TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - Food products from across the region were pitched by small business owners to industry movers and shakers Thursday at the Local Food Buyers Show sponsored by the Center for Food Technology.
Kevin Mackey promoted his Angry Irishman Hot Sauce.
"It's a fresh blend of spices, tomato based, low in sodium, heavy in flavor," said Mackey.
Innovators were looking to sell to food companies, retailers, restaurants, caterers, brokers, wholesalers, buyers and more.
"They have a real story to tell about what they've done and why they've done it. Nice to support them and keep the communities going that they sell their products in," said food distributor Cindy Hudock.
Most of all it's about meeting with industry reps face to face, in hopes the networking will pay off.
"It saves us a lot of legwork and a lot of phone time to have people come by who can help us," said Chris Blankenship of Great Lakes Bar Cheese.
We Be Ribs also had a display at the event. The company has been in business for 24 years, selling barbecue sauce in small local stores.
Owner James McDay says he hopes to branch out into the big time.
"So far I have got Kroger to look at my product and got a number of other stores looking at it," said McDay.
After the event prospective buyers headed back to their corporate headquarters with product samples in hand.
The small business owners now wait to find out if their pitch paid off.
