|
|
🚨NOSH INSIDER WEEKLY: Chickapea Nabs CAD $4.25M, Ghost Protein Bars, Craven-free Garlic Mayo & More |
This week, we're getting a seven figure lesson from Painterland Sisters, emptying our savings accounts in anticipation of Once Upon a Farm's IPO, and smearing BBQ deodrant all over our pits. But, more on all that below.
And, Amazon has done the inevitable and merged its Amazon Fresh and Happy Belly private label brands into one cohesive moniker, Amazon Grocery. The private label wars just keep getting hotter and hotter, don't they? Expert Labelmaker Adrianne DeLuca has all the info here.
Alright! On with the Sunday newsletter.
FIRST UP! My little chicadee Chickapea: protein pasta maker closes hefty funding round as it continues march through North America. |
|
|
💸 High-Protein Kingpin Chickapea Secures Sweet Investment |
Canadian high-protein pasta powerhouse Chickapea has whipped up CAD $4.25M in a funding round led by food ingredient supplier AGT writes Chicken & Peas Editor Shauna Golden. | |
|
|
Founded in 2015 the company's portfolio of organic dried pastas all feature 24g of protein per serving, perfect for those indulgent late-night sessions on the treadmill. The freshly soaked overnight cash will be used to support Chickapea's expansion in North America as well as marketing and innovation efforts. It's hot on the heels of a bit of winning streak - a recent successful rebrand came as the biz took the top spot as the #1 organic and high-protein pasta brand in Canada. Woof! Grab the full box on Nosh.com. 🥡 Key Takeaway: High-protein pasta is for sure having a moment (then again if you're in the high-protein game, how can you not be?) - the market is expected to hit $1BN by 2030 according to Grand View Research. Insurgent brands are leading the charge (hi, Egglife!) and Chickapea's blend of chickpeas and yellow peas is hitting a note with consumers across the gym spectrum. | |
|
|
AND: did someone say protein? No? Well too bad because Ghost is packing the grams with its new line of protein bars. Featuring 20g of protein per bar, the General Mills-manufactured bars come in Chocolate Caramel, Chocolate Peanut Butter and surströmming Choco Chip Cookie Dough flavor. Self-confessed Ghostbuster Fanatic Brad Avery has all the ectoplasm here. |
|
|
😎 BevNET x :INCLUDED CPG Collab Highlighting Diverse Founders at Nosh Live |
| Get this: BevNET (that's us!) has teamed up with nonprofit :INCLUDED CPG to drive amplification and opportunity equity for entrepreneurs of color in the CPG industry at this year's Nosh Live - which, by the way, is fast approaching.
| |
|
|
| 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.
|
|
|
🗣 Nombase: Painterland Sisters’ Seven-Figure Lessons |
How do you go from maxing out credit cards to a seven-figure seed round? You may have the questions, and Painterland Sisters just may have the answers.
This week's Nombase Podcast sees Painterland Sisters co-founders Stephanie and Hayley Painter reveal how they built the brand, navigated a shock rescinded bank loan, and eventually landed a seven-figure seed round.
Joined by Kevin Griffith, fractional CFO with AmpliFi, the group discusses crowdfunding tactics, SAFE structures and keeping a complex cap table aligned.
Hosted by BevNET & Nosh Director of Community Melissa Traverse, the Nombase Podcast is like a warm CPG hug direct to your brain.
| |
|
|
🔊 CPG Week Podcast: Once Upon an IPO, A Food Health Score Scare? |
On this week's CPG Week podcast Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Brad Avery get immediately bullish on the just-announced Once Upon A Farm IPO. Later, the duo go-all in on Hy-Vee's color-coded nutritional scores (courtesy of nutrition intelligence bigwigs FoodHealth Company), musing on whether shoppers will buy into the rainbow. Antics are rounded off by this week's Seven Sundays acquisition, an early-stage $50M VC fund, and some Nosh Live previewing.
Spin this week's podcast here. |
|
|
🍓 Juicy Quote |
| "If I’m throwing this in my backpack or trying to take it with me on my hike – is it going to hold up?"
This week's 'paper or plastic?' conundrum comes courtesy of Very Kind Editor Adrianne DeLuca who sat down with KIND VP of Packaging R&D Kerri Clark and Sustainability Communications Manager Lindsay Philpott to discuss the brand's recent recyclable packaging trial. | |
|
|
Unbeknownst to most of us the Mars-owned biz has spent the summer retail testing a version of its Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt bars packed in a (not see through - shock!) curbside recyclable paper wrapper at select Whole Foods.
Taking a bit of a leap, the brand came upon expected and unexpected results - including benefits to recyclers’ paper bales, consumers finding the packaging easier to open and a perception that the product is 'more fresh.'
Under the notion that 'a rising tide lifts all boats,' the brand is openly sharing its processes and results in the hope that other brands will follow suit. A paper bag of Doritos, anyone?
What are your thoughts, Sunday readers? Will consumers go in for curbside recyclable packaging, even if it potentially means a slight uptick in unit cost? Are we likely to see a large-scale shift towards such packaging over the coming decade? Click here to send in your comments. | |
|
|
🥑 Quick Bites |
The team chows down on the latest brand innovations.
The vertical integration shuffle comes as the better-for-you breakfast brand preps for a full-on retail assault and series of product launches writes Eight Mondays Editor Monica Watrous. |
|
|
📰 Jobs Market |
|
|
🥪 Smucker’s, Rudi's Fuel Innovation in the Frozen Sandwich Set |
The cut-throat world of frozen sandwiches is getting a little more interesting with a couple of new product releases. Having left them to thaw on the counter for a couple hours, let's rip open the packages.
First up, Rudi's has cracked the gluten-free code with its line of Gluten Free Sandos (yes, sorry) with Justin’s Peanut Butter in Grape and Yuzu Strawberry flavors. Produced on dedicated gluten-free machinery, the brand reformulated its gluten-free bread to better stand up to the production process.
Monica has all the deets via a Q&A with chief innovation and strategy officer Justin Gold here.
NEXT UP! Smucker's wants us to bench press Uncrustables with its new line of Higher Protein PB&Js.
Each unit comes with 12g of delicious, frozen protein - a market leading figure.
Interestingly prez/CEO Mark Smucker claimed on a Q1 2026 earnings call that the primary market for Uncrustables is 'athletes, families with kids and university [students]' which really puts me out on a statistical ledge.
Shauna has plenty more info here.
🥡 Key Takeaway: There's plenty of frozen sandwich brands vying for limited freezer space but Uncrustables remains the defacto market leader. Upstarts like Jams, Red's and even private label competition are forcing innovation, so don't be surprised to see plenty more launches over the coming period. | |
|
|
👀 ICYMI 👀 |
| Ever wanted to smell like a hard Sunday's work (a.k.a. beer, beef and smoke)? Well Progresso has you covered with this limited-edition pitmaster deodorant.
Smelling like equal parts bean farts and burnt-on foods, the roll-on deodorant goes great in soups, sauces and as a rub for brisket. H/T Adrianne. | |
|
|
| AND FINALLY: In one of the most random collabs ever, Hellmann's has teamed up with NYT bestselling romantasy author Jennifer L. Armentrout for a 'Craven-Proof' branded Garlic Aioli. Eh?
Proving that softcore fantasy fans are really, really into garlic, the bottle is actually printed with garlic-infused ink, designed to ward off Armentrout's bloodthirsty monsters, the Craven (who have absolutely nothing to do with my boss's boss and BevNET founder John Craven). | |
|
|
| If you'll excuse me, I'm off to Vegas - gotta catch me a ride down the Strip in this Blazin' Apple branded Fireball limo. Until next week, your host, |
|
