Minnesota Foodcrafters kitchen home to artisan food and drink businesses

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The shared kitchen cuts down the cost of starting and running a business

Ryan Meyers, kitchen manager for Origin Foods, preps in the Minnesota Foodcrafters kitchen for a meal delivery. Right now, there are about a dozen mid-tier food and beverage companies using the kitchen. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)[/caption]

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

Some of the St. Paul’s best artisan food and drink can be traced back to Minnesota Foodcrafters at 865 Pierce Butler Route.

In this commercial kitchen, food and drink companies are perfecting flavors that will hit local farmers' markets, coffee shops, restaurants, and grocery stores.

Among the dozen companies currently using the kitchen is Grey Duck Chai, based in south Minneapolis. Owned by Jon Alden and Katey Niebur, Grey Duck Chai prides itself on balancing bitter, spice, sweet, and milk. The duo sold their first bottle of small batch, traditionally crafted chai in June 2012. They can now be found in over 30 businesses in the Twin Cities and Seattle.

Bistro Meringue owner Martha Glass (center) bags up cherry meringues with employees Heather Rivera and Brandie Mitchell. Bistro Meringue uses the gluten-free area of the kitchen when mixing up and bagging cookies. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)[/caption]

“We share the space (Minnesota Foodcrafters) with a few other companies that make wonderful products. We chose to go this route because all of the equipment we need is already there instead of dropping tens of thousands of dollars on new pieces,” explained Alden.

“Also, it is nice working alongside other professionals that we can discuss common issues with.”

Lesley Powers of Bliss Gourmet Foods specializes in unique blends of granola and muesli. Powers got her start in food as the chef and proprietor of The Metro, a restaurant in Queensland, Australia. Early on, Powers identified a winning formula: offer customers healthy and delicious food made from ingredients obtained from local farmers. Now based in St. Paul, Powers uses local fruits, grains and honey to create Bliss Granola and Bliss Bircher Muesli in the Foodcrafters kitchen.

Sisters Becky Biederman and Beth Aarness of Stillwater wanted their families’ favorite meal to be healthier. And so, in 2013, they started making their own line of organic and gluten-free pizza crusts and flatbreads. True Dough: The Pure Pizza Company features local, organic flours with high nutritional profiles in seven flavors.

Bistro Meringues is also a tenant at Minnesota Foodcrafters. Three years ago, owner/baker Martha Glass had an idea: to make small batch, French-style meringue cookies. Now every week, Glass is at Foodcrafters, whipping up batches of the gluten-free treats that are low in sugar, carbs, fat and calories. She mixes up nine flavors (cherry chocolate, almond, cocoa, coffee, maple cinnamon, mint, mint chocolate, lemon and coconut), as well as meringue cups.

“I love that the space is arranged for mid-tier producers,” said Glass. “We have space to work, and we have the much-needed storage space. I also love that we have a loading dock which allows us to easily receive orders (ingredients, etc.) and ship pallets. I also love that the kitchen is focused on getting the right assortment of producers, so that the kitchen is full but still able to accommodate the tenants we have.”

The Foodcrafters Kitchen is a licensed, shared, commercial kitchen, renting to the mid-tier food manufacturer who needs more space (production, warehouse, cooler, freezer and office) than is typical in shared kitchens, but is not yet ready to own or lease their own space.

GreyDuckChai A barista at Parka restaurant brews up a cup of Grey Duck Chai. The chai tea is manufactured by owners Jon Alden and Katey Niebur at the Minnesota Foodcrafters facility and distributed to more than 30 locations throughout Minnesota and Seattle WA. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)[/caption]

“My experience is that we have really nice people working in the space. When you work together, you learn more about other businesses and can share what has worked (or has not worked!),” remarked Glass. “People have shared information about reducing ingredient or shipping costs, successful retail or industry shows, packaging expertise, and in some cases, even sharing equipment.”

Standard kitchen equipment includes mixers, ovens, large stock pot burners, stovetops, tilting skillet, automatic dishwasher, and more. There is both gluten and non-gluten space in the kitchen. “Each tenant receives ample dry storage space, as well as refrigerator and freezer space as part of their rent,” said Glass. “The building includes loading docks, making the loading and unloading of orders more efficient.  And we have a fully functioning ‘Test Kitchen’ that can be rented by anyone for demonstrations, classes, media events, etc. – very fun!”

In addition to renting the kitchen, Glass manages the space for owners Tom Kigin and Donna Avery. Find out more by emailing Martha@bistrotreats.com.

This space had been a licensed commercial kitchen in the past. The owners, with ongoing discussion from a small group of food manufacturers, updated the space and focused on the needs of the mid-tier food manufacturer. They began renting out the kitchen in early 2014.

Items crafted in the kitchen are also sold in Sunrise Market, a shop at the front of the building. Sunrise Market features local food manufacturers, as well as their own line of Sunrise Creative Gourmet products out of Hibbing. Items on the shelves include fresh, dry and frozen pasta, sauces, porketta, beef and pork pasties, sarma and quiche, as well as potica, biscotti, banana flips, cookies and coffee cakes.  Drop by Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5:30pm and Saturdays 10amto 3pm.

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