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🚨NOSH INSIDER WEEKLY: The Protein Brewery Nabs $35.2M, Loopy with Lupini Beans, Cheesy Halloween Costumes & More |
This week, we're getting our five minutes of fame at Nosh Live, blending some veg in with our burger patties, and walking around in some very fashionable clogs. But, more on all that below.
It's a dilly of a pickle - Freestyle Snacks wants to do to dill what it's done to olives (I'm also crestfallen to learn that, while pickle flavored-everything is having its decade in the sun, sales of actual pickles are stagnant - what?!). Brine 'N Shine Editor Monica lays it all out here.
Alright! On with the Sunday newsletter.
FIRST UP! I've heard of boozy milkshakes but this is ridiculous - powdered fungi biz The Protein Brewery has concocted a powerful Series A - is the next evolution of not-meat slingers upon us? |
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💵 The Protein Brewery Raises $35.2M |
Dutch food tech (uh-oh) startup The Protein Brewery has landed a $35.2M Series B as it looks to pepper its fungi-based protein powder across the CPG spectrum writes Olympic Weightlifter Adrianne DeLuca. | |
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The company produces a powdered gluten-free mycoprotein called Fermotein (yes, really) that comprises 50% complete protein, 35% 'healthy' fibers (so not the unhealthy ones), and plenty of vitamins and minerals. No word on the remaining 15% 🤔 Fermotein can be used in RTD drinks, protein bars, lagers bakery items and as a delicious ice cream topping (probably). CEO Thijs 'Brewhouse' Bosch is pretty bullish, claiming the company has laid the groundwork for serious expansion. He's also aiming for profitability once the current demo-scale facility is at full capacity, something which has eluded fermented protein players to date. Take the full shroom on Nosh.com. 🥡 Key Takeaway: By producing Fermotein as a powdered product, The Protein Brewery is opening up international doors in a way that's impractical for readymade products. US-based CPG brands are already being tapped up - but who's going to be first to to prop up the bar? | |
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📺 Your Brand's Moment Onstage at Nosh Live 2025 |
| Plenty of crazy cool things will be happening at Nosh Live 2025 (for example, I'll be there), but undeniably one of the coolest events will be a live recording of Elevator Talk on the main stage.
But get this: there will be not one but two sessions, each featuring preselected founders sharing short intros and baring their CPG souls to the crowd. The resulting footage will be turned into Elevator Talk episodes, giving priceless exposure across the BeVNET multiverse.
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| AND: the fun doesn't end there: nominations are open for the Nosh Live 2025 Pitch Slam - think of it like a 90s rage cage WWE match except everyone is throwing packs of ramen at each other.
Are you an emerging packaged food brand looking to share your story in front of an audience of industry leaders? Nosh is giving six brands just that opportunity.
Past participants include Partake Foods, Sunnie and Olyra, who all seemed to have done pretty well.
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🗣 Nombase: Smart Co-manufacturing Risk Management |
Flow Water's recent closure has left many copackers scrambling - and many more reassessing their co-manufacturer relationships. How can brands protect themselves from unexpected manufacturing mishaps?
This week's Nombase Podcast sees Joyburst, The No Sugar Company, and Wellnx Life Sciences founder Brad Woodgate discuss with Whole Brain Consulting co-founder Brandon Hernandez how brands can mitigate risks, safeguard materials and equipment, and sign contracts that protect their operations.
The duo also touch on vetting facilities and how geography affects growth.
Hosted by BevNET & Nosh Director of Community Melissa Traverse, the Nombase Podcast is like a warm CPG hug direct to your brain.
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🔊 CPG Week Podcast: SlimFast's Splendid New Owner, Slate Milk's Series B |
On this week's CPG Week podcast Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Lukas Southard dig into a pint of drama-lama, the latest Ben & Jerry's flavor sensation. Tongues numb and brains freezing, they power through with talk of lactose-free high-protein choccy milk brand Slate's $23M Series B, before sprinkling Splenda over their SlimFast frozen meals. The gut-stuffed duo round things off with a new energy drink brewed up by a former White Claw brewmeister (woooooh!).
Spin this week's podcast here. | |
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🍓 Juicy Quote |
| "When it made sense on the nutritional results, then I went to the kitchen and tried [to make] the pizza. Most of the time it tasted like shit"
This week's journey through the center of the earth comes courtesy of The Great Lupini a.k.a. Adrianne DeLuca who sat down with Loopini founder/CEO Damiano Messineo to discuss lupini beans, clean label pizzas and how to stuff protein into your crusts. | |
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After a year of D2C horse trading Loopini is ready to roll into Wegmans later this year (and Whole Foods next January) - aided by a soon-to-be-closed $1M capital infusion.
Loopini specializes in a 3 SKU range of lupini bean-based pizzas that sport 38-54g of protein and upwards of 590 calories and 26g of fiber per pie, which if you're about to hit the kettlebells might pique your interest.
Uniquely, Messineo started with Excel sheets, working out the nutritional content of various flours before testing them in the kitchen. He eventually hit upon lupini beans - a high nutrition legume that's low on the glycemic index.
Naturally for Messineo his pizzas are produced in Italy using all Italian ingredients with the exception of the Polish-grown beans (although his next project is to cultivate lupinis in Sicily).
What are your thoughts, Sunday readers? Better-for-you innovation is hitting the pizza freezer aisle - will consumers embrace the beany goodness? What are some marketing initiatives Messineo could take to introduce consumers to Loopini? Click here to send in your comments. | |
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🥑 Quick Bites |
The team chows down on the latest brand innovations.
Checking in on the latest from the marketing departments. |
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📰 Jobs Market |
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🥩 Carnéa Bets Big on Blended Beef 2.0 |
At a time when plant-based alt meat sales continue to decline, can startups break through by blending meat with high quality vegetable offerings? Carnéa Meat Co is betting the house writes noted carnivore Lukas Southard.
The brand is ready to launch its first two products (a Black Angus Roasted Shallot Burger and a Lemon Lupini Chicken Cauliflower Cutlet) initially into retail and foodservice in the Houston area later this year, having spent time road testing at farmers markets.
Still a niche category, blended meat has yet to strike the right cord with a consumer base wary of cost and preconceived notions according to a recent Food System Innovations report. Carnéa is looking to change all that by focusing on taste while also targeting more health conscious demographics.
🥡 Key Takeaway: Carnéa is certainly standing on the shoulders of those that came before, making sure not to grow too fast and being intentional about initial target markets. Conventional retail (hi, Better Meat Co!) is the goal but from here to there is a long road and one that will require a reimagining of consumer perspectives. Godspeed 🫡 | |
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👀 ICYMI 👀 |
I guess I missed this last year (2024? Might as well have been 1994) but kudos to Chili's for its two person MozzMates Halloween costume - a snip at $75 each.
What's more, everyone's favorite Texas restaurant chain is offering one lucky winner a date with reality star JaNa Craig (I know, right?). | |
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| AND FINALLY: I would walk 500 miles and - yes - I'd walk 500 more, but only if you get me a pair of these M&M's branded Crocs thank you very much.
The blister-inducing clogs feature M&M's branding and an assortment of mini bag charms (which are actually called Jibbitzs), ideal for my next expo show floor walk of fame. | |
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| If you'll excuse me, it looks like BuzzBallz knows how to really flex in the gym with these nifty booze-filled kettlebells (just don't mind me while I refill them with cans of 'Gansett). Until next week, your host, |
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