Facts book, How To Get Your Product Into Supermarkets. First, though, you should try marketing through more specialized channels. Health Food Stores, C-stores and nearby deli's and local grocery stores. In such cases you will absolutely need this book and will find it saves you serious bucks and a lot of questions posed to distributors, health officials and your suppliers. I know, because I spent months researching the options and not finding half the information that this book so succinctly provides. Note: I had so little success finding the information that I chose to team up with a businessman and I became vice president of Billy Bob's Pot Pies in Canby, Oregon. The ill-fated franchise attempt resulted in me returning to work in the Middle East so I could save enough bucks to start producing my meat pies for specialty markets....” – Charles W. Anderson
“Tutor in Print for the Aspiring Gourmet Food Marketer.” “This is well done, by one who has spent the time and provided his knowledge to prospective entrees into this market. The material is up-to-date, with great stuff on Web Page Development, etc. I found his advice on channel management, i.e. where to sell, on finding distributors to be very useful. All pertinent areas are covered, packaging to promotion to positioning. This is fine overview of the biz from a pro who has been down the paths and knows what it takes, then communicates it in an understandable, digestible and attractive manner.” –Dearborn, MI
“Practical and Strategic’- I use From Kitchen to Market as the text for the weekend class that I teach through University of California Davis Extension, Getting Started in the Specialty Food Business. Hall's book is excellent and it is practical. He gets to the nitty-gritty of how to develop and launch a product. He also emphasizes the need to be market-oriented. You won't be guaranteed success just because you make a great tasting product; Hall discusses how you need to package, market and distribute your product effectively.” – Shermain D. Hardesty, PhD, University of California, Davis
“Excellent Guide For Speciality Food Startups” “After reading dozens of obtuse marketing studies on the specialty food business, I came across this book. What a delight! All the basic information an entrepreneur needs in one place. The author generously shares practical, authoritative advice and guidance through very clear writing and diagrams. It's to-the-point and easy-to-read. The book is also well-organized, has a nice clean layout, and has great resource listings in back of book. Too good to be true? So far, it's been very helpful to me! Highly Recommended.” – Ben, Maplewood, NY
“Steve - mostly I want to say how helpful your book is. I know it well and recommend it to all in the communities where I work.” Cameron Wold, Boise State University, Idaho SBDC
Regarding the “demo” advice in your book – “I have been to a couple of herb shows, and by demos I sold more than I ever dreamed!” - Donita Chris, Savory Specialties
From Library Journal
How many of us have toyed with the idea of selling our favorite family recipes? The growing number of specialty food products on the market strongly suggests that people are doing more than just toying with the idea. Hall, a food industry consultant, has created a thorough guide to food marketing that is sure to help food entrepreneurs at all levels, from the rank beginner to the most experienced. Hall clearly points out possible pitfalls and concerns as he takes the reader step by step through the entire marketing process, offering guidelines on market research, packaging, pricing, and advertising. Interesting vignettes on actual successes and failures allow a realistic view of possible scenarios. The appendixes, which make up a good portion of the book and list trade shows, journals, associations, sample forms, and so forth, are a terrific quick resource that significantly enhance this already strong and well-written guide. Strongly recommended for public and academic libraries.
- Margaret B. Bartlett, Rochester Inst. of Technology, N.Y.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
