We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Gaddy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

It all started 15 years ago at my desk-job in the corporate world. I was always known as the “finicky food” person when a group of us were trying to decide where to go for lunch. The nickname stuck and became the name of my email when Gmail first began. Then became the name of my food blog, finickylady. I established a footing in the Charlotte restaurant scene in the foodie community 10 years ago and for recognition purposes I named by food business after my blog, and Finicky Foods was born.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The corporate world has never been fulfilling so having hobbies and part time jobs always took up my free time. I have always had a passion for cooking and baking, enjoying spending time in the kitchen being creative. Then one day I decided to take a hobby and turn it into a business with Finicky Foods. Pimento Cheese is my flagship product and was simply a starting point to get off the ground. I am most proud of our reusable glass jars, packaging design and commitment to quality ingredients. I wanted my product to stand out in packaging that was not only beautiful but eco-friendly as well. While using quality ingredient and glass jars can be a bit on the pricey side, it’s something I didn’t want to sacrifice. In my opinion, a gourmet product needs to tick a few boxes and I believe our packaging meets those expectations.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

Our business model has two main points of focus, weekend farmers markets and wholesale. Our products can be found at a mix of 13 breweries, specialty shops and retailers in the Charlotte Metro area. We also attend the Waxhaw Farmers Market on Saturdays.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think that the network of friends, business contacts and my personal reputation specifically in the food industry was the first real marketing that just happened naturally. Having people that would be willing to introduce you to decision-makers at local businesses was a priceless piece of the puzzle. Having that support up front was key to the beginning efforts of launching Finicky Foods.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.finickyfoodsnc.com
• Instagram: finicky.foods
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/finickyfoods

Image Credits

Portrait photo by Slice of Jess, https://sliceofjess.com/

Product Photos by Shrimp & Grisettes Studio, www.shrimpandgrisettes.com