Easy Squeezy: Chefs Life Debuts Squeezable Bottles, Ramps Up Distribution
To capture a larger share of the cooking and finishing oil market, Chefs Life – the company founded by celebrity chef and restaurateur Brian Malarkey – is introducing a new line of squeeze bottles to its portfolio while expanding its national distribution footprint.
Founded in 2020, Chefs Life seeks to educate consumers by explaining how to use its oils for specific parts of the cooking process – cooking, blending and finishing – right on the front label.
The company produces its products with a West Coast co-packer that is “a very big oil company” and has been funded through friends-and-family rounds.
The squeezable collection includes the brand’s flagship Cooking (olive, sunflower, avocado and grapeseed blend) and Finishing (extra virgin olive oil) oils as well as two new certified organic offerings, 100% Avocado Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. According to CEO Jamie Schapiro – who joined the company in August – the difference with the organics line is that it’s single-origin oil.
“We print the country of origin on the label, and that country of origin might change every six months. So we’re not going to say it’s always going to be from Italy, or maybe Tunisia, but whatever the country is it’ll be printed with the expiration on the back,” he said, adding that Chefs Life believes it is the first brand to come to market with a squeezable 100% organic avocado oil.
Beginning next month, the squeezable Cooking Oil will be available at Whole Foods in a 25.4 oz. bottle with a SRP of $19.99 and Chefs Life’s squeezable Finishing Oil will be available at Kroger in a 16.9 oz. bottle with a SRP of $15.99.
Though the organics collection doesn’t currently have any retailers lined up, the products will be sold on the brand’s website, and, according to Schapiro, Chefs Life will have “some really cool bundles” that include the new oils. Both organic products carry an SRP of $21.99 per 16.9 oz. bottle.
Since joining the company 10 months ago, Schapiro has gotten every Chefs Life product kosher-certified and non-GMO verified, as he believes those two attributes are important to retailers and consumers alike.
“We were really excited to achieve that prior to the [squeeze] bottle launch. If you look at oils, and products in general, when you don’t have that you stand out in a bad way. It’s important these days to have the right product attributes,” he said.
Additionally, Schapiro has been ramping up brand awareness efforts centered around founder Malarkey’s background and expertise as a chef. At Kroger and Whole Foods, the new squeeze bottles will feature a tag on the bottleneck with a QR code that consumers can scan and enter for a chance to win a private dinner prepared by Malarkey and chef Carlos Anthony.
According to market researcher Fortune Business Insights, the global cooking oil market was valued at $204.5 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $369.2 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.79%. Squeezable oil bottles have been gaining significant traction among everyday consumers as of late – especially olive oils – with launches from brands like Graza, California Olive Ranch and TRE Olive, among others.
Looking ahead, Schapiro sees many opportunities through which Chefs Life can expand into other categories.
“Right now we’re in oils, but we definitely plan to expand beyond oils. We’re thinking about the platform and the experience that we have with somebody like Chef Brian, and how we can excel further,” said Schapiro.
