In the journey from farm to table, the role of the processor -- the baker, the fermenter, the cheesemaker -- is often overlooked.
Common Market is in a unique position to change that. The regional foods distributor recently bought a 70,000-square-foot industrial building in North Philly, and they're using it to launch
Philly Good Food Lab, a partnership program that helps food entrepreneurs scale up their operations.
The new building boasts 6,000 square feet of cooler storage, vast warehouse space and several offices. Lab partners can rent any of these resources. In addition, tenants (as well as off-site food entrepreneurs) can access the organization's comprehensive transport system, which covers an area bound by Lancaster, Baltimore and mid-New Jersey.
This month,
Mycopolitan Company, local mushroom cultivators, became the Food Lab's first partners.
"There’s definitely some great kitchen incubators in the area for people who are just starting out," says Leah Pillsbury, director of development at Common Market. "We're looking for the next level and ready to increase their production."
Before purchasing their new building, Common Market was operating from a 3,000-square-foot incubator space at
Share Foods inc. The move is a testament to their rapid growth -- this year, they’ve gone from 13 to 16 employees and created $2 million in local foods sales -- and their evolving role in the regional food economy.
"We want to help the local foods infrastructure," says Pillsbury. "Part of that means helping other local foods companies to develop products that can reach the market."
Common Market is
currently hiring a procurement manager and a customer outreach manager.
Source: Leah Pillsbury, Common Market
Writer: Dana Henry