Laura Catena may have one of the most unique resumes that you’d ever come across. Regarded as the face of Argentine wine, Catena presides at the helm of her family’s lauded winery Bodega Catena Zapata, which laid the foundations for the country’s wine to be recognized at the level of its European counterparts. She is also the founder of the Catena Institute of Wine, which focuses on science-driven ways to support and showcase Argentina’s winemaking regions. And, until recently, Catena had worked...
Nov 24, 2020•57 min
In this episode, we’re joined by Stu Aaron and Martin Janousek, the co-founders of Bespoken Spirits, a modern distilling company which claims that it can precisely tailor spirits to a desired aroma, color and taste. Using proprietary technology, Bespoken’s production process can be completed in a matter of days as opposed to traditional distilling and aging methods which typically take years. The company’s business model is two-fold: Bespoken works with small- and mid-sized distillers to craft n...
Nov 20, 2020•1 hr 5 min
Sarah Frey was barely into her 20s when she struck a deal with Walmart for her family’s company, Frey Farms, to supply watermelons and pumpkins to the retailer’s stores across the U.S. The relationship with Walmart helped Frey Farms, which had recently emerged from near foreclosure, become one of the largest suppliers of fresh produce in America, one with farmland in seven states and total sales exceeding $1 billion. Frey’s ability to win over Walmart buyers was documented in a case study publis...
Nov 10, 2020•48 min
This week we sat down with Filipp Chebotarev, the co-founder of Cambridge SPG, a venture capital firm that invests in emerging and innovative consumer concepts. Since launching in 2016, the California-based company has been an active investor in the food and beverage industries and holds stakes in several fast-growing and disruptive brands, including Once Upon a Farm, Vive Organic, Foodstirs, Owl’s Brew, Fish People and Tosi. Within our expansive conversation, Chebotarev spoke about the firm’s i...
Nov 06, 2020•54 min
During our interview with Hoplark co-founder and CEO Dean Eberhardt, he mentioned that some consumers describe the brand’s HopTea beverages as “naughty.” Eberhardt explained while the hop-infused, zero-calorie teas are non-alcoholic, their resemblance to beer -- in taste and packaging -- might make a person blush if they were to drink one during the day or while driving a car. Amid a growing number of Americans interested in sober-curious lifestyles, Hoplark HopTea has found a receptive audience...
Oct 27, 2020•48 min
Jing Gao’s mission to “bring uncensored Chinese flavors to the table” has made her brand a hot commodity. An award-winning chef and former restaurant owner, Gao is the founder and CEO of Fly By Jing, an innovative brand of Sichuan-inspired sauces and seasonings that launched in 2018 and is known for its modern take on Chinese cuisine. In recent months, Gao has overseen a massive spike in demand for the brand’s products, which include a chili crisp, dumpling sauce and mala spice. The surge, drive...
Oct 23, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Nick Desai, founder and CEO of pea-based snack brand Peatos, believes that junk food consumers will never trade their Doritos for kale chips. So if you want to disrupt the $21 billion market for salty snacks you have to give consumers what they want -- along with something they didn’t know they needed. Promoted as “a one of a kind ‘junk food’ only without the junk,” Peatos’ crunchy curls and rings were developed to look and taste like legacy snack brands Cheetos and Funyuns but are made with all...
Oct 16, 2020•49 min
The familiar adage “plant a seed and watch it grow” is particularly apt for 88 Acres. Launched in 2015, the Boston-based company produces a range of seed-centric products, including bars, granola, butters and dressings, all of which are free from the top eight food allergens. Focused on products made from whole food, nutrient dense ingredients, 88 Acres’ message of “making more from less” has resonated with consumers beyond the allergen-free community and gradually expanded distribution beyond i...
Oct 13, 2020•44 min
Carlton Fowler loves the occasional bottle of Miller High Life. But as the co-founder and managing partner of Goat Rodeo Capital, a venture capital firm focused on early stage investments in beverage alcohol, non-alcoholic drinks and cannabis-centric brands, his tastes are a bit more refined. Since its inception in May 2019, Goat Rodeo has invested in eight companies, including ready-to-mix cocktail maker DRNXSMYTH, canned wine brand Archer Roose and Sourced Craft Cocktails, a service that deliv...
Oct 09, 2020•53 min
Paul Feig has a thing about martinis. The award-winning director and producer behind comedy blockbusters “Bridesmaids,” “The Heat” and “Spy,” is especially particular about what type of gin goes into the cocktail (note, he says, that there’s no such thing as a “vodka martini”). After spending years searching for the perfect gin to blend in his evening libation, Feig was motivated to launch his own brand, Artingstall’s, which was introduced earlier this year. Years in the making, Feig has been in...
Oct 06, 2020•47 min
Named as the fastest growing food company in America by Inc. Magazine, Outer Aisle, which markets cauliflower-based sandwich thins and pizza crusts, is marching toward its mission to revolutionize the bread industry. Launched in 2013, the brand generated $11 million in 2019 revenue and achieved a three-year growth rate of more than 5,000 percent, according to Inc. Magazine’s 2020 “Inc. 5000” list, an annual compilation of the fastest growing privately held companies in the U.S. In an interview i...
Oct 02, 2020•1 hr 9 min
There are parts of our interview with Errol Schweizer that might make a few listeners uncomfortable. He knows this, and he’s fine with it. To confront issues of systemic racism, labor inequality and cannabis reform and how they are affecting the food and beverage industry, Schweizer, a veteran food industry insider, trendsetter and entrepreneur, believes that people will need to hear some unsettling stories and statistics. As disconcerting as they are, his goal is to motivate action and change, ...
Sep 29, 2020•1 hr 3 min
When asked about the reasons why Constellation Brands made a minority investment in his company, Black Button Distilling founder and CEO Jason Barrett specifically noted that the spirits conglomerate was motivated by “the systems [we were] building.” Based in Rochester, N.Y., Black Button launched in 2012 and describes itself as the city’s first grain-to-glass craft distillery to open since Prohibition. Barrett, who founded Black Buttonwhen he was 24 years old, has since developed the business, ...
Sep 25, 2020•52 min
Josh Cellars founder Joseph Carr describes entrepreneurship as walking the fine line between courage and stupidity. Although he admits to being more on the latter site, given the massive success of the wine brand it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t been on the right side. He’ll also admit, however, that he had to work harder than anyone to get his company to where it is today. Over the past decade Josh Cellars, which Carr launched in 2009 and named as a tribute to his father, has grown to become t...
Sep 22, 2020•42 min
How does the entrepreneur of an upstart food brand gain over 20,000 followers on LinkedIn in less than 18 months? In a word: positivity. Mark Samuel is the founder and CEO of IWON Organics, a brand of protein-infused snacks, that include puffs and crispy sticks. A serial entrepreneur, Samuel founded several businesses in the fitness and finance industries prior to launching IWON in 2016. The brand is sold in nearly 5,000 locations nationwide, including at Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts and Whole Foods...
Sep 18, 2020•56 min
CJ Rapp knows a thing or two about being ahead of the curve. A beverage industry veteran who launched his first brand in 1985, Rapp has created several disruptive drink concepts that, while possibly slightly too novel for their time, were predecessors to mainstay categories today. That list includes Jolt Cola, a highly caffeinated soda brand that became a cult hit among software coders and third-shift workers and was a forerunner to the energy drink category. While Jolt, along with some of Rapp’...
Sep 15, 2020•43 min
In this episode, we sat down with Dave Colina, the founder and CEO of O2, a brand of natural sports recovery drinks formulated with oxygenated water and electrolytes. Launched in 2014, O2 took a patient growth strategy during its first few years on the market. In recent months, however, O2 has generated record revenue via direct-to-consumer sales along with those at retail partners, including Kroger, Sprouts and Publix. Those sales have helped fuel the brand’s philanthropic initiative to donate ...
Sep 11, 2020•54 min
A few months before launching Stacy’s Pita Chips, co-founder Stacy Madison was struggling to find quarters to pay for her laundry. That became less of an issue a few years later, when she sold her company to PepsiCo for a reported $250 million. A social worker by training, Stacy founded Stacy’s Pita Chips with ex-husband Marc Andrus in 1997. By the time the brand was acquired in 2006, its products were distributed nationally and generating $65 million in annual revenue. In an interview included ...
Sep 01, 2020•45 min
In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Breezy Griffith, co-founder and CEO of SkinnyDipped, a Seattle-based brand of almonds and cashews that are coated with a thin layer of chocolate or yogurt. Launched in 2013, SkinnyDipped is one of the fastest growing food and beverage companies in America; according to Inc magazine’s annual Inc 5000 list, SkinnyDipped’s revenue has grown by 1,550% over the past three years. To keep up with surging demand, the company raised over $10 million in new funding ...
Aug 28, 2020•49 min
During our interview with Dadz co-founders Max Greenfield and Mike Constantiner, each bore the classic signs of dad fatigue: three-day facial scruff, baseball caps pulled over weary eyes and a slightly dazed demeanor. Managing the day-to-day strains of fatherhood is the reason that Greenfield, an actor known for his roles in the television series “New Girl” and “The Neighborhood,” and Constantiner, a veteran CPG entrepreneur, launched Dadz, a platform company focused on benefiting the lives of m...
Aug 18, 2020•26 min
This week, we’re joined by Hannah Crum, the co-founder and president of Kombucha Brewers International (KBI), a trade association whose stated mission is to promote and protect commercial kombucha brewers around the world. For over a decade, Crum, who’s also the founder of homebrew education platform Kombucha Kamp, has been one of the most influential figures in the development of the kombucha industry. A respected voice among her colleagues, Crum’s work has supported the creation of educational...
Aug 14, 2020•57 min
You might recognize Tony’s Chocolonely by its quirky labels and comic font logo. Behind the Dutch brand’s playful vibe, however, is a profound mission to end the use of child labor within the cocoa industry. Founded in 2005, Tony’s has emerged as a popular international chocolate brand sold throughout Europe and the United States. Led by its purpose-driven strategy, the company is grounded in fair-trade business practices, deep relationships with its sourcing partners and measurable goals for so...
Aug 04, 2020•30 min
In this episode, we sat down with Simon Sacal, the founder and CEO of innovative food platform Solely. Known for its unique fruit jerky strips, which are sold at Whole Foods locations nationwide, Solely launched in 2018 with the mission to rethink how food is developed, grown, sourced, processed and sold. The brand has invested heavily in agriculture and food technologies to create nutrient dense and differentiated products, including a recently debuted line of spaghetti squash, that appeal to a...
Jul 31, 2020•49 min
They say necessity is the mother of invention. Sometimes, inventions are created by mothers who identified an unmet necessity. That was the case with Bitsy’s, a brand of organic, vegetable-infused kids' snacks, including cookies and crackers. Launched in 2012 by social entrepreneurs Maggie Patton and Alex Buckley, the company’s mission is to make healthy and nutritious snacks accessible and affordable to all families. In May, Bitsy’s announced that actress Gabrielle Union, who has long been an a...
Jul 21, 2020•36 min
This week, we’re joined by Greg Fleishman, the co-founder and CEO of clean label baking mix and snack company Foodstirs. A veteran marketing executive with over two decades of experience working with startup brands, including Kashi, Suja and Sambazon, Fleishman is no stranger to the constant challenges that are common to entrepreneurial companies. And he believes that it’s the daily ebbs and flows of running a business that provide entrepreneurs with the capabilities to navigate the uncertaintie...
Jul 17, 2020•58 min
This special episode of Taste Radio features highlights from interviews with six entrepreneurs who joined us on Taste Radio during the first half of 2020. Our guests include Siete Family Foods co-founder and CEO Miguel Garza; Nick & Elyse Oleksak, the co-founders of Bantam Bagels; Miyoko’s founder and CEO Miyoko Schinner; Ben Van Leeuwen, the co-founder and CEO of Van Leeuwen’s Ice Cream; Orgain founder and CEO Andrew Abraham; and Gail Becker, the founder and CEO of Caulipower. Show notes: 1...
Jul 07, 2020•41 min
In this week’s episode, we sat down with Emily Kanter, co-owner and CEO of Boston-area natural products retailer Cambridge Naturals. A family-owned business that operates two stores focused on nutritional supplements, body care products and organic foods and beverages, Cambridge Naturals has cultivated a loyal customer base within the Boston area and has been recognized for its unique and constantly rotating product selection. As part of our conversation, Kanter spoke about the history and evolu...
Jul 03, 2020•43 min
We first featured Jim, Jake and Jordan DeCicco, the brothers and co-founders of Kitu Life Super Coffee, on Taste Radio back in May 2018. At the time, their two-year-old brand, originally known as Sunniva Super Coffee, was on track to generate $3.5 million in annual revenue. In the 24 months since, the company has been on a torrid pace, having built a national distribution network and retail presence that includes Kroger, Publix, Target and Walmart. The brand is expected to pull in $70 million in...
Jun 30, 2020•45 min
This edition of Taste Radio Insider features highlights from interviews with six entrepreneurs and experts who joined us during the first half of 2020, including TRUFF hot sauce founders Nick Guillen and Nick Ajluni; Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys; Nona Lim, founder/CEO of Nona Lim; GT’s Living Foods founder/CEO GT Dave; Ashley Thompson, co-founder/CEO of MUSH; and Lee Robinson, director of dairy and beverage for Whole Foods Market. Show notes: 0:53: The Answer Was Always Landis; No FOMO For...
Jun 26, 2020•49 min
The centerpiece of a fast-growing snack and beverage platform, ALO Drink pioneered the premium aloe beverage market in the U.S. and is the country’s top-selling brand in the category. Launched in 2009, ALO Drink is owned by SPI West Port, a multi-faceted distributor, import, exporter and manufacturer of premium products that also markets ALO Snacks, Jen Collagen and Woodridge Snacks. In an interview featured in this episode, SPI West Port founder and CEO Henry Chen spoke about how he’s steered t...
Jun 23, 2020•25 min
