The Big Connecticut Food Event

Save the date!

The next Big Connecticut Food Event will take place on Saturday 3/1/25 at the Yale School of Management.

Please see below for the different participation formats for the event, and then please reach out via our participation request form.

Connecticut food & bev brands

  • Pitch competition

  • Tabling & sampling

  • Panel discussions

  • Expert coaching participant

Industry partners

  • Panel discussions

  • Whitepaper (published before event)

  • Expert coaching

Sponsors

  • Gold ($20k) — Everything in silver sponsorship + larger 20’ x 10’ space for brand activation, logo on pitch competition big checks

  • Silver ($5k) -- Everything in bronze sponsorship + company thanked on stage during pitch competition, opportunity to submit article to event whitepaper

  • Bronze ($2.5k) — Table for your brand, logo on website, ad in event booklet and on event screens

From 2/9/24

Thank you to the organizations and individuals that made the 2024 Big Connecticut Food Event a delicious success!

The five pitch competition participants and broader group of brands in attendance made it clear that our state's food entrepreneurship ecosystem is on the up.

Pitch competition results:
1st place ($25k): Secret Salad
2nd place ($10k): East Coast Kombucha
3rd place ($7.5k): Maia Yogurt
Runners-up ($2.5k each): Caribe Soul, Gorilla Lemonade
Audience choice ($2.5k): Gorilla Lemonade

If you are interested in joining our effort to strengthen Connecticut's food entrepreneurship pipeline and help organize next year's event please submit a participation request.

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About the event

Connecticut has made substantial progress in developing infrastructure for ​entrepreneurs in the state’s food and beverage industry. Multiple commercial ​kitchens, incubators and funding programs now span our small state and have generated interest within the regional ​industry.

Work remains to remove friction in the Connecticut food ​entrepreneurship pipeline, including stronger links with wholesale buyers and solutions providers, and more effective support for women and BIPOC entrepreneurs and ​businesses pursuing sustainable or regenerative processes.

The Big Connecticut Food Event is designed to provide opportunities for emerging food ​and beverage brands to connect with the expertise that they’re going to need ​on their journeys, and for strategic and industry partners to meet the growing community of promising brands.

Our goal is to support the development of Connecticut’s entrepreneurship pipeline so it produces multiple food and beverage brands every year that each exceed $2 million in annual sales.

Schedule, 2/9/24

12:45pm: Doors open

1:15pm: Opening remarks

  • Anthony M. Anthony, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development

1:30pm: Panel discussion: What buyers wish more emerging brands knew

  • Moderator: Reed Immer, CT Food Launchpad/Chabaso Bakery/Atticus

  • Deane Sullivan, Stop & Shop

  • John Fraro, Big Y

  • John Lawson, Whole Foods

  • Jim Creely, Bozzuto’s

2:30pm: Connecting the dots: Cross-sector partnerships in the entrepreneurship pipeline

  • Moderator: Onyeka Obiocha, CTNext

  • Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt, Connecticut Department of Agriculture

  • Dean Indrajeet Chaubey, UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources

  • Katrice Claudio, reSET

  • Charlie Negaro, Chabaso Bakery / Atticus / CT Food Launchpad

3:15-4:15pm: Sampling, tabling and expert coaching

  • Sampling

    • BREAKFAST BELLE LLC

    • 88 Coffee Company

    • Maple Craft Foods, LLC

    • Maia Yogurt

    • Caribe Soul LLC

    • East Coast Kombucha Company, LLC

    • Seir Hill

    • Ruby Wellness Inc

    • Secret Salad

    • 860Kombucha

    • Gorilla Lemonade LLC

    • Durty Jerk

    • Soul de Cuba Cafe

4:15-5:15pm: Pitch competition

  • Judges: Deane Sullivan (Stop & Shop), John Fraro (Big Y), Seth Nieman (Wakefern), Charlotte Myer (Fresh Direct), Rafi Taherian (Yale Hospitality)

  • Brand participants: Maia Yogurt, Gorilla Lemonade, Secret Salad, East Coast Kombucha, Caribe Soul

5:15-6pm: Announcement of pitch competition winners, sampling, tabling