Distribution: House Party Enters NorCal Whole Foods; Gotham Greens Expands Kroger Partnership

House Party Enters Whole Foods in Northern California

Coming on the heels of a rebrand last month, Union City, California-based vegan cheese dip maker House Party announced it has landed its products in 51 Whole Foods Market locations across Northern California.

Formerly known as LOCA Foods, Inc., House Party produces a line of plant-based cheese dips available in Mild Cheddah and Hot Jalapeño varieties. While many vegan cheese brands use cashews, House Party’s dips are crafted from a blend of carrots, sunflower oil and potatoes.

According to founder and CEO Lauren Joyner, the Whole Foods launch comes more than a year after the brand was selected as a finalist in the grocer’s Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP). Though the brand was not ultimately selected to be a part of the program’s first cohort, Joyner worked with local Whole Foods purchasing coordinator Patrick Wyman to land House Party’s products on the retailer’s shelves.

According to Joyner, the brand’s name change in January was a “timely decision” that comes as House Party prepares for further retail and foodservice expansion in 2023, when the brand is planning a return to menus at San Francisco’s Oracle Park in the spring and was recently reinstated on menus at NVIDIA’s corporate campus and UC Santa Clara. Within California, consumers can also find the vegan dips at Ham & Cheese restaurant in San Francisco, Plant Slayer restaurant in Fresno and UC Riverside in Riverside.

“The new brand name, House Party, is a nod to the rich history of American cheese sauces and how it was marketed as a ‘party fancy’ food perfect for ‘glamorizing vegetables,’ in dishes like cheesy taters, bean casseroles and crock pot dips to serve to guests at house parties,” she said. “The new branding and packaging will hopefully give the brand a longer runway for product innovation and expansion, and be more engaging to consumers on retail shelves.”

In addition to Whole Foods Market, House Party’s products are currently available in over 100 retail doors nationwide. Though the brand is primarily focused on the natural channel at the moment, Joyner said she will look into launching in the conventional channel once it grows and “hits the volume threshold needed to reduce its price point.”

The dips can be found at Whole Foods on the dry shelf in the chip aisle alongside the dairy-based quesos, which Joyner says is “exactly where we hoped we’d be once we hit big retail shelves.”

“I have enjoyed selling DTC this past year because it has allowed us to connect directly with customers and reach folks all over the United States. It’s given me insightful feedback to improve our formula and our marketing strategy,” said Joyner. “We will continue to sell DTC but are shifting our budget to focus on ensuring DTC is profitable moving forward and putting more dollars behind our retail and food service expansion.”

MyForest Foods Expands into 32 Stores Across New York, Massachusetts

MyForest Foods, maker of plant-based, mycelium-grown bacon alternative MyBacon, announced its flagship product is now available in 32 new retail and foodservice doors across New York and Massachusetts.

The New York expansion was driven by strong consumer demand and “enabled by the fast ramp up in production at the brand’s new state-of-the-art mycelium farm in upstate New York,” according to a press release. MyForest, formerly Atlast Food Co., raised $40 million in April 2021 to facilitate this growth, with investors including Stray Dog Capital, actor Robert Downey Jr.’s Footprint Coalition Ventures, along with Applegate Farms founder Stephen McDonnell, former Whole Foods co-CEO Walter Robb and Stonyfield Farm co-founder Gary Hirshberg.

MyBacon can now be found at A Matter of Health (Upper East Side), Amish Market (East Village), Brooklyn Fare (West Village, Upper East Side), Dumbo Market (Carroll Gardens, DUMBO) and Elm Wellness (Greenwich Village), among others.

“It remains an important part of MyForest Foods’ strategy to partner with product retailers who prioritize food accessibility and sustainability while pursuing its mission to feed the planet in an environmentally sensitive manner,” the brand wrote in the release.

Looking ahead, the Green Island, New York-based brand is slated to bring its second product to market later this year: MyJerky. Derived from the same mycelium ingredient as MyBacon, MyJerky continues the brand’s mission of creating “positive, lasting change for our food system and, in turn, Spaceship Earth,” said CEO Eben Bayer in the release.

Gotham Greens Expands Partnership with Kroger

Brooklyn, New York-based indoor farming company Gotham Greens announced it has expanded its partnership with Kroger, which was first established in 2020.

The brand’s salad greens and herbs are currently available in more than 300 Kroger locations nationwide, and are projected to be in 1,000 stores overall by the end of 2023.

Additionally, the brand’s plant-based dips, cooking sauces and dressings are set to enter nearly 2,000 Kroger doors.

Founded in 2009, Gotham Greens employs hydroponic farming practices that enable it to harvest and deliver pesticide-free salad greens and herbs grown in sunlight-powered greenhouses, a method the brand claims uses up to 95% less water and 97% less land than competitors that rely on field-growing farming.

Earlier this year, the indoor farming company announced it had raised $310 million to expand the reach of its “decentralized agriculture” systems across the country and expand its array of products. By summer 2023, Gotham Greens is projected to own and operate 13 greenhouses totaling more than 40 acres across nine states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, New York and Rhode Island.

“Kroger and Gotham Greens share a commitment to building a more resilient and equitable food system, putting people and our planet at the forefront of everything we do,” said Gotham Greens co-founder and CEO Viraj Puri in a press release. “With increasing climate and supply chain related issues facing our food system, it’s more important than ever to bring innovative farming solutions that grow high-quality produce while using fewer precious natural resources.”

Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli Goes Chainwide With Sprouts

Mrs. Goldfarb’s Unreal Deli has inked a chainwide distribution deal with Sprouts Farmers Market across the U.S., expanding the retail presence of its vegan-friendly, plant-based deli meat products.

Founded in 2019 by Jenny Goldfarb, Unreal Deli produces a line of plant-based deli meats including Corn’d Beef, Roasted Turk’y and Steak Slices. After receiving sizable investment from Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban, the brand went on to launch its products in Publix, Whole Foods, Ralph’s and other retail and foodservice accounts.

In June, Unreal Deli announced the opening of a Series A round with the goal of between $6 and $10 million to support its rapid growth amid a rise in consumer demand for alternative deli slices.

Goldfarb previously told NOSH that getting the brand ready for a widespread retail launch wasn’t easy, noting the product’s evolution from being “wrapped in saran wrap” to and self-distributed while her children were in school to “actual retail packaging and distribution” was a long, arduous process.

More Notable Distribution News:

• In a LinkedIn post, Heyday Canning Co. co-founder and CEO Kathryn Kavner announced the brand’s beans are now available at Whole Foods Market nationwide, saying it may be her “biggest bean news yet.”
• Tinned seafood producer Fishwife announced its products are now available at select Whole Foods Market stores in California, Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada.
• WayFare, makers of plant-based dairy products, announced it has landed its new line of yogurts in over 100 Jewel Osco stores in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana. Available in three flavors – Plain, Strawberry and Raspberry – the yogurts are free of the top nine allergens and available in 4.8 oz. cups.