http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS Thursday, October 3, 2024 9

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FOOD
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JOIN OMNI COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12TH.

3141 Capital Ave. SW – Battle Creek • 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

& FOOD DRIVE

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This event is open to the public.

For full details, scan the QR code to the left,

or visit omnicommunitycu.org/ShredDay/

PROUD PARTNERS

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Sprout BC, Battle Creek Food
Reimagined, Kellogg Arena, the City
of Battle Creek’s Small Business
Development Office and other
regional groups.
It will serve as the kick-off to
Battle Creek Restaurant Week, Oct.
5-12, featuring restaurant specials,
live music and promotions.
Pitch competition finalists out
of more than 40 original appli-
cants are Lady Gumbo owned by
Charleta Clark of Calhoun County,
the Missing Link Carts & Catering,
owned by Shane and Margo Celeste
of Kalamazoo County, Thickum’s
Sweets owned by Hannah Sanchez
of Calhoun County, Farm to
Fork, owned by Megan and Darin
Emelander of Albion, BC Boba
owned by Madison and Josh Rench
of Battle Creek, Mitts 2 Pits Catering
owned by Denise and Benjamin
Young of Battle Creek,
Da Snack Squad owned by
Quincy Bozell of Calhoun County,
Rock N Roll Creamery, owned
by Kihyona Garrett of Calhoun
County, Eat Food with Happiness
owned by John Burton and Monjur
Hossen of Kalamazoo County,
Super Cookie owned by Anna June
of greater Calhoun County, Lone
Star Lemonade owned by Mallory
McGuinniss of Calhoun County and
Delectable Treats and Sweets owned
by Felicia Jaramillo of Calhoun
County.
Pitches, taking place publicly in a
separate room this year between 3
& 6 p.m., will be judged based on
Michigan Economic Development
Corporation’s matrix.
Second prize in each category will
be $7,000 and third prize is $3,
while additional technical assistance
awards will be given.
Admission to Food Prize is $
which gives each entrant five free
sample tickets to sample food not
only from the pitch competitors but
from other vendors, too.
Last year, Aiye Akhigbe, owner
and “flavor creator” of Sticky
Spoons Jam, LLC, won $10,000 in
the Food Manufacturing/Production
category.
Akhigbe was able to use the prize
money as a stop gap to supply chain
issues that impacted Sticky Spoon’s

ability to source locally.

“We were able to order larger quan-

tities of fruit - wholesale vs retail -

from local family-owned farms,” said

Akhigbe. “The funds also provided us

leverage to order a larger quantities

of cane sugar at a better price – sav-

ing thousands of dollars, which we

reinvested into hiring a production

supervisor.”

Akhigbe spoke highly of the 2023

inaugural event, she said.

“I truly enjoyed participating in the

inaugural Food Prize - funding for

food businesses is often sparse,” she

said. “This is an innovative way to

highlight and fund food and agricul-

ture, which is a large segment of the

Michigan economy. Food Prize pro-

vided us access to a new market - our

jams were not sold in BC prior to the

event. Sticky Spoons jams are now

sold at Bread & Basket Marketplace

(51 W Michigan Avenue, Battle

Creek). Tiffany stocks a few of our

flavors. Customers seeking more

variety can shop our website at http://www.

stickyspoonsjam.com.”

Food Prize was the brainchild

of Sprout BC founder and owner,

Jeremy Andrews, who is known for

creating things to do in Battle Creek

via Sprout and other endeavors such

as Penetrator Events and the Battle

Creek Metropolitan Area Moustache

Society.

“We got a grant two years ago

from the Binda Foundation that

spurred, spurred us doing this,” said

Andrews, who is also working to

open the new Uproot Market and

Eatery in downtown Battle Creek.

“We got a grant that helped seed the