Headlines

With New Owners, Grillo’s Looks to Accelerate Growth

Late last week Boston-based pickle brand Grillo’s revealed it had been sold to family-owned bakery business King’s Hawaiian earlier this year. While pickles and bread are often sandwiched together, the brand will largely be speeding ahead on its own, according to Grillo’s executives.

Gallery: April’s New Products

As we head into spring, beverage brands are amping up consumers for the warmer months ahead. This month saw new energy boosting shots, oat milk innovations, and two new functional flavors from Vitaminwater. Check out the gallery for the latest from Super Coffee, Fever Tree, and hellowater, in addition to new brand launches, partnerships, and reformulations.

Proud Source Water Partners with PepsiCo for Regional Distribution

Proud Source Water announced this week a regional distribution agreement with PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), placing the sustainably-packaged alkaline water brand on blue trucks servicing food service providers, stadiums and retailers in the Western region of the country.

KDP: Broad Growth Fuels Strong Q1

Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) has upped its projections for full year net sales growth to 4-6% after reporting an 11% increase in net sales during Q1 2021, the company announced this morning.

Super Coffee Hires Former Amazon/Whole Foods VP as CFO

In a move that signals that the company is considering a variety of financial options including a potential acquisition or IPO, Kitu Life Super Coffee announced today that it has hired former Whole Foods finance VP Rosanna Godden as CFO and board secretary.

Unilever Acquires “Holistic Wellness and Lifestyle” Platform Onnit

Yesterday CPG conglomerate Unilever announced it would acquire Onnit, a producer of food, beverage and supplement products designed for fitness-focused consumers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Unilever stated the brand will maintain its Austin headquarters and continue to be led by CEO Jason Havey.

Grillo’s Sells to King’s Hawaiian

Breakout Boston-based pickle brand Grillo’s Pickles has been sold to bakery company King’s Hawaiian in a deal that closed earlier this year. While exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, the Boston Business Journal reported that the company will remain in Boston, albeit with changes to the leadership team: CEO and founder Travis Grillo has left the company.

Picnik Expands Creamer Portfolio As Focus Sharpens on Function

After a two-year hiatus from launching new products, Texas-based brand Picnik is charting a path forward in retail and online beyond its roots in “butter coffee” with the release of Vanilla Oat + Collagen Adaptogen Creamer. The new addition is the brand’s first SKU with flavor, founder Naomi Seifter noted, which leans more into the brand’s message to “Make Your Morning Count.”

Taste Radio: Honest Tea/Beyond Meat’s Seth Goldman On Winning Hearts, Minds And Stomachs

Honest Tea co-founder and Beyond Meat chair of the board Seth Goldman discussed how his latest venture, mission-driven platform Eat The Change, fits into the context of his career and why the company led with mushroom jerky for its debut product line. He also addressed criticism of Beyond Meat products as being overly processed, the evolution of Honest Tea as a Coca-Cola-owned brand and why he occasionally eats Pringles.

Room 9 Creative + Venture Leads $3M Round for Madre Mezcal

With a growing portfolio of natural products companies, New York-based investment firm Room 9 announced its first lead investment last week, participating in Madre Mezcal’s $3 million Series A round. Room 9 Creative + Venture is a venture capital investment firm and branding design house founded by managing partner Anish Bhatia.

Distribution Roundup: Genius Juice Refreshes Branding, Expands Nationwide

Seeking to broaden its consumer base beyond coconut fans, Genius Juice announced this week a brand refresh that places more emphasis on distinct flavors and plant-based functionality; Ascent Recovery Water has partnered with four new retail chains in the Midwest and Northeast, the company announced this week.