Vivian Jarrett of Tainos Sofrito & Mojo
Small food businesses are beginning to hatch at the Stony Brook Business Incubator at Calverton, which held a Food Expo on May 11 to showcase its producers to a wide range of vendors.
The incubator, like South Fork Kitchens on their Southampton campus, offers local food producers use of a commercial kitchen at an affordable hourly rate, in addition to seminars on business planning and exposure through events like the Expo, which introduced the producers to more than 40 potential buyers: food markets, farm stands, online food delivery services, and chains Whole Foods, King Kullen and Wild by Nature.
“If it were not for the incubator, I would not be in business,” says Grace Marie Longinetti of COPIA Granola, who sold Tate’s Bake Shop three cases of granola the next day. The facility and its staff help small businesses grow from “infancy” to the “toddler phase,” says Vivian Jarrett, of Tainos Sofrito & Mojo, another member who has seen her sauces and seasonings business go from an idea to a staple at five farmers markets in one year.
With continued entrepreneurship, the East End can now boast about the best pickled goods, sauces and seasonings. Yet with all of the raw materials on the East End and two commercial kitchens, more products can thrive. Are you ready?
Check out some of the products coming out of the incubator:
Aunt Diane Cookies, Inc. (cookies/baked products)
Backyard Brine (pickles)
Bes’ Dam Soup (soups)
Citrose Enterprises (hummus)
COPIA Granola (granola/energy bars)
Divine Brine (pickled products)
Hamptons Brine (raw sauerkraut)
Herbie’s Crumb Cake (crumb cake)
Heritage Bakers (baked goods)
It Must Be Tink’s (red ginger cocktail sauce)
It’ll Be Brittle (peanut brittle)
Le Fusion (Vietnamese spring rolls and Lil’ Buns)
Linda’s Baking Co. (whoopee pies)
Long Island Pickle Company (pickles)
Lucky Lou’s Gourmet Rice Pudding (rice pudding)
Naturally Free Food Service (gluten-free food products)
Naturelle Foods (tomato sauce)
Nofo Crunch Granola (granola products)
North Fork Chocolate Company (chocolates and desserts)
Peck’s of Maine (jams and jellies)
Pete’s Endless Summer (sauces, marinades, rubs, seasoning salt)
Pride Enjoy (vegan, gluten-free rainbow cookies)
Regional Buds (gluten-free baked goods)
Subtle Tea (organic iced tea)
Tainos Sofrito & Mojo (sauces, seasonings, cooking bases)
