Black History Month: Wellness Shops to Support
Our Wellness Committee raised the bar yet again by honoring Black History Month while nourishing our minds and bodies. A $25 stipend from the committee allowed us to each support BIPOC- owned and operated local and national businesses. Here’s what we learned:
Nothing says “self-care” like lighting a candle, sipping some tea, and sitting down with a good book.
If you know Maggie, you know she would rather hug a porcupine then put down a good book. She bought from Black Garnet Books, locally-owned by a Black woman who curates BIPOC authors and supports inclusivity in the literature scene. “I purchased ‘The Prophets’ and ‘Ties that Tether’- both are written by Black authors and focus on struggles that the Black protagonists face. I’m excited to read them soon!” Alyssa ordered from Ivy’s Tea Co., a small company focused on African holistic health remedies. Dustin tagged along on the warm-comforting-beverage train and is looking forward to trying them out. Jill and Anita went the fiery route and are fans of the hand-crafted candles from Love Notes.
Ciara, Betsy, Abby, and Mary believe that “outer beauty leads to inner beauty” and support BLK + GRN, an all natural marketplace by all Black artisans.
Abby says, “I’ve been trying different ‘natural’ deodorants not including aluminum and haven’t found anything that I like very much, excited to try this!” Betsy chimed in, “I too am on the search for a working, natural deodorant that does not come in plastic. My goal is to stay away from as much plastic as I can. Wellness for the environment = wellness for me.” Mary can be seen with glowing skin now that she’s invested in a green tea mask, and Ciara will sooth sore muscles with a salve from BLK + GRN.
Take this opportunity to pay attention to where you’re spending your money this month, and for the rest of the year. And remember, supporting Black businesses isn’t only for February!
Do you have a favorite wellness-focused product from a Black or BIPOC-owned business? We’d love to hear about it! Here’s a resource to get yourself started.
Wellness Committee Takes Resolutions Remote
While 2020 forced us to connect virtually and minimized our in-office time, the IN Food
Wellness Committee worked to find ways to keep each other accountable and healthy and have
some fun while doing it!
As we all remember, back in mid-March 2020, no one really knew how long we would be
working remotely. (We naively planned for 2 months!) The movement that had seemed
somewhat endless in our large North Loop office and the beautiful surrounding neighborhood
had now become confined to our apartments or houses.
The Wellness Committee jumped at the opportunity to start challenging the team to daily
activities of small exercises. We put together a “key” that consisted of a variety of movements
associated with every letter and number (A=10 jumping jacks, B=5 push-ups, 4=6 plank dips for
example) and provided the team with the challenge of doing a workout every day based on a
provided prompt (mother’s maiden name and year she was born for example). Everyone was all
over this and it turned into us learning even more about each other through the activity
prompts (like how my mother’s very German maiden name, Pulvermacher, led to me doing a
bit of a longer exercise than most others).
When the plan of being home for a few weeks turned into months, the committee transitioned
our daily challenges into weekly challenges to allow us a bit more time to concentrate on a
specific aspect of our own wellness. These challenges ranged from drinking 100 oz of water
each day, to swapping salty snacks like chips for nutritious nuts, to doing a random act of
kindness each day between Christmas and New Year’s. We maintained accountability via Slack
channels and consistent reminders and encouragements (and perhaps a few competitive jabs
here and there). The whole IN Food Crew embraced these challenges and contributed ideas
they wanted to focus on to incorporate into the group challenges.
As a team, we started 2021 with 9+ months of resolutions already under our belt and that
makes for a very happy, healthy and proud IN Food Crew. We’re excited to see what 2021
brings and hopefully that means being able to gather together to support each other and
celebrate our successes again (and ideally bring some friendly in-person competitiveness back
to our morning meetings ).
How 2020 Changed Our Home Cooking
In the understatement of the century, this was a new kind of year for all of us. We’ll be happy if we never see the words “out of the abundance of caution” again; how about you? While life got more chaotic this year, the IN Food team retreated into the safety and satisfaction of our home kitchens. We asked our staff how the way they cook changed during 2020.
Do you feel like 2020 has permanently changed the way you think of home cooking?
Maggie said her strategies for food waste and food prep have been sharpened over this past year, and Dustin says cooking came to play a more central role in his life. Now he is “more likely to consider cooking as a first option,” and with so much time at home he found the incentive he needed to “explore different types of dishes.”
What new dishes did you try to conquer?
Dustin tried Charcoal Grilled Nachos. “We piled layers of nachos, cheese, black/pinto beans, ground beef, chicken and jalapeños in a cast iron pan and threw it on the grill until it was melty.” Ciara, with ingredients courtesy of Lori, made drunken noodles. “It was delicious!”
What foods did you rely on for comfort?
Our staff went hardcore into carbs during these stressful months, but spice and flavor weren’t shoved to the sidelines!
Maggie explored “a really tasty and easy crock-pot chicken that inspired quite a few homemade Chipotle-inspired burrito bowls.” Abby echoed these Latin-American vibes and said Fajita chicken was her go-to. “I’d use it for fajitas, quesadillas and burrito bowls. Versatility is KEY when eating so many meals at home.”
For some of us, it was all about the equipment. Betsy gave her home some restaurant-quality flair by installing a pizza oven, while Dustin pulled out the old Dutch oven and made pot roast his signature classic.
Anita sought comfort in the familiar with one of her favorite dishes, spaghetti squash au gratin, as well as a stew composed of white beans, kale and Italian sausage. Ciara relied on “up north” take-out for her nourishment. “When I had a short-lived stint living in Duluth, I got these things called Dough Dogs every week” What’s a Dough Dog you ask? They are a deep-fried dough sprinkled in garlic salt and served with a side of marinara, and they can be found at Bulldog Pizza & Grill. It’s suspected the bulldog on their logo isn’t actually the owner and chef of the establishment, but anything is possible in Duluth.
Our staff’s fave small business spots
Outsiders might expect Twin Cities local shopping to be capped off at small-batch Lutefisk, vegan snow shoes, or the best decor for your ice-fishing hut. Lucky for us, we’ve got style and fresh flair that reaches beyond restrictions of the arctic cold. We eat, sleep, and breathe support for our local businesses everyday of the year, and Small Business Saturday is just another excuse for us to express our community pride on our credit card bills.
Best For Gifting
This holiday season, we could all use a little extra sparkle. Go all out for those on your twice-checked-list and make sure your stockings are stuffed with one-of-a-kind treasures.
If you’re low on ideas, Anita can be seen filling her wish list full of items from Ficus and Fig in Burnsville and Maggie is a big fan of Patina for “their curation of random stuff I wouldn’t normally think of!” If you want a pre-pack of local favorites, Dustin recommends Rose & Loon, a spot that will curate gift boxes depending on the tastes of your gift recipient.
Local Eats
While we’re all playing British these days and relying on takeaway, don’t let that stop you from tasting some of the menus that define our city’s cuisines.
One of Dustin’s favorite spots to order in from is Local Roots, and Maggie has a shorthand with the Dragon Wok delivery team.
Abby satisfies her sweet tooth with Bogart’s Donuts, and the Cereal Killers Fruity Pebbles ice cream from Milkjam.
Sam is a devoted follower of the Soul Bowl empire, and his go-to favorite is the Big Krit Chicken Sandwich “because it’s perfect.” If you want to get the full immersive experience, also check out their new place, B.A.D. Wingz.
Unexpected Finds
Our Social Media Specialist Ciara can be spotted browsing the (online) aisles of Moth Oddities in Northeast, and picking up the latest page-turner at the new Black Garnet Books. As for myself, (Mary Fiala, intern in the realm of Social Media and Account Management), I’ve never been in Hunt & Gather for less than 2 hours. It’s easy to get entranced by the labyrinth-like collection of oddities on all floors, so make sure to set an alarm on your phone if you have an appointment to get to.
Make sure to redirect your funds to the little guy this Saturday, and you may just find some favorites you’ll love all year long.
Food Connections Spotlight: Shelagh Mullen
No one embodies the phrase “Food Connections” quite like Shelagh Mullen. Not only is she an accomplished designer, she’s also a talented chef who’s blended her career and her love of food in all kinds of interesting ways. Read on to learn how Shelagh got her start, how she’s found success in food marketing, and how a one-of-a-kind culinary experience of hers had a twist ending.
Let’s start with the big one: Can you tell us about your recent culinary school experience in Ireland?
I’ll never forget the moment when I found out that going to cooking school (or cookery school, as they call it) in Ireland was an actual thing. That Ireland—a place I have such an innate connection to, like a bungee cord pulling on my heart—could be home for a short time, while doing what I love so much, cooking. I mean, come on, right?! That dream turned into a reality, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Cut short by Covid-19, but that’s water under the bridge and another story altogether. With the support of my wonderful husband and daughters, I set off on the experience of a lifetime. The twelve-week certificate course at The Dublin Cookery School was perfect for what I wanted to accomplish.
In the small, quiet, exclusive seaside town of Blackrock, Dublin, the school was situated in an old industrial area, now with lots of cool, re-furbished condos. I’d walk to (and from) school every day, uphill and into the wind (I’ve never experienced wind like the wind of January in Ireland). The welcome I received the first day of school, with 14 of my new Irish friends, was pure Irish hospitality. It was pissing (as they say) rain, and I was soaked through my every inch of clothing, but I knew the minute we sat down for our first meet and greet that I was in the right place.
The first day was like two full days to get on track. We started with a demo from our first tutor. We then proceeded into the kitchen with our daily partner to recreate the dishes that we had just learned. We sat down and ate the dish (Poached Pear, Walnut & Crozier Blue Cheese Salad, Pasta with Parma Ham and Pistachios, Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce & Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream), then back to the demo kitchen for the next day’s tutorial (Lynda’s Brown Bread, Chicken Stock, Butternut Squash Soup with Lemongrass, Timbales of Provencale Vegetables with Goats Cheese). Repeat. Every day when we arrived, we paired up with our partner, divided and conquered the day before tutor demo, then got to work. Let me tell you, we ate like kings and queens. Good thing I had a two-plus mile walk to and from school every day!
I was robbed of the last four weeks of my time in Ireland (the school shut down 2 weeks early due to Covid), and my husband was coming after school to celebrate our 30th anniversary. Of course, that didn’t happen either. But I will be back, I will.
Have you always enjoyed cooking?
Growing up, I was an extremely picky eater. Not a vegetable crossed my lips until after college. I became obsessed with cooking shows on PBS and wanted to try making some of the recipes. So until my schooling in Ireland (and a short course at the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute about 24 years ago), I’m self-taught. Lots of trial and error, and I still love to watch cooking shows on public television.
When did you realize you wanted to be a designer?
I’ve always loved art and I had a ‘Commercial Art’ class in high school, and absolutely loved it. I certainly didn’t know it was something I could do for a living. In college, I started in Early Childhood Education then switched to Interior Design. I took my first Graphic Design class, and the light bulb went off. Everything clicked into place from there.
Are there any creative similarities between cooking and design?
Absolutely. When I started in Graphic Design, we were still working with keylines, press-type, and rubber cement! The job was very hands-on. When design transitioned to the computer, I felt I’d lost the “hands on” and “get dirty” part of creativity. Cooking brings that back for me. Having my hands in bread dough or tossing around a bunch of veggies with olive oil—that feeds my soul.
When did food become a part of your design career?
I started making pancake mixes for family and friends. One day my brother said, “Shelagh, you should market these, they are amazing!” I have a bit of entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, so I took the challenge, and SheCooks was started. I had a line of whole-grain baking mixes and sold them at the Mill City Farmers Market. Then I migrated to some co-ops, gift shops, and small grocery stores in the region. But I realized all the sudden that I was a food producer, and the exciting part for me was the startup phase of being a food entrepreneur. So now I find great pleasure in working with new food makers, helping them grow. Plus, I have lots of mistakes I can share with them, so they can learn from me. A been there, done that sort of thing.
Where do you find your design inspiration?
My inspiration comes in very random ways. It could be the color of someone’s ski jacket that might inspire a color for some packaging, or a shape I see that would work for a background. I try and keep my eyes wide open when starting a project and see where things land.
What’s your “recipe for success” when it comes to good design?
I may work for a few days on some packaging ideas, but I know to leave it and come back after a few days. Things always look different after some time away.
Now let’s talk real recipes. What have you been cooking lately?
There’s nothing like a good sourdough starter story! Even before I left for my trip to Ireland, I was becoming obsessed with sourdough. I named my starter Sonny (named after my gifted starter from my client, Sunrise Flour Mill, of which had been alive for over 9 years). I even dehydrated Sonny and brought her with me. I reconstituted her so she could get some amazing Irish soul into her. Because I had to leave so abruptly due to Covid, I didn’t have time to dehydrate her for the trip back, so I took a chance and smuggled her back to the states—and renamed her O’Sonny. I feed her every week and try to bake (and share) a few loaves a week. I’m utterly obsessed with it. Sourdough is the most satisfying bread I make in my kitchen, and I make a lot of breads! If I’m not baking bread, I’m testing recipes for clients and my own website.
What’s been your go-to takeout meal?
I can honestly say, none, as much as we love to go out to eat! And because I love to cook so much, going out is more about the experience, a lovely glass of wine, quiet conversation, and no dishes.
How long have you been participating in Food Connections?
I’ve been coming to Food Connections for about two and a half years. One of my favorite networking groups. Great people, and I’ve made some great friendships all because of FC!
If someone wants to partner with you, how can they reach you?
I’m just a Zoom call away if anyone needs help with food packaging or recipe development. And I teach cooking classes (I start teaching at Cooks of Crocus Hill in October)! They can take a look at my websites SheCooks.Design and or MullenDesignWorks.com. They can also reach me at 651.271.6919.
Our Favorite Twin Cities Sandwiches
Take a moment and visualize your favorite sandwich. What’s on it? What kind of bread? Sauce? Protein? Toppings? Perhaps it’s something you make at home, or it’s a favorite from a restaurant.
Naturally, when we talk about anything food-related as a team, it always sparks an interesting conversation. Check out this roundup of our favorite sandwiches found locally:
Hello, Hola Arepa
Abby’s favorite sandwich is the slow-roasted pork arepa from Hola Arepa. She technically classifies it as a sandwich as it’s served between two cornmeal griddle cakes. If you disagree, head over to the comments and let us know why.
She claims this sandwich is “simply delicious” and wants to give them a shoutout, “Hola Arepa made dining in the era of COVID surprisingly comfortable by giving you instructions on when to put on your mask and having little signs on your table for when you need service so they limit interactions. So helpful!”
The Beloved Be’Wiched Egg Salad Sandwich (We will forever miss you!)
A few members of our team (Alyssa, Lori and Betsy) used to swear by Be’Wiched’s egg salad sandwich. It was a lunch staple near and dear to our hearts within walking distance. We’ll forever be fond of this irreplaceable gem of a sandwich and restaurant.
The Runner Up
If Betsy can’t get her hands on an egg salad sandwich from Be’Wiched – her next go-to is the chicken sandwich at Lake & Irving in Uptown. It’s a crispy, fried buttermilk sandwich topped with duroc bacon, Cady Creek Farms pepperjack, sriracha aioli, and sandwiched between two slices of sourdough. It’s simple enough, yet exquisite.
Add Your Own Flair
In classic Lori fashion, she’ll put her own chef’s twist on a great sandwich to make it her own. Her favorite sandwich in the Twin Cities is the club at Mort’s Deli in Golden Valley, but she subs sourdough bread for pumpernickel and adds avocado. *Chef’s kiss*
Does a Burger Count as a Sandwich?
If you said, “Yes!” then Maggie’s favorite sandwich is the Parlour Burger (a Minneapolis fan-favorite and award-winning burger). If you said, “Nope,” then her favorite sandwich would be the classic BLT with avocado from Bunny’s Bar & Grill, one of her favorite neighborhood spots.
All About the Special Sauce
Sam’s favorite sandwich is the pan con lechon from Guavas Cuban Cafe. It’s made of pulled pork, mojo onions, shoestring potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, and special sauce, creating a tasty must-have.
Make it a Good Day
The Good Day Café is a special spot for the IN Food crew. Over the years it’s become a spot to unwind after a big meeting or simply take a break from the day’s work and enjoy the moment. It is also the home of Anita’s favorite sandwich, the BLT&A. Nothing beats a delicious sandwich on a great patio.
A Sandwich You Find in Your Dreams
For months after dining at Surly, I (Ciara) had dreams about their brisket sandwich. Whenever I felt the slightest bit hungry, my mind wandered to this juicy sandwich packed with a delightful BBQ flavor and topped with crunchy coleslaw.
Have a sandwich you dream of in the Twin Cities? Drop a comment with your favorites—we’re always on the hunt to try out other items on the menu or visit a new spot.
Food Connections Spotlight: Julie Kendrick
“I’ve been coming since the first mastodon leg was cooked over an open fire and someone said, ‘This is creamy, crunchy and family-friendly!’”
Julie Kendrick, freelance writer/journalist extraordinaire, is a familiar face at Food Connections. She’s penned countless compelling stories—many of them about food—for HuffPost, the Star Tribune and Takeout.com just to name a few.
But enough chat, let’s hear from the pro herself.
For those who don’t know, can you describe what you do for a living?
I talk to interesting people about what makes them interesting and then write about it. I’ve interviewed celebrities (Walter Mondale, Maria Shriver), celebrity chefs (Curtis Stone), community activists (Minneapolis’ own Rose McGee), farmers, ranchers and genetic scientists.
Has your writing process changed during social distancing?
Not a bit. I’m the laziest writer alive, so I’ve always tried to wriggle out of in-person interviews, which require driving, pants-wearing and smiling at people when I just want to listen and take notes. So, I’m still right where I’ve always been, doing what I always do — calling people from the spare bedroom upstairs, eternally thrilled when anyone is willing to talk to me. This afternoon, I talked with a man in Austin who owns a “sober” bar called Sans Bar. We talked about what it’s like to be a (currently shut down) black-owned business that serves the recovery community. That’s for a story in TheTakeout.com. Then I talked with a Minneapolis-based “death doula” (it’s a thing) about what a day is like for her, for a story on NextAvenue.com. When I talk to people in other places, I always ask them about the weather. It’s such a dumb thing to do, but people love it (it was 100+ degrees in Austin today, for example, a fact I would not have known had I not interviewed that sober bar guy).
What’s been your favorite takeout meal?
No takeout, ever. No restaurant meals either, even before. In addition to being lazy, I’m also incredibly cheap. Man, you’re a tough interviewer — I’m really baring my soul here.
What have you been cooking lately?
This Sunday, I made English muffins (using the recipe from the Tartine cookbook, on loan from the library) and used them as a base for Eggs Benedict. The 2-minute Hollandaise from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats is so easy and good; you just need a jar and an immersion blender.
Thanks to inspiration from IN Food’s resident culinary genius Lori Gerdts, I’ve been making tons of sourdough crackers, using Sunrise Mills heritage flour (taken out in trade for writing the new back-of-label copy on their bags).
I’m always making a new batch of kombucha or sauerkraut to put in my fermenting crock. I make, parbake and freeze individual sourdough pizza crusts, and I’d say at least one pizza gets made here just about every day, using homemade tomato sauce, or, just recently, pesto made from basil from the garden.
And, almost every night, someone makes popcorn in the Whirley Pop. It’s the best dinner ever.
When did you decide that you wanted to make a living as a writer?
Early in my career, I worked in agencies as a copywriter. Then I started leading presentation teams, so all I wrote was introductions (“Thank you so much for the opportunity to present our pack of lies to you today …”). I did that a lot, back in the days when submitting something online scared people, at least the delicate, creative flowers at the agencies where I worked. I became an expert at hitting the “submit” button and not hyperventilating.
When the economy crashed, all that business went away. (Earnings for the month of December, 2008 = $200. Fun, familiar times). I was volunteering for a youth theater, trying to get coverage about a bullying prevention play they were doing. I approached the editor of MN Parent magazine and offered to write a story about the play for free. She took me up on my offer, and after that she started offering me assignments. I was astounded that someone would pay me to talk to a person and write about it. One thing led to another, and I’ve been a freelance writer for 17 years.
What/who made you want to write about food?
There are three kinds of people who are always fun to interview: farmers, scientists and chefs. Not sure what the throughline is there, but I guess it’s that they’re generally independent thinkers who create things instead of just talking about them. Also, everyone thinks they understand what people do in those jobs, but usually they don’t, so there’s always a new angle to explore.
What’s something you love about food writing?
Finding an unsung hero who is excited to tell their story. It’s even better when I can help that person find a national platform for their work, which I’ve been able to do a few times. It’s incredibly gratifying.
What’s difficult about food writing?
Keeping it fresh, because so many things have already been said. I mean, we’ve been eating since we’ve been here (quick Wikipedia check: about five million years), so a lot of adjectives have run out of steam. A while ago, I worked on a project for General Mills to add SEO content to their 200 top-searched recipes. I had to write a 200-word “story” about each recipe. I quickly learned that there are only so many different ways to say “creamy,” “crunchy” or “family friendly.” I just about lost my creamy crunchy mind, 40,000 words later.
Who’s a food writer or personality you admire?
I read a lot of cookbooks (library, cheap) and most of them are awful. You know a fun one? Surprise, it’s Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings. It’s clearly dictated to a lackey, because I’m not sure this woman has ever held a writing instrument in her hand, but it’s utterly without pretension and seems to capture her spirit of not giving a fig what anyone thinks about her. I made her split pea soup with hot dogs for a Soup Swap and it was great. Tyler Kord’s A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches, edited by Francis Lam, is fresh and original. Eddie Huang’s Fresh Off the Boat is a filthy, profane and very entertaining chef memoir. Chef Rossi’s Raging Skillet, ditto.
In terms of writing, everything Anthony Bourdain ever wrote was true blue and straight from the heart. He’s the food writers’ Hemingway, may he rest in peace.
I also love weird, old-timey books about food that I have to get on inter-library loan and wait months to receive. I just read The Girl from Rector’s, written in 1927; it’s about a NY restaurant that was a hot spot in the Gilded Age. My copy still had a stamp card with due dates in the back, and the last time it had been taken out was in 1946. I was in heaven.
Where do you find inspiration?
Even though I am, as previously confessed, lazy, I also am a relentless hustler for new material, so pretty much everything I see, eat or hear about gets evaluated – could this be a story? I pitched & sold that Whirley Pop story after making popcorn (dinner) one night and seeing “Monon, Indiana” stamped on the top of the popper. I wondered what that place was like (answer: population 1,748; one stoplight). I wondered if I could trim my own bangs during quarantine and wrote about that. My daughter wondered if it was a bad idea that she hadn’t worn a bra during the entire pandemic and I wrote about it (and got to interview a UK-based biomechanics professor / bra expert, proving that there is, in fact, an expert for everything). Whenever I talk to someone, I’m always sizing them up for their editorial worthiness. It’s my life goal to write about every single person I know and quote them at least once in a story. I’m getting closer all the time.
What’s your go-to beverage when you’re cranking out an assignment?
Usually just tepid tap water, whee, but if I’m especially stressed, I treat myself to Diet Coke. When I wrote the HuffPost story about Rose McGee giving away Sweet Potato Comfort Pies at the George Floyd site, I turned the story around in three days. I was in an absolute panic, wanting to make sure it was worthy of such a great woman. I drank two liters of Diet Coke in those three days, and I think I burned a hole in my stomach. But she was happy with the result and ended up being interviewed for Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, People magazine, Reader’s Digest … so I guess it was worth it, even though I’m just now coming down off that caffeine high.
Is there an article you’ve written recently that you’re particularly proud of? (I’m sure it’s hard to choose just one).
In February, I pitched, sold and submitted a story about Shop Dogs of Minneapolis for the Strib, and then it had to be put on hold until just now. I hope it makes people smile for a minute.
What’s the strangest thing (in a good way) someone’s ever commented on one of your articles?
Not necessarily good, but funny: When I wrote a story about goat meat, the HuffPost editor slapped on a snarky headline that made people mad — so mad that it was the #1 story on all of HuffPost for 24 hours (news flash: outrage sells). The editor was thrilled, but my Twitter feed exploded. I heard from angry world citizens who wanted me to know they’d always eaten goat meat (the point of the article, but no one read that far) and many, many incensed vegetarians who sent pictures of baby goats with captions like why Julie why? Fun fact: I have never eaten goat meat.
If someone wants to partner with you, how can they reach you?
Julie@KendrickWorks.com // 612-382-5333
Interested in getting to know even more great food-industry professionals like Julie? Join us at Food Connections! To get in on the food and fun, shoot us an email at info@infoodmktg.com, and join our LinkedIn and Facebook groups to stay connected.
Breweries: Beyond the Beer
In 2019, Minnesota ranked 15th in the nation in terms of number of craft beer breweries with 196 operating. As craft brew enthusiasts, we only hope that number only increases. However, with the increasingly saturated market, breweries need to go beyond delicious malty beverages to get people pouring in.
Craft your marketing plan
Similar to restaurants and other establishments, marketing for breweries is unending and begins before the brewery opens with pre-launch excitement. Hosting community events and food trucks, announcing new beers, and creating consistent awareness of the brewery are all additional marketing tactics that bring customers through the door.
And, while that delicious malty beverage might be what keeps people coming back for more, breweries are doing a lot of work behind the scenes to keep up with their growing list of competitors. Their space, partnerships and communication are all vital for success.
Space
Breweries need to create an environment that fosters communication and allows patrons to feel comfortable and welcome in the space. Garage doors and patios are often features of breweries and make the spaces feel open and inviting. Some breweries, like Headflyer, have foam on the bottom of tables and chairs to reduce white noise and allow conversations to stay at your table. Many allow dogs, so people don’t have to leave their furry friend at home. All these elements and more construct an atmosphere people want to come back to.
Partnerships
Another way breweries drive traffic is by partnering with local companies for events, sponsorships or passes for discounted beer. Here are a few of our favorite companies we’ve spotted at breweries:
- Sidewalk Dog: local guide to dog-friendly places, activities, events, and more
- GetKnit Events: the thread that knits the community and local businesses together with fun events
- Trivia Mafia: bar and brewery trivia operation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Communication
Genuine, authentic messaging with your community is the most successful method of gaining loyal patrons and repeat customers. Surly Brewing and Dangerous Man do this exceptionally well. Surly Gives A Damn is one program that has helped generate a cult following, through volunteering and being active in the community.
Support local
During these times of uncertainty, it sure helps to sit back and enjoy a beer. If you can do so in the company of a family member or friend (given proper social distancing) even better! It’s important to support your favorite local breweries—and whether or not you like beer, you still can! Many offer options including hard seltzers, gluten-free beer or non-alcoholic beverages and most even offer some local snacks for purchase or partner with a food truck to offer on-site eats.
Get out there and support some of our favorite breweries that market themselves well:
Find more information about our outing to a couple local North Loop breweries in 2019 here!
IN Food Takeout Roundup
Even though we can’t spend hours chatting at our favorite table, we’re still supporting the Twin Cities food scene by ordering our favorite meals to-go. Plenty of IN Fooders go by the “phones eat first” policy, so we’ve got a whole bunch of tasty meal snapshots from the past few weeks. Check out some of our favorites:
World Street Kitchen:
Since 2012, WSK has been serving up global flavors in street-food form. And their masterpiece is the Yum Yum Rice Bowl—available in gluten-free and vegan options! Another must-have is their Turk Hummus (will you ever eat hummus without roasted chickpeas again?).
Eatwsk.com
2743 Lyndale Avenue S
SotaRol:
Before the sushi burrito entered our lives, we thought there was no way to improve the California Roll. But if you want to enjoy all that sushi goodness while walking around a lake, the burrito version from SotaRol might just be your perfect food.
sotarol.com
50th & France: 5005 Ewing Ave S
Uptown: 2935 Girard Ave S
Eagan: 2000 Rahncliff Court
French Meadow Bakery & Café:
Picture this, you have to order food for an eclectic room full of eaters—the plant-based buddy; the burger aficionado; the picky one who only wants to eat pancakes. Where do you order takeout? The answer is French Meadow. Their sprawling menu has you covered from breakfast through that after-dinner dessert treat.
frenchmeadowcafe.com
Uptown | St. Paul
Crisp & Green:
With one located just a few short steps from the office, Crisp & Green is a go-to lunch spot for just about everyone at IN Food. If your social distancing diet has featured a few too many frozen pizzas, a salad from C&G will fix you right up.
crispandgreen.com/locations
Isles Bun & Coffee:
Never been to Isles of Bun? Walk in and say these three words: Puppy Dog Tails. Thank us later.
P.S. – If you go on a weekend morning, bring your Nintendo Switch—you’re gonna be in line awhile.
islesbun.com
1424 West 28th Street
Need a few other recommendations? Here’s a short list of other favorites. Which of your Twin Cities spots should we add?
Food Connections Spotlight: Dennis Becker Photography
In the fifteen years since Anita launched Food Connections, a networking group for individuals in every food industry niche you can think of, we’ve met some amazingly talented professionals. We want to take this opportunity to introduce a few of them, starting with none other than one of our valued food photographers, Dennis Becker.
Read on for an insightful Q&A from our fellow mushroom lover, Dennis.
Tell us about Dennis Becker Photography.
Dennis Becker Photography specializes in food photography for packaging, websites, and social media. Our studio is large enough to handle up to three sets, yet intimate enough to cater to single client jobs where confidentiality is important. I usually prefer to handle all propping needed for very specific packaging jobs, and we also have a large selection of props and surfaces for editorial content heavy shoots. We typically have an onsite digital technician for special retouching needed for most packaging jobs. All photography files are retouched, and color corrected for their final purpose before releasing them to the client.
How did you get into food photography?
After graduating with a degree in photography from Northwest College, I returned to Minneapolis to pursue a career in commercial photography. I was hired as an assistant at a studio that produced all kinds of photography with an emphasis on food. After working with a variety of clients at the studio, I realized that food photography was the area I wanted to focus on.
I began freelancing and after a while, I decided to take a full-time position as Senior Photographer at General Mills, concentrating on food photography. I shot dozens of cookbooks, packaging projects, and FSI’s (free standing inserts), those coupons found in the Sunday newspaper. Which reminds me that there used to be about a dozen ceramic Pillsbury Dough Boys, all with different hand positions that traveled around in their own little foamed-lined coolers to different photo studios, mainly for FSI shoots. They were pretty cool; the torso and head were separate, complete with a little white scarf. That was back in the film days before photoshop.
What is your favorite food to photograph?
Not really having a favorite food to photograph, I like capturing interesting food moments, whether it’s a drip of syrup falling off the edge of a pancake, steam coming out of a freshly baked broken biscuit, or sweat dripping off a chilled beverage. These moments show there’s life in the food—and usually means I have to work fast. My best food shots are when the food is fresh and alive, which in my mind’s eye is more important than getting the perfect composition or light. It’s kind of like a great expression on a model’s face. I enjoy composing editorial type images that convey a sense of place with the help of light and mood to inspire the viewer to want to be there. I also like to work in a graphic style of design where all the elements are square to camera, and the food is showcased as the only element that is organic and not square to camera (inspired by Donna Hay). Unlike most food shoot workflows, I prefer to have food on the set before the props, so I can study the food and find the best camera angle, then build a composition of props around the food to enhance the mood of the shot. If too much propping happens before the food arrives, there’s often a lot of revamping props and composition while fresh food is waiting on the set. The food is your subject not the props! You will often find me in the kitchen hovering over a food stylist making the food so I see can if there could be a better approach to photographing that food, like deciding not to cut into a pie (which was intended) and shooting it whole, or maybe showing the process of making the food instead of plating it. Studying the food while it’s being prepared helps inspire the prop and surface choices too.
What are 3 words you would use to describe your photography?
organic
moment
place
What takes a photograph from good to great?
I think what takes a good photograph to great one, are the small things that pull a viewer in.
It could be some crumbs or a sense that someone is there, like bread ripped open or something that’s a little off from perfect; it gives the shot a sense of reality. Maybe a beverage that’s partly gone, or a condiment that has been dipped into, tells the viewer there is some life in the shot. Or it can be imperfect light, like a shadow from something outside of the shot that tells the viewer there’s more to the story—like a wine bottle you don’t actually see. Those moments put the setting into context, making the shot look real and not so staged. I often look at the shot and ask myself, “…do I want to eat that and do I want to be there?”
Having a good relationship with a food stylist helps a lot, too, where I’m not afraid to go out of my lane, and they trust me in their lane once in a while. I will often ask a stylist and the client if they’re happy with a shot, and if the answer is yes, I’ll ask if I can try something else knowing we already have the shot. I might dig into the food or make some kind of mess to try to give the shot more of a sense of life—and often we will get a better shot. It’s worth walking outside the boundaries to see what more we can tell.
What are the keys to a successful shoot?
Being prepared for a photoshoot is the key to success. Having my own studio allows me to set up my cameras, computers and lights so there are no technical surprises during the shoot, and we can hit the ground running. I like to have plenty of prop choices, even if I am convinced that I have just the right ones picked out—I never want to come up short. I will meet with the food stylist and come up with a shot list, so we are on the same page as far as a shot order, ensuring we’ll make the most efficient use of our studio time. Staying on schedule is very important, and understanding the team members I work with, so we won’t get lost in time during the creative process on set. And it’s really essential to know who’s driving the team—sometimes it is the stylist, other times it’s the art director, or my favorite driver “the photographer.” This can be tricky when you have a new client and it’s hard to tell who’s driving—but this can lead to an accident. It’s always a team effort but only one can drive.
What can we find you doing when you’re not in the studio?
I have spent most of my life enjoying the outdoors in some fashion, whether it’s hunting, fishing, family camping, and most recently foraging for wild mushrooms. I co-authored, with Michael Karns (a local mushroom expert) and Lisa Golden Schroeder (a local food stylist and writer) “Untamed Mushrooms: From Field to Table,” a hybrid guide & cookbook about 13 species of Midwestern wild mushrooms that are easily identified, fun to find, and delicious to eat. The book stemmed from a blog story about foraging for wild mushrooms at 2fish1dish.com, a shared content creation site I produce with Lisa Golden Schroeder. We began 2fish1dish as a place to showcase our skills, telling visual stories about local agricultural subjects through great photography, rounded out with tales of the intriguing people behind each topic. We’re now expanding 2fish1dish to tell more of our own story of what we can do for brands—from creating inspiring photos or video and strategic recipes, to brand-driven copy that helps teach or provides important information for customers (in the case of food service) or home cooks.
If you could create the ultimate meal, what would be included?
My perfect dinner would have to be smoked ribs done just right, not quite, but almost falling off the bone with an impressive smoke ring—and of course Sweet Dixie Bar-B-Que Sauce straight from Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nashville (I order this on occasion). A side of not- too-sweet coleslaw, and a great homemade mac and cheese, and of course a Stella Artois… definitely a summer affair that might need a gin & tonic chaser!
If someone wants to partner with you, how can they reach you?
You can reach me at:
dennis@dennisbeckerphotography.com
dennisbeckerphotography.com
651-303-2190
Interested in getting to know even more great food-industry professionals like Dennis? Join us at Food Connections! To get in on the food and fun, shoot us an email at info@infoodmktg.com, and join our LinkedIn and Facebook groups to stay connected.
