“Aligning Needs with Opportunities” — Food and Beverage Industry Poised for Growth in Westchester and Beyond
A lot can be said for enthusiasm, hard work and determination, but for organizations to reach their true potential, there is a strong need for coordinated leadership. That’s often not an issue when we’re talking about a single company, but what about for a group of businesses or an entire sector, such as the food and beverage industry within the Hudson Valley?
Whose responsibility is it to help align the efforts of a collection of nearly 5,000 businesses that employ more than 53,000 people throughout the Hudson Valley region?
Last Thursday, at the Culinary Institute of America’s Hyde Park Campus, nearly 200 people working in the Hudson Valley’s food and beverage industry convened with elected officials for the official launch of the Hudson Valley Food and Beverage Alliance. The roundtable event kicked off a groundbreaking cooperative effort between members of the hospitality, agricultural, tourism and educational sectors.
Created by the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corportation, the goal of the Alliance is to form a “strong network of companies, providers and government all with the same purpose in mind — to grow an already prosperous food and beverage industry into an even greater sector for the Hudson Valley,” said Mike Oates, CEO and President of the HVEDC.
There couldn’t be a better time for this kind of initiative, and Westchester and its neighboring counties have everything to gain. Westchester County Director of Economic Development Larry Gottlieb said that government was not seeking to tell the food and beverage industry what to do or how to do it, but to provide a mechanism for “aligning needs with opportunities.”
In this fast-changing world of technology, it seems that activity is everywhere, but many of the participants still don’t have access to the most relevant or up-to-date information. The Alliance can change that.
Gottlieb and Oates listened to more than an hour of comments and suggestions from farmers, manufacturers, restaurateurs, and others — and then assured them that the Alliance would be shaped by those individuals who come on board and get involved. Gottlieb said the Alliance would partner with private industry, not get in its way. That’s the way it should be.
The Alliance has support from the Business Council of Westchester, a founding sponsor, a long list of elected officials including Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and businesses large and small, from global brand powerhouses such as Pepsi, Dannon and Heineken to individual farmers and restaurant owners.
Another early supporter is Westchester Magazine and Hudson Valley Magazine Publisher Ralph Martinelli, who has signed on as the print media sponsor of the HV Food and Beverage Alliance. Martinelli is no stranger to the region’s food and beverage industry — in fact he’s currently immersed in preparations for the upcoming Westchester Magazine Wine & Food Weekend to take place May 17-May 20 at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester.
The largest gathering of restaurants at one event in Westchester’s history, the Wine & Food Weekend will feature some of the region’s most celebrated chefs, critically acclaimed restaurants, hottest specialty food products and 120 of the wine world’s most sought after vintages. The events planned include a Burgers, BBQ and Beer Bash on Thursday evening, May 17; Artsbash on Friday evening to officially kick-off the Second Annual Wine & Food Weekend; The Grand Tasting on Saturday, May 19 (11:30 am-4 pm) and Sunday, May 20 (noon-4:30 pm); Expert Wine Seminars and Cocktail Clinics; Celebrity Chef Demonstrations; and The Winemakers Dinner, a formal, sit-down dinner catered by Westchester’s best chefs where the Benziger family will be honored with the prestigious Westchester Magazine Wine Award.
There is growing interest in the food and beverage industry on all fronts throughout the region. Customers are demanding more local and sustainable foods, farmers markets are thriving throughout the county, and the restaurant business is growing.
Another popular event, The Hudson Valley Restaurant Week will run from March 18 – 31, and will feature nearly 200 restaurants, including almost 100 right here in Westchester. Last month, we saw the very successful launch of the Yonkers International Restaurant Week, sponsored by the Yonkers Downtown BID.
We’re also seeing encouraging signs for the food and beverage industry across social media platforms. Area restaurants are staking their claim on Facebook and Twitter — joining magazines and other news outlets in promoting their offerings on these relatively new platforms. Just last month, we saw acclaimed restaurant owner and chef Peter Kelly taking baby steps on Facebook and Twitter, so we know it’s catching on.
The Hudson Valley is ripe for what amounts to a great opportunity for its food and beverage industry. For the sake of all involved, let’s hope the members of this community take advantage and make the most of it.
Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson is Executive Vice President, Creative Director and Principal at Thompson & Bender, the leading full service public relations, advertising and marketing agency in Westchester County, NY. Thompson & Bender has been serving a diverse group of businesses and organizations in the New York metropolitan area for the past 25 years.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.