We all know that person who can create delicious recipes and cook like nobody’s business. You might even have told them they should be selling their food directly to the public. They might even be offering their wonderful wares on weekends at a local farmer’s market. In fact, they may even be considering developing their food for retail. Or they may be a food cart owner who has a particular menu item that frequently receives the same suggestions. Chris Bailey of Pozole To The People was one of those folks.

The problem is, getting from enthusiastic cook to retail food tycoon, is not a simple task. There are many steps in taking a great food item from your home kitchen or food cart to a ready to sell food business. This is where the Getting Your Recipe To Market (GYRM) program from the Small Business Development Center at Portland Community College enters the scene.

A photo of Kerfluffle. One of the food products developed through the Getting Your Recipie To Market program from the Portland Community College Small Business Development Center. pozole!

The Getting Your Recipe To Market program is designed to help you achieve success as a food entrepreneur. The 14-week program is tailored to the concept of teaching the process of getting from the kitchen to retail shelves. With technical support from Oregon State’s Food Innovation Center and New Seasons Markets, the program has helped bring a number of local food products to both regional and national grocery store chains.

A photo of a jar of pozole from Pozole To The People. One of the food products developed through the Getting Your Recipe To Market program from the Portland Community College Small Business Development Center.

Once a potential food entrepreneur has completed the program, two things happen. First, they will be able to present their product to buyers from New Seasons Markets. They will get feedback about their product and may also be offered a chance to have New Seasons sell their product.

Second is a trade show, the Time To Market Showcase, at OSU’s Food Innovation Center in PDX where those who’ve completed the current 14 weeks, will be able to show off their product to the general public. As the program is conducted twice each year, there is a trade show in both the spring and the fall. The spring trade show for 2016 will be held June 23 from 4–7:30 PM at the Food Innovation Center.

A photo of a white bowl filled with pozole, pork shoulder, shredded cabbage, radishes, and a slice of lime. The pozole comes from Pozole To The People. One of the food products developed through the Getting Your Recipe To Market program from the Portland Community College Small Business Development Center.

Chris Bailey is one of those who’s success as a food entrepreneur is a results of attending the GYRM program. Chris wanted to sell his pozole recipe. Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup base with peppers and hominy to which one can add many ingredients. Pozole To The People is a meatless red pozole which is made so you can add the ingredients of your choice.

The advantage of the Getting Your Recipe To Market program is that the things you don’t know about getting your food product to market, they do. For Chris, even with a background in restaurants, the GYRM program through PCC gave Chris the knowledge of how not only to upscale his recipe but create a product that was also shelf stable. Chris saw his product Pozole To The People reach retail store shelves in February 2016.

Listen now as Steven Shomler and Ken Wilson talk first with Jill Beaman of PCC’s Small Business Development Center and the Getting Your Recipe To Market program and then Chris Bailey, GYRM alumni and creator of Pozole To The People, about GYRM and becoming a food entrepreneur.

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