New Jersey Food Tour Trail Makes Its Debut
As we look forward to a vaccinated and reopening world, there are many things to be excited for, especially on the food and drink front. Food tours are an ideal way to experience the travel and flavors that we’ve all been craving. A new service launching this spring will make it easier for food lovers to explore the Garden State.
The New Jersey Food Tour Trail is a collaboration of seven popular food tour operators: Beyond the Plate (various locations), Cape May Food Tours, Have You Met Newark, On the Town Food Tours (South Jersey), Savor and Stroll Culinary Tours (Morristown), Sister Cities Tours (Lambertville/New Hope), and Taste of Asbury Food Tours. In the past, these women-owned businesses had worked independently to promote their services. The group began meeting informally pre-pandemic to share ideas and discuss their industry. “It’s such a unique business,” says Bonnie Brown, who launched Taste of Asbury in 2017 after enjoying a food tour in Washington state. “When we started, we were going by what other states had done. It was nice to be able to get together and help each other out. We formed friendships.” When Covid-19 arrived, the women decided to work together rather than as competitors to explore ways to provide a better customer experience while expanding their own revenue potential.
Food tours have always been a great way to “eat like a local” and step outside one’s comfort zone, with help from a knowledgeable guide familiar with the destination. Tour aficionados, whether hailing from in-state or traveling from afar, are often interested in exploring multiple locales. Vacationers who enjoy a food tour in Cape May, for example, might want to book an Asbury Park tour later in the week. A food tour of Newark’s Ironbound could inspire a customer to plan a tour as part of a girls’ weekend in Lambertville.
Previously, however, it took a lot of effort to find tour options across the state. No more. The Trail’s new website will be a one-stop source, featuring a map, information on individual operators, sample itineraries, and easy booking. The group will also collaborate on other marketing initiatives to promote food touring in New Jersey.
The benefits don’t stop there. Food tours bring new customers to local businesses and eateries, an aspect that’s more important than ever as local economies emerge from the pandemic. “We’ve all fallen in love with these restaurant owners, gallery owners...,” says Brown. “We depend on each other. We’re all in this together.”
Here’s to businesses booming, hunger satisfied, and the largest food tour initiative New Jersey has ever seen.
