, we are in a very light industrial area. We always say, tell everyone, oh, where are you? You know where Bunnies is, and everybody knows where Bunnies is, and Methodist. And we're just back a little bit further.

Stephanie [00:09:31]:

You're like my neighborhood tap or you're my neighborhood distillery? Potentially over in Golden Valley.

Mary Loeffelholz [00:09:38]:

Very much neighborhood. We embarked on this project of building this out, and again, it really fits the aesthetic of our brand. And I think it was Dara Musk Grumdoll who described walking, and it was like going through this wormhole. And we love the reaction that we get when people walk into this space

On this episode of Makers of Minnesota, I interview Jessica Berglin, the founder of Flicker and Fizz. This candle-making company specializes in vintage glassware candles and cocktail pairings. Jessica shares her journey from hosting themed birthday parties to creating a successful business with the help of her passion for creative entrepreneurship. Listeners will learn about the different types of vintage glassware Jessica collects and her techniques for creating seasonal scents and cocktail pairings. Tune in to hear about how Flicker and Fizz is revolutionizing the candle industry with their unique products.

Thank you for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Show Transcript Follows:

Stephanie [00:00:12]:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Makers of Minnesota podcast, where we talk to cool people doing cool things. I first ran across Jess Berglin when I was at a festival outside side of Able Brewing, and right away I noticed these cool vintage glasses, and they were filled with different types of candles. And I was quick to discover that Flicker and Fizz is not only a candle maker but a fellow cocktail lover. Welcome to the program.

Jessica Berglin [00:00:46]:

Thank you. Thank you for having me. It's great to be here.

Stephanie [00:00:49]:

Yeah. Jess, this is a really cute and clever idea. So tell me how you got started.

Jessica Berglin [00:00:55]:

Yeah, so I think I have to start with my love of vintage glassware. I have been shopping for it, sourcing it, obsessing over it for years. And I joke with a lot of my friends because every time I go thrifting or antiquing, I'm like, I found these. Do you like them? Do you want them? I just need a reason to buy it, just because it satisfies this thing inside of me, for sure. And for myself, I usually buy it for theme parties that I throw, so I'm always looking for really unique glasses to fit the theme that I want to entertain around. And then I kind of realized that they could become these really cool candle vessels and that the cocktail pairing side of it really creates this neat, kind of at home curated experience for people to enjoy. And it's kind of my way of bundling this passion for theme parties into a concise gift, I guess, for lack of better term.

Stephanie [00:02:09]:

You sound pretty fun, so let's just start there. What kind of themed parties are you having and why? Just for fun.

Jessica Berglin [00:02:17]:

So every year on my birthday, I throw myself a wild themed birthday bash. So my birthday is February 1, and the only reason that that is important is that there is nothing else to look forward to in Minnesota, that time of year, it's like holidays are over, new Year's is coming, gone. You're a month into your New Year's resolution, nights are long, and you just need a reason to get out and gather in a fun and creative way. And it's something let's see, how many years have I been doing this now? 13, I think. Okay, yeah, I just turned 37 this year, and I think I started with my either 23rd or 24th birthday. And, yeah, it's just all of my friends now have just become gung ho over kind of picking out their ensembles, and none of them even dress up for Halloween. It's like, no, we don't do Halloween, but Jess's birthday, we'll go all out.

Stephanie [00:03:24]:

Is it always like, a vintage theme?

Jessica Berglin [00:03:28]:

Not necessarily. So this past year, I called it my art party, so everyone had to dress up as, like, a famous work of art or artist or something along those lines. For the glassware side of it, I had all these little vignettes and then the themed drinks to go with them. A lot of them were champagne based, so I kind of had done all my really cute turn of the century etched coops and colored ones. I actually these, like, blue, iridescent ones. Oh, yeah. Kind of really cool. So, yeah, I love that it kind of just runs the gamut of whatever I can find and however I can bring life to it.

Stephanie [00:04:18]:

Okay, so you buy this vintage glass, and then you make a candle, and you pair it with a cocktail. So is the candle smelling like the cocktail?

Jessica Berglin [00:04:29]:

No.

Stephanie [00:04:30]:

Okay.

Jessica Berglin [00:04:31]:

No. So I like to tell people that the pairing is more so meant to create a certain vibe or ambiance versus, like, this is an old fashioned candle. It smells like you're old fashioned. That's not really my goal.

Stephanie [00:04:46]:

You're not Yankee Candle?

Jessica Berglin [00:04:47]:

No, we're not Yankee Candle, but it's like, okay. I like to have, when I'm drinking an old fashioned or Manhattan, what's the vibe that I want to set for fiery? Just, like, chill and just warm. So like ambery cinnamon? Yes, exactly. They're meant to kind of go with one another, not smell and or taste like one another.

Stephanie [00:05:19]:

Got it. Okay. That's great. So you have different versions. How many of these do you have so far?

Jessica Berglin [00:05:29]:

So right now, for spring and summer, I have five main ones that I'm doing, and I just debuted a new one this year, and then I have some year round ones too, that kind of can sort of transcend season and be sort of popular year round. But yeah, for summer and spring, seasonal, I have a couple of really great bright citrusy ones that are paired with so actually, the candle is called citrus fig. And then the cocktail pairing that I have for that is a basil fig smash. So it's basically bourbon with basil leaves and fig jam that you muddle with lime juice. Then you top it with ginger beer. So it's a great patio party kind of drink. And same with the candle scent. It feels like summer to me.

Stephanie [00:06:32]:

Were you a mixologist, or how do you come up with this cocktail part?

Jessica Berglin [00:06:37]:

It honestly stems from just how much entertaining I do and wanting a reason to do this cocktail or this cocktail. And I have a couple in my back pocket that I've been like, all right, I really want to do this cocktail. When do I want to do it? What kind of scent do I want to build around it? And it's like I have to have everything aligned in my head to be gung ho about it.

Stephanie [00:07:09]:

So you have your website flicker and Fizz, and then I know you do pop up markets. Are you also in retail locations?

Jessica Berglin [00:07:15]:

Yeah, so I'm just starting to get into retail locations. I am the resident candle maker at Oleo Vintage in Northeast Minneapolis, and then I have a couple of retail partners where I've done some private label sort of stuff for them all. In the vintage glassware, I have these really cool big decorative pieces versus the cocktail glassware type stuff that I do for them. I'm sort of building my arsenal of retail partnerships right now.

Stephanie [00:07:50]:

Is this full time work for you? And were you an artist before, or tell me about that.

Jessica Berglin [00:07:56]:

Yeah, I've always been a creative it's not a full time thing, so I'm hoping I can build it up to that point. But, yeah, I've always had a creative side, and my dad was a high school art teacher for years and years, and so I think, yeah, that side of me has always been present, and I knew I wanted to be a creative entrepreneur for a long time. Like, that stirring was within me, and I just didn't know what it was going to be until I had this hair brain scheme for Flicker and Fizz. And honestly, as soon as lightning struck, I had it all pulled together in, like, ten minutes because it was just like, yes, this is what it needs to be. And it was like I was just waiting for that moment and that lightning to strike, and it kind of has just fallen into place since then.

Stephanie [00:08:53]:

So the lightning strikes and then did you have money set aside or how did you fund your business initially, and is it cash and carry as you go?

Jessica Berglin [00:09:02]:

Yes, I've just kind of bootstrapped from the beginning and just doing what I can and moving things forward.

Stephanie [00:09:14]:

You do a lot of shows. Have you had shows that have been like, a bust or that you didn't get the value out of them and have any advice for makers that how do you choose what to do?

Jessica Berglin [00:09:24]:

Right? It's honestly a lot of trial and error, and I've been really fortunate to make a lot of friends with fellow vendors and just building a network of support to ask, like, hey, I'm thinking about doing this event. Have you done it, would you recommend doing it again? That kind of thing. And just being able to have those open and honest conversations with my colleagues has been invaluable. Really?

Stephanie [00:09:59]:

What percentage of your business is between Thanksgiving and New Year's?

Jessica Berglin [00:10:03]:

Oh, my gosh. Probably a quarter of it.

Stephanie [00:10:06]:

Oh, I would have thought it would be more.

Jessica Berglin [00:10:10]:

Yeah. I mean, that is my bread and butter time of year, and so this is my I'm only entering into my second full time year of having the full gauge of seasons, but, yeah, I'd say in the realm of, like, 25% to 40%.

Stephanie [00:10:33]:

So if you have your full time work or your job, like, your paying job, and then this is we'll call this, like, you're on your way to being more than a hobby job. You work every day during the high season?

Jessica Berglin [00:10:47]:

Yes, pretty much from end of Septem

Today we have a special guest joining us, Teena Anderson - the Anoka Grilling Queen from Anoka Meats! Teena owns Anoka Meat and Sausage, a full-time grill located outside her butcher shop. But her journey to becoming the Grilling Queen was not always on the menu. Teena reinvented herself after leaving the corporate world and living in a diner for 20 years. Now, she's a thriving entrepreneur in the culinary world. Today, we'll dive into Teena's fascinating story - from starting a small salad business to taking over Anoka Meat and Sausage. Plus, we'll explore her love for cooking, her passion for specialty ingredients. Get ready to fire up the grill and join us as we uncover the secrets of the Anoka Grilling Queen on this episode of Makers of Minnesota!

Here is the recipe for Teena's Cowboy Beans from her Blog

Ingredients

* 4 pound cooked ground hamburger 85/15

* 1 lb bacon or ends & pieces, loosely chopped

* 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained

* 1 (15 ounce) can butter beans, drained

* 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans

* 1 (15 ounce) can garbaonzo or black bean beans, drained

* 1 (15 ounce can) great northern beans

* 1 (15 ounce can) navy beans

* 2 (28 ounce) can pork and beans, drained

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

* 3 cup dark brown sugar + to taste

* 2/3 cup ketchup

* 1/2 cup vinegar

* 1/2 cup dijon

* 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

* 1 Tbsp Pepper

* Optional: diced green pepper

Directions

* Heat a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir bacon, onion, and garlic until bacon is browned, about 10 minutes. Pour off excess fat.

* Brown hamburger with the salt and pepper until done. Combine the browned hamburger with bacon & onions in an electric toaster or large crock pot.

* Whisk together the brown sugar, ketchup and dijon then pour mixture over the hamburger.

* Make this in a large crockpot by adding all the ingredients together and cook on high for 1 hours, then turning to low until ready to eat.

* The electric roaster heats a little faster, so once all ingredients are combined, turn heat to 250-300 and warm to a bubble for 1/2 hour or so just to ensure all ingredients are hot and everything is thoroughly cooked.

* Cool and reheat the next day or serve right away.

Thank you for reading Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter. This post is public so feel free to share it.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of Makers of Minnesota, host Stephanie speaks with Liza Jackson and Sylvia Williams, founders of Soul Grain. The pandemic led to an increase in new ideas and people in packaged goods, with social media playing a big role. The conversation focuses on their granola flavors which are a unique and healthier alternative to sugary products. The granola has a light, crispy crunch, and a unique Lemon Meringue High flavor, made with THC with more flavors in development. They also discuss the challenges of working with a partner in business and choosing granola flavors based on their cultural backgrounds. Lastly, the episode explores the importance of taste and the difficulties of making THC products taste good. Listen in for a fascinating conversation about the packaged goods industry and the creation of Soul Grain.

Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Stephanie [00:00:13]:

Hello, everybody, and welcome to the makers of Minnesota Podcast, where we talk to cool people doing cool things. I'm here with Lisa Jackson and Sylvia Williams, and they are the owners of Soul Grain, LLC. Soul Grain is a granola product and talk about fantastic packaging. Welcome to the program, you guys.

Liza Jackson [00:00:34]:

Thank you. Thank you for having us.

Sylvia Williams [00:00:36]:

Yeah.

Stephanie [00:00:37]:

How did the whole granola idea start? Which one of you had it first?

Liza Jackson [00:00:44]:

Actually, I think it was a combination, actually. We started with bars. We shifted to granola. But I'm lisa. I'm a nutritionist. Sylvia is a pastry chef. So we wanted to combine our interest and come up with super interesting flavors that are inspired by both of our cultures and background.

Stephanie [00:01:02]:

So tell me a little bit about that and how the granola is different than some of your traditional flavors.

Sylvia Williams [00:01:09]:

Well, for these granola flavors, we decided to dig into our cultural backgrounds and grab something, some flavors that you might find at our grandmother's house or something. So we chose banana pudding, which is anytime you go to a cookout or anything like that, you're going to have some banana pudding. Thanksgiving, we're always going to have a sweet potato casserole. And then we used the flavors of the Caribbean for our cocoa, mango, and spice. Paradise has grains of paradise in it. And that is a spice that's commonly used in North African cooking, which is part of Lisa's ancestry.

Stephanie [00:01:55]:

So you guys, just for those of you that are listening, lisa and Sylvia are African American, thus talking about the culture and specific to where these flavors are coming from. I didn't realize that there weren't really these flavors on the market in a granola setting. But they're not. No.

Liza Jackson [00:02:19]:

That's where we come in.

Stephanie [00:02:20]:

Yeah. I guess because I'm white, I don't think about other cultures in terms of flavor profiles. And maybe we've learned to associate maybe hot things with the Latina culture, and there's, like, hot chili and some of those flavors that you'll see there. But I am really excited to try different flavors and experience food from different cultures. How has it been received?

Liza Jackson [00:02:49]:

Oh, my God. We had an amazing response. Banana pudding is our best seller. But all of them, really everybody's really loving them.

Stephanie [00:02:58]:

They're so different and really feel different in the flavor profile and more interesting. Way more interesting.

Liza Jackson [00:03:06]:

Way more interesting than you're a pumpkin spice granola. Right. So we wanted to make the granola business a little more interesting.

Stephanie [00:03:14]:

How has it been? Your packaging is really great. Which one of you guys worked on the logo?

Sylvia Williams [00:03:22]:

Yes. We came up with an idea, and then we contacted our friend Troy Gua, who is an artist who's known kind of wildly throughout this area, specifically because he makes a Prince doll, and he's real big on social media. So he came to our attention, and we became friends. And so I contacted him with our ideas, and he created this amazing logo.

Stephanie [00:03:51]:

It is an amazing logo. And now that you talk about the Prince doll, I know exactly what you're talking about because I think he's coloring book and some other things and clearly is Soul Grain a play on the Soul Train?

Sylvia Williams [00:04:04]:

Yeah.

Liza Jackson [00:04:05]:

Soul Train and Whole grain with soul, right?

Stephanie [00:04:08]:

Exactly. That's so great. I love it. Okay, so you decide that you're going to make this product. Did you right away start out in a commercial kitchen or did you go to a distributor?

Liza Jackson [00:04:19]:

We started in our kitchen, actually with a cottage food license and then made our step up to a commercial kitchen.

Stephanie [00:04:26]:

It's interesting because before the Pandemic Cottage Foods license were pretty limited and I think the amount that you could sell was like 7500, and now you can sell up to 75,000 and still have a cottage food license. And I don't know that people know that.

Sylvia Williams [00:04:44]:

Oh, wow.

Liza Jackson [00:04:45]:

We didn't know that.

Sylvia Williams [00:04:49]:

I think so. Also, just to be able to make it on a scale that we needed to make it, we had to be in a commercial kitchen because my oven can only make so much granola.

Stephanie [00:04:59]:

Yeah, exactly. So where's your commercial kitchen now?

Sylvia Williams [00:05:03]:

It's called Water's Edge Kitchen and it's in Maplewood. It's a gluten free kitchen because we're a gluten free product.

Stephanie [00:05:10]:

Are you finding a lot of camaraderie in the kitchen, too? Is that kind of an unexpected bonus of being in the commercial kitchen? Sure.

Liza Jackson [00:05:18]:

Amazing makers in there.

Sylvia Williams [00:05:23]:

I'm sorry?

Stephanie [00:05:24]:

I said I think you learn a lot from other makers.

Sylvia Williams [00:05:27]:

Absolutely.

Stephanie [00:05:29]:

When you thought about how you're going to bring this product to market, what were your steps and what did you think the market was and has that turned out to be the market?

Liza Jackson [00:05:40]:

Well, we knew the market, obviously, the granola market is very crowded, so that's why we came up with the different flavor profile first and then thought we would enter the market that way.

Stephanie [00:05:51]:

And how do you get the word out? Do you go to markets? Do you work with a distributor? Do you cold call grocery stores and food co ops yourself? Well.

Sylvia Williams [00:06:07]:

We'Ve had a lot of success just when we approach the stores and they try our product and we've gotten a lot of success that way, and it's just kind of been snowballed. And we go to another store and then some stores have called us.

Stephanie [00:06:26]:

How many stores are you in right now?

Sylvia Williams [00:06:29]:

We are in two kowalski. We're getting ready to expand to the rest of them. We're in Regions Hospital and their gift shop, and we are at Camden Foods.

Liza Jackson [00:06:43]:

The airport store.

Stephanie [00:06:44]:

Yes.

Liza Jackson [00:06:45]:

We are soon to be in a lot of places that we can't quite say yet.

Stephanie [00:06:51]:

I understand.

Liza Jackson [00:06:53]:

But we're definitely growing and that's super exciting. It's still just the two of us, so we try on the scale strategically.

Sylvia Williams [00:07:01]:

Yes.

Stephanie [00:07:01]:

Do you have other full time jobs as well?

Liza Jackson [00:07:06]:

Yes, I do.

Stephanie [00:07:10]:

Okay. So have you guys distributed the division of labor to be like, okay, this will be your area, this will be my area, or are you collaborating, kind of, on all those decisions?

Liza Jackson [00:07:21]:

I mean, we call it out, but I think things kind of naturally fall in place, which is, I think, beautiful about our relationship. It kind of just happens.

Stephanie [00:07:28]:

How long have you guys been friends? You're very relaxed about this whole thing, which I love. Oh, yeah.

Liza Jackson [00:07:34]:

We've been friends for, what, over 14 years now?

Sylvia Williams [00:07:36]:

Yeah.

Stephanie [00:07:37]:

Okay. So you kind of figure out, you know, what each other's strengths and weaknesses are. But in when you run a business, that's harder. Have you come up against any stumbling blocks? Like, I ran a business with my husband, and, boy, did I learn a lot about working together. Not always favorable, I got to admit.

Liza Jackson [00:07:55]:

So far, we've been great.

Sylvia Williams [00:07:56]:

Honestly.

Liza Jackson [00:07:57]:

We had no hurdles on that part.

Stephanie [00:07:59]:

Right.

Liza Jackson [00:07:59]:

The hurdles are the business, but not in our relationship now.

Sylvia Williams [00:08:03]:

Yeah. We just perfectly work together in sync. And it's the weirdest thing because there's never been an issue, and I don't foresee any issues.

Stephanie [00:08:16]:

That is a little weird, but amazing. How do you guys get people to sample your products?

Sylvia Williams [00

Our guest this week is Brittany Wisner of @courageclay, and she's a true master of sculpting with Sculpy polymer clay!⁠

Brittany shares her insights on all things market season, from researching potential events to how to stand out as a vendor. She also gives a behind-the-scenes look at her creative process, including how she mixes and colors clay, cuts out her designs and bakes the finished products.⁠

Check out the episode now on your favorite podcast app, and let us know what you think in the comments!

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On this episode of “Dishing with Stephanie’s Dish,” Stephanie interviews Trent Pheifer, blogger and aspiring home chef from, “Store Bought Is Fine” who found inspiration from celebrity chef Ina Garten. From cooking their way through Ina's recipes to meeting her in person at a Paris restaurant, Trent shares his love for her simple and flavorful recipes, including a unique dish featuring roasted grapes and sausage. The episode also dives into content creation challenges and finding a balance between creating enjoyable content and striving for perfection. Listen to Trent’s inspirational journey of self-discovery in the culinary world through the books and recipes of Ina Garten. Follow @Storeboughtisfine on Instagram.

Make the Sausage and Grapes recipe from Ina Garten like Trent did here.

Stephanie’s Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Here is the Episode Transcript:

Stephanie [00:00:16]:

Hello, everybody. Welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast where we talk to cookbook authors, people obsessed with food. And today we are talking to Trent Pfeiffer, and he is an Instagram influencer, I think we dare to say, and also a recipe cook and a man who is on a mission. Store bought is fine. It's his handle on instagram. And Trent, you are cooking all of the dishes from Ina Garten's Cookbook and her shows.

Trent [00:00:47]:

I am. It's been quite a journey. I think I've been doing it about seven years now.

Stephanie [00:00:53]:

Okay. You are my jam. I just want to hear all about how this started.

Trent [00:01:02]:

Yeah, so it was one of those things where I didn't know how to cook at all. I was around 30. I was dating someone at the time. I was kind of getting in the kitchen. Wasn't doing a lot of great cooking in the kitchen. And it was about this time that I read Julia Child's my Life in France. And at the same time, my roommates and I were binge watching The Barefoot Contessa. Not making any of the dishes, just binge watching. It's an aspirational lifestyle. I think it's great entertainment. When I started getting into cooking, I was making all of these recipes from online sources, from Ina, and the online source ones kept failing for me. And I don't think it was the recipe, the online recipe developers or anything. It's that I didn't have the basic skills in the kitchen. And the one person whose recipes had always kind of worked out for me, even though I didn't have the skills, were Ina's. So I thought maybe I would take a page from Julia and Julia and just cook my way through all of Aina's garden's recipes and in the process, hopefully get my cooking education.

Stephanie [00:02:12]:

I couldn't love this more because that trajectory of finding Julia Child through her memoir, her biographies, and then kind of going into cooking after that was sort of how it happened for me.

Trent [00:02:27]:

Oh, I love that.

Stephanie [00:02:29]:

I wasn't a great cook, and I'm a home cook, and I felt like Julia made things feel so accessible. So I went back and started to watch some of the shows, and then I stumbled along. Food Network twelve years ago, I think around that time, I in a garden show, The Barefoot Contessa, and I, too, was like I was trying to cook specifically, like, these beautiful Martha Stewart magazine recipes never worked out. I always was disappointed, and Ina's 100% always worked. And what's unique is the things she and Julia have in common is I think the two of them have tested more recipes in their books than anybody else. Oh, yeah.

Trent [00:03:12]:

And I think that's the secret to their success is Ina always watches somebody else make her recipes and then incorporates that feedback into the recipes. I think there are very few recipe developers or chefs that I will host a dinner party never having made the dish and know that it's going to be phenomenal for my guests. And Ina is that person where I'm like, I've never made this, but it'll be fine.

Stephanie [00:03:43]:

And you just have a huge level of confidence that she's tested it, so you know it's going to be good. And even her simple recipes and how she approaches food, too, really speaks to me because it's not, like, simple, but it's always elegant, just in its perfection and its simplicity. But it has just enough things and not too many things.

Trent [00:04:09]:

Yeah, and I think that she's just distilled it in a way that with simple ingredients, you can make these great things. I think one of the biggest lessons I ever learned was roast, eating vegetables. She has a lot of roasted vegetables where it's just salt, pepper, maybe squeeze of lemon juice. But how phenomenal that on itself can be. I grew up with boiled Brussels sprout and a lot of veggies that didn't have a lot of flavor. And I think that Ina has perfected that, making it as simple as possible. Some of them are complicated, making them as simple as possible, but still making them, like, showstoppers or something that your friends are going to after eating over at your place.

Stephanie [00:04:56]:

Where did you grow up?

Trent [00:04:58]:

I grew up in Ohio, so kind.

Stephanie [00:05:01]:

Of I'm from the Midwest, obviously. Minnesota.

Trent [00:05:04]:

You seem a little Midwest bound.

Stephanie [00:05:05]:

Where do you live now?

Trent [00:05:07]:

I'm in New York City. I've been here about 14 years now.

Stephanie [00:05:11]:

And what is your day job? Life. And do you do this all the time?

Trent [00:05:15]:

No, this is not my full time job. I actually work for the Advertising Council, which is a national nonprofit that does public service communication efforts to move the needle on some of our most pressing issues. A lot of people know us.

Stephanie [00:05:34]:

I'm in advertising.

Trent [00:05:36]:

Amazing.

Stephanie [00:05:37]:

We play your ads on my radio station all the time.

Trent [00:05:41]:

I love that. I love that. Yeah. So I'm on the fundraising team. We oversee our board of directors and our fundraising for the organization. So that's my day job. So this is just my side leg project, just my passion project. I really thought this would be something that I would do for a couple of months and then move on to the next thing, but I really found my passion and love for food throughout this project. So it's a balancing act, working a full time job and cooking as much as I do.

Stephanie [00:06:14]:

How much do you cook?

Trent [00:06:17]:

At a minimum, four recipes a week. That doesn't seem like much, but yes, it does. Well, if you're really thinking about okay, well, there are seven days in a week. How many, like, going out to eat, like, how many meals, lunch, dinner. So I try to do four and then two to three evenings during the week.

Stephanie [00:06:40]:

Okay. So what attracted me to your Instagram was an article that I saw that said ina Garten's biggest fan, his ten favorite recipes. Was that intentional, or did they just pick this up from you? Or how did this all come together?

Trent [00:07:01]:

Yeah, no, they reached out maybe a couple of months ago, and they were like, so I'm pitching this story. It's going to be Aina Garden's biggest fan. Spend all day, every day talking about Ina. It is near impossible to pick a top ten. I mean, she has nearly 1300 recipes between her books and show, but sometimes I just have to be like, you know what? This is my top ten for the day. It might change tomorrow. There might have a craving that changes something. Sometimes I forget that I made a recipe, and I'm like, oh, yeah, that's one of my favorite. It's not in the top ten, but next year could be a different list.

Stephanie [00:07:36]:

So you had, I think, two of my top ten. You had the coconut cake, which I won a competition on the local television station, competing against the host with basically an adaption of her recipe.

Trent [00:07:50]:

I love that.

Stephanie [00:07:51]:

And then you also mentioned, I think the roast chicken. Perfect roast chicken, because everybody needs that. I think the roasted carrots with the goat cheese might have made your list or it made my list.

Trent [00:08:07]:

I've been doing a bunch of top ten lists and ranking lists, and the carrots with goat cheese, I think is on my favorite salad list.

Stephanie [00:08:16]:

Is there a recipe that when you made it, you didn't think you'd love it, and then you loved it like you got surprised by it?

Trent [00:08:25]:

There's one that I always go to, and it is her sausage and grapes. It was probably the first year, maybe early in the second year of the project, and I looked at this recipe, and I'm like, roasted grapes. What's? I don't know, sweet, savory, but, like, sausage with cooked grapes, it just didn't appeal to me at all. I was like, you know what? Let me give it a try. And I absolutely loved it. It was that sweet, savory pairing. I feel like the roasting of the grapes concentrates their flavor, making it, like, almost like a wine that goes with the sausage and the balsamic vinegar that's in there. It's just such a fabulous dish. And I know that it's a great one because every time I mention this as one of those