W.Va. Recipe Challengers Sought
Written by Jason Keeling on July 14, 2007
If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoy the art of cooking, you might be interested in the West Virginia Recipe Challenge, which takes place Aug. 18 during the State Fair in Lewisburg. New entrepreneurs and existing businesses will participate in two separate contests. The competition winners will be awarded over $10,000 worth of services for their products, including recipe refinement, packaging design, label development, technical assistance, production time in a commercial kitchen, and product marketing.
Last year Darrell Vowell (read his comment) won the new entrepreneur category with his barbeque sauce, and he has since founded Cowboy Cookin’ Company. The application deadline is July 27. Contest rules and registration are available online.
Update: Congratulations to Phillip Bricker of Charleston. His ice cream won the 2007 West Virginia Recipe Challenge. The Register-Herald has a story on Bricker’s victory.
Posted in Business, Culture, Tourism, West Virginia
content rss
July 16th, 2007 at 9:10 am
“Open for Business” has to mean more than a (blah) welcome sign or even tax considerations. Events and promotions like the WV Recipe Challenge can be part of what stimulates new business in our fair state. It might be just a drop in the bucket, but this sort of culturally-infused entrepreneurial opportunity is itself a great recipe for success. Now, if i could just learn to cook…
July 16th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
Sounds like fun … and I really like the event logo. It is stylish and crisp!
July 16th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Sounds like a great way to recognize existing and aspiring local entrepreneurs. I would love to see the folks at White Grass Cafe (http://www.whitegrass.com) in Davis enter one of their recipes.
July 16th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Dust Off Grandma’s Homemade Recipe Book
Thanks to all who have responded so quickly to this post on the 2007 West Virginia Recipe Challenge. This program is the brainchild of West Virginia State University Extension. In conjunction with the West Virginia State Fair, Mountain Bounty Kitchen, West Virginia Department of Agriculture, BIZA$SIST, and Tamarack; the aim is to promote small business development and entrepreneurship in our great state of West Virginia.
What better way to do that than to foster aspiring businesses and products, that are not only “home grown,” but delicious as well? I encourage readers to pass along the word, dust off grandma’s homemade recipe book and enter for yourself, or just come out to the State Fair on August 18th to sample some of West Virginia’s very best and delectable.
In addition, stop by the West Virginia State University Tent, August 10-18 to learn more about WVSU and our continuing efforts to create a better West Virginia!
July 16th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
I can think of two of my Advantage Valley Entrepreneurial League System clients who are in catering and restaurant businesses that I am going to send to this post haste (pun intended!).
July 16th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
A Note From Last Year’s Winner
After reading the comments I reflect on just what the Recipe Challenge has meant to me. It has made manufacturing a food product a reality. I am in five locations with three sauces and this will grow rapidly in the next 12 months. The support and resources that I have recieved from this state is overwhelming. I had this dream when I lived in Arkansas but did not know where to start. I moved to the area in 1992 and have done well. But in spring of 2006 I was unemployed. This is where Mountain Bounty Kitchen and Unlimited Future made it possible to begin living a life long dream of being a food untreprenuer. From unemployed to self employed. After winning 1st place in the New Business Catagory at the Recipe Challenge my eyes were opened to all of the resources we have in our wonderful state. This past year has proven to me West Virginia is “Open for Business”. Take a look at just some of the resources: ELS, SBDC, Unlimited Future, Score, Mountain Bounty Kitchen, Opening Soon, Biz Assist, EDC, WVSU, WVU. While we have a good start we need increased and continued support from state leaders for funds to provide the support needed to grow cottage industry in our state.
July 19th, 2007 at 9:32 am
What a great way to have fun and possibly start a new career venture as well. Maybe my husband and I will enter our chili recipe. We did do awful good up at Snowshoe a few weeks ago.