UAH’s ICE Lab to co-host informational workshop for new food entrepreneurs

Chef Kevin Kilburn of the Shoals Culinary Center will be speaking at the "Starting Up a Food Business" workshop.
Photo: Shoals Culinary Center

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 24, 2014) - The Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Lab of the College of Business Administration at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and Rosita's Farm are pleased to announce a workshop targeting new food entrepreneurs on Tuesday, March 4, in downtown Huntsville. "Starting Up a Food Business" will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the second floor of Amendment XXI, 123 Northside Square. Admission is $20 for adults; children are free.

Two food startup professionals from the Shoals Culinary Center, Executive Director Giles McDaniel and chef Kevin Kilburn, will give the feature presentation, including tips to help new food businesses get off the ground, understand regulations for production and packaging, and market themselves.

Karen Wynne, the workshop's organizer, says she was inspired by her own need for information as a food business entrepreneur. "My husband makes a mean chimichurri and we sell it at the farmers market," she explains, "but I'd like to know what's involved in processing and packaging it for a larger market."

And she's not alone. The increased demand for local and artisanal foods and a growing number of outlets have helped fuel a boom in new food businesses. Huntsville-area residents are enjoying an expanded selection of everything from wood-fired pizza and sauerkraut to cupcakes and gourmet popsicles from local entrepreneurs.

That's where the Shoals Culinary Center comes in. The Center works with aspiring chefs to fine-tune recipes, navigate regulations, and develop brands. And their Culinary Complex rents approved kitchen space, which is used for the production of everything from gumbo, barbecue sauce, and salsa to cheese straws, breads, and gourmet meals.

The event's co-hosts include the Alabama A&M Small Farms Research Center, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, the Food Bank of North Alabama, the North Alabama Revolving Loan Fund, and the USDA NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program.