Distribution Roundup: Meati Makes Midwest Move with Meijer; Bachan’s, Harvest Snaps Expand With Walmart
Meati Moves to Midwest With Meijer
Meati Foods is expanding its omnichannel presence with today’s announcement that its mushroom-based “meat” products are entering 260 Meijer stores throughout the Midwest, representing the brand’s first step into mainstream grocery.
In recent years, the Colorado-based company has emerged as one of the nascent leaders in plant-based alternatives to animal protein, marketing three cutlet and steak products – Meati Classic Cutlet, Meati Crispy Cutlet and Meati Classic Steak – with mycelium, a mushroom root made via fermentation in stainless steel tanks at its Pilot Ranch facility through a lab fermentation process. The company has picked up around $277 million in venture funding along the way, adding another $150 million to its war chest in July 2022 to expand production capacity and increase accessibility.
Meati made its soft retail launch at three Sprouts stores last summer, along with nine locations of fast casual chain Birdcall. The brand has since expanded to all 360 Sprouts stores last month, and the partnership with Meijer — happening in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin — is set to grow its overall retail presence to 29 states between the two grocery chains.
“Meijer and Meati share a desire to make it simpler for people to lead healthier lives with quality, nutritious products that deliver on great value. As our previous partnerships and expansions have shown, people are ready for an animal-free meat that tastes great and is good for them,” said Scott Tassani, president and COO of Meati Foods, in a press release. “We are excited to introduce Meijer customers to our products and incredible stores and expand Meati’s availability to mainstream grocery shoppers for the first time.”
Making gains in mainstream grocery is seen as a critical step for overall development of the category, with a recent Good Food Institute (GFI) report highlighting how the segment has been hampered by taste and pricing-related challenges, while another study cited a lack of funding and production capacity for fermentation-derived animal-free protein.
Bachan’s Enters Walmart
Japanese BBQ sauce maker Bachan’s is set to bring Eastern flavors to the condiment aisle at Walmart, announcing this week its launch into over 4,000 store locations.
The NOSH Award-winning brand, launched by Justin Gill in 2019, has quickly established a shelf-presence at more than 20,000 retailers, with Whole Foods and Target among them. The three-SKU line — Original, Hot & Spicy and Yuzu, with gluten-free versions also available — is sold in 17 oz squeeze bottles and made through a cold-fill process that doesn’t use preservatives, additives or additional flavoring.
The fast-growing brand announced it had secured $13 million in growth funding last fall, and it expects to surpass $30 million in revenue this year.
“Bachan’s mission has always been to Bring Family Together,” said Bachan’s founder and CEO, Justin Gill. “Our dream has been to bring all types of families together, and to build bridges through sharing traditional Japanese flavors, food traditions, and experiences with American consumers. Our availability in Walmart, the largest retailer in the country, is a huge step forward for us as a brand and our goal of bringing people together through food, culture, and connection – as well as making Bachan’s accessible to the masses.”
Not yet available — Bachan’s newest flavor, Miso, which was showcased at Natural Products Expo West in March and is set to launch later this year.
Harvest Snaps Fires Up Walmart With Hot & Spicy Crunchy Loops
Lentil-based snack maker Harvest Snaps is heating things up with the launch of a new flavor, Crunchy Loops Hot & Spicy, exclusively at Walmart.
The new SKU joins existing Crunchy Loop flavors Sour Cream & Onion, both of which are sold at Walmart for $3.30 per 4.5 oz pouch.
“At Harvest Snaps, we listen to what our consumers want and work to deliver great tasting products that meet their needs,” said Sandra Payer, Head of Marketing at Calbee America, Inc. “We’ve found that snackers love bold flavors, so we couldn’t be more excited to introduce a new savory snack that pairs hot and spicy taste with powerful nutrition.”
The brand lists two other flavors of Crunchy Loops, Kick’n BBQ and Tangy Sweet Chili, on its website in 2.5 oz pouches. Harvest Snaps also produces two other snack products: Selects, made with baked navy beans, and its eponymous line made with baked green peas.
Elite Sweets Goes for Gold
When it comes to disruptive ideas, eating donuts at the gym is up there. But protein-packed (8 grams per serving), low-carb, keto-friendly treats maker Elite Sweets has set that ambitious target with this week’s announcement of its launch in Gold Gym locations nationwide.
According to a LinkedIn post from CEO Amin Bahari, the Texas-based, Pitch Slam-winning brand is taking its 4-SKU line — starting exclusively with Maple — to all 224 Gold’s Gym locations nationwide as part of the brand’s push out of D2C and into traditional brick-and-mortar retail.
“Although this is just another small win,” Bahari wrote, “this is huge for the team to keep stacking up these little victories and watch our retail growth compound. More stores coming soon!”
The company has been preparing for broader expansion for several years, having secured $2 million in funding led by Siddhi Capital in 2021 specifically to fuel brick-and-mortar growth. Super Coffee CEO Jimmy DeCicco joined the company’s board of directors as an observer at the time.
Other News
* Mason Dixie Foods has just launched its ready-to-eat Cheddar Biscuit Sandwich in 8-count boxes at Costco stores across the Midwest for $14.99. Each sandwich is made with sausage and cage-free egg and has 15 grams of protein.
* Eva’s Helado Artesanal — a new premium ice cream brand featuring flavors inspired from Mexico, South America and Central America — is entering 600 Walmart stores including locations in California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Florida. Flavors include Dulce De Leche, Cafe Con Donuts, Horchata & Churro Swirl and Mangoneada, among others.
* Food and toddler snack company Sprout Organics is launching its four most popular CoComelon co-branded SKUs of organic pouches in select Target stores nationwide and on Target.com.
* According to a LinkedIn post from founder Todd Goldstein, better-for-you cookie dough snack Whoa Dough will be entering Albertsons stores in the next 60 days.
