News

Caliwater Raises $2M in Celeb-Backed Seed Round

California-based cactus water maker Caliwater, which relaunched in April under the leadership of filmmaker Oliver Trevena and actress Vanessa Hudgens, announced last week that it has raised $2 million in a seed round, backed by individual investors.

UNFI Moves Winter Show to Virtual Format, Mondelez Cancels Accelerator Showcase

In an email to customers yesterday distributor UNFI announced that it would shift its Winter Natural Show to a virtual-only format. The expo, for suppliers of the ubiquitous natural foods distributor, was slated to be held in Las Vegas Sept. 7-9 and was going to be the company’s first in-person event following the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last year.

REBBL Launches Functional POP, Stacked Coffee Lines

Plant-based functional beverage maker REBBL is expanding its category reach with two new product lines: prebiotic soda REBBL POP and mushroom-boosted REBBL Stacked Coffee. Stacked Coffee is available in four varieties: Straight Black, Cafe Mocha, Vanilla Latte and Hazelnut Latte.

Wandering Barman Wins BevNET’s Inaugural Cocktail Showdown

Wandering Barman found victory in BevNET’s first ever Cocktail Showdown pitch competition today, emerging as the champion among a field of 10 ready-to-drink and ready-to-pour cocktail brands. The New York-based brand sells seven varieties of cocktails with multiple base spirit options and varying alcohol content.

Distribution Roundup: Agave-Based RTD Cocktails Trail New Territories

Two Mexican-inspired spirit-based cocktail startups announced distribution gains this week, with RTD sparkling mezcal maker Elenita and tequila seltzer brand Volley both adding new DSD partners. Also, Lucky Jack partnered with Fresh Thyme Market and shelf-stable kombucha maker KÖE has added a number of new retail doors in the convenience, drug and grocery channels.

Nielsen: Non-Alc Beverages See Accelerated Sales Growth

Non-alcoholic beverage sales accelerated during the two-week period ending July 31, improving after several weeks of slow down amid a lap of last year’s pandemic-driven at-home consumption spike, according to an analysis of Nielsen data by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.

Welcome to Public Life: Lessons from the Oatly Short Report

Last month, still hot on the hype of its highly publicized May IPO, plant-based milk maker Oatly sustained its first major setback as a publicly traded company when Spruce Point Capital Management released a document claiming that the company had misrepresented its success. What can other companies learn from this about going public?

Fancy Food Show Moves to Fully Virtual Format; New Hope Adds New Protocols

Earlier today, The Specialty Food Association (SFA) cancelled the in-person trade show portion of the Fancy Food Show 2021. Slated to run September 27 through 29 in New York City, the event will now move to a fully virtual format. Meanwhile, New Hope, and its parent company Informa, announced new Covid-19 related protocols for Natural Products Expo East.