What do kombucha, chocolate and gin have in common? They’re all being produced by local companies based in Brooklyn. Little Duck Organics has put together Brooklyn Batched for local food and drink start-ups and small businesses to meet, mingle, network and munch. The first of the planned monthly events was on Friday, June 15th at Little Duck’s brand new office in Greenpoint. The space is a converted warehouse that has been lovingly and beautifully polished up. We were treated to a breathtaking panoramic view of the Manhattan cityscape, virtually unobstructed, as the building is almost straight up against the East River.
Zak Normandin, founder and CEO of Little Duck Organics, recently moved his company from Boston and immediately saw an opportunity to connect with this growing community of foodies and fooders. All of the companies were very keen to mention their consciousness of sustainability, local sourcing, green practices and organic food. Zak, a father of three, said that his company is focused on trendy parents who want their kids to complement and reflect their lifestyle choices, from what they wear to what they eat. Little Duck Organics makes packets of freeze dried little pieces of fruit- the kids like it because it’s tasty, fun looking and easy to eat; the parents like it because it’s healthy (no added sugar), it’s low fuss, and it’s local. Little Duck is quite the success story, at 3 years old, it’s already sold in 4,000 stores nationwide, including at megastore, Whole Foods. He stresses the importance of maintaining relationships with their farmers, and adds that one percent of revenue goes back to these farmers in Nicaragua and Peru.
The people at Brooklyn Batched are very friendly and energetic. They are genuinely excited about their projects and products, and are enthusiastic about connecting with like-minded colleagues. Recently, I attended panel discussion with composer David Lang, actress Cynthia Nixon, and theater company director Andrew Hamingson. One of their subjects was the cultural ramifications of so many young, creative types being priced out of Manhattan and relocating to Brooklyn (among other Boroughs). They said their initial fear was that New York City would completely lose its cultural spark as artists and musicians moved away. Instead, new movements have been popping up- music, art, and now food scenes are being born in places like Greenpoint, Gowanus, Astoria and Williamsburg.
Among the tasty treats offered up were tangy Lemon and Sea Salt Popcorn from Quinn Popcorn, Gluten free flax and oat rolls from Free Bread Inc, zesty Brooklyn salsa, and sliders from the iconic Bareburger. There were plenty of sweets, ranging from chocolates from Nibmor, Raaka and Mast Brothers to melt-in your mouth cookies from Sweet Loren’s to mint chip from the Raw Ice Cream Company.
The drinks options were open as well. Brooklyn Brewery was well represented, as was White Pike Whiskey, and there were tons of juices and iced teas to choose from. I had my first tastes of the acquired-taste cult-classic, kombucha from local Mombucha, and although I have yet to acquire the taste, it was an enlightening experience. The man from Brooklyn Gin talked me through their whole distilling process, which included five citrus fruits, six botanicals, and a slew of veteran brewers to taste test each batch. All in all, it was a night of good food and equally good conversation.
Normandin says he plans to keep these functions private, catering to the various companies themselves, but admits that there may be a possibility of a yearly event open to the public. Ashley Brady from Little Duck Organics, summarized their mission by saying:
[It is] Little Duck’s genuine desire to create a fun-loving community for food companies, in Brooklyn Batched, to get together and trade stories, feed each other our local food & drinks and organically hang out with people who can relate on a professional level, without it being ALL about work. Food is fun. It’s historically been a means for social beings to congregate — we’re just trying to expand on that.
When it comes down to it, there’s a bunch of companies that produce locally but cater to national, sometimes international consumers. It turns out we don’t have to be quite as conscientious as the parodied locavores from Portlandia to support our fellow New Yorkers. To get your company involved with Brooklyn Batched, to ask questions, or to get more information about participating companies, please contact events@littleduckorganics.com or on twitter, check out @LittleDuckOrg with hashtag #bkbatched.
These companies participated in the inaugural Brooklyn Batched:
Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn Gin, Kings County Distillery, White Pike Whiskey, Honeydrop Beverages, Plan Tea, Runa Tea, Cup & Compass, Brewklyn Coffee Co., OMilk, Raw Ice Cream Company, Mast Brothers Chocolate, Sweet Loren’s, Twelve Oaks Bakery, Raaka Chocolate, The Treats Truck, Nibmor Chocolate, Bareburger, Free Bread Inc., Brooklyn Salsa, Quinn’s Popcorn, Purely Elizabeth, Original Tea Butter, Peanut Butter and Co., Butter Beans Kitchen, Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain, Urban Rustic, Pizza Moto Brooklyn, Verterra, The Southern Pantry, Tattly.com, and Bocce’s Bakery.
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For More Information Visit:
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http://www.littleduckorganics.com
http://www.facebook.com/LittleDuckOrganics
http://www.twitter.com/littleduckorg
