These two have been through thick and thin and it’s a friendship that has added greater variety and flavor to the Berkshire business scene and our community. Jim Bronson and Matt Mottor met nearly 15 years ago and the instant friendship notably led to the creation of a wildly popular Beerfest, which crushed it with tens of thousands of attendees before the pandemic put a damper on it. The pandemic also led to the reinvention of Jim’s career. After his company of many decades let him go in the midst of restrictions and lockdowns, Jim launched into a franchise Your CBD Store. Similarly, Matt has evolved in his career moving into his own business Berkshire Culinary Group, notably, supporting Shire Breu House providing the food side of the operation. Jim chips in as well on trivia night, and all in all, these two are an inseparable team. Our conversation also includes: Jim and Matt meeting during their time at Sodexo, how the pandemic impacted them, the evolution of the cannabis industry, the particulars of the differences between hemp and marijuana, advertising limitations in the industry, the crushing challenge of inflation (particularly for restaurants), the economics of locally grown food and the tipping point of competitiveness due to inflation vs. imported corporate food, Matt making maple syrup as a child, *John not getting the joke on how many gallons of beer it takes to make a gallon of maple syrup, CBD for pets, Matt’s inspiration to become a chef, and much more!
I hope you’ll enjoy my conversation with Jim Bronson and Matt Mottor!