Nosh Live 2024 Recap

Nosh Live 2024 kicked off with panels, presentations and conversations that pieced together fundamental components of successful CPG businesses and offered brands advice on how to navigate current economic headwinds, shifting consumer habits and prepare for an uncertain landscape in the years to come.

During the first session of the first day, Once Upon a Farm co-founder and CEO John Foraker and chief brand officer Jennifer Garner explained how the team’s early idea to “Fresh Pet” the baby food aisle allowed it to not only differentiate itself within a stale and stagnant category, but also secure early buy-in from its retail partners. Now, “every major retailer” is scaling coolers as demand for fresh products grows, said Foraker.

This past year, OUAF launched nine new products and he claims six of those SKUs are the fastest selling dry baby snacking items across “the entire MULO universe… I’m talking [about] Gerber, Nestle, everybody.” That fast growth was made possible because the brand was clear on its mission from day one, he said.

“When you’re an emerging brand, and you hammer your core, and you build a loyal audience of millions of households, and then you launch some great innovation that they view as additive to building the brand. You can get that innovation to go really big, really fast,” Foraker said.

Later in the day, Rachel Hirsch, managing partner at Wellness Growth Ventures, Steve Young, managing partner at Manna Tree and Wayne Wu, managing partner at VMG, discussed why tinned fish, cottage cheese and sparkling water are the apple of some VC’s eyes

While the trio took to the stage to share their thoughts on the state of VC investing, they also emphasized the importance of not taking on institutional capital unless absolutely necessary. Hirsch detailed how despite being a venture firm, Wellness advocates for its portfolio brands to explore the many forms of non-dilutive capital that are often untapped, particularly among its core focus on women-owned businesses.

For those in need of capital, panelists put a heavy emphasis on why simplicity, focus and strong gross margins remain essential to getting investors to buy in. Wu believes that despite the environment being tough, there’s more early stage capital available to food and beverage brands today than there was 20 years ago, adding that interest has shifted back onto those with less aggressive go-to-market strategies, simpler teams and focused product portfolios.

On day two, brand leaders, founders, and industry stakeholders took the stage to tell their stories and give attendees useful advice on building long-lasting success in CPG food.

Brad Charron discussed how he became the “re-founder” and CEO of ALOHA in 2017 and why he saw the potential for success.

“The company was trying to do too much, too fast, too soon. Not an original story,” he said. “Here’s what I saw: Untapped, enormous potential. I love to compete, and I love to compete for something that’s worthwhile fighting for.”

When Charron took over the leadership role, one of the first meetings he had with a retail buyer ended with Charron being told ALOHA was being dropped from Target. Charron said he couldn’t blame them because it was a “beautiful idea that wasn’t executing.”

Fast-forward seven years and the company is a profitable, employee-owned B Corporation with more than $100 million in sales.

How did Charron help turn ALOHA around? His first task was SKU rationalization because there were “too many products.” Although ALOHA makes protein drinks and powders, the focus needed to be on bars, which were the brand’s core line.

“Be great at something first and then expand,” he said. “Get excited about your ideas, get excited about the future, innovate in your heart and execute with mental focus.”

Closing out the annual winter conference, California-based “crème cloud” producer Mochi Love took home the Pitch Slam trophy in a tight competition that featured five other finalists, including Doosra modern Indian snacks, Brune Kitchen clean label cookies, Harken functional, better-for-you candy bars, NOOISH matzo ball soup, and Chutni Punch finishing seasoning powders.

As the champion of Pitch Slam 15, Mochi Love walked away with a $10,000 awareness-building advertising package from Nosh and bragging rights.