W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 S E P T E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 9
S TA R T U P S / E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P
B and worked with a co-packer before
returning to Fork Food Lab when
Seretta took over.
"It was a huge blessing," Fawcett
says before going back to work.
Plucked and other members use
Fork Food as a "lab" in every sense
of the word, to test ideas at an early
stage with each other and consumers
without shouldering huge costs and
other commitments that might stand
in the way.
e member list is a kaleidoscope of
creative ventures from the Marshmallow
Cart's boxed s'mores to Sticky Bud
Farms' Medi-Bone brand cannabis
oil-infused dog treats to the brand-new
Tootie's Tempeh, which co-founders
Sarah Speare and Barbara Fiore say will
be the first producer in North America
to package the soy-based product with-
out using plastics. ey hope to wake up
what Speare calls a "sleepy" market.
About 60% of Fork Food Lab busi-
nesses are woman-owned, while 10% are
led by immigrants or minorities. ose
with full-time jobs build their businesses
at Fork Food Lab after work and on
weekends, taking advantage of flexible
hours and booking prep tables in hourly
blocks through an online portal.
C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E
ยป
F O C U S
P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY
Nina Murray, owner and
baker of Mill Cove Baking
Co., prepares the Every-
Thin Cracker at Fork Food
Lab in Portland. She has
been a member of the lab
for two years.
