An Experienced Food Consultant You Can Rely On

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John Roberts founded Blackpoint Management, to work exclusively within the specialty food industry. His hands on experience with both specialty food and mass market consumer product companies combined with the broad based knowledge derived as leader of the major specialty food association delivers measurable results.

At Romanoff Foods, International Roberts started as Director of Marketing and later served as President. Romanoff’s brands included Raffetto brandied fruits, sauces, and condiments, MBT broth, Magic Mountain teas, Giroux grenadine, Texas Best Bar-b-que sauce, Romanoff caviar, cocktail mixes, and other specialty food items. Production sources included three company-operated plants, and both offshore and domestic co-packers.

At Buitoni, he held positions in sales and marketing, and later as Executive Vice President. Products were pasta, pasta sauces, and prepared foods both shelf-stable and frozen. Sales channels included specialty distributors, wholesalers, and grocery chains.

At Riviana Foods (Colgate), Roberts was President of the Belle-Sommers Olive Company and its production facility in Spain (Riviana- Espaina) and later ran the Riviana international sales division. His earlier work experience included sales management and marketing positions at General Foods, Hunt-Wesson, and a major food broker – Ferolie.

Roberts joined the Specialty Food Association  in 1989 as Executive Director/General Manager, and was promoted to President in 1996. SFA is a not for profit trade association that operates and manages the Fancy Food Shows®, Specialty Food Magazine ®, Specialty Food Newsletter and its website www.specialtyfood.com and foodspring® a consumer magazine.

Under his leadership, the organization increased revenues to over $22 million from $4 million and absorbed the National Food Distributors Association, the Specialty Food Brokers Association and the Kosher Food Distributors Association. 

He served on the National Board of the American Institute of Wine & Food (AIWF) in 1992, served on its executive committee for two years, and was its President for 1997.

He was a Trustee/Director of the Food Institute, a major information and research service to the food industry from 1998 to 2004.

Roberts previously served as a member of the U.S.D.A./FAS Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Processed Foods (May 2003-May 2005), the U.S.D.A’s Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade (APAC) (March 1998-March 2001) and the U.S.D.A./FAS Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for trade fruits and vegetables (April 2001-March 2003).

A resident of Carlsbad, California, Roberts holds both MBA and Bachelor of Science degrees from Seton Hall University.

Roberts is frequently invited to present his insights regarding the U.S. specialty food marketplace at various educational conferences, seminars, trade shows and conventions, as well as to regional and national groups within the U.S.A. and worldwide.

His workbook “the Basics,” The Business of Specialty Food is an everyday reference for hundreds of specialty food companies.