Taste Radio

Stephanie Izard, the founder of acclaimed restaurant The Girl and The Goat and a former winner of cooking competition TV show "Top Chef," doesn't spend much time thinking about food trends. Instead, a consistent focus on preparing delicious food and teaching others to do the same has been paramount to Izard's success as a restaurateur and is at the core of her CPG brand, This Little Goat. Launched in 2016, the brand markets globally-inspired sauces, spices and crunches developed from recipes that Izard created in her restaurants. The products are designed to "make it easy for home chefs to create complex, interesting meals," she explained. This Little Goat is carried by hundreds of independent and chain grocery stores nationwide, including The Fresh Market, Raley's, Price Chopper. According to the company, the brand saw sales growth across all channels in 2022 and nearly doubled its revenue in natural retailers. In this episode, Izard spoke about the origins of This Little Goat, how taste and accessibility guide the brand's thoughtful product and marketing strategy, why the company turned to self-manufacturing for its Chili Crunches and how she became more comfortable as the primary spokesperson for her restaurants and brand. Show notes: 0:45: Stephanie Izard, Founder, This Little Goat – Izard spoke with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif at the 2023 Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas, where the chef was cooking up a storm at the brand's booth and explained how green beans and fish sauce played into the creation of This Little Goat. She also discussed her role in the brand's package design, why trends don't influence new product development, how the company forecasts demand and why she tries to be involved in as many retail meetings as possible. Later, she spoke about how self-manufacturing gives the company flexibility to produce limited-time offerings and collaborations and shared her thoughts on challenges facing fine dining establishments. Brands in this episode: This Little Goat, Momofuku Goods, Fly By Jing

Wholly Veggie co-founders John Bonnell and David Gaucher knew their brand of plant-based frozen foods needed a new look. But when they saw the design firm's proposed revamp, it was such a departure from the original version that it made them apprehensive and uncomfortable. And, as they told us, that's why it worked. Wholly Veggie, which debuted in its home market of Canada in 2017, now offers a range of vegan frozen entrees and snacks, including Thai curry, cauliflower wings and mozzarella-style sticks. Bonnell and Gaucher envisioned the brand as one that could attract interest and democratize access to plant-based foods via familiar flavors and dishes. In 2020, Target began carrying Wholly Veggie at all of its U.S. stores and the brand seemed on its way to becoming a household name. Nevertheless, Bonnell and Gaucher sensed that it could just as easily turn into an also-ran in an increasingly saturated market for plant-based frozen meals. Wholly Veggie had to be bold, differentiated and, most importantly, stand for something beyond the food itself. In its fun, energetic and bright redesign, Wholly Veggie has been embraced by existing and new retailers. The brand is carried by 6,500 stores across the U.S. and Canada, including Walmart, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh Thyme, Wegmans, Sobeys and Loblaws. In this episode, Bonnell and Gaucher spoke about their process for creating a plant-based brand with broad appeal, their realization that Wholly Veggie's package design needed an overhaul, how a comprehensive brand brief enabled them to better understand their products' value to retailers and consumers, and the impact of the brand revamp. They also discussed their adherence to business fundamentals, a challenging environment for private capital and how the most commonly consumed ingredients factor into their innovation strategy. Show notes: 0:45: John Bonnell & David Gaucher, Co-Founders, Wholly Veggie – Bonnell and Gaucher met with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif at BevNET headquarters where the entrepreneurs chatted about traveling from Toronto to Boston and local store visits before they discussed Wholly Veggie's most recent – and hilarious – ad campaign. They also spoke about their respective backgrounds and the brand's origins, why the brand name was the only thing not on the table during the revamp process, how they evaluate taste as compared to other plant-based products and how fun and laughter supports their primary goal of championing vegetables. Later, they discussed early mistakes and what they learned from each, their warning that "the route to market is filled with booby traps" and how conversations with investors have changed over the years. Brands in this episode: Wholly Veggie, Green Giant, Birds Eye

Fresh off the conclusion of the 2023 Winter Fancy Food Show, Taste Radio editor Ray Latif highlighted new, innovative and better-for-you products from over a dozen exhibitors at the annual event, including a plant-centric soup brand, spicy and chewy candy, sunflower seed-based milk, non-alcoholic wine alternatives and gourmet marshmallows. Show notes: 0:40: Nate & The New Studio, Hot Crackers, No Compromise, Dad Dokes – The episode opens with John, Mike and Ray cozying up in BevNET's new recording studio, before Ray shared his take on Las Vegas as the new home for the Winter Fancy Food Show and recounted an interview with a superstar chef at the event. Ray also shared spicy snacks with his studio mates and chatted with the episode's hosts about news and new products from the show. Later, Jacqui and Mike chatted about a few new beverages shipped to their respective offices and Ray praised a convenient smoothie brand. Brands in this episode: This Little Goat, Nufs, Lattini, Bitchin' Sauce, Petit Pot, Three Spirit, Everleaf, Chili Chews, I Eat My Greens, Soda Bossa, True Roots Brewing Co., Lentiful, Portland Salt Co., Mojave Mallows, Motto, Gorgie, Siren Shrub, Popadelics, Sweet Nothings

As a child, SmartSweets founder Tara Bosch used to eat candy for breakfast. As an adult, the entrepreneur is eating her competitors for lunch. Launched in 2016, Bosch created SmartSweets as an alternative to the vast majority of legacy candy brands whose products are made with high amounts of sugar and often include artificial colors and flavors. The Canadian entrepreneur was ambitious from the start, envisioning the company as a global player in the multi-billion dollar confectionary industry. Leading with a message of "Kick Sugar, Keep Candy," the brand markets a range of low-sugar candy in familiar formats, including gummies, licorice, sour snacks, lollipops and caramels. Primarily sweetened with allulose, a naturally occurring sweetener that is found in foods like raisins and figs, the products typically contain 1-3g of sugar per bag or serving size. Within four years of its debut, SmartSweets was carried by over 25,000 stores in North America, including Target, Kroger, Walmart and Whole Foods and generating $100 million in annual sales. The remarkable growth drew the attention of private equity firm TPG Capital in 2020, which acquired a majority stake in the company for $360 million. In this episode, Bosch spoke about her emphasis on great taste as a way to distinguish SmartSweets from both similarly positioned and traditional candy brands, how prioritizing a lean business model in its early development enabled the company to be nimble and outpace its competitors, why its growth strategy is built around "patient urgency" and how the brand's highly effective social media strategy drove consumers to its retailers. Show notes: 0:45: Tara Bosch, Founder, SmartSweets – Taste Radio editor Ray Latif spoke with Tara Bosch about her homebase of Vancouver, why she accepted a Thiel fellowship in lieu of a college degree, how she addressed the stigma of bad taste in low-sugar candy and why she envisioned SmartSweets as a brand with broad appeal. She also explained the value of first mover advantage and having very specific annual objectives, building a team of generalists and the "radical focus" driving SmartSweets social media strategy. Brands in this episode: SmartSweets, Snickers

Grind, persist, evolve, repeat. Greater Than co-founders Mark and Jon Sider lived the routine for over a decade, tenacious in the belief that their sports drink brand offered consumers a healthier alternative to Gatorade and that, eventually, their hard work would pay off. Fourteen years after they started the company, the process is showing progress, albeit in a completely different way than the brothers imagined. In a pivot cemented in 2021, Greater Than shifted its positioning to that of a natural electrolyte drink for nursing mothers. The shift was derived from organic demand and word of mouth among new moms who claimed that the beverages kept them hydrated amid breastfeeding. It was an unexpected turn for the brand, but one that has given it new life and a massive boost in revenue. Greater Than has generated over $8 million in DTC sales in each of the past two years, a surge that has been recognized by Inc. Magazine, which listed the company among its Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing privately held companies in the U.S. In this episode, the Siders spoke about how timing and humility played into Greater Than's repositioning, how they effectively incorporated user-generated content into digital media initiatives, how innovation will play into the company's brick and mortar retail strategy and opened up about how the relationship between themselves and with others have been impacted by the challenges of entrepreneurship. Show notes: 0:45: Mark and Jon Sider, Co-Founders, Greater Than – Taste Radio editor Ray Latif met with Mark and Jon Sider at BevNET Live Winter 2022, where the entrepreneurs recalled their attendance at the first edition of the event, how the beverage landscape in 2009 helped coalesce their vision for Greater Than and how a well-funded competitor impacted their business strategy. They also spoke about why hard work doesn't always yield positive outcomes, how they recognized that repositioning Greater Than as a niche brand was the only path forward, why it wouldn't have worked as a new concept and how targeted ads and consistent community engagement made Greater Than top of mind for nursing mothers. Later, they were candid and transparent about the toll that brand building has taken on their family and how they are attempting to reestablish relationships amid a new chapter for the business. Brands in this episode: Greater Than, Zico, Vita Coco, O.N.E., BodyArmor, Celsius

Taste Radio's hosts discussed the relative value of making resolutions and shared advice from a highly successful entrepreneur on how to set achievable goals. They also spoke about the arrival of 2023 trade shows, an effective way that early-stage brands can build awareness and riffed on a handful of new products and brand updates. Show notes: 0:40: Bass Basics, Talking Trends… With Family, Send Us Your News – The episode kicks off with a CTA about reviews and free tees, before Jacqui revealed plans to start "slapping" a certain instrument and the hosts chatted about industry-related conversations with family and friends. Ray highlighted a past episode with Zico founder Mark Rampolla and encouraged attendees and exhibitors of the upcoming 2023 Winter Fancy Food Show to reach out and also extolled the value of BevNET's Elevator Talk series. Brands in this episode: Zico, De Soi, Somi Energy, Sayso, Barr Hill

This special edition of the podcast features highlights from interviews with six founders, creators and innovators who joined us on the show during the second half of 2022. Our guests include Alison Cayne, the founder and CEO of Haven's Kitchen; Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes, the co-founders of Ghost; Anna-Lena Kamenetzky, the founder and CEO of Touch Capital; Ibraheem Basir, the founder and CEO of A Dozen Cousins; Chitra Agrawal, the founder and CEO of Brooklyn Delhi; and Maxime Pouvreau, the founder of Petit Pot. 0:47: Interview: Alison Cayne, Founder & CEO, Haven's Kitchen – Let's kick things off with Alison Cayne, the founder and CEO of fast-growing refrigerated sauce brand Haven's Kitchen. In this clip, pulled from an episode published on July 12, Alison spoke about how she created an office environment that motivated her team to return to an IRL work setting, why the brand's innovative package design is both an asset and a limitation and navigating the challenge of uneven retail pricing. 12:04: Interview: Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes, Co-Founders, Ghost – Next up we have Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes, the co-founders of sports nutrition and energy brand Ghost. In a clip pulled from an episode featured on October 25, Dan and Ryan spoke about why generating revenue is not at the top of the list of company priorities, why entrepreneurs have to go "all in" to be successful, why they believe you can't create a lifestyle brand and why Ghost has never used social media as a marketing tool. 22:44: Interview: Anna-Lena Kamenetzky, Founder & CEO, Touch Capital – Let's keep it going with Anna-Lena Kamenetzky, the founder and CEO of growth-stage venture capital firm Touch Capital. In this clip, from our episode published on October 4, she discussed the value of entrepreneurs with prior industry experience, why an "'A" idea doesn't work with a "C" team, how she evaluates innovative brands and their scaling potential why investor feedback and input only works "if it's a pull and not a push." 30:04: Interview: Ibraheem Basir, Founder/CEO, A Dozen Cousins – Next we have Ibraheem Basir, the founder and CEO of A Dozen Cousins, a brand of side dishes and sauces inspired by traditional Creole, Caribbean and Latino recipes. In the following clip, pulled from an episode published on June 28, Basir spoke about how the company's initial focus has evolved, ensuring quality standards with co-manufacturing partners and why "keeping a foot in the familiar" is a key tenet of the brand's innovation strategy. 40:56: Interview: Chitra Agrawal, Founder & CEO, Brooklyn Delhi – We continue with Chitra Agrawal, the founder and CEO of Brooklyn Delhi, a brand of Indian-inspired pantry staples crafted for modern kitchens. In this clip, pulled from an episode aired on September 13, Chitra discussed why she didn't pay herself a salary for the first four years of the business, how the company has scaled with no outside investors, how she created favorable contracts with co-manufacturers and how the company has benefitted from an omni-channel sales strategy. 49:14: Interview: Maxime Pouvreau, Founder, Petit Pot – Finally, we hear from Maxime Pouvreau, the founder of premium pudding brand Petit Pot. In the following clip, pulled from an episode published on September 27, Max explained why he has stressed frugality and cautious spending from the outset and how the hire of an experienced operations executive and thoughtful planning strategy helped the company scale production and achieve profitability. Brands in this episode: Haven's Kitchen, Ghost Lifestyle, Super Coffee, A Dozen Cousins, Brooklyn Delhi, Petit Pot

At 26, Jack McGarry thought he'd reached the zenith of his career. Three years after he co-founded modern Irish pub The Dead Rabbit, the Lower Manhattan bar topped the list of the World's 50 Best Bars, an awards program akin to the Oscars for nightlife hospitality. McGarry had been maniacally focused on earning the title, and while it cemented him as an industry star, a sense of hollowness – exacerbated by heavy drinking – soon followed. In the years since, however, he has abstained from alcohol and focused on The Dead Rabbit as a bar that would carry on the tradition of Irish pubs as a communal gathering space. He's also been a leading voice in highlighting mental health and education throughout the bar and restaurant industry. Those priorities will be incorporated into The Dead Rabbit's expansion, in which the company will open new locations throughout the U.S., beginning next year in Austin and New Orleans. The overarching goal is to champion authentic Irish pubs by incorporating modern art, music and other cultural elements into each bar. In this episode, McGarry spoke about his journey as an entrepreneur, how the experience of chasing and receiving accolades made him reassess his values and how he's using his influence to spread awareness about health care and sobriety. He also discussed the ways in which he's aligning modernity and authenticity in the bar's ambience, weighed in on no- and low-alcohol spirits and cocktails and the reason that he's bullish on both, and shared why his meaning of "strategic partners" may noy be what you think. Show notes: 0:45: Jack McGarry, Co-Founder & Managing Director, The Dead Rabbit – Taste Radio editor Ray Latif met with McGarry at The Dead Rabbit in New York City, where the bar owner chatted about his distaste for tardiness and moving out of Manhattan before discussing the bar's expansion plans for 2023. He also explained how The Dead Rabbit is attempting to restore its original vision and essence, why it's important to root out the underlying issues of alcoholism, particularly within the hospitality industry and how he's using his platform to call out overindulgence and resulting problems at trade shows and conventions. Later, he discussed the evolution of non-alcoholic options at high-end bars and restaurants and why it's important to the future of hospitality, why authenticity is often misunderstood and why The Dead Rabbit has historically had low turnover among its employees. Brands in this episode: Guinness, Three Spirit, The Dead Rabbit,

With a new year on the horizon, the hosts shared their expectations for the food and beverage industry in 2023, including the most pertinent opportunities and challenges faced by growing brands. They also opined on the value of Twitter for entrepreneurs and executives and highlighted notable and new products. This episode also features the second edition of Special Ops with Andrew Guard, in which the operations expert offers guidance on timely issues affecting food and beverage companies. Show notes: 0:51: Messi, Marty, Musk and More. – The episode opens with a chat about the 2022 World Cup final and congratulations to current and former colleagues, before the hosts discussed Twitter's current turmoil and debated the social platform's usefulness for CPG founders and operators. Later, they offered their predictions for 2023 and how entrepreneurs can stay ahead of potential problems and spoke about a range of innovative brands and products. 19:52: Special Ops with Andrew Guard, Part. 2 – Guard, the founder of nanoscale beverage co-manufacturer Right Coast Brands explained what founders should know about working with functional ingredients and considerations for introducing a new package type. Brands in this episode: Lentiful, Vudu, Yate, Mix'd Roots, Phresly, Fishwife, Fly By Jing, Van Leeuwen

Their flagship products have a suggested retail price that is nearly double those of legacy and competing brands. And, yet, Serenity Kids is outpacing them all. Launched in 2018, Serenity Kids markets shelf-stable, low sugar baby and toddler food made from organic and ethically sourced ingredients, such as regenerative farmed meats. The brand's pouches and grain-free puffs are sold in almost 8,000 stores across the U.S., a footprint that includes Walmart, Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Wegmans and Sprouts. According to the company, Serenity Kids' revenue has increased 150X year-over-year since its debut and has raised $11.5 million in funding to date. Founders Serenity and Joe Carr note that sales growth and investor confidence are indicative of a shift in buying patterns from parents seeking nutritious, premium products for their children. In this episode, the Carrs spoke about their path to entrepreneurship, how a non-traditional focus group and decades of declining quality in the baby food aisle gave them confidence that Serenity Kids could fill a real need and why maintaining a premium price point is key to the brand's value proposition. They also discussed their thoughtful sourcing and operations strategies, how they developed a sophisticated understanding of the packaged food industry and their rigorous hiring process. Show notes: 0:45: Serenity & Joe Carr, Co-Founders, Serenity Kids – The Carrs met with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif at BevNET HQ in Newton, MA where they chatted about their visit to the Boston area before discussing how their interest in the paleo diet and the birth of their daughter laid the foundation for Serenity Kids, and why it was harder to educate natural channel consumers versus those who shop at conventional stores. They also spoke about the incredible yet unnerving opportunity to go national at Whole Foods early into the brand's development, the unexpected benefits of using regeneratively farmed meat and how they've aligned gross margin with price point. Later, they advised founders on how to assess their capital needs, why personal growth is deeply important to company culture and why they conduct "non-traditional" interviews with potential employees. Brands in this episode: Serenity Kids