NOSH Live Pitch Slam 8: Savorly Brings the Party to the Freezer Aisle

Appetizer brand Savorly won the NOSH Virtually Live Summer 2020 Pitch Slam, with judges seeing promise in the frozen products for parties, snacks, sides and more.

The two-part competition, presented by 301 Inc., first began Tuesday with 12 contestants who each presented a two-minute virtual pitch before judges cut the list down to six. Today’s finalists included founders from frozen smoothie brand Sweet Nothings; frozen pizza brand Etalia; Middle Eastern food brand Z&Z; empanada brand Mas Panadas by Latin Goodness; lupini-based bar brand LUPii; and Savorly, who each presented for five minutes followed by a live Q&A with judges. Savorly will receive an advertising package with NOSH valued at $10,000 and the coveted Pitch Slam trophy.

The Pitch Slam’s judges’ included Pete Speranza, founder and business development leader at General Mills’ venture arm 301 Inc.; Karen Ivanis-Rogers, director of business ventures for Albertsons; Kiva Dickinson, founder and managing partner at Selva Ventures; and Carol Ortenberg, NOSH’s editor.

Across the board, the judges were impressed with how far along each emerging brand already was, particularly in terms of packaging design. For frozen brands, Ivanis-Rogers and Speranza emphasized, packaging is key to attracting consumer attention from behind a freezer door.

“They look a lot more formidable than you’re used to seeing from brands that are one to two years old,” Dickinson said. “It brings excitement to the sector as a whole.”

Ivanis-Rogers added that although the frozen aisle is seeing a revival and these are “great products outside of the norm,” several of the brands would need to rethink their price points — especially if changes to the economy make consumers more budget-conscious.

The Pitch Slam winner, Savorly, appears ready to meet those needs, Dickinson noted.

“Savorly seems to have the concept, branding and taste needed to capture consumers’ attention and move quickly out of the gate,” he said.

Savorly co-founders Ethan Dabush and David Gotlib, two friends from Belgium, launched the Brooklyn-based brand last August “to disrupt a sleepy, and quite frankly, boring, category,” Gotlib said, through a line of convenient frozen appetizers in fun, brightly-colored packaging. Savorly’s concept, Gotlib explained, is further inspired by the shared plates trend that’s become increasingly popular in U.S. restaurants. After entering 150 stores, including Whole Foods’ Mid-Atlantic region, the brand saw a “huge spike” in its fourth quarter sales and will be sold in Whole Foods globally by the end of 2020.

Starting with a line of French puff pastry-based bites, in January the brand launched gratins that can be eaten as appetizers or sides, Dabush said. Moving forward, communicating each product’s multiple usage occasions will be key, Gotlib noted. Additionally, though the brand’s core consumer is the “perfect host” who wants convenience and great tasting food for entertaining, the brand sees plenty of room to reach non-entertainers, especially nutrition-focused urban millennials as well as kids, who, the brand has found, enjoy the products as snacks. Eventually, Savorly might reach beyond the frozen aisle.

“Innovation is definitely part of our DNA, and we’re constantly looking for the next challenge, Gotlib said. “The door is open for many possibilities, but right now frozen is where it’s at.”

Savorly joins past Pitch Slam winners including Know Brainer keto marshmallows, Beckon lactose-free ice cream, Creation Nation protein bar mixes, Watermelon Road dried fruit jerky, Tribali grass-fed frozen meat patties and Bronx Hot Sauce.