News

Barnana is expanding its savory snack line and rebranding as it seeks to build its presence in the salty snack set in conventional retailers. The brand’s newest product, Plantain Tortilla Chips, will debut online and in select Southern California-based retailers, with plans to enter 5,600 doors this year.

Myles Powell, founder and CEO of Washington, D.C.-based frozen comfort food brand 8 Myles, has had a full plate over the last few months as he doubles down on his goal to create a “strong regional brand” in the Northeast. The company, funded by food and beverage business accelerator Union Kitchen, is focusing on retail and product expansion as it brings its frozen mac and cheese business to new markets.

Although some consumers have turned to larger conventional food brands during the COVID-19 pandemic, many still shop with wellness in mind, creating even more opportunity ahead for natural brands. According to a report co-authored by data firms IRI and SPINS, natural product sales are not only higher than last year, but in some cases are even outperforming their conventional counterparts.

This week’s Office Hours explores the interplay between operations, innovation, and finance during highly disruptive times with Melissa Facchina and David McCormick, two of the leaders of Siddhi Capital and Siddhi Ops.

Citing the “continued impact of the COVID-19 crisis on events and travel,” New Hope this afternoon cancelled Natural Products Expo East 2020, which was to be held September 23-26 in Philadelphia. The decision marks the second pandemic-related cancellation for New Hope this year, having pulled the plug on Natural Products Expo West 2020 in March.

After several decades spent globetrotting in pursuit of tea, the Harney Brothers decided to build their next business a little bit closer to home. The N.Y. facility that’s home to Harney & Sons, the second-generation family tea business in which Paul and Mike Harney have spent a combined 30-plus years, is now also the headquarters for The Hemp Division, a standalone vertically integrated grower and manufacturer.

In the latest distribution news, Know Brainer’s Max Mallows land in Walmart and CVS, Whole Foods adds offerings from Yolélé and Fancypants Baking Co.’s new keto cookies hit shelves at multiple retailers.

Office Hours returns Tuesday, June 16 at 3 p.m. ET. Jeff Klineman, BevNET’s Editor-in-Chief, will bring Melissa Facchina and David McCormick, two of the leaders of Siddhi Capital and Siddhi Ops on the livestream to discuss money and operations and take questions from viewers.

In this week’s Checkout, UFCW urged Congress to protect grocery and food production workers; as demand remains high, Instacart raised $225 million; and FMI studied grocery shopping trends before, during and beyond the pandemic.

Alex French, co-founder & CEO of Bizzy Coffee, spoke about how online research sparked the launch of Bizzy, how the company sourced data from retail partners and customers via its packaging, learnings from the failure of the brand’s coffee shots, why buyer presentations are as important as the product itself and valuable tips about how to stand out on Amazon.