Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford

Chelsea Ford
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Imagine a consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry where both small and large players coexist on a level playing field, consumers have choice, there’s integrity in what they’re buying and they experience innovative, sustainable products.In this weekly podcast, hosted by founder, award-winning coach, consultant & small business advocate, Chelsea Ford, you'll hear interviews with incredible founders and hard-to-reach industry specialists as well as practical and actionable content that directly supports your CPG business to grow, become more profitable and thrive.Learn more at www.chelseaford.com .

  1. 1D AGO

    #162 Scaling a Product: Questions to Ask a Co-Manufacturer

    Send us Fan Mail Finding the right manufacturer is usually the key to scale. And getting it wrong doesn’t just slow you down. It costs you time and money. My guest today is Naishad Dalal, founder of Food Entrepreneurship Academy, also known as FEA Food Innovation. They take brands from product concept all the way to shelf. In this episode, Naishad and I talk about the red flags you should watch out for when you're talking to co-manufacturers — and the three questions every founder should ask before committing to a co-packer. We also talk about why the wrong fit doesn't just cost you money. Of course it does. But something far more valuable in small business. And that's time. We also break down minimum order quantities and what happens when your packaging format blows your numbers out. If you've ever looked at a shot bottle or a sauce jar and wondered how the math works at scale — listen closely. If you're developing a product, about to go into commercial production, or dealing with issues with your current manufacturer — this episode is for you. Season 17 is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, landing your first major retailer, or figuring out procurement—NFTC is worth knowing about. LINKS & RESOURCES: FEA websiteNaishad Dalal LinkedInStickybeak Station & People’s Choice Award at Foodpreneurs FestivalNFTC websiteNFTC LinkedIn pageYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 17 with NFTC Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

    37 min

  2. APR 29

    #161 How to Get Your Food Labelling Right and Use It to Your Advantage

    Send us Fan Mail Don't treat your label as the last thing you sort before going to print. Retail buyers assess your label before they'll taste your product. They have to. Competitors can scan your claims looking for grounds to report you. A formulation change — even a small one - or a new product launch means you need a compliant label. Every time. Bring compliance into your NPD from the start - not as a checklist, but as a strategic tool. Nutrient content claims, general level health claims, health star ratings — used together, they let you build a marketing story that's genuinely substantiated. One that holds up to a buyer, a competitor, and an enforcer. That's differentiation. And it comes from your regulatory work, not despite it. In episode 161 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, Roslyn Anderson — founder of Tastebuddies, a regulatory compliance consultancy — breaks down why your food label is a legal document, not a design asset, and what's actually at stake if you get it wrong. Don't miss this episode - you'll learn: 🛒 Why retail buyers assess label compliance before they'll taste your product  ⚗️ The ingredients tripping founders up right now 🔄 What a formulation change means for your entire regulatory position  🚨 Allergen recalls: what they look like for a small brand, and why your recall plan needs to exist before you need it  📈 Claims stacking: how to use compliance to build brand differentiation and a substantiated marketing story This episode of Season 17 is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase - scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter - NFTC is worth knowing about. LINKS & RESOURCES: Tastebuddies websiteTastebuddies InstagramNFTC websiteNFTC LinkedIn pageYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderGrab Your Foodpreneurs Festival TicketChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 17 with NFTC Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

    45 min

  3. APR 22

    #160 Brand Campaigns: What Are They and How You Can Create One

    Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a brand that lives in the hearts and minds of consumers without a big budget, a big team, or a big agency behind you? In episode 160 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I sit down with Mirko Bonmassar, founder of Social Fixation, a marketing agency with a fixation on making brands impossible to ignore.  In this episode you’ll learn: 🎯 What a brand campaign actually is and why it doesn't have to cost what you think it might 🏗️ The difference between building a product, a brand, and a business and why it matters  👀 Who you're really competing with for attention (it's not who you think) 💡 The "What If" practise Social Fixation uses to unlock creative campaign ideas  🙌 A case study that proves a great campaign can cost next to nothing and how you can do it yourself  🏆 Why the BiteBack Awards Brand Campaign category is more within reach than you think The BiteBack Awards Brand Campaign category is sponsored by Social Fixation. If this episode has you thinking you've got a campaign worth entering, head to https://foodpreneursfestival.com/biteback-awards/ to find out more. This episode of Season 17 is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. LINKS & RESOURCES: Social Fixation websiteMirko Bonmassar LinkedInBiteBack Awards webpageHyro websiteNFTC websiteNFTC LinkedIn pageYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderGrab Your Foodpreneurs Festival TicketChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 17 with NFTC Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

    1h 11m

  4. APR 15

    #159 What Investors Want to Hear. Lessons from a CPG Investor Hub Winner.

    Send us Fan Mail She was hyperventilating backstage. Her cards went everywhere. She ran over time. She was ready to congratulate someone else when they announced the winner. That winner was Theresa Dang from SUP Foods. Theresa won the inaugural CPG Investor Hub pitch competition at Foodpreneurs Festival 2025. SUP Foods is Asian freeze-dried soup cubes inspired by Theresa’s family's greenhouses in Vietnam. Before SUP Foods, Theresa had no food industry background, had never pitched to investors, and was up against founders with major retailer listings and corporate pedigree.  In episode 159 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, Theresa gets into what it really takes to build a food brand from the ground up while working full-time and what happens when you back yourself publicly, even when every nerve in your body is telling you not to. Don't miss this episode — you'll learn: 💡 What the CPG Investor Hub investors told Theresa about business structure, trademarks, and getting investor-ready 🤝 What happened after she was crowned the winner and what she walked away with This episode of Season 17 is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. The CPG Investor Hub returns at Foodpreneurs Festival 2026. Applications are open now at foodpreneursfestival.com. LINKS & RESOURCES: SUP Foods websiteNFTC websiteNFTC LinkedIn pageYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderGrab Your Foodpreneurs Festival TicketChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 17 with NFTC Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

    53 min

  5. APR 8

    #158 How to Source Ingredients, Scale Your Supply Chain and Back Yourself as a Small Brand

    Send us Fan Mail Your ingredient supply chain is the backbone of your product. Get it right from the start and everything else — ranging conversations, scaling production, landing major accounts — becomes a lot more manageable. The challenge is, most brand owners are laser-focused on their finished product — the packaging and the branding — and the supply chain gets built around it as an afterthought. But what happens when you can't get your product on shelf in the first place? Or when your single-origin ingredient is suddenly unavailable? Or when you finally scale and your supplier can't move with you? In episode 158 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, Shaun Borg — sales lead for Langdon, the go-to purveyor of the finest ingredients, and the man overseeing the Natural Foods Trading Company (NFTC) — shares everything you need to know about sourcing ingredients, straight from someone who has been doing it for over 25 years, with origin trips across India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Cambodia under his belt. Don't miss this episode — you'll learn: 🌶️ Why unique ingredients are not your point of difference — and what to do instead 📦 How to source by the bag, not the pallet, and set yourself up to scale 🏪 Why starting with Independent retailers before major retailers is still the smartest move 🤝 How to set yourself up as a customer worth investing in, even when your volumes are small This episode of Season 17 is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. LINKS & RESOURCES: NFTC websiteNFTC LinkedIn pageYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderGrab Your Foodpreneurs Festival TicketChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 17 with NFTC Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

    55 min

  6. MAR 25

    #157 How to Tell Your Brand Story So You Land the Listing and Make Sales

    Send us Fan Mail Pitching your story does not mean telling people everything about your product. Yet many do. When you're close to what you've built — every detail, every decision, every reason it's better — it can all come out at once when given half a chance to talk about it. The problem is, customers, buyers and distributors won't listen for more than a few seconds. And buyers have heard it all before. #sorrynotsorry The consequence is real. Inconsistent, overloaded messaging erodes trust before a customer even picks up your product, makes ranging conversations harder, and means every new stockist, channel, or distributor feels like starting from scratch. In episode 157 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, Jayne Gallagher and Helen Johnston from Honey & Fox, a specialist branding and marketing agency working with premium food and drink businesses, walk through how to fix it, including their framework for building the soundbites that become the foundation of everything your brand says and does. Don't miss this episode — you'll learn:  🎬 How to create a movie trailer, not an essay, for your brand story  🗣️ The "and, but, therefore" structure for building soundbites that stop people in the aisle 🚫 The language trap that makes good brands invisible  👁️ How inconsistency across your touchpoints kills consumer trust  💡 Why you can't build your brand story alone and what to do instead This episode of Season 16 - Planning Season - is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival. The only Festival where packaged brands get seen, stocked and supported. Jayne and Helen are also bringing their Brand Story Studio to Foodpreneurs Festival in May. Details are on the Foodpreneurs Festival website. LINKS & RESOURCES: Honey & Fox websiteEpisode 148 Marketing System for Food Brands: Clear, Consistent, Low Maintenance Your Free Pitch PlanGrab Your Foodpreneurs Festival TicketChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 17 with NFTC Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

    1h 4m

  7. MAR 18

    #156 If Your Packaging Is Holding Your Brand Back: Here's How To Manage a Pack Redesign

    Send us Fan Mail Your product is good. Your packaging was too — once. But something's shifted. Maybe your range has grown and the system hasn't kept up. Maybe you're pitching to bigger retailers but your pack still has a farmer's market feel. Maybe sales have plateaued and you can't put your finger on why. In episode 155 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I chat with Natalie Townsend, founder and creative director of Griffin Grace, a brand and packaging studio that works with founder-led CPG brands across food, beverage, beauty, and wellness. You may remember Natalie from episode 71 where we covered building a brand from scratch. Today we go deeper into the refresh: what to do when your packaging is holding your brand back. Tune in to hear Natalie share: 🚨 The warning signs your packaging is creating friction — and costing you ranging opportunities 🔍 The strategic work that happens before a single design decision is made 📋 Why compliance changes are actually a gift — and how to use them to your advantage 💸 How to approach a refresh without throwing everything out and blowing your budget 🗓️ Why your packaging is never truly finished — and how to plan for that without it freaking you out 🏆 How a Byron Bay muesli brand listened to a David Jones buyer and got listed Natalie also walks through real client examples — including how a staged refresh approach helped brands stay consistent while evolving, and why the cost of doing nothing is higher than most founders realise. This episode of Season 16 - Planning Season - is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival. The only Festival where packaged brands get seen, stocked and supported. Natalie will be there speaking on the Dream Lab stage and exhibiting in the Festival Fairground. Make sure you drop by to hear her talk and say hi to her in the Festival Fairground! LINKS & RESOURCES: Griffin Grace websiteEpisode 71 Branding & Packaging to Get Your Product Off the ShelfYour Free Pitch PlanGrab Your Foodpreneurs Festival TicketChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 17 with NFTC Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

    47 min

  8. MAR 11

    #155 How Sorry Nonna are Building a Cult Pasta Sauce Brand

    Send us Fan Mail Two creatives, a side startup, and a pasta sauce that's turning heads across Australia. In Episode 155 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast - Season 16, Planning Season - I sit down with Lachlan and Grga, the Melbourne co-founders behind Sorry Nonna. One's a graphic designer. The other's an advertising creative director who's worked with Netflix and Gatorade. Together, they're doing things in the pasta sauce category that Nonna absolutely did not approve. Gochujang Arrabbiata. Limoncello Marinara. A limited-edition Carolina Reaper collab with Doom Juice wine. Oh, and a coffee bolognese that consumer testing quietly killed before it saw the light of day. But underneath the cheeky branding and flavour obsession, there's a real business story, about what happens when creatives lean hard into their strengths, start planning (loosely), and build a cult following before chasing the majors. Tune in to hear: 🍝 How Grga and Lachlan built a brand world first, and why they believe everything else follows from that 🍝 What winning a BiteBack Award actually unlocked for them - including the consumer testing that saved them from a very bad idea 🍝 Why they're in 100+ stockists in stores they genuinely love, and what that's done for their growth 🍝 How planning doesn't have to kill your creativity - it just needs to suit you This episode of Season 16 - Planning Season - is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival. The only Festival where packaged brands get seen, stocked and supported. LINKS & RESOURCES: Sorry Nonna websiteSorry Nonna InstagramBiteBack Awards Entry KitYour Free Pitch PlanGrab Your Foodpreneurs Festival TicketChelsea Ford Co. Industry NewsletterSeason 17 with NFTC Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company. If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about. They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out. Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow. Check them out at nftc.com.au

    46 min
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About

Imagine a consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry where both small and large players coexist on a level playing field, consumers have choice, there’s integrity in what they’re buying and they experience innovative, sustainable products.In this weekly podcast, hosted by founder, award-winning coach, consultant & small business advocate, Chelsea Ford, you'll hear interviews with incredible founders and hard-to-reach industry specialists as well as practical and actionable content that directly supports your CPG business to grow, become more profitable and thrive.Learn more at www.chelseaford.com .

Information

  • Creator
    Chelsea Ford
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    162
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford
  • Show Website
    Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford

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