JetBlue Helps Food Brands in New York Blossom With Third BlueBud Business Mentoring Program
July 27 2017 - 3:16PM
Business Wire
-- BlueBud Provides Innovative Food Companies
With a Chance to Learn What It Takes to Get Their Product Onboard
Directly From JetBlue Leaders, Applications are Currently Being
Accepted --
JetBlue (Nasdaq:JBLU), New York’s Hometown Airline®, today
announced the opening of the application process for its business
mentoring program – BlueBud (buddies + budding new companies). Now
in its third year, JetBlue’s BlueBud initiative offers innovative,
socially responsible food and beverage brands special access to
JetBlue senior leaders and the airline's unique product development
culture, as well as valuable industry insights. BlueBud is focused
on products from New York State. Applications are currently being
accepted here until August 30, 2017.
BlueBud is one way JetBlue connects with diverse suppliers
starting with environmentally and socially conscious food companies
and start-ups. The program helps feed the airline’s pipeline with
sustainable and innovative food products. Small companies learn
what it takes to break into the aviation catering space while
remaining true to their social mission.
“With BlueBud we’re supporting food companies that have
impactful ideas and responsible practices,” said Sophia Mendelsohn,
head of sustainability, JetBlue. “In partnership with GrowNYC,
we’re highlighting the diversity of food products grown right here
in New York State. Getting products onboard an aircraft is no easy
task. Brands that are conscious of their environmental impact are
among our first choices to serve onboard and in our airports.”
JetBlue is partnering with GrowNYC for the selection process to
connect with food and beverage businesses focused on sustainable
sourcing and social responsibility. A celebration announcing the
winning company will be held this fall at Project Farmhouse,
GrowNYC’s state-of-the-art sustainability and education center
located near Union Square in New York City. As part of the
airline’s passion for ethically sourced food, JetBlue is a sponsor
of Project Farmhouse which serves as a classroom for the
cultivation of ideas and relationships. A broad, dynamic range of
programming takes place at the Farmhouse to help plant ideas and
foster healthier, environmentally-friendly decisions and
actions.
“GrowNYC is pleased to once again partner with JetBlue on this
important program to support local food producers,” said Marcel Van
Ooyen, President/CEO at GrowNYC. “Small startup food companies face
countless challenges in producing and marketing their products.
JetBlue’s innovative BlueBud program gives new food and beverage
companies a much-needed leg up and helps them build a foundation
for success.”
Previous Winners:
- Bronx Greenmarket Hot Sauce - In
2016, Bronx Greenmarket Hot Sauce was selected for the program. The
flagship hot sauce is made from local serrano peppers grown in
collaboration with GrowNYC and Bronx Greenup. More than 40 Bronx
greenmarket farms and community gardens grow these peppers. Each
bottle sold directly supports these gardens and farmers and helps
to revitalize the Bronx’s budding economy, asserting the borough as
the next big culinary destination for local food in New York. Bronx
Greenmarket Hot Sauce is available in JetBlue’s T5 in the New York
Minute shop, a concept store that offers New York-produced
products.
- Hot Bread Kitchen - The first
winner of the BlueBud program, in 2015, was Hot Bread Kitchen – a
social enterprise bakery based in Harlem. The bakery creates
economic opportunity through careers in food, with paid on-the-job
training in baking for foreign-born and immigrant women. After a
year of mentorship, the bakery learned what it takes to partner
with an airline, and then pitched their product to JetBlue.
Although being part of BlueBud is no guarantee to making it
onboard, JetBlue was impressed by Hot Bread Kitchen’s pitch and
introduced the bakery’s challah rolls onto its Mint brunch menu.
Mint is JetBlue’s unique take on premium service and is available
on select routes.
BlueBud promotes innovation and helps JetBlue offer responsible
food and beverage options to its customers. Airlines haven’t
traditionally been associated with fresh and responsible foods.
JetBlue is changing that as its product development, strategic
sourcing and sustainability teams work to ensure nutritious options
are available onboard.
The BlueBud Program
Mentorship:
The company selected for this year’s BlueBud mentoring program
will participate in a mentorship initiative that may include:
- A tour of JetBlue’s Long Island City,
NY Support Center, JetBlue’s home terminal – T5 at JFK Airport, and
an airline catering station to understand how food gets
onboard
- A trip to JetBlue’s orientation in
Orlando to understand JetBlue’s culture and values
- A speaker and taste-testing event
opportunity for JetBlue crewmembers at the airline’s Queens, NY
Support Center
- Access to JetBlue teams including
Strategic Sourcing, Corporate Social Responsibility,
Sustainability, Communications and Marketing, Brand and Onboard
Product
- Travel certificates for travel to and
from New York City for sessions with relevant JetBlue leaders and
business partners
Application Criteria:
Applications are being accepted from New York based companies
with focuses in any or all of the following categories:
- Responsible foods: Foods
focusing on making positive environment and social impact
- Tasty foods: Foods that are
nutritious and conscious of targeted needs
- Informed foods: Foods that are
innovative, diverse, and part of a curated experience
- Homegrown foods: Companies with
a connection to our New York hometown
To apply for the BlueBud program visit,
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/bluebud2017. For more information on
JetBlue’s sustainability efforts visit, visit
jetblue.com/green.
About JetBlue
JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier
in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach),
Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 38 million
customers a year to 101 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin
America with an average of 1,000 daily flights. For more
information, please visit www.jetblue.com.
About GrowNYC
GrowNYC is the sustainability resource for New Yorkers:
providing free tools and services anyone can use in order to
improve our City and environment. More gardens, Greenmarkets, more
recycling, and education for all. Learn more at
www.grownyc.org.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170727006408/en/
JetBlue Corporate CommunicationsTel: +1
718-709-3089corpcomm@jetblue.com
JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024