Food Industry News, Insights, and Education for the CPG Community

Nicole Ledoux, co-founder & CEO of seed-based food company 88 Acres, spoke about the thoughtful process of scaling from a local to national brand, why she credits in-house production as a significant competitive advantage and how a successful Kickstarter campaign provided the foundation for the brand’s retail launch and successive fundraising initiatives.

Pretzel makers since the 1700s, the Spannuth family launched commercial bakery Unique Pretzel Bakery in 1921 and its store brand in 1964. The company is now rebranding to Unique Snacks, hoping to build out a larger salty snacks platform.

Last week members of investment firm N*GEN Partners filed with the SEC to raise up to $125 million for an IPO for Better World Acquisition Corp (BWAC), a newly launched special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). BWAC will look to acquire a company that “benefit[s] from strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) profiles” within the “healthy living” sector.

Designer Protein, which owns legacy brand Designer Whey, is looking to evolve into a broader nutrition platform. Though it isn’t outgrowing its roots in protein supplements, the company is solidifying its brand identity and moving into new categories and ingredients.

We’re looking for about a dozen entrepreneurs and other workers in the food and beverage business to join a live Office Hours taping on Tuesday with Steven Hershberger, the founder of Westminster Innovation Group. Audience members are encouraged to join the conversation by asking questions and speaking with our guests during the show.

In this week’s Checkout, Instacart raises $200 million, Tofurky fights a Louisiana labeling law and Friends of the Earth reports on retailers’ organic product and pesticide commitments.

No beans about it, the frozen category is gaining interest from retailers, brands and investors. Hoping to capitalize on this momentum, this week Tyler Mayoras, a former principal at Advantage Capital, announced he has joined frozen wrap startup Cool Beans as CEO.

The 9th edition of NOSH’s Pitch Slam returns to computer screens around the country on November 17th and 19th. Presented by General Mills’ venture arm 301 INC, Pitch Slam 9 will offer twelve emerging food brands the opportunity to gain industry awareness and get in front of decision-makers who can open doors and help take their business to the next level.

Hoping to turn a line of cookies and crackers into a larger national brand, Dewey’s Bakery last week closed a $25 million funding round led by Eurazeo Brands and also combined forces with the leadership team of another bakery brand, Farm & Oven.

While plant-based meat alternatives continue to rise in popularity, many brands are facing the challenge of reconciling a premium price point with a desire to reach more consumers. Brands seeking to move beyond the natural channel and deepen their presence in conventional retail are looking for ways to create accessibility through lower prices, but they face hurdles in the form of manufacturing and ingredient costs, and in some cases, regulation, they say.

BevNET & NOSH Speed Dating, a virtual event designed to connect food and beverage brands with industry experts, returns on Thursday, October 29. For this round, brands have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with CPG investors.

Check out the gallery for September’s notable product releases, including new protein bars from Justin’s, the latest snack innovation from Pipcorn and a sweet and salty collaboration from Siete and Compartés Chocolatier.

The show guests, Ibrahim Basir of A Dozen Cousins, Arnulfo Ventura of Beanfields and Ayesha Abuelhiga of Mason Dixie Baking Co. launched Project Potluck last month with a mission of building a ladder of opportunity for minorities in the food and beverage business who have long faced systemic issues around hiring, fundraising, mentoring, and other areas that are key to creating both successful companies and successful careers in the CPG industry.

In this week’s Checkout, e-commerce fulfillment company ShipBob receives $68 million investment, Amazon announces Prime Day and small brand promotions, and McCormick and Conagra report quarterly earnings.