Katie Potter, founder of Newport Chowder Company, was voted the winner of Hope & Main’s pitch contest, during the food incubator’s Twilight Party on Saturday, Sept. 10. The pitch contest is organized and supported in collaboration with Sam Adams’ entrepreneurial program “Brewing the American Dream”, which awarded a $10,000 cash prize to the winning “food-preneur”.

“Katie Potter and her team worked for this moment,” said Lisa Raiola, founder of Hope & Main. “They had the the drive and the persistence to stick with their vision of business growth and innovation. Katie is an inspiration to the Hope & Main community. We are also truly delighted that her mom, Muriel, can add this title to her many accomplishments over along lifetime.”

The aforementioned Muriel is Muriel Barclay de Tolly, who owned Muriel’s restaurant in Newport for 14 years before retiring in 1999. Her chowder won top honors at the Newport Chowder Festival three consecutive years, which inspired her daughter to create a spice blend that enables new generations of chowder lovers to re-create the award-winning recipe however they see fit.

More than 400 people attended the party, according to Raiola.