Think Local First has announced finalists for their second StartUP Kitchen, and now you can be part of our version of a local food reality show. Monday, February 25th, at 6:30p, the three finalists will be judged live at Tabula Rasa on Barracks Row (731 8th Street, SE) in a Chopping Block Competition. A limited number of general admission tickets are available for $15.
The winner of Monday’s Chopping Block will have a chance to work with Hello Cupcake’s Penny Karas and incubate for eight weeks at her Barracks Row location. The incubation will start in early March, so we will soon get a chance to sample the winner’s goods. StartUP Kitchen is an initiative to support budding local food entrepreneurs by offering professional mentorship and support in advance of and during the incubation period.
This round, StartUP Kitchen is focusing on bakery and confection concepts. The three finalists (including one from Union Market) announced by Think Local First are:
Thunder Pig Confectionery
Entrepreneur: Meg Murray
Thunder Pig Confectionery is a catering company that specializes in providing local businesses and individuals with high quality, organic and local confections, including marshmallows, caramels, toffee, brittle, bark, chocolates and other fine candies. Thunder Pig is currently housed in the brand new Union Kitchen space, located in the growing NoMa neighborhood.
S’mores Amore
Entrepreneur: Nadia Mitchem
S’mores Amore is a line of dessert treats centered around different flavor combinations of a graham cracker, marshmallows and a chocolate ganache. The treat is inspired by the traditional campfire classic, with a modern twist-natural ingredients and no gelatin in the marshmallows.
Baked By Yael
Entrepreneur: Yael Krigman
Baked by Yael is a woman-owned small business based in Washington, DC and specializing in cake pops, bagels, rugelach, black and white cookies, and other delicious baked goods. Krigman’s goal is to be DC’s first brick-and-mortar cakepoppery with the most delicious cake pops and other baked goods in town.
Judges will rate concepts based on streghth of business plan, financial competency, viability in the DC market, personal passion for concept and quality of product. Judges include:
Raj Aggarwal- Provoc
Alison Reed- Ripple
Doug Singer- Restaurant Consultant
Fahed Arekat- Eagle Bank
Sandra Basanti- Dangerously Delicious Pies
Mark Furstenburg- founder of Breadline/Marvelous Market
Harold Petigrew- Department of Small and Local Business Development
Come out Monday and get a first-hand preview of the next big sweet treat on the Hill.