Attending Specialty Food Association's Winter Fancy Faire* was a meaningful milestone for the EllyPop team, and a powerful reminder of why community matters so much in the food and beverage world.
Since our first Fancy Food Show in the summer of 2024, it’s been incredible to see how much both our brand and this industry have grown. Winter FancyFaire gave us the opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces, meet inspiring new brands, and experience firsthand the innovation shaping the future of food.
Brands We Were Excited to Meet
One of the highlights of Winter FancyFaire was connecting with brands doing truly thoughtful, creative work. We loved meeting teams from:
- Chuh Matcha
- Sabe
- Nomie
- Philosopher Foods
- Bread Srsly
- Drink Folks
- Date Better
- Sweet Deliverance
- Bitchin’ Sauce
- Baba’s
Meeting brands at different stages, from early launches to established names, reinforced how much innovation is happening across categories.
Reconnecting With Brands We’ve Grown Alongside
Winter FancyFaire was also a chance to reconnect with brands that have inspired us and grown alongside us over the years:
There’s something special about watching brands evolve, expand, and continue refining their craft over time, and being able to cheer each other on along the way.
Innovative Products That Stood Out
We were inspired by so many creative product concepts at the show, including:
- TeaDrop’s dissolvable tea tablets
- Milkadamia’s oat milk slices
- Pantry Gem’s single-serve tomato paste
- Kloo’s sommelier-crafted coffee concentrate
These products showcased how brands are rethinking convenience, sustainability, and functionality, values that strongly align with how we approach EllyPop.
Partnerships and Mentors Who Support Our Growth
Our journey wouldn’t be possible without the people and organizations that continue to support and guide us. We’re especially grateful for:
- OSU Food Innovation Center, and Sarah Masson
- Jeremy Lee of Jeremy Lee Photography
- Victoria Ho of Sherpa CPG
- Lauren Ressel Castro from CVS Health
- The entire team at Startup CPG
These relationships have played a meaningful role in helping us grow thoughtfully and sustainably.
Thank You to the San Diego Community!
A special thank you to our San Diego community for hosting us and coordinating supplies and samples to help make this event possible. Thanks to your support, we were able to share EllyPop pops with so many people throughout the show.
Looking Ahead
Winter FancyFaire reminded us why we love this industry: the creativity, the collaboration, and the shared commitment to building better products. The networking alone made this show unforgettable.
We’re energized by the connections we made and excited for what’s ahead, including the upcoming Winter Fancy Faire in San Francisco. We’re grateful to be growing alongside such an inspiring food and beverage community and can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings.