Top 10 food & beverage business ideas in 2007

We’re deviating from our regular schedule to bring you the best new business ideas of 2007, featuring our personal favourites. This isn’t a trip down memory lane—all of these smart concepts will continue to provide entrepreneurs with plenty of opportunities in 2008. Next up: food & beverage.

1. Fresh & frozen gourmet baby food: While organic and gourmet baby food aren’t new, they’ve mostly been limited to jarred varieties. Start-ups in two categories are widening the options for parents who want to feed their infants something fresh, but don’t have the time or talent to prepare their own gourmet purées. They also provide … More »
2. Vending goes organic: Combining three unremitting consumer trends—convenience, organics and health—YoZone by YoNaturals is a vending machine dedicated to organic products. Based in San Diego, YoNaturals offers an alternative to vending machines that are typically stocked with junk food. Its vending machines are stocked with a wide range of items, from fresh fruit to products by … More »
3. Mixed-to-order muesli: As much choice as there may be in the cereal aisle, nothing beats made-to-order, especially if you can mix and match 70 different ingredients. Which is what Mymuesli offers through its online cereal store. Using a simple and user-friendly interface, customers build their own personal muesli. First, they pick … More »
4. Brighton and Brooklyn grocers stick to local products: The supermarket business is about as mature as an industry can get. Giant chains with centuries-worth of collective management knowledge compete fiercely in hundreds of markets for margins amounting to just pence on the pound. Even so, entrepreneurs have succeeded in nibbling away at mega chains. From online grocery … More and more »
5. Mini size me!: Bucking the trend of ever-expanding dining portions, Chicago-based Minnies is out to prove that bigger isn’t always better. Featuring a wide selection of bite-size gourmet burgers and sandwiches—including traditional favorites such as grilled cheese and Reubens, alongside the more inventive Mykonos (roast chicken, tzaziki sauce and kalamata tapenade) and … More »
6. Bringing transparency to restaurant kitchens: Only the most fastidious are likely to look up the health inspection records of restaurants before deciding on a place to dine. And even if they are curious enough to look, actually finding those records could be a chore, since they’re often buried deep within a government agency website. … More »
7. Halal baby food: Two British companies are bent on closing a gap in the prepared foods market—halal baby food. Up until recently, certified halal meat-based baby foods weren’t available. Because of this, Muslim mothers often delayed the switch from milk to solids, leading to babies developing iron and protein deficiencies. This isn’t … More »
8. Beach barbecue on call: Appealing to a ‘not leaving the beach yet’ kind of spontaneity, Danish Sommergrill offers seaside barbecue on speed dial. Consumers can call or SMS Sommergrill from the beach, and the service will deliver a ready-to-go bbq set: marinated meat, salad, bread and dessert, plus a disposable barbeque, plates, napkins, … More »
9. Sommelier, go away! Food pairing made easy: For consumers who aren’t interested in delving into a wine’s expressiveness or pinpointing whether a Mourvèdre’s hints of blackberry are outweighed by its overtones of black pepper, what matters most is how well the wine goes with their food. Making it as simple as possible, the Amazing Food Wine … More »
10. Ultra premium organic juice: While there’s no shortage of premium juice brands, Wild Bunch & Co. still caught our eye with its ultra premium approach. The Singaporean company, which launched in January 2007, sells 100% organic juice in distinctive bottles and offers home delivery within … More »