Laird Superfood Introduces Coffee Pods Made From Coffee

Plant-based food and beverage maker Laird Superfood introduced a new format to its portfolio with the goal of giving consumers a plastic-free approach to single-serve functional coffee. Today, the company announced the launch of Bright Cups, a proprietary Keurig-compatible pod format made from BPI-certified compostable materials and filled with Laird’s Focus Mushroom Coffee.

How does this fit with Laird’s strategy?

According to COO Andy Judd, who joined the company earlier this month, Laird has been looking to enter the single-serve coffee category for a long time but was deterred by the packaging waste associated with the format. Bright Cups are made from coffee chaff, a renewable material and natural byproduct of coffee production that also makes the pods commercially compostable.

“The coffee pod market is massive, and we wanted to give consumers a way to enjoy the convenience that single-serve pods provide without having to sacrifice the quality of their beverage or eco-friendly integrity,” said Judd. “Bright Cups is the best of both worlds, Laird Superfood’s best-selling functional coffee in an easy single-serve format without the impact on the environment that plastic pods create.”

Laird’s Focus coffee is made with Peruvian roasted coffee beans and includes functional ingredients like Lion’s Mane, Rhodiola and coffee cherry. The pods are available in both medium and dark roasts online for $17.95 per 12-pack, $34.95 per 24-pack, and $106.95 per a 72-count pack, all of which are currently on sale for 15% off. The line is sold online only at the moment but Judd said it will eventually begin to roll out at retail and “expand from there.” Laird declined to comment whether it has plans to introduce additional products in the new format.

The launch also accelerates the digital-native brand’s new focus on expanding its wholesale presence. Laird CEO Jason Vieth, who took the helm earlier this year, has previously told NOSH that he believes ramping up the company’s wholesale distribution will unlock its next level of growth and create even more value for its shareholders.

That strategy, in addition to this launch, also supports Laird’s goals around consumer engagement.

Judd explained that Bright Cups furthers Laird’s mission to offer products that cater to every aspect of their consumer’s “daily rituals.” The company made strides toward that goal last year in bringing more food products into the fold through the acquisition of Picky Bars. It has continued to build out its portfolio to cater to a variety of day parts – like Sleep, Renew and Rest – and also use occasions with products like instant lattes and on-the-go oatmeal cups.

“Our product innovation is driven by our fans and how they live their lives – we want to make products that fit their needs while maintaining our company values around ingredient quality and function, and environmental impact,” said Judd. “Pods give us another solution for busy consumers, allowing Laird Superfood to integrate into their daily ritual in a way that works for them.”

While the plant-based nutrition company highlighted the importance of meeting consumers where they are, Judd emphasized Laird’s commitment to creating a product that aligned with its values, without a sacrifice on the environment. He said he hopes this new format will help decrease the over “12 million pods that end up in a landfill annually.”

“This new product category launch has definitely been a labor of love for our brand,” said Judd. “We’ve been wanting to do a pod for many years but wanted to ensure we could do it in a way that aligned with our high standards as a brand. We knew if we were going to make a pod, it had to be done right, and it had to be done our way.”

How does this impact the market?

The K-cup market presents plenty of sales growth opportunities for Laird. The coffee pods and capsules market was valued at over $25 billion in 2020 and is projected to continue steadily growing at a rate of 3.1% through 2025, according to a report published last year. The category also saw surging sales, jumping 7% during the early months of the pandemic as consumers’ daily routines were interrupted and lockdowns restricted coffee consumption to at-home brewing, according to the report.

Although numerous companies have tried to create compostable cups – including Smile brands, which has made plant-based commercially compostable pods, and Nexe, which launched its home-compostable pods at this year’s Expo West – large coffee companies like Keurig Green Mountain Coffee have settled on recyclable formats rather than totally eliminating plastic packs.