Just a Taste

In the past few years plant-based burgers have become one of the biggest trends in the food and beverage industry. Appealing to consumer's interest for more sustainable products, brands are attempting to find their seat at the table for this exploding trend. We sat down with Christopher Doering, Senior Editor at Food Dive, to discuss the past, present and future of the plant-based "meat" market.

There are no shortage of food and beverage companies seeking to crack the millennial code with their product positioning and marketing. We sat down with world-renowned speaker and founder of Launchbox, Dan Negroni, to gain a better understanding about what makes millennials click, and also how to empower and inspire them within your companies as next-generation leaders.

Do you know what is in the wine you are drinking? Matt Williams of Secco Wine Club enlightens us on the truth about mass produced wine, and what 0 added sugar, 0 chemicals, and Eco Friendly wine can do for taste and your body.

Dayton Miller, Managing Partner of Boulder Food Group, joins host Scott Curry to share how his venture capital firm assesses potential investments amongst the titanic shift in consumer mindset and buying behaviors underway in food and beverage, and offers his red flags for entrepreneurs.

How does color impact taste? Spend some time with Dr. John Hayes associate professor of food science and director, Sensory Evaluation Center at Penn State, as he discusses findings from his recent research published in Food and Quality Preference, a journal dedicated to sensory, consumer and behavioral research. He and host Scott Curry also take a look back at Crystal Pepsi and Heinz Green Ketchup, and discuss whether or not other contexts, such as brand, impact the taste experience for a consumer.

Inspired by his mother’s aloe remedies, Ken Park – Founder/CEO of Detox Water, created a deliciously flavored aloe infused water that is now surging in popularity across the nation. Incubated in his Babson College dorm, Ken started his journey by first private labeling a popular Asian aloe drink. With an appealing name, and striking packaging, Ken’s product caught on and started to move by the pallet. This episode of Just a Taste explores the roots of Detox Water, the potential health benefits of ingesting aloe, and insightful anecdotes and advice on being a successful entrepreneur.

What are the top 3 facets of Food and Beverage packaging safety? Go through these important topics and get an informative overview of product packaging with expert Food Packaging Consultant, Gary Kestenbaum. He and host Scott Curry discuss the various considerations companies need to make when developing packaging including design, product/package interaction, pricing, supplier, and much more. Also, find out the great extent some Food and Beverage companies are going through to train their employees in packaging quality control.

Host Scott Curry takes a deep dive into the world of Biltong with Gabe Carimi, former NFL player, Co-Founder, and Co-CEO of Stryve. Learn what inspired Stryve to be started, what it entails to produce their innovative product, and what Gabe looks for in teammates when building a successful company.

Yaron Weitzman, NBA Writer for Bleacher Report, discusses what it means to eat kosher and shares some funny stories about his personal experiences with it.

Nancy Clark, an internationally known sports nutritionist and author, discusses her secrets to living a balanced and healthy life.

Ciare James, Brand Director of Frozen Meals at Conagra, has successfully led efforts to revitalize and contemporize iconic brands like Hunt’s, Reddi-wip and most recently, Banquet through core business rejuvenation, winning innovation and compelling communication. Learn more about her and what she is doing today to continue to lead Conagra to success.

Lilani Estacio, Head of Marketing and Communications at Orca Bay Seafoods, discusses some of the myths surrounding seafood, the challenges of getting people to cook it at home, and how Orca Bay always keeps their seafood fresh for the consumer.

Aviva Paley, Senior Director and Co-Founder of Kitchens for Good, shares how her company is breaking the cycles of food waste, hunger, and poverty through innovate solutions in workforce training, healthy food production, and social enterprise.

Abby Prior, Vice President of Marketing at BrightFarms, discusses her companies mission to improve the health of the planet and the health of society by bringing more local produce to more people nationwide.

Find out how BrightFarms is using less water, less shipping fuel and less land than industrialized produce companies while also providing a more nutritious and better tasting product.

Dianna Lovett, Founder of Cocomama, discusses her lifelong love affair of chocolate and her big hearted wish for a world in which delicious treats could be enjoyed with peace of mind.

Lovett wanted to create a company that would utilize only ethically responsible cocoa while supporting small-scale farmers. She traveled the world from West Africa to Central America to find the perfect beans and discovered FUNDOPO, an Organic, Fair Trade cooperative in the Dominican Republic.

Mark Tilsen President and Co-Founder of Native American Natural Foods, the innovator of the first national meat snack bar, Tanka Bar, joins our podcast. Tilsen explains how the Tanka Bar is helping break the social, economic, and political isolation of the Indian reservation where it is produced and how buffalo meat is healthier and more environmentally sustainable than beef.

Washington Post Reporter, Maura Judkis, joins us to open eyes on the problem of sexual harassment in the restaurant industry and also discuss lighthearted topics like the dining habits of millennials.
Judkis explains how and why sexual harassment became so prevalent in restaurants and what is being done, or unfortunately not being done, now that it has been exposed. On a very different note, she reveals how millennial dining habits are shaping the food industry.

Celebrity chef, yoga fanatic, mom, wife and word traveler, Melissa Mayo, shares her unique experiences and beliefs on this week’s episode of Just a Taste.

Mayo discusses a wide range of topics that include her journey from accountant to celebrity chef, how thoughts can sculpt your health and the excitement of opening her dream cooking school in Tuscany.

Mike Cockrell, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Sanderson Farms – the 3rd largest poultry producer in the United States – explains how honest business practices and honest relationships has led to their success.

Cockrell speaks with expertise and insight since he has experienced it all at Sanderson farms. From their humble beginnings as a small chicken hatchery in rural Mississippi to their perch atop the poultry world producing 4.5 billion pounds of chicken each year, gain valuable insight into Sanderson Farms and the poultry industry in this episode of Just a Taste.

In a world where lean, successful companies are often bought out by massive conglomerates, Beaverton Foods, a condiments business founded in 1929, has remained true to its roots of being a family-owned business with a focus on producing quality products and taking good care of its associates.

The CEO of Beaverton Foods, Domonic Biggi, speaks with ChefsBest on this episode of Just a Taste about the company’s humble beginnings during the Great Depression as well as what business is like today. He also shares insights on working with family, appreciating the hard work and sacrifice of older generations, and not being afraid to fail when releasing new products.

Stefan Gates is an author, TV presenter, and self-proclaimed “gastronaut” who is obsessed with the strange and adventurous stories behind food and digestion. His interest in food began while he was attending Oxford University. As a poor college student, he couldn’t exactly afford to take a date out to a nice place, so naturally he learned to cook. Later, he got fed up with wimpy food writing and decided to try this sort of writing out for himself, and voila! He found his passion experimenting with recipes and blowing up food for fun.

From the most excited descriptions of food you may ever hear to the different ways people taste to the moral importance of playing with what’s on your plate, Gates ushers us through a fascinating and creative exploration of food in this episode of Just a Taste.

With hundreds of billions of dollars lost each year to food waste, the food system has a serious oversupply issue. Food waste continues to be a massive problem while 68% of farmers are on the verge of bankruptcy and 42 million Americans are food insecure. Notice the discrepancy here? So does FoodMaven.

Lots of people have tried to solve the food waste problem, but FoodMaven’s model, which is currently running out of and will be expanding from Colorado, is different. After all, the startup was able to secure investor funding and board representation from big-names like Walter Robb, who is the former co-CEO of Whole Foods, and the Walton family.

Patrick Bultema is chairman, CEO, and co-founder of FoodMaven. This startup ain’t his first rodeo though; FoodMaven is “CEO Gig #7” for him. In this episode of Just a Taste, Patrick tells us all about the causes and effects of food waste as well as FoodMaven’s innovative solutions to this pressing issue.

Phil Lempert, cleverly known as the Supermarket Guru®, has been identifying impending trends in the food and beverage industry for over 25 years. In this episode of Just a Taste, we learn what started Phil down his path, trends such as intelligent search engines that are re-shaping the industry, and what consumers these days are really after when grocery shopping. We also discourse on the importance of taste to the consumer, how we really ought to listen to millennials instead of bashing their ideas, and even which app can help you pick out the best seafood.

Think about your oven and your refrigerator for a second. What do these items have in common? For one, they’re kitchen appliances. Less obviously, though, they often lack the ability to connect to the Internet of Things and your phone, in particular.

Innit is seeking to change this reality. Speaking with Josh Sigel, Chief Operating Officer at the newly launched startup, we learn about the need for bringing digital conveniences into the kitchen through a common platform. Through the Innit app, users can receive personalized meal recommendations, grocery shopping lists, and video preparation instructions. Innit is also partnering with major manufacturers like LG and Bosch to connect its app with appliances in order to optimize the cooking process through, for instance, cutting out the need to manually preheat your oven.

As the world’s first app offering a hands-free navigation experience with Google Home, Innit also allows users to place their phone on the counter and navigate through the app using Google Home without even touching their screen. Pretty convenient when your hands are sticky with bread dough.

In addition to covering neat features of the Innit app, we also go into depth in this episode about the trend toward hyper-delivery in which the frequency of grocery delivery will increase while the quantity per delivery will continue to decrease. Such hyper-delivery affords consumers more flexibility with what kinds of meals they have to choose from while decreasing food waste.

Be on the lookout for Innit as the next big thing digitally connecting your kitchen!

41 million Americans are food insecure, meaning they don’t know for sure if they’ll have their next meal. Despite its high prevalence domestically, hunger is often stigmatized and, thus, not talked about. With so many people lacking awareness of food insecurity, Cathy Davis joined Feeding America as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer to help shed light on the issue. She explains how, as the third largest nonprofit in the nation, Feeding America is a powerful and efficient food-alleviating machine. It has 60,000 food pantries and soup kitchens and boasts that about a third of the food it provides is produce. Moreover, the organization partners with companies across the food supply chain to create highly efficient distribution networks. Learn more about the issue of hunger in America and how you can help alleviate it in this podcast.

When you think of really fun store brand packaging, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? It would be no surprise if “Trader Joe’s” was your answer as the mostly private label grocer has long been a leader in creating interesting, clever designs out of packaging that could easily be very basic.

In this episode, we speak with David Ziegler-Voll, who was formerly Trader Joe’s Senior Package Designer for ten years and is now Creative Director at Marketing by Design. Having designed about 150 Trader Joe’s SKUs a year, Ziegler-Voll highlights important packaging design tips from his extensive first-hand experience. Ziegler-Voll, for instance, suggests designers remember that the "brand book" (i.e., the stuff about a brand's font type, color, etc.) only tells so much about a brand, and it certainly does not convey authenticity, cleverness, or specialness to consumers. You might need a little out-of-the box thinking for that.

As fresh design efforts are poured into the growing private label segment, food and beverage brands can learn much from the man who helped make Trader Joe’s packaging so memorable.

As someone who keeps close tabs on the restaurant industry, Bret Thorn, Senior Food Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News, has tried fares ranging from fermented Icelandic shark to Japanese shrimp ganglia. In this podcast, he shares his knowledge on foodservice operations and trends. We learn that being a chef is now “sexy,” that restaurants are increasingly sourcing locally, and where to find the best affordable foods when eating out.

Don Larson was once a highly successful executive at Hershey with a Porsche and a hot air balloon. But disillusioned with corporate life, he sold all his toys and, together with his wife and youngest child, moved to Mozambique to offer hope to one of the world’s poorest countries. Sunshine Nut Co was born out of a vision to help orphans, widows, and everyday people struggling in poverty through offering them the opportunity to work their way out of poverty, giving them a hand up – not a handout. Now distributed in major retailers like Whole Foods and Wegmans, Sunshine Nut Co creates dignified jobs in cashew farming and processing for Mozambican people. By the way, 90% of the company’s profits go straight back to the impoverished communities wherein it sources its premium cashews. You now have a new nut brand.

From meeting consumer demand to stretch dollars during the Great Recession to now helping retailers differentiate themselves, store-owned brands have seen notable growth in recent years. In this episode, Christopher Durham, private brands expert and president of My Private Brand, walks us through the evolution, current state, and possible future of private brands. We also explore such topics as how millennials affect the store brand trend and which marketing strategies work for store brands.

How do two previously competing brands come together to build off one another’s strengths? In this podcast, Adam Beane, senior brand manager of Conagra’s protein snacking group, and Erik Havlick, co-founder and VP of sales for Thanasi Foods, provide firsthand insight into this question as their category-sharing brands – Slim Jim, Duke’s Smoked Meats, DAVID Seeds, and BIGS Seeds – now fall under the same umbrella following Conagra’s acquisition of Thanasi Foods. Our guests also dive into the growth of snacking, nuances behind the category, consumer market segmentation, creating a continuum of options for consumers as they mature, and the importance of brands’ identifying and sticking to their brand story.

Dan Klein, CEO and co-founder of Tiesta Tea, tells the story of how he and his childhood friend took a trip to Prague, discovered loose leaf tea, and decided to found Tiesta Tea. As #759 on the Inc. 5000, Tiesta is not only growing at a rapid pace; it is also giving back to the community in unique and inspiring ways.

Having come from a Korean background and held positions at Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Wook Kang shares insights into hallmarks of Korean food as well as the importance of honoring culinary traditions more broadly. The life of a chef instructor, surprising skills required of culinary students, and the persevering trend of fusion cuisines constitute just a few of the diverse topics Kang walks us through in this latest episode of Just a Taste.

In this podcast, we learn about stevia’s history, chemical properties, and relevance to sugar-related disease. Carol May, CEO/Chairman of Wisdom Natural Brands which produces SweetLeaf Stevia, enlightens us on the efforts of her late husband James to bring stevia to the US. Additionally, Carol discusses the long, yet rewarding journey from developing stevia product with her husband out of their garage to, now 35 years later, seeing wide distribution of SweetLeaf Stevia in over 30 countries.

In this episode, we hear from Jeanne David who, in addition to being founder and president of Outer Aisle Gourmet, is an outstanding health advocate and humanitarian in her own right. Jeanne describes her and her husband’s journey into their permanent dietary change of cutting out breads and other foods with a high glycemic index and how they have shared their health passion with consumers. She also fills us in on some fun ways one can easily use cauliflower as a delicious bread alternative.

Everybody has a story. Everybody has a start. In this episode with the private chef for Kevin Durant, Chef Ryan Lopez explains his evolution from teenage busboy to culinary graduate needing a job to, now, one of the key players in setting up the NBA Champion for success. Listen to learn Kevin’s favorite meal and what Chef Ryan might make if guests, like Kevin’s mom or teammate Steph Curry, were stopping by.

Would you have guessed that certified organic water might just be the next thing? What about certified organic water from maple trees? In this podcast with creative and sustainably-minded CEO of Asarasi, Adam Lazar, we learn why using water from maple trees can help protect our natural resources, provide increased market opportunities for maple tree farmers, and give consumers truly crisp and clean tasting water.

In this second part of our podcast with food industry trends expert Suzy Badaracco, host Scott Curry asks questions rapid-fire style about hot topics ranging from the obesity epidemic to a rising global population. Suzy informs us of current and future trends to expect on these far-reaching issues. We learn that Millennials want their kids’ menus to be mini-versions of adult menus, that Gen Z is more sustainably-driven than Millennials, that GMO’s will have to increase to meet global dietary needs, and much more.

Suzy Badaracco, a toxicologist, certified chef, and registered dietitian, specializes in forecasting and monitoring trends in the food industry. Using quantitative data from a broad range of sources, Suzy and her team are able to help brands make informed decisions on such topics as what new items to put on their menus, which age groups to target in their marketing, and when it’s time to end investment in a specific trend. In this first part of our conversation with Suzy, we learn how still-relevant food trends like street food and soul food were born. We also discuss some food trends that have no end in sight.

Co-Founder of Crunchsters, Frank Lambert, reveals the story behind his and his wife’s food startup, from experimenting with sprouted mung beans in their kitchen to partnering with food startup accelerator Accel Foods to strategizing retail penetration. In this podcast, we also learn why sprouted foods are so good for you and the ways in which technology has made starting a business much easier today.

Working nights and weekends at first while managing a separate day job, co-founder and president Sarah Chalos, alongside co-founder Ravi Jolly, built I Heart Keenwah on the desire to make quinoa, a versatile superfood, more accessible. The duo traveled to Bolivia to source top notch ingredients and tinkered with recipes in their own kitchen before partnering with food manufacturers, deciding on effective packaging, and eventually bringing their product to national retailers like Kroger and Safeway. Delve more into the story behind this food startup's success in this podcast episode.

Exo Protein may have started with a shipment of 2,000 crickets to a college dorm room, but Co-Founder Gabi Lewis has seen the startup through its questionable beginnings. Having recently raised over $5 million in capital, Exo is now making a bold statement in the sustainable and health foods market. The message is clear: Crickets are not only better for the environment and packed with nutrition; they also taste great in protein bars!

Sashee Chandra, founder and CEO of Tea Drops, may not have received professional training in food manufacturing, but she sure knows a thing or two about tea. After a couple years of experimenting with the different properties of tea leaves out of her apartment kitchen, Sashee developed the notion of a tea drop which combines ground tea, spices, and organic cane sugar into a fun shape that easily dissolves in hot water. In this podcast, we hear what inspired Sashee to branch out from eBay and start her own tea business, the food accelerator and people that have helped her accomplish her entrepreneurial pursuits, and the philanthropic work she is accomplishing through Tea Drops.

In this podcast, Elliot Begoun, who as Principal of The Intertwine Group consults emerging food and beverage brands on gaining distribution, covers major brand-building concepts. He discusses the importance of identifying your ideal consumer and their unmet need as well as crafting a consistent and engaging brand persona and story. Elliot also touches on valuable resources for business growth such as qualitative, promotional, and syndicated data.

In this podcast, we learn what stevia is, stevia’s place in the sugar reduction movement, and what makes Pyure Brands Stevia different. Ben Fleischer, founder and CEO of Pyure Brands, tells his story of developing the first Certified Organic, Non-GMO stevia and seeing it through to market penetration. A passionate and focused entrepreneur, Ben also discusses the keys to success that have led him and his team to prominence in the alternative sweetener category.

Ally Murphy dishes on how her experience as a professional athlete and knack for not following a recipe helped her develop Ally's Bar. Available in three flavors - Original, Carrot Apple Ginger, and Pistachio Cashew Pumpkin Seed - her sweet potato bars are gaining distribution in grocery stores across the southeast and in bike shops nationwide.

In this episode, we chat with Betsy Opyt, founder of Betsy's Best. She tells us the story behind her award-winning almond butter product and what's on the horizon for her growing company. As a registered dietitian, she also weighs in on the shift in taste and ingredients as the food and beverage industry becomes more health conscious.

Director and owner of Sweet Marketing Success, Sarah Wangler, discusses the impact cultural diversity has on food, the "Three S's" formula for product marketing success and her experience as a board member of the Institue of Packaging Professionals.