During the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) 2017 show this week, BevNET spoke with analysts from leading market research firms Mintel and Innova Food Insights about their observations on the macro-trends in this space that are helping shape the next wave of consumer food and beverage products.
Today in a letter to suppliers, Matt Jimenez, global senior category manager for grocery at Whole Foods Market, announced his departure. Jimenez’s last day will be tomorrow, and he said he will take a few weeks off before “launching his next venture.”
Over the course of the 2017 Summer Fancy Food Show, a three-day specialty foods convention held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City from June 25-27, we encountered a broad array of new products, design revamps and line extensions, all of which are included in this photo gallery.
La Colombe has launched its first non-coffee offering: a Chai Draft Latte. This product attempts to do to chai what their draft latte did for coffee: take a high quality, cold-brewed chai and give it that fluffy and light texture of a nitro.
The product is marketed as a “refreshing blend of herbs and minerals expertly formulated to kickstart your digestive system and promote radiant, lasting digestive health.” To accomplish this, the company added a host of herbs, including chamomile, ginger, juniper berry, milk thistle, dandelion root, cinnamon bark, and peppermint leaf, along with minerals, flavors, and sugar.
At first, suppliers weren’t sure what to make of the deal, with numerous food and beverage companies reserving their comments. Now, after more than a week’s reflection, many have told BevNET and sister site Project NOSH they are excited about the potential sales opportunities the partnership could provide, expressing enthusiasm for how it will maintain or even enhance Whole Foods’ reputation as a launching pad for small brands.
In short, the life of Todd Carmichael can be defined by his zealous thirst for adventure and his unbridled passion for coffee. Brevity, however, doesn’t quite capture the scope of Carmichael’s incredible journey as the co-founder and CEO of super-premium coffee company La Colombe.
In a call with BevNET, Uncle Matt’s CEO Matt McLean said that while there were a variety of potential options for both new investment and acquisition of the company, “we fell in love the Dean Foods team and what they could offer."
In this edition of People Moves: Mathis Martines joins branding firm Concentric; Runa hires former Whole Foods executive to top sales post; Nutpods taps Mark Nunn as VP of sales; Maker of Wild Tonic Kombucha names Steven Siegel as CEO; Ryan Lake joins OMAC Beverage Advisors as managing director.
BevNET hosted Mike Burgmaier, managing director at Whipstitch Capital, Nick Giannuzzi, managing partner at law firm The Giannuzzi Group, and Tim Spier, founder and managing partner at Boulder Food Group, for a panel discussion on the state of beverage investment last week at BevNET Live Summer 2017.
Over 20,000 CPG manufacturers, marketers and formulators will gather next week (June 25-28) at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas for IFT17, the annual show for Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
Parent company Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) did not cite a reason or provide any further details regarding Ben Weiss’s departure from the brand he founded in 2009, but included a brief statement from the former CEO in a press release.
The product, which features watermelon, cherry, and lime, is a well-crafted formulation that does a great job of using classic summertime flavors.
BevNET has learned that Bai Brands founder and CEO Ben Weiss has left the company. Although sources close to the company confirmed to BevNET that Weiss has departed, it’s unclear at this time whether he was dismissed by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPSG), which acquired Bai in February, or if he resigned.
