News

Ghost peppers, chilies and jalapeños fired up the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this week, as brands across categories embraced heat in response to consumers’ rising demand for hot and spicy food.

With the launch of a new line, frozen treat brand Yasso is seeking to enter the red hot pint category. The expansion comes as private equity firm Castanea confirmed earlier this month that it had taken a majority investment in the brand last year.

BevNET founder and CEO John Craven shares insights from his experiences at the 2018 Winter Fancy Food Show this week in San Francisco.

If you want to win in the specialty channel, you have to play by the new rules, according to a recent report by research firm A.T. Kearney. During the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, David Donnan, senior partner at Kearney, gave an in-depth look into the firm’s recent comprehensive study of the specialty food channel and how it’s changing the playbooks for companies big and small.

Project 7’s Tyler Merrick on why quality is critical for brands with a social mission; Civilized Caveman founder George Bryant explains his belief that “the more dehumanized brands are, the less likely they are to survive”; the inside story behind a Genius idea; an innovative tea and juice brand causes a riot

Today, David Barber, co-owner of restaurants Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, announced the launch of Almanac Investments, a $30 million fund for agriculture and hospitality technology, CPG, and experiential retail companies.

As the Winter Fancy Food Show is underway, John Haugen, the VP and General Manager for General Mills’ venture arm 301 INC, reflects on his time in the industry and the lessons he has taken away from 301’s portfolio companies.

Sejoyia’s newest innovation, Coco-Thins, launched during the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco yesterday. It marks the first product since the company rebranded and narrowed its overall R&D focus to sweet snacking.

From a major snack maker launching its first protein-packed bar to industry leaders using their voice in the media to represent consumer demands, here are your top news stories of the week.

Chicago Custom Foods LLC, the maker of popcorn seasoning Kernel Season’s, was sold on Tuesday by VMG Partners and the brand’s founder, Brian Taylor, to middle-market private investment firm Highlander Partners. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.