We are a Fresh Idea for the Food and Beverage Community.
We are a Cluster with a Purpose…
Food’NBev Connect was designed to save entrepreneurs and CEOs time and help bring more success to the region’s start-up and emerging brands. We are forging a strong network for innovation and sharing between large and small firms, and bringing on-going education and training to help executives and employees at our food and beverage brands gain knowledge about our industry and become more valuable employees and leaders. Food’NBev Connect is specifically for food and beverage brands and food tech and software firms seeking to improve and grow their capability and knowledge.
Our company members are focused on better food and beverage choices for you and your family – healthier ingredients, simpler recipes, no preservatives and sustainable processes. That’s the Food and Beverage future and we are creating a cluster for this new market opportunity.
OUR REGION NEEDS TO BE MORE PROMINENT
The Northeast, particularly Connecticut and Fairfield County, has a strong history of starting and building new food and beverage brands – and we also have a number of key players in distribution, retail and grocery and related businesses. The food and beverage sectors are also growing from NYC north up to Boston and across the country, as consumers look for fresh, simpler, natural ingredients and recipes, and new to market, authentic brands.
Processed ingredients and formulaic marketing are passé…fresh and simple is in. This consumer driven mandate is driving changes at all levels — manufacturing and production, distribution and grocery — even as
direct-to-consumer distribution and food kits and other e-commerce based distribution is exploding.
Our region has all the resources, but making easy and fast connections and getting the right training and education to improve product concepts, distribution effectiveness and funding, as well as marketing, merchandising, packaging and other digital strategies is one of the big benefits we can bring as a cluster to our growth companies and to help our established brands innovate.
Our Brand Members
Brand Buzz . . .
Summer 2026 — Horman’s Family Pickles continues to build impressive momentum with 41.2% year-over-year growth, expanded distribution into Cingari ShopRite, Giant Eagle, and DeCicco & Sons, and the launch of their new mini pickle buckets at Citi Field Stadium this baseball season.
Summer 2026 — Maia Yogurt continues to see strong sequential growth as more families discover the benefits of grass-fed yogurt. The brand recently celebrated its biggest production week to date, shipping 30,000 cups, with Wegmans continuing to be a standout retail partner.
Summer 2026 — WeFoods is expanding rapidly with the rollout of Bagelitos into 161 new stores by the end of the year, including Chestnut Market, Cliff’s Local Market, ONVO, and Crosby’s, bringing their innovative products to even more consumers.
Summer 2026 — Harlem Baking Co. reached an exciting milestone by fulfilling an order of 165 cases of its artisanal desserts for Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where the desserts were featured in premium hospitality boxes during the FIFA World Cup.
Summer 2026 — Six Food’NBev Connect member brands—Creations Foods, Hook & Arrow, PHPlus Alkaline Water, Maia Yogurt, Horman’s Family Pickles, and East Coast Kombucha—took the national stage at the Summer Fancy Food Show, introducing thousands of buyers, retailers, distributors, and industry professionals to their innovative better-for-you products. Congratulations to these founders for representing the strength and innovation of our growing community.
