{"id":228422,"date":"2026-01-16T16:53:05","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T02:53:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=228422"},"modified":"2026-06-05T17:49:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T03:49:55","slug":"wvapdc-2026-winter-fancyfaire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/01\/16\/wvapdc-2026-winter-fancyfaire\/","title":{"rendered":"Leeward CC<\/abbr> makers bring local flavors to national spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Piko Provisions debuted new Lūʻau<\/span> Stew and Pitaya Bowl pur\u00e9es at 2026 Winter FancyFaire*.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Â鶹´«Ã½\u2019s<\/span> value-added makers took the national stage at the 2026 Winter FancyFaire* in San Diego in January. Ten food entrepreneurs from Leeward Community College\u2019s Wahiaw\u0101 Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC<\/abbr>) joined more than 700 brands from around the world to showcase specialty foods to more than 12,000 industry professionals.<\/p>\n

The WVAPDC<\/abbr> cohort, supported in partnership with the State of Â鶹´«Ã½\u2019s<\/span> Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism\u2019s Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Made program, featured a diverse mix of products rooted in local ingredients from companies including Daguzan Charcuterie<\/a>, Galleon Chocolate<\/a>, Honobono<\/a>, Madres Churros<\/a>, Maui Cocktail Kits<\/a>, Ohelo’s<\/a>, Okonokai<\/a>, Piko Provisions<\/a>, This Lil Piggy<\/a> and uCook Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ready for national markets<\/h2>\n
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uCook Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, a Honolulu-based sauce and marinade company joined the 2026 cohort of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> makers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This year marked the WVAPDC<\/abbr>\u2019s largest presence at the show, expanding from eight companies in 2025.<\/p>\n

“That growth reflects increasing readiness among Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> businesses to enter national markets,” said Chris Bailey, WVAPDC<\/abbr> manager. On the show floor, that readiness translated into real demand.<\/p>\n

“Our biggest takeaway was validating that there is strong, growing demand for food that is both deeply values-driven and genuinely delicious,” said Ethan West, founder of Piko Provisions, a baby and family foods company that incorporates crops indigenous to Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Piko Provisions debuted new Lūʻau<\/span> Stew and Pitaya Bowl pur\u00e9es developed in close collaboration with the WVAPDC<\/abbr>\u2019s staff. The center also helped other entrepreneurs prepare for the trade show with group training sessions on everything from product sampling to booth design.<\/p>\n

“These sessions were valuable to help us understand the process and what to expect,” said Sheryl Kahue, founder of uCook Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>, a Honolulu-based sauce and marinade company. <\/p>\n

Turning visibility into opportunity<\/h2>\n
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10 food entrepreneurs from WVAPDC<\/abbr> participated in the 2026 Winter FancyFaire*.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For both West and Kahue, the experience opened doors to new buyer leads and potential partnerships with manufacturers and distributors.<\/p>\n

“Participation means opportunity for growth, gaining confidence in ourselves and our products, and building relationships,” said Kahue. “A national show like this increases exposure and introduces our products to a new market.”<\/p>\n

West added, “For a Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>-based business, participating in a national trade show is an opportunity to represent our home, our farmers, and our communities on a global stage. It shows that Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> is a place of production, leadership and thoughtful food systems.”<\/p>\n

—By Devon Bedoya<\/p>\n

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10 food entrepreneurs from WVAPDC<\/abbr> participated in the 2026 Winter FancyFaire*<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FancyFaire* opens doors to new buyer leads and potential partnerships.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[65,71,1785],"class_list":["post-228422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-leeward-community-college","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-wahiawa-value-added-product-development-center","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t