Another in our series of Ask the Chef questions.

Q: I have an old family recipe that I believe has potential as a commercially viable product but don’t have a food business background. Was hoping you can point me in the right direction as far as blogs of others that have started food businesses, info on production, packaging, distribution, marketing, sources for ingredients in bulk, etc.

A: We generally point people to marketing agencies that can help you with your brand, packaging, etc., although they are not generally in the business of taking a product to market from a production standpoint. You are best to contact your local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Administration to see if there are local resources to help you with the production end of it first. You might also check out the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade to see what resources they offer. Good luck!