Gretchen VanEsselstyn, Director of Education at Specialty Food Association

Gretchen VanEsselstyn is Director of Education at the Specialty Food Association where she creates online and in-person programs to educate entrepreneurs and build a stronger food and beverage industry. She has been immersed in digital education since the dawn of the internet and has served as the editor-in-chief of a culinary magazine, recipe developer, line cook, and research professional. A graduate of NYU, Columbia University, and the Institute of Culinary Education, she is also a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction teacher.

“A new specialty food product has to “zing” on so many levels – the right package, the right price, the right attributes – but most of all, it absolutely has to taste great.”