The M&A Train Keeps Rolling.

Is 2025 the year of the acquisition? The hosts highlight two more headline-grabbing deals announced over the past week: Hershey’s $750M purchase of BFY snack maker LesserEvil and the sale of watermelon water brand Mela to King Juice.

Show notes: In Memoriam. NY → Texas. New With Nom. Congrats CC. Ray, The Fresh Cartoon. Sober Informed. Bert & Ernie. – Mike opens the episode with a tribute to the late Jack Craven. The hosts hype Taste Radio’s upcoming meetups in NYC and Austin and Melissa spotlights valuable content featured in recent episodes of the Nombase Podcast. They also discuss the acquisitions of LesserEvil and Mela, and how both brands resonate with modern consumers. Everyone shares their lesser known nicknames and riffs on the term “sober informed,” before Ray is compared to a Sesame Street character. Ray reveals a brand’s innovative way to smuggle soda into movie theaters (it’s not what you think). Melissa and Jacqui highlight coconut water, protein- and honey-based bars as well as “salad sprinkles.”

Brands in this episode: Fishwife, Petit Pot, Pistakio, Ithaca Hummus, Happy Wolf, Mela, LesserEvil, ISH, Evolution Fresh, Coaqua, Superfoodio, Bon Bee, Payday, MOSH, Salad Sprinkles, Painterland Sisters, Chutni Punch, Hampton Water Wine