Plant-Based Spam? We Mull It Over. And Learn From Dash & Dough'.
Release Date: 11/08/2024
The Human Connection Is A Lost Art. But Monte’s Has Mastered It.
Taste Radio
One of PJ Monte’s early sales pitches startled a woman so much that she clutched her purse. A few weeks later, PJ’s tomato sauce was on the shelves of her husband’s influential grocery store. It’s one of dozens of stories that PJ, a streetwise, fedora-wearing entrepreneur, has about the development of Monte’s Fine Foods, makers of premium, clean label pasta and sauces. Monte’s launched in 2020 and is an homage to PJ’s family, which has a long history in the restaurant and hospitality industries. A former clothing designer, PJ shifted his focus to food five years ago and began...
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Is A Warning On Booze Misguided? Plus, The ‘Fatale’ Journey Of An NA Brand.
Taste Radio
Is booze so bad that it should come with a warning label? The U.S. Surgeon General thinks so and has advised Congress to act. What, if any, impact would potential legislation have? The hosts discuss. This episode also features an interview with Julie Cielo, the founder of pioneering non-alcoholic cocktail brand Ferm Fatale, who talks about the successes, missteps and eventual closure of her company. Show notes: 0:25: Marina Mike. Damp Jacqui. Vegas Craven. Aisle Ray. VIPers. Dunkin’ Pits. Bad Booze. Bull Blood. – Ray thought John was doing Dry January, but it’s another Craven (and...
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Bo Knows… Beverages? Of Course He Does.
Taste Radio
Bo Jackson, the multi-hyphenate sports icon and one of a handful of athletes to play both professional football and baseball, is tackling perhaps his biggest challenge yet – the beverage industry. Bo is the creator of Bo3.0, a brand of zero-sugar hydration powders formulated with ingredients that are designed to support joint, heart and immunity health. Launched in February 2024, the brand comes in three flavors and is sold direct-to-consumer via the Bo3.0 website and Amazon. In this episode, Bo and Larry Wert, the CEO of Jackson & Partners, talk about the creation and positioning of...
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What’s In Store For 2025? Let’s Run It Back.
Taste Radio
What can the past inform us about the future? As we enter a new year, this special edition of the podcast revisits three headlines from 2024 that generated inspired discussion among Taste Radio’s hosts and may hint at things to come for the food and beverage industry. Show notes: 0:29: PepsiCo Buys Siete – We begin with one of the most celebrated deals of the year, PepsiCo’s $1.2 billion acquisition of modern Mexican-American food brand Siete. In this clip, , the hosts discuss Siete’s rise in the context of emerging food and beverage trends and how investors and strategic companies...
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How Today’s Leaders Are Building Tomorrow’s Billion-Dollar Brands
Taste Radio
In this special edition of the podcast, we feature highlights from interviews with seven innovators, leaders and disruptors who joined us on the show during the second half of 2024. Our guests include Ben Goodwin and David Lester, the co-founders of Olipop; Poorvi Patodia, the founder and CEO of Biena; Charles Coristine, the CEO of LesserEvil; Peter Rahal, the co-founder of RXBAR & David; Olivia Ferdi, the co-Founder of Trip; and Justin Rosenberg, the founder and CEO of Honeygrow. Show notes: 0:32: Interview: Ben Goodwin & David Lester, Co-Founders, Olipop – Let’s kick things off...
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A Definitive 5 For ‘25. These Things Will Happen. We Hope.
Taste Radio
We’re not prognosticators. But we are a hopeful bunch. With a new year on the horizon, the hosts share five (actually, six) wishes for the food and beverage industry in 2025. Swift progress is unexpected, but these are reasonably achievable goals. Show notes: 0:25: Upstarts, Assemble! Cann Do. Deal Us In. More NA, Please. Outrageous = 1.7%. – Ray wonders if the team should consider living bi-coastal before encouraging more collaborations between emerging brands. John opines on the huge opportunity for cannabis-based brands and stirs the pot on M&A and nascent categories. Mike calls for...
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How A ‘Small Town’ Is Paving A Probiotic Path To The Big Time
Taste Radio
For a brand with a diminutive name, Small Town Cultures has big ambitions. Based in upstate New York, Small Town Cultures was founded by entrepreneur Cori Deans in 2017. The company uses regional ingredients to make fermented foods that contain no vinegar nor added sugar. Packaged in clear glass jars with minimalist labels designed to showcase the vegetables’ natural color and crispness, Small Town Cultures sells a variety of probiotic-rich products, including its Red Onions, Turmeric Kimchi and Traditional Sauerkraut. The brand is distributed nationally at a variety of natural, conventional...
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Were We All Wrong About Olipop & Poppi?
Taste Radio
We also speak with Steffin Oghene and Tony Salles, the vice president and third-generation master distiller, respectively, of awarded tequila brand El Tequileño along with Davide Segat, the bars manager at the city’s NoMad Hotel, for a conversation about the creation of a limited-edition tequila, the Side Hustle Select Barrel Double Añejo. Show notes: 0:25: So Dark. Timing & Negotiations. Best Of. Tokyo Twinkies. AM Greek Cocktails. – Ray is a hot mess, but it’s fine because Donnie Darko and Denis Villeneuve films have entered the chat. John describes Coke and Pepsi’s BFY...
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No Joke, This Comedian’s ‘Basic’ Brand Gives Modern Consumers What They Want
Taste Radio
Being “basic” has long been a theme of Trey Kennedy’s popular standup routine and sketch comedy. He recently introduced the perfect pairing for his humor, Basic Cellars. An Instagram sensation with over three million followers, Trey debuted Basic Cellars in October. Created in partnership with premium wine producer In Good Taste, the brand is designed to appeal to modern consumers who love wine, but are often put off by complicated and confusing verbiage. Basic Cellars sells two wines, a California Pinot Noir and an Italian white, that come in single-serve 187 mL glass bottles....
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Why Winners Win (And Will Continue To Do So)
Taste Radio
The grind is real. And fun as heck. Exhausted, but buoyant, the hosts recap NOSH and BevNET’s just-concluded winter events and specifically highlight the three pitch slam competitions and how each respective winner successfully communicated the traction and potential for their brands. Show notes: 0:25: Bowels & Beer. The Squish Wins. Viviana Approves. R Roll. Swag & Walnuts. NA FTW. Ask Away. – In the Taste Radio studio at the Marina Del Rey Marriott, the hosts chat about NOSH Live Pitch Slam winner Mochi Love and how differentiation made difference in the competition. They also...
info_outlineThe world needs plant-based spam. Nootropic beverages will make a comeback in 2025. T-shirts are the best brand swag. It’s buy-or-sell time, and the hosts transact in opinions. This episode also features interviews with the leaders of two fast-growing U.K.-based CPG companies: Jack Scott, the co-founder of flavored sparkling water brand Dash, and Kathryn Bricken, the founder of Doughlicious, a brand of frozen cookie dough and gelato bites.
Show notes:
0:25: No Results. We’re Available. Mindcraft. Un-Appealing. Brand Brush. Call It A Comeback. Like, Thanks. – Election Day has come and gone, but the hosts still don’t know who won. They will, however, be available to answer questions and make connections at BevNET’s Winter events. But before that, Ray needs a drop or two. Unmeat is on the plate, and not everyone is happy. Denim jackets might be the best gift you can give a customer (or member of the media) with toothbrushes coming in a close second. Mike urges everyone to back a coffee brand, salty snacks are all the rage, especially ones that taste like a turkey dinner, and a BFY gummy brand gets a big time partner.
37:33: Interview: Jack Scott, Co-Founder, Dash – Jack shares an introduction to Dash and discusses the company’s international distribution strategy, what he learned about the brand’s brief stint in the U.S. market and why hasn't it been a priority since, and why the American market is sometimes described as the "graveyard of so many British brands"
53:07: Interview: Kathryn Bricken, Founder & CEO, Doughlicious – Kathryn talks about the genesis of Doughlicious and why she chose to launch a frozen brand, how she assessed the timing and prepared for a U.S. launch, and how Whole Foods evaluated the brand and what gave its buyers confidence in its ability to succeed on its shelves. She also discusses Doughlicious’ national rollout at Target and how the company planned for a dramatic expansion in geography as well as a new retail channel and consumer base.
Brands in this episode: Dash, Doughlicious, Mochi Love, NOOISH, CHUTNI PUNCH, Harken Sweets, Brune Kitchen
Doosra, Apothekary, Heyday Canning Co., Belgian Boys, Nguyen Coffee Supply, Fly By Jing, Four Sigmatic, Magic Mind, Comeback Coffee, Like Air, Jones Soda, Once Upon A Coconut, Grounded Shakes, Pipcorn, Better Sour