Taste Radio

BevNET Inc.
Taste Radio

The top podcast for anyone building a business in food or beverage, BevNET’s Taste Radio features interviews with the leaders and rising stars of our fast-evolving industry. The shows also include discussion on emerging trends, innovation and news of the week from our regular cadre of hosts from the BevNET and NOSH teams. Tell us what you think at ask@tasteradio.com. You can also email us if you are interested in Taste Radio sponsorship opportunities. And if you like the podcast, share it with a colleague, will ya?

  1. Even After A $600M Exit, Peter Rahal Isn’t Satisfied. The Truth Is, He May Never Be.

    ١١ ربيع الآخر

    Even After A $600M Exit, Peter Rahal Isn’t Satisfied. The Truth Is, He May Never Be.

    How do you top a $600 million exit? If you’re Peter Rahal, you aim for one that’s four times bigger. Anything less, he says, would be a failure.  Peter is one of the co-founders of RXBAR, a platform brand of clean ingredient protein snacks created in 2013. Four years after the brand’s debut, it was acquired by Kellogg for the aforementioned nine figure sum. Earlier this year, Peter launched David, which is positioned as “a rigorously perfected protein bar.” Each bar contains 28g protein, 150 calories, and 0g sugar and is described as containing the most protein per calorie of any brand in the bar category. The products are sold direct-to-consumer for $15 for a 4-pack of each flavor, which include Blueberry Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Double Fudge Brownie, and Cake Batter. In August the company announced a $10 million seed funding round, led by Peter and including Valor Siren Ventures along with longevity expert and bestselling author Dr. Peter Attia and Stanford neuroscientist and podcast host Andrew Huberman.  In an interview framed as a series of true or false questions, Peter discusses his obsessive work ethic and leadership style and reflects on the business strategy and decisions that helped RXBAR scale rapidly, including the impact of investing in high quality packaging design and customer service. He talks about how to create “the best business strategy” and what he means when he says that happiness is “irrelevant.” Show notes: 0:35: Peter Rahal, Co-Founder, RXBAR & David – Peter explains why, despite having an introverted personality, he tries to be visible and accessible as a founder, whether he’s become comfortable with success and why he doesn’t necessarily believe that RXBAR’s success has to do with time and place. He also discusses his disdain for vacations, why he’s a proponent of “servant leadership,” why great packaging is the best form of marketing and why investment in customer service will always pay off. Peter also talks about why founders should strive to create accessible and affordable food and why they have to place a target on the bestselling brand in their brand’s category and why his investment strategy hinges on a founder’s tenacity and mindset. Brands in this episode: RXBAR, David

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  2. ٥ ربيع الآخر

    How The Subtle Art Of Innovation Is Expressed By An Iconic Brand

    For the first 65 years of its existence, Maker’s Mark had no innovation department. The legacy whiskey brand, known for its red wax coated bottle necks and premium, yet approachable, bourbon, had long focused on quality and consistency in favor of new product development. The spirits industry, however, is evolving. Consumers are placing greater value on innovative concepts and embracing creative offerings. Meanwhile, Gen Z drinkers are consuming less alcohol than previous generations, but also emphasizing premium experiences when they imbibe. To meet the demands of equally important consumer groups – loyal Maker’s Mark customers and modern drinkers new to the brand – the company tasked Beth Buckner, the brand’s senior manager of innovation and blending, and Blake Layfield, its senior director and head of innovation, blending and quality, with the stewardship of the bourbon’s coveted taste profile and creation of products that will attract novel interest. We sat down with Beth and Blake for an interview that explores their roles and responsibilities and how the standards set by Maker’s Mark founder Bill Samuels, Sr. are integral to new product development. As part of our conversation, they discuss a common misconception about science and spirits, how a “taste vision” is the foundation for everything they do at Maker’s Mark and why they eschew trendy concepts in favor of nuanced expressions of the bourbon. Show notes: 0:35: Beth Buckner and Blake Layfield, Maker’s Mark – Beth and Blake talk about their respective educations and work at Maker’s Mark and how they align the chemistry of distillation and aging with the subjective and sensorial aspects of producing bourbon. They also discuss how the distillery’s “taste vision” influences their work as product developers and quality control professionals and how much  latitude they give themselves if and when they want to veer slightly away from that vision. Beth and Blake also explain where they draw inspiration from; how they are empowered to innovate while incorporating the perspective of the distilling, marketing and sales teams; how trends and consumer behavior factor into their purview and how they are making their own mark at Maker’s Mark. Brands in this episode: Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniel’s, Coca-Cola

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  3. ٣٠ ربيع الأول

    What Does Siete’s Billion-Dollar Deal Mean For Your Brand?

    What is the impact of PepsiCo’s $1.2 billion acquisition of Siete Foods on emerging food and beverage brands? Will the deal entice investors to make more bets on new and innovative concepts? Will everyday Americans benefit from the deal? Lots of questions, and the hosts answer them all.  They also discuss upcoming Taste Radio meetups in London (and how to register for them), a budding partnership between nutritional supplement brand AG1 and Starbucks and sample several new products, including an olive-oil-infused granola, royally-named pretzel bites and “super” non-alcoholic aperitivo. Show notes: 0:25: Ray’s Intro Voice. What A Trip. Siete Stuns. Haters Be Gone. Green Juice, Redux. King Me. Good To See You Peepal. – The episode opens with a misunderstanding about the U.K and Great Britain and an invitation to our English- and European-based friends and colleagues. The hosts also dive into the PepsiCo/Siete deal and why most are praising the soda and snack giant’s acquisition of the Mexican-American food brand, while others are greeting the news with a mild amount of skepticism. They also unpack Starbucks’ test of AG1-infused beverages, and sample a Graza/RIND collaboration, an NYC classic made for modern times, a 70’s themed drink and a coffee made for active consumers. Brands in this episode: Trip, Dash, King's Hawaiian, Casamara Club Superclasico, RIND, Graza, Aura Bora, Throne Sport Coffee, Peepal People

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  4. Jeff Church’s Tale Of Two Brands. Why Suja Soared And Rowdy Energy Crashed.

    ٢٨ ربيع الأول

    Jeff Church’s Tale Of Two Brands. Why Suja Soared And Rowdy Energy Crashed.

    Jeff Church knows the highs and lows of brand-building like few do.  A serial entrepreneur, Jeff co-founded cold-pressed juice pioneer Suja and led its development to a $100 million brand. Jeff also lost over $4 million of his own money in Rowdy Energy, a now defunct energy drink challenger he co-founded with NASCAR driver Kyle Busch. Jeff’s experience and perspective on how brands succeed – and the reason they don’t – is why we asked him to join us for a live interview as part of an industry networking event in San Diego hosted by BevNET and Taste Radio on Sept. 25. As part of an expansive conversation, Jeff spoke about how he navigated Suja’s early development and rapid growth and what he believes was the most impactful decision in determining the brand’s success. He also discussed the failure of Rowdy Energy, which launched in 2020 and shut down less than four years later.  Jeff, who currently leads an accelerator program for emerging brands, also shared his take on the current landscape for early-stage food and beverage companies, weighing in on the value of innovation, high quality package design, profitability and staffing. Show notes: 0:35: Jeff Church, Co-Founder & Former CEO, Suja – Jeff chats about his background in the beverage industry and why he has focused on building and working with startups. He also talks about the most challenging aspect of operating a food or beverage brand in the first two years of its development, why it’s critical to “over communicate” with family members about the hardships of entrepreneurship and why he crafts a business strategy by “starting from where you want to get to and working backwards.” He also talks about how skill sets of a brand founder are significantly different from that of a brand manager and why he encourages a “fake it till you make it” mindset. Jeff also discusses the problems that led to Rowdy Energy’s demise and why he believes that success is 25% luck and timing, before he answers a series of true or false questions related to early-stage entrepreneurship. Brands in this episode: Suja, Rowdy Energy, Blueprint, Evolution Fresh, Pop & Bottle

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  5. How Did Cometeer Raise $100M In VC Funding? They Gave Investors A Taste Of Something Great.

    ٢١ ربيع الأول

    How Did Cometeer Raise $100M In VC Funding? They Gave Investors A Taste Of Something Great.

    How do you convince investors to bet over $100 million on your innovative beverage company? If you’re Matt Roberts, you start by making them a great cup of coffee. Matt is the founder of Cometeer Coffee, which markets innovative frozen coffee capsules crafted using premium coffee beans sourced from leading specialty roasters. The single-serve capsules can be used to make hot or cold coffee, and are produced using a proprietary process in which fresh beans are ground, brewed and flash-frozen to preserve flavors and aromas.  Launched in 2015, Cometeer was developed in partnership with coffee industry legend George Howell, who believes that the brand "will do for coffee what the bottle did for wine." He’s not alone in his lofty expectations for the Massachusetts-based company, which has raised venture capital funding from coffee and tech heavyweights, including the founder of Keurig Green Mountain, the former president of Nespresso and lead investors in Blue Bottle Coffee, among others. Cometeer has built a thriving direct-to-consumer business and is gradually expanding distribution to brick-and-mortar retailers. The brand is currently available in over 500 stores nationwide including Sprouts, Central Market, New Season, and Gelson's. In the following interview, I spoke with Matt about how he identified the opportunity to disrupt the instant coffee category by delivering a high quality drinking experience, how Cometeer has crafted an effective consumer education strategy and how his constant desire to learn more has helped him become a better leader. Show notes: 0:35: Matt Roberts, Founder & CEO, Cometeer Coffee – Matt chats about growing up and launching Cometeer in Massachusetts, why the company is based in Gloucester and the city’s history as “Freezetown USA.” He also talks about the science and process behind Cometeer and why “brew tech” is the company’s stock in trade, what he considers to be the company’s “moat” and who its’ primary competitors are, and gives a brief, but informative, explanation as to how the company captures and preserves coffee at its peak form. He also discusses how scientific validation of the company’s processing methods attracted tech and consumer brand investors, why education and trial remains Cometeer’s biggest challenge, and its plans to create a mainstream offering. Matt also talks about Cometeer’s relationship with roasting partners and coffee farmers, why he’s bullish on climate-resistant coffee crops, how “the extended coffee TED talk” and the success of Nespresso have been effective in attracting new investors and how he talks to them about potential M&A deals, and how podcasts (like this one) have been instrumental in his personal education about business and leadership. Brands in this episode: Cometeer Coffee, Blue Bottle, George Howell, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, James Hoffman, Onyx Coffee, Nespresso

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حول

The top podcast for anyone building a business in food or beverage, BevNET’s Taste Radio features interviews with the leaders and rising stars of our fast-evolving industry. The shows also include discussion on emerging trends, innovation and news of the week from our regular cadre of hosts from the BevNET and NOSH teams. Tell us what you think at ask@tasteradio.com. You can also email us if you are interested in Taste Radio sponsorship opportunities. And if you like the podcast, share it with a colleague, will ya?

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