Interviews Live from Winter Fancy Food Show: Part One

Featuring Walter Robb, Phil Kafarakis, Hass Hasaan, and more.

This year at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, we broadcasted live from the center of the show floor daily from the show’s opening to closing, interviewing a range of industry leaders and innovators. These interviews offer important insights into what trends are driving the industry and what we can expect in the future of food. Here are three of our favorite interviews from the SFA Live.

Phil Kafarakis, President of the Specialty Food Association
Many would agree this year’s Fancy Food Show was one of the best ever with an unmatched energy. In this interview, here’s Phil Kafarakis on what this says about where we are as a specialty food industry with “the absolute level of qualified buyers at an all time high.” You’ll hear about SFA’s new Level Up program that helps make connections with products and stores and facilitates opportunities for private meetings at the show, but off the show floor. You’ll also hear about the passion this year’s specialty food makers showed and the integrity behind their products, their workforce and their communities. And this year, a broader range of the food community was represented with foodservice industry, convenience stores, health and wellness community centers, hospital procurement reps and even retailers like Macy’s and Barnes & Noble. Watch this video to learn more about what the Fancy Food Show has evolved into and how it will continue to grow. 

Walter Robb and Hass Haasan 
In this video, we here from two food industry geniuses. Walter Robb, former Co-CEO of Whole Foods, and natural foods industry pioneer entrepreneur, Hass Haasan. We first here about their thoughts on the food waste mess our country has found itself dealing with, and the bigger and more impactful ways we can make a difference, such as Colorado Springs startup, FoodMaven, which is using technology to facilitate quick and affordable availability of unsold food to the foodservice world. We also take a look into their crystal ball and find out what they see in the future of food with topics such as delivery, online ordering, robotics, AI, the health trend and the price differential between packaged food and fresh food. This is a must-see interview for anyone in the food industry. 

First time Fancy Food Show exhibitor, Molly Wilson, Molly & You
Molly Wilson showcased in this year’s show for the first time with her line of products, Molly & You, which include one-of-a-kind, single-serve, microwaveable brownies, beer breads, muffin and cake mixes and party dips. Coming from a retail background and actually formerly owning the leading Hallmark store in the nation located in Iowa, this is her first foray into food, and the Specialty Food Association has given her “a mini Master’s degree” in the industry, expanding her vocabulary and learning base, and giving her the opportunity to hear ideas from buyers that have helped her shape products consumers want. She is also proud to run an all-women business, raising up the women in her small community. This is a great interview for anyone in the industry to learn from, but especially new product food makers.