Preme Relaunches With New Gut Hydration Platform

Knowing when to pivot is paramount to an early-stage brand’s survival, but putting aside your first products to start again from scratch can be an equally risky proposition.

Gut health brand Preme is taking the leap after spending the past year retooling its growth strategy, landing it on a pivot from its original, premium-positioned, cold-chain pudding line to a shelf-stable product that founder and CEO Xeba Zareie believes can pave a more realistic path to profitability while effectively scaling its mission and impact.

The brand relaunched direct-to-consumer today with three drink mix SKUs, each designed to support gut health via targeted hydration for different areas of the digestive tract. The products will be available for a three-month limited test run online before moving into retail, Zareie told Nosh.

“I want [the brand moving forward] to feel cute where it’s a brand that Gen Z will get, but also a brand that millennials will get,” said Zareie. “I think partnering with an [Urban Outfitters] and an Erewhon at the same time would be a really cute entree, and then Central Market is essentially the Erewhon of Texas, so I think that would be a good place to go.”

Zareie emphasized that she has not locked in any retailers for the product yet but has been approached by numerous buyers spanning grocery, mass and alternative channels.

As for the new line, products include an unflavored, certified low-FODMAP Gentle Prebiotics; a hyaluronic acid and apple cider vinegar-infused Kiwi Lemonade flavor that targets gut and skin health with a FODMAP-friendly kiwi prebiotic fiber; and a lactose-free, naturally sweetened Hot Cocoa product with 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber from Gentle Prebiotics for gut and liver hydration.

“Everyone has a drink powder mix, so I didn’t want to do just another drink powder,” said Zareie. “I wanted it to feel really unique and special, so we’re targeting gut, skin, hydration. Water is not actually hydrating to your gut. It doesn’t move very fast. You do need your minerals and electrolytes, especially with the depletion in our soils, and [because] our food doesn’t contain as many nutrients as it used to.”

Zareie founded Preme in 2020 with two SKUs of prebiotic-infused, oat-based puddings after being diagnosed with small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). The low-FODMAP product contained eggs, ghee and collagen and offered 10 grams of protein per serving and were designed specifically for consumers suffering from a range of gut health issues.

However, scaling up the refrigerated product in retail proved to be a challenge. As a solo founder, Zareie has handled marketing, distribution and sales since the brand’s inception in addition to developing and self-manufacturing the products. The price tag, which ranged from $8 to upwards of $17 per 4.5 oz. cup at select retailers, also presented a major barrier to entry for the vast majority of consumers.

“There comes a time when as a founder, you’re going down a route and you can kind of see that that route is actually not going to meet your vision that you want to achieve,” Zareie said. “I think it’s really important to be able to pivot and know when your energy is no longer being used to the best of its abilities.”

That’s what led Zareie to begin innovating around drink mixes this time last year. In September she put Preme on pause, halting pudding production as she geared up to pivot into this new, higher-margin aisle.

The new product also helps Zareie return to why she started the brand in the first place: Being able to reach consumers struggling with gut health issues from the comfort of their own homes. “That really means being able to ship DTC to people, and I just wasn’t able to do that in an affordable way with the cold chain [item] at this time.”

However, the pudding line isn’t going away forever. Zareie is working on a new iteration that will see it shift from glass into smaller, plastic containers and carry a longer shelf-life and lower price tag. Manufacturing will likely shift to a co-packer, she said.

Before that happens, Zareie said she will focus on using the drink mixes to rebuild the brand steadily within its online community and at retail this year. She is also looking to raise a round of capital before re-committing the company to the more complex, cold chain product.

“I’m such an idealist,” said Zareie. “As a founder, I’m [trying to] bring my idealism into reality. But I think [I’ve learned] we have to meet reality where it’s at sometimes.”