 |
|
Starting April 17th, join Julian Crews for another round of "Cruisin Illinois!" Tune in to the video below and comment on this blog with ideas of new locations he can explore.
Edited 3/18: We originally said starting March 19. We apologize for the date switch. (We're excited to see it on the air, too.) Tune in Monday, March 24 for a tease to kick off the season on April 17...
All systems "go" for the big blast-off. And I can hardly believe it. After years of thinking about it and countless hours of research and development here at Mission Control (the Crews home) ... we're finally ready for launch. Just a couple of minor hoops to jump through and we're there!
If all goes according to plan (and my check doesn't bounce), my famous Old Havana black beans will be orbiting the specialty food universe. And for a lot of reasons, the milestone will be met with emotion at the Crews household. .
You see, for years I've dreamed about doing this ... marketing the old family recipe for gourmet Cuban-style black beans. And now, the moment has finally arrived.
Tell me if you like my sales pitch: "for the first time ever you can enjoy a centuries-old family
tradition - authentic "frijoles negros," as it's known on the island. From the streets of Old Havana to your kitchen, the whole family will love our savory Cuban-style black beans!
What do you think?? Is it going to move some beans? Please don't hesitate to give me your honest opinion. Maybe I'll sit you down in the Crews kitchen for a taste test. Coming next to a grocery store near you: the exact launch date! Beans! Beans! They're good for your heart! Stay tuned.
Guess what we had for Thanksgiving supper this holiday season? Turkey and beans. Not the kind of beans the pilgrims tasted that first Thanksgiving, back on Plymouth Rock. I'm talking about my authentic Cuban-style Old Havana black beans, or 'frijoles negros' as it's known on the island.
The taste-testing process takes no holiday at the Crews household. I tried out a few variations on my grateful relatives, this holiday season. And I have to say the effort was a success, because they kept coming back for more.
Now that they're fueled up and off to O'Hare, with a full-tank of all-natural rocket propulsion for the flight home, I'm getting down to business. All joking aside, my Old Havana recipe is ready for take-off.
I'm finalizing details with my co-packer in Union, Illinois. A fantastic company called Dorina-So-Good. For decades, they've produced a variety of savory barbeque sauces, salad dressings, salsas and all kinds of delicious specialty food items. There's a great guy who runs the place with a lot of experience. Name is Tim Young. He's a wealth of information, but a very busy guy. You've got to get your ducks in a row before you get ready to talk to him. Because the food industry is serious business and a highly competitive field.
I've learned it's going to cost me a few thousand dollars to get my first batch of beans, rice and Old Havana seasoning to the marketplace (and that's a big chunk of change for a hard-working street reporter like me). And that's just to produce a small quantity to peddle to gift catalogs, food websites and/or retailers. The thing is co-packers generally have minimum-run requirements, so it takes a little bit of a bankroll to launch that favorite family recipe.
But if you're thinking about marketing Aunt Sally's homemade apple pie, there are a number of things you need to do before you get ready to place your first order. The first step is research, research and more research. And the second step is research. You've got to study the market for your product. It's a painstaking process. Look at the competition. Figure out if you've got chance to compete.
If you're interested in learning more about launching an old family recipe, stay tuned. I'll tell you more next time.
Have you ever dreamed of marketing an old family recipe? Like your Grandma's famous fresh-baked cookies? Or an uncle's spicy home-made mustard? It's not so far-fetched. Food experts say many of the delicious specialties you'll find at your local Jewel, Whole Foods or Trader Joe's started out in someone's home kitchen.
What does it take to sell your home-made product to the rapidly-expanding specialty food industry? With the blessings (and sympathy) of my bosses here at WGN, I'm about to find out. I'm going to try and market my family's old Cuban-style black beans recipe.
Without a bungee cord, I'm taking the leap of faith ... throwing caution (and a modest sum of cash) to the wind ... in an effort to bring my family's famous black beans to exotic food lovers everywhere. This is my story.
Whenever I cook up a pot of my savory Havana-style black beans, my neighbors come out of the woodworks ... practically begging for a jar. When the weather's warm, they can pick up the zesty, old-world aroma drifting out of my kitchen window. Friends and neighbors can't seem to get enough of my secret mix of herbs, oilve oil, garlic and onions. Which got me thinking about the possibility of pitching my product to a food catalog or grocer.
So I'm out to spill the beans on the old family recipe. Follow me, as I begin the effort to bring my Cuban "frijoles" to Chicago. I'll share my experiences with you (both good and bad). And hopefully save you some time with the do's and don'ts of food marketing.
Say hello to Julian's "Old Havana" black beans. As the funny saying goes, "Beans! Beans! They're good for your heart!" I'm just hoping this crazy idea doesn't break my heart. More to come.
Julian