Meet The Author: Deb Mazzaferro

I attended my first Fancy Food Show in New Orleans in 1977 as an assistant buyer for Kaufmann’s department store. It was a perk for a lot of extra work that I did holding the department together while my boss, the buyer, was recuperating from a car accident. I was free to roam around the show, eat and drink and just be an observer. As a 21-year-old, I took full advantage of being in a party city and being wined and dined by the vendors who wanted to do business with my employer.

A couple of years later, I was promoted to the buyer position with the additional responsibility that required. This time I went to the show prepared with my category stats, sales numbers by vendor and an open eye for new trends. This was a considerably different experience.