For new and emerging brands in the food & beverage CPG industry, finding success means setting yourself apart and filling a hole in the market. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with the Founder of Hillside Harvest, Kamaal Jarrett, about their line of Caribbean-inspired hot sauces. In this episode, we discussed why it is important for emerging food & beverage brands to find their niche within the industry. Kamaal gave us some background into why and how they selected the flavor profiles for their line of hot sauces, and how they overcame challenges with scaling their brand. We al ..read more

As the world's first eCommerce platform for health & sustainability-conscious shoppers, Thrive Market has helped make healthier and more sustainable food & beverage, and grocery items accessible across the country. This week on Beyond the Shelf we spoke with the Director of Merchandising of Thrive Market, James Ren.  On this episode, James shared with us how he and his team curate the eCommerce platform's selection of over 5500 products to align with what their customers care about most. We discussed some of the tools and guidelines the company uses to select new brands for the eC ..read more

This week on Beyond the Shelf we spoke with Isabelle Steichen (Co-Founder & CEO) and Allie Dempster (Co-Founder & CMO) of Lupii. In this episode, Isabelle & Allie shared some insights into how they are utilizing the mighty lupini bean to create a line of protein- and fiber-rich plant-based products. We discussed some of the barriers that come along when using an ingredient that is mostly unknown in American food products. Isabelle & Allie also discussed why introducing a line of pasta products was a natural next step for the brand, and they shed some light on how they hope to e ..read more

Although coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, there's a lot that most consumers don't know about the powerful bean. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Michael Sharon & Kal Freese, the Co-Founders of Taika - makers of a line of coffee and caffeinated beverages designed to address some of the common concerns about traditional coffee drinks. In this episode, Michael and Kal gave us some valuable insights into the coffee industry including why/how coffee can affect everyone differently, and why it was important for them to create a line of products that utilized ..read more

Once dominated by a handful of national brands, the beverage category has grown exponentially in the past few years. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with the Director, Flavor Architect and COO of Flavorman, Tom Gibson and Scott Weddle. Flavorman helps beverage brands formulate and develop products, ranging from energy drinks, seltzers, RTD cocktails and more. In this episode, Tom and Scott shared with us how recent innovations and advancements in technology have helped to create more space for unique beverage products. We also discussed why and how flavor is so personal to each and eve ..read more

Functional ingredients are not new to the food & beverage world - but over the past few years, an influx of consumers are showing a growing interest in food & beverage products that don't just taste great but also serves a functional purpose. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with the Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Brainiac Foods, Jonathan Wolfson. Focused on promoting brain health, Brainiac Foods has a line of snack products for the whole family that is loaded with better-for-you ingredients. In this episode, Jonathan gave us some insights into the ever-growing better-for-you market ..read more

Better-for-you variations of traditionally indulgent food & beverage products have the unique challenge of overcoming shoppers' misconceptions about the quality n and taste of "healthy" products. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with the founders of TiDBiTS Candy, Kristi and David Vartanian. On this episode, David and Kristi gave us some insights into what led them to create a line of better-for-you candy. We also discussed why candy was late to the better-for-you trend, and why it's extremely important for them to highlight their product's simple ingredient lists and great flavor i ..read more

Most modern food & beverage brands utilize organic social marketing to some extent, but how many are actually getting the most out of their efforts? This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Vasa Martinez of Perfy, growthbuster, and Outer Aisle. In this episode, Vasa gave us some background into his extensive history in the food & beverage industry, including what led him to create growthbuster and Perfy. We also discussed what modern brands often misunderstand about organic social marketing, and why building a community is the best way to hit all points in a customer's journey. To ..read more

Now seen as a very competitive market, the protein/nutritional bar category has gone through many ups and downs. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with the Founder and CEO of JAMBAR, Jennifer Maxwell. As an industry veteran, Jennifer walked us through how the protein/nutritional bar category has shifted since she first created the iconic PowerBar brand several decades ago. She also gave us some insights into her latest brand, JAMBAR, including why it was important for them to create a nutritional and artisan product that gives back to their community. To stay up to date on all new episod ..read more

In any new or up-and-coming categories within the food & beverage industry, a certain amount of brand education is necessary. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with the Director of Brand Education at Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal, Éva Pelczer. In this episode, Éva took the time to clarify what the difference is between mezcal and tequila, and to debunk common misconceptions about the popular spirit. Éva also gave us some much-needed background on how mezcal is made, and why it's important to honor the indigenous communities in Mexico where the spirit is produced. As Director of Br ..read more