Fave, Phony & Fading. Brands, Deals & Trends Defining CPG.

Summary

Taste Radio: "Fave, Phony & Fading. Brands, Deals & Trends Defining CPG."

Podcast by BevNET Inc. | May 1, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, the Taste Radio team dives into key trends, recent deals, and emerging brands shaping the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, with a primary focus on the beverage and food sectors. The hosts—Ray Latif, John Craven, Melissa Travers, and Mike Schneider—share firsthand accounts from California’s Naturally Rising Pitch Competition, discuss the acquisition of a leading non-alcoholic (NA) cocktail brand, analyze the evolving meal kit landscape, and explore how consumer-facing tools like product scanning apps are impacting brand choices on the shelf.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Naturally San Diego's Naturally Rising Pitch Competition

[00:18 – 04:44]

• Atmosphere and Community:
  Ray Latif and John Craven recount the vibrant, energetic atmosphere of the competition, attended by 300-400 industry leaders, with Ray serving as host for his fourth time.
  • “There was a winner, obviously, and that winner was Fave... founded by Ryan Rache, Fave is a maker of, well, drink powders.” (Ray, 02:16)
• Fave – The Winning Brand:
  Fave is positioned as an updated, healthier version of classic powdered drinks (e.g., Crystal Light, Kool-Aid) with nostalgic inspiration but a better-for-you angle, even though it's “not functional.”
  • “It's the new Kool Aid, man. Better for you. Drink powders.” (Mike, 02:24)
• Category Diversity:
  Other finalists included a shampoo bar, a sunscreen brand, gummies, and mezcal RTDs, reflecting how beverage brands often resonate better at such events due to relatable stories and familiarity within the audience.
  • “Beverages seem to do pretty well in these things partially because... there’s an easy story to tell.” (John, 02:38)

2. Anticipation for New Beverage Showdown

[04:16 – 05:28]

• The team previews the upcoming New Beverage Showdown at BevNET Live NYC (June 10–11, 2026).
• Ray recalls emceeing since 2013, noting the energy and excitement comes from the contestants, with a shoutout to the event setup and his ever-fresh Yuko Boss blazer.
  • “It’s the contestants that do it. And Ray’s just like, he’s the perfect person to set someone up…” (Mike, 05:32)

3. Non-Alcoholic (NA) Beverage Boom & Strategic Acquisition

[07:05 – 11:32]

• Meetup Teaser & Category Growth:
  Discussion of the upcoming Taste Radio meetup in Austin, highlighting the growth and interest in ‘adult non-alcohol’ among consumers and retailers, noting the moderation trend among younger demographics.
  • “Everybody wants a piece of this space. And it’s because people are moderating their alcohol consumption.” (Ray, 07:26)
• Key Acquisition – 'Phony Negroni' by St. Agrestus:
  The Wine Group acquires Brooklyn-based St. Agrestus, makers of the acclaimed ‘Phony Negroni’ NA cocktail.
  • “When it comes to the standard... St. Agrestus is that.” (Ray, 08:07)
  • “Please don’t mess it up, guys. Please don’t mess it up. We love the Phony Negroni.” (Mike, 09:49)
• Discussion covers the surprise that a traditional wine conglomerate entered the NA cocktail segment, highlighting its significance for category validation and indicating more strategic acquisitions are likely.

4. Meal Kit Industry: Decline & Shifts in Consumer Preference

[11:32 – 16:14]

• The Meal Kit Struggle:
  Ray recounts his own lapsed Blue Apron subscription and attributes decline to lackluster flavor and inconvenience compared to DIY or frozen alternatives.
  • “I used to think that meal kit companies like Blue Apron would make my life a little bit easier... but it feels like there’s less and less interest.” (Ray, 12:04)
• Subscription Fatigue & Better Alternatives:
  Hosts debate how changing lifestyles (more travel, busier schedules) and the rise of food delivery apps (e.g., Uber Eats, DoorDash) outpace traditional meal kits in convenience.
  • “They’re kind of designed for people who are, like, not super great at planning, but it requires planning, you know?” (John, 16:02)
• Industry Data:
  Melissa references news of Fresh Realm bankruptcy, Blue Apron’s sale, and the pivot to ‘ready-to-eat’ meals by Kroger (TEMPO) and HelloFresh (Factor), focusing on high-protein and keto options.
  • “Subscriptions for meal kits are declining... seems like consumers aren’t that interested in cooking their own food with maybe subpar ingredients.” (Melissa, 14:06)

5. Ingredient Transparency & the Rise of Food Scanner Apps

[17:28 – 19:51]

• Aldi Clean Label Moves:
  Aldi eliminates 44 ingredients from its private label products, prompting discussion about broader retailer trends toward 'better for you' positioning.
• Yucca App at Expo West:
  Melissa interviews Gabriela Sebag of Yucca, a product-scanning app that rates food and beverage items in real time, impacting retail pitches and sales velocity.
  • “So when a customer scans a product and it gets a bad score, then another item is suggested... 66% of the suggested brands actually get bought.” (Melissa, 18:30)
• Ray expresses intrigue about using the app to discover previously overlooked brands and make better on-shelf decisions.

6. On-the-Go Protein, Tofu Snacks & More: Exploratory Tastings

[19:59 – 25:40]

• Tofugo – Shelf Stable Tofu Snack:
  Team samples Tofugo, a shelf-stable tofu 'jerky' with BBQ flavor, comparing it to beef jerky and discussing its appeal to tofu lovers and those seeking high-protein, plant-based snacks.
  • “It tastes like a pocket hot pot.” (Mike, 20:59)
• Product Demos and Reactions:
  • Tasting a ‘blood-red’ collagen peptide drink (‘Elastin’) and discussing how unfamiliar products can be confusing without clear communication.
• Newer Brands in the Spotlight:
  • Hover: Sparkling matcha drink with coconut water base—praised for branding and taste.
  • Anavana: Lentil and spice high-protein blend—highlighted as a versatile, nutrient-dense addition.
  • Nectar Pop: Maple water-based black cherry beverage with probiotics and inulin—lauded for flavor.
  • Baba’s Saturday Sauce: Shakshuka starter providing authentic flavor and convenience.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the CPG Pitch Scene:
  “It’s all about the community there… the amount of passion and love for brands in the space and the founders who’ve created them.”
  — Ray, 01:41

• On Category Dynamics:
  “Beverages seem to do pretty well in these things partially because there’s an easy story to tell about a high velocity brand.”
  — John, 02:34

• On Non-Alc Premiumization:
  “Saint Agrestus is a great example of a beverage brand who uses glass to be perceived as a more premium, higher-end product... Mission accomplished.”
  — Melissa, 10:07

• On Declining Meal Kits:
  “It seems like consumers aren’t really that interested in cooking their own food with maybe subpar ingredients. So you have to spend all the time that you would have to cook. And oftentimes the quality of the ingredients aren’t that great. And having a subscription is kind of annoying.”
  — Melissa, 14:06

• On Transparency and Technology:
  “I heard so many brands talking about their rating and how it’s impacting their pitches at retailers and their retail velocity...”
  — Melissa, 18:30

• On New Product Experiences:
  “It tastes like a pocket hot pot.”
  — Mike, 20:59

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Important Timestamps

• 00:18 – Reflections on Naturally San Diego's Competition and Fave’s win
• 02:16 – What is Fave (“drink powders, like a better-for-you Kool-Aid”)
• 07:26 – Adult non-alcohol trends and why “everyone wants a piece”
• 08:07 – St. Agrestus and the acquisition of Phony Negroni
• 11:32 – Ray admits to dropping Blue Apron, sparking meal kit debate
• 14:06 – Melissa: “Subscriptions for meal kits are declining... ready-to-eat meal trends”
• 17:28 – Aldi’s “clean label” move and product transparency
• 18:30 – Discussion of Yucca app and its impact on retail
• 20:59 – Mike: “It tastes like a pocket hot pot” (Tofugo tasting)
• 23:37 – Team’s reaction to ‘Elastin’ collagen peptide shot
• 24:03 – Hover matcha drink, Nectar Pop, and Anavana tastings
• 25:40 – Baba's Saturday Sauce shakshuka story

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Final Thoughts

The episode offers a dynamic and candid exploration of today's CPG landscape, marked by:

• Dynamic founder-driven innovation at grassroots pitch competitions
• Major strategic moves (St. Agrestus/Wine Group acquisition) in high-growth categories like non-alcoholic beverages
• Changing consumer habits reshaping meal kit and ready-to-eat markets
• The increasing importance of transparency and technology tools (like Yucca) in purchasing decisions
• The hosts’ lively, lighthearted banter and firsthand product tastings add flavor and authenticity, making key industry insights relatable and engaging.

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For CPG business builders, founders, and trendspotters: this episode is a must-listen for a pulse on what’s hot, what’s fading, and where informed innovators are headed next.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hello, friends, and thanks for tuning into Taste Radio, the number one podcast for anyone building a business in food or beverage. I'm Ray Latif, the editor and producer of Taste Radio, and with my co host, John Craven, Melissa Travers, and Mike Schneider. In this episode, we revisit Southern California's premier CPG competition, unpack the acquisition of a leading ANA beverage brand, and explore how meal kit companies and a product scanning app are impacting consumer purchasing decisions. Well, three of us have spent quite a bit of time in California over the past week. Melissa, I apologize for your inability to make it out to the Golden State, but it seems like you had a nice week yourself.

[C]

I sure did. I've been holding down the fort in the Boston area.

[D]

Thank you for doing that.

[B]

There you go. There you go. So the three people, of course, who were in California last week were Mike, John, and myself. And there for various reasons. Mike was on vacation for a little bit.

[D]

Palm Springs, baby.

[B]

Palm Springs. And John and I were.

[D]

I learned how to relax for a day.

[B]

John and I were in San Diego for Naturally San Diego's Naturally Rising Pitch Competition. This is their sixth or it was their sixth annual competition. I was lucky enough to host the competition. This is my fourth time.

[D]

And John, Ray, there's no such thing as luck. That's pure skill. You did a great job again, I've seen some of the videos.

[B]

I appreciate it.

[D]

Yeah, sorry I missed that.

[B]

It's really fun. I mean, I'm telling you, it's all about the community there. There were probably 300 to 400 people at the event. And I mean, I was really impressed with the amount of passion and love, really, for brands in the space and the founders who've created them. I think folks in the audience, John, you were there. And certainly once we got going, it was extremely loud in that room. And for me, the five brands that presented were all really spectacular. And I thought all the pitches were great. There was a winner, obviously, and that winner was Fave.

[D]

Oh, nice.

[B]

Fave. Founded by Ryan Rache, Fave is a maker of, well, drink powders.

[A]

Drink powders.

[D]

It's the new Kool Aid, man.

[B]

Better for you. Drink powders. There's no functional benefit to it, but it's like Imagine Crystal Light. Exactly.

[A]

I mean, he mentioned Kool Aid is a bit of the inspiration.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

And for sure. So. Yeah. And, you know, it's. It's interesting. Like, it was, you know, five brands that were kind of all over the CPG map. You had a shampoo bar, a sunscreen brand, gummies you obviously had fave mezcal R and a mezcal rtd. And I don't know, you know, maybe I'm biased, but beverages seem to do pretty well in these things partially because I think there's an easy story to tell about a high velocity brand and, and whatnot that, you know, for something like a sunscreen brand is totally. It's just a totally different business. Not better or worse. But yeah, it was fun.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, my guess is that most of the folks in the audience and most of the folks that are involved with NSD represent food or beverage brands. So sometimes I think it might be a little bit more difficult to get yourself in the mindset that say, a sunscreen brand or a shampoo brand might be the one to break out because you don't know. You're not necessarily part of that industry or category.

[D]

But for anyone who thinks that John said make a drinkable sunscreen or shampoo, that's not what he said.

[A]

We've had drinkable sunscreen. New beverage showdown.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

In case you've forgotten.

[D]

Did not forget.

[B]

That was. That was something. But yeah. Congratulations to Sun Mud Fave, Oku Mezzo Beverages and Flora Flora. Once again, they all did fantastic and obviously special congratulations to Ryan from fave and a huge thanks to the team at nsd. Renee Solaris, who is the executive director, just does such a fantastic job. She and her team were just on top of everything and really made sure that the event was memorable and useful and exciting for everyone. So congrats on that as well.

[D]

You feel like that's a good warmup for the next big competition for you?

[B]

I think it might be. I think it might be. You know, the new beverage showdown is my bread and butter, I would say, and it's one of my favorite things to do throughout the year. Of course, the new Beverage Showdown, the next edition that is will be happening at bevnet Live, New York City, 2026. That's happening on June 10th and 11th. I for one, cannot wait. And it's going to be here before anyone knows it. I mean, today is May 1st and guess what, it's a month and a half away, which is crazy.

[A]

But still plenty of time to apply. Not really.

[B]

Well, not really.

[A]

You gotta apply by today.

[D]

Not a lot of time to apply for the new beverage showdown.

[C]

Ray, how many new beverage showdowns have you emceed at this point, do you think?

[B]

Well, my first One was in 2013. It was the New York City edition of Devnet Live. And so this would be let's see if there's two a year. I can do the math.

[A]

Is it 25, 26 minus the COVID ones, plus. Oh, yeah, virtual ones. Do those count?

[B]

Yeah, of course they count. So I think, I think, I think

[D]

they're sitting on the edge of their seats.

[A]

So much mess.

[C]

So how do you keep it so fresh and exciting every time?

[D]

There you go. I think it's the contestants that do it. And Ray's just like, he's the perfect person to set someone up. He comes up on stage, he does this very professional introduction and then he makes people feel cool, supported. Brings them up on stage, they do their pitch, brings them off the stage, brings the next one up. It just, it just feels cool to see the whole thing happen and to also talk to people afterwards about how, how professional it is, I guess.

[A]

I think it's the freshly pressed Yuko boss blazer.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Never lets them down.

[B]

You know, Shout out to my dry cleaners who are good people and always make sure that I'm looking sharp, sharp for every event.

[A]

I mean, if you forgot to pack that, I think you would go up there, be like Superman without escape.

[B]

Yeah. And a nice warm up to bevnet live, of course, is our taste radio meetup in Austin which is happening on May 7th. I am thrilled for this event, 5 to 7:30pm at the headquarters of Nutribolt, the maker of C4 and major investor in Bloom. This is an event you really don't want to miss. If you are based in the Austin area or anywhere near Austin or if you're visiting the Austin area, just head to tasteradio.commeetups to register. We'd love for you to register so we can know how many sandwiches to bring, how many bottles of water that we'll have to have at the end.

[D]

Talking to Jake DeCicco at the beverage Forum about the taste radio meetup in the nutribullt headquarters. He says that place is phenomenal. I can't wait. I'm so excited.

[B]

Once again, thank you so much to nutribolt for hosting us in Austin. Of course. Thank you so much to our event partners, Vibrant Ingredients, Belay Solutions, the Angel Group, Corner Market Communications, and Next Foods. I imagine that we're going to see a few non alcoholic beverages or founders that have started non alcoholic beverage brands. And I'm specifically talking about adult non alcohol, Adult non alcohol, which is a category that I think we can call it relatively booming. I mean, it's just one of those spaces that seem to be of interest among retailers. Consumers, distributors, everybody wants a piece of this space. And it's because people are moderating their alcohol consumption. People are looking at this opportunity to create brands that are going to resonate with younger consumers because as we know, younger consumers aren't drinking as much. And I think it's pretty obvious that the proof is in the pudding when we look at the acquisition that happened earlier this week when Saint Agresteus, the maker of Phoni Negroni, was acquired by the Wine Group for an undisclosed sum. St. Egregistis is a Brooklyn based maker of non alcoholic beverages. Their phony Negronis, and we've talked about these on the show, are just phenomenal. When you think about a Negroni, there's a very specific flavor that you expect and that you want. And to create a non alcoholic version that is without compromise, or you know, for me at least without compromise is the real special thing that Saint Agresus has done that, you know, there are other brands that have gotten kind of close, but there's Lapa's, Absolutely, for sure. But when it comes to the standard. Right, if the standard in this space, Saint I Grisus, is that. And so, you know, while it wasn't surprising to see that the Wine Group, you know, decided to make this acquisition, I think it's a little surprising. I think it's telling that there is a lot of strategic interest in this space and that this will not be the last acquisition in ANA that we see. I wouldn't be surprised if we see another one of these at least in the next 12 to 18 months.

[A]

Yeah, no, and I was going to say a little bit surprising in that, you know, it is, as the name suggests, the Wine group. The Wine Group, which has brands like Franzia and Mayomi and Woodbridge and it's interesting to see them hop into like an NA cocktail brand. You know, I think that is something that should be kind of exciting that it's not just one of the usual suspects picking this up. I think more acquirers is never a bad thing. And you know, certainly, I don't know, this feels like the biggest brand in that set, at least modern set that, you know, is getting picked up. So I mean, that's pretty darn cool.

[D]

Well, that is the, the thing that's interesting about it is that the Wine Group are the ones picking it up and they know everything there's to know about marketing, distribution, selling of wine. But what do they know about this? Please don't mess it up, guys. Please don't mess it up. We love the phony Negroni.

[C]

You know, I think Saint Agresteus is a great example of a beverage brand who uses glass to be perceived as a more premium, higher end product. I know, it's mission accomplished. Yeah, yeah. They really did such a nice job with that.

[D]

They do. And I mean not to take anything away from some of the others that, and I mentioned Lapos and I'll mention it again, I mean like I put those two as, you know, my top two non alk Negronis. And now Lapos also has their Negroni water and they're, they're experimenting with other kinds of cocktails as well. And it's cool to see that there are so many that are so close and that someone like a Ray could say, wow, I'm okay with having this versus a Negroni. Like, I know you love Negronis, so it's cool to see how far the industry has come. And you know, at the beverage forum I was talking to Monica Cornisher from Madase and you know, it's cool to see her take her liquid and say, hey, this is my old Fashioned, open it up. And the nose hits you and you're like, oh, that's alcohol. And people just can't believe it when they're drinking this. We're getting so, so close to even the burn. I'm sure it's coming. Yeah.

[B]

Well, congratulations to the team at St. Agrestus. They are going to maintain production in Brooklyn. But I feel like, as you mentioned, Mike, I really hope that the quality and the standard that they have established remains the same because, yeah, what they make is fantastic.

[A]

Indeed.

[B]

Yes, absolutely. I do like a non alcoholic cocktail every so often and for dinner, you know, pre dinners is always the, the best time to have a cocktail. And lately I feel like I have just not had a lot of time to make dinner. I don't know, I've been busier than ever lately. It's been, it's been really tough and. Oh, sorry.

[C]

I've been traveling.

[B]

Yeah, maybe that's what it is. I've just been on the road so much.

[D]

You need a hug?

[B]

No, no, no, thank you. Did it seem like I needed a hug? Yeah, sorry about it.

[D]

Listen or give him a hug.

[A]

Needs an extra bottle of hand sandwich.

[B]

I used to think that meal kit companies like Blue Apron would make my life a little bit easier. And I had a Blue Apron account for, for a number of, number of months, I guess. And it feels like the whole point of these meal kits was really to make life easier and make people's dinners a lot simpler and I don't know, I just. I think that it hung around for a minute, and then it just seems like there's less and less interest because I. Because why? I don't know why. I mean, maybe it's just because it doesn't make my life easier.

[C]

Well, so why did you cancel your subscription?

[B]

Well, honestly, it was. The food wasn't that good. Yeah, I mean, I feel like the food wasn't as flavorful, as delicious as I could just make on my own

[A]

without all frozen packages, frozen Trader Joe's stuff.

[B]

I don't really eat that stuff.

[A]

Come on, you're like a Trader Joe's super fanboy.

[B]

Well, the Trader Joe's ravioli is pretty good. They're frozen.

[A]

There you go.

[C]

They're Belgian chocolate.

[B]

But maybe that's the reason.

[D]

Not frozen, though.

[C]

True, true, true.

[B]

But maybe there are, you know, just easier options, like frozen meals from Trader Joe's that people find as a more reasonable and higher value option than meal kits. And there's no subscription either.

[A]

I mean, it just seems like one of those things that's kind of in the middle, you know, Certainly there's, as those meal companies have been around in that era of those, like, things like Doordash and Grubhub and Ubereats have, like, gotten super good at. Like, really. I mean, they're like. I don't know, especially Ubereats. I feel like such a ubiquitous brand and, like, out of home advertising, you know, that's just trying to sell you on, like, convenience. Right. And then on the flip side, I think there's other companies that have done a really good job marketing to, like, the home cook, you know, I don't know. I think of all the, like, you know, made in Hexclad, all that stuff where, like, you know, if you're really into cooking, like, you're kind of not, no offense to those box subscriptions, you're kind of not really like, cooking. You're, like, assembling and following instructions really precise, which is kind of the, at least for me, the worst part about

[D]

cooking for people who love Legos.

[A]

So, I don't know, we just covered

[C]

in nosh that Fresh Realm filed for bankruptcy. They also offloaded Blue Apron, which, you know, you just talked about, Ray, and certainly you're not the only one who isn't that interested in meal kits anymore. The subscriptions for meal kits are declining. But what I thought was really interesting is that there are some other options that seem to be having an increase in sales. And Kroger, for example, they have a ready to eat option. I think they also have meal kits as well. And then HelloFresh has a ready to eat meal program called Factor. And then Tempo is actually Kroger's ready to eat program. And both of those focus on high protein keto special diets, that kind of thing. So there are different ways to reach those consumers. But it seems like consumers aren't really that interested in cooking their own food with maybe subpar ingredients. So you have to spend all the time that you would have to cook. And oftentimes the quality of the ingredients aren't that great. And having a subscription is kind of annoying.

[A]

And if you travel.

[C]

Yeah, exactly.

[A]

It's just too much.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And at the end of the day, the subscription part of, I think meal kits is something that holds me back and I think holds a lot of other consumers back because, you know, you might want to shop on your own terms and you want the kits to come in when you feel like you need them, as opposed to every single week or every single, you know, every couple weeks. And I think optionality is a big part of this. And unfortunately, I think the optionality and variety sometimes is lacking with these meal kits as well. So perhaps that's a big reason behind it. I think. You know, the.

[A]

There's no sushi meal kit, no steak and martini knife.

[B]

Well, no, but this goes. This goes back to exactly what you were talking about, John, which is that the advent of food delivery programs or food delivery companies like an Uber Eats or Doordash or a Grubhub has made it that much easier and more convenient to get the kind of food that you actually want without having to cook

[A]

it yourself or plan it in advance. I. I think that's the other thing with it. It's like they're kind of designed for people who are, like, not super great at planning, but it requires planning, you know?

[B]

Yeah, it really does.

[C]

You also have the hungry roots of the world, so they help you with meal planning, recipe planning. They also have a bunch of ready to eat options. That's also another option for folks who want efficient meals but don't necessarily want a subscription to them.

[B]

Indeed. Indeed. Projo, winner of the 2025 New Beverage Showdown, is launching their Power Coffee RTDS into every target nationwide this August experience. Powerful energy and great taste with 25 grams of protein and 225 milligrams of caffeine. Visit idrinkprojoe.com to learn more.

[D]

As business grows, financials get more complex. We put together a free guide in collaboration with Belay Solutions to help founders better understand margins, inventory, and cash flow. Download it [e-mail] belay that's tasteradio.com b

[B]

e l a y to help your business make smarter financial decisions. You know, in my whole life, I guess I do shop at. I trade with yours pretty often, but in my whole life, I've never been at an Aldi. I've never shopped in an Aldi.

[D]

Have you been there?

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

I feel like I didn't find that much.

[D]

Grandma d'. Angelo.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Loved Aldi so much.

[B]

I always heard that Aldi is great for. I'm just gonna call it what it is. Like cheap food. Right.

[C]

I mean, I'm loyal to market baskets.

[D]

It's like, off brands. And, I mean, they're Aldi brands.

[B]

Do they have a pretty good, like, frozen selection there? Yeah, they do. Okay. All right. Well, anyway, in the news this week, Aldi decided that they were going to eliminate 44 ingredients from its private label line, which I thought was pretty interesting.

[D]

Good on you.

[B]

Seems like there's a lot of retailers moving in that direction. And I don't know. I mean, I never really thought of Aldi as being, like, a better for you retailer, but maybe they're kind of moving that direction.

[D]

You should give it a try, Ray. You should just go check it out because it is an experience and it's a very different experience. But going with an open mind and, you know, tell yourself you're going to spend, like 100 bucks at least and see what you come away with.

[B]

I would want to know what I'm eating, and I would want to know exactly what's inside some of these products, you know, and do it in a really efficient way. Which is related to a podcast that you recently published, Melissa.

[C]

Yeah. So at this past Expo West, I feel like I heard more and more people talking about the Yucca app. So that's an app that consumers use when they're grocery shopping, and you can, you know, scan a product and it gives you a rating of whether it's good or bad. So I heard so many brands talking about their rating and how it's impacting their pitches at retailers and their retail velocity. So I did have Gabriela Sebag, wine grad. So she runs the US Business for the app, and she joined the podcast to talk about how brands can, you know, fix a bad score. So if you scan your item on there and you're not doing that well, she kind of explained some of the things that brands are doing. To fix those. She talked about how to be one of the suggested brands. So when a customer scans a product and it gets a bad score, then another item is suggested. So she talked a little bit about how to be one of those brands that are suggested, and I think she said something like 66% of the suggested brands actually get bought. So that's a big deal. And then also how their rating system works.

[A]

Of course.

[C]

Course. On the Non Bass podcast.

[D]

Interesting.

[B]

Yeah, I. I wasn't necessarily familiar with yoga before the podcast, and so I feel like this is something I'm going to use, and I wonder if it'll sort of direct me to brands that I haven't considered before or just are not aware of.

[A]

Put it on one of those packaged slices of cake, Ray.

[B]

Wait, what?

[A]

Kind of. Bring that up again.

[B]

Yeah. I wonder what the Yucca app thinks of a brand like Tofugo. And this is a. This is a brand that we featured on Elevator Talk a few months back. Very interesting brand, John. What is that?

[A]

It's like shelf stable. Reminds me of that walking tamale brand package. Yes, but it's just like nuggets of tofu that are individually wrapped with inside said pouch.

[B]

Yeah. Let me ask you a quick question before you bite into this.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Do you think this is going to be a sweet or savory product?

[D]

Well, I thought it was going to be sweet.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Savory. Yeah.

[D]

I thought it was going to be sweet when I first saw it, and then when I got my hands on it, I knew it was going to be savory.

[C]

Looks like barbecue.

[A]

It says soy BBQ on it, so.

[D]

Right. I mean, I'd never seen the flavors. At first I thought this was going to be a sweet product, and I was like, okay, it's going to be like a midday square. Yes, exactly. But you know what? It is like a midday square, except it's like.

[A]

Also it's very glazed vegan beef turkey,

[D]

because it has the sauce that you want in there and it tastes like a pocket hot pot.

[B]

It tastes like a pocket hot pot.

[D]

Have you had hot pot?

[B]

Oh, hot pot. Okay.

[D]

Oh, sorry. Saying it in Chinese doesn't help you, but.

[B]

Well, it was great having Caroline Day on Elevator Talk. I mentioned we featured Tofugo on an episode a few months back, and it's a really interesting concept, and I feel like the question that I had at the time and the question I still have right now is, who is this for? You know, a savory snack sounds great, obviously. A higher protein snack sounds great, but not Everyone loves tofu, and I think tofu in a package format like this, I don't know. You really want to be specific in terms of who your target consumer is

[D]

versus for people who love tofu.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

Second is for people who love savory tofu and these specific spice profiles, and they want it on the go. I mean, even people who love hot pot can't eat hot pot every day. This gives you, like, a little bit of that taste on the go. And you get three of these for 120 calories, 12 grams of protein. And what do you think? What do you think of the texture?

[C]

You know, I feel like this is for people who want beef jerky without the actual meat or whatever. You know what I mean?

[D]

So you want a little beef jerky quality.

[C]

You want the protein, you want the satiation.

[B]

Okay, well, I want to ask, because this is really throwing me off. Next to the tofu go wrapper, looks like a vial of blood. What is that? John?

[A]

This is.

[B]

We.

[A]

We do mandatory drug testing. I bring all the weird just on Mike. It's not looking good.

[D]

No.

[B]

Oh, jeez.

[A]

No, I don't. I don't. I'm starting.

[D]

I'm starting meth Net next week.

[B]

It says. It says elastin. Is that what that is?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And what is that again?

[A]

I have no idea. It was on the table. I mean, I brought. Was next to John, does it help you stretch your muscles?

[B]

I don't know.

[C]

It's for your skin. I mean, it's for your muscle flexibility or whatever.

[D]

You guys, it's collagen peptides.

[A]

Okay, There you go.

[D]

It's collagen.

[B]

And so this is. This is a topical. You do it like. I'm so scared. Okay, so just to give our listener some context here, you sure you're not

[A]

drinking lotion or something?

[B]

It legitimately looks like a vial of blood. You know when you go to the doctor and they collect blood from you, but clearly it's a shot. You just take all. You take it all at once.

[D]

Yep.

[B]

And it's called elastin. Okay. I don't know where you got that from or if it was sent to us or it was sent to us

[D]

in a big box.

[A]

Okay, so we have many of these.

[D]

You have men.

[A]

We have menus.

[D]

You can have some if you want.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

Would you like to try now?

[B]

Oh, no, I'm good. First is the colors. Is the color red? Because it looks.

[C]

It looks like.

[D]

It looks like blood.

[B]

Beet juice.

[D]

It smells like it tastes good. Okay. Yay. It does get Cherry.

[A]

All right, that's good.

[B]

Okay, good. All right, well, cherry juice. Interesting.

[D]

Hopefully you were supposed to drink it.

[B]

Okay, moving on to more traditional beverages. John's crushing some hover. What is hover?

[A]

Hover? It's a sparkling matcha drink.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

With the coconut water base. This one's a lemon yuzu. Comes in this little can.

[D]

Is that our taste radio?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[C]

Cute.

[D]

Yeah, super cute.

[A]

It's pretty, Pretty darn tasty.

[B]

Yeah. It has a little sort of Pokemon anime vibes going on in terms of the packaging. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then, Melissa, you've got a can of something. You've got some powder, spices from New York meetup.

[C]

Yeah, exactly. So this is from the New York meetup. This is Anavana. There is a lovely founder named Amulya Panyam. I may be butchering that name, but she brought this product with her. It is a ground up lentil and spice blend. This reminded me a little bit of chutney punch.

[D]

Except that's food.

[C]

Exactly.

[D]

That's not just spice, that's food in there.

[C]

Exactly. And it's high protein. So let's see here.

[D]

There you're adding chickpeas.

[C]

Yeah. So it's got some protein in it and it's really tasty. Like it does add a little bit.

[B]

That's.

[D]

The spices aren't food, but that, that's food.

[C]

Right, right, right. This is, this is sort of an additional source of nutrients for whatever you're eating. So, yeah, I thought.

[D]

This is chutney punch on that.

[C]

Yeah. Right. You can put them both.

[D]

And by the way, you should, you

[C]

should use them all.

[B]

Nice. And then you've got. What is this? Now? You've got a can. I can't see this.

[C]

I also grabbed a can of nectar pop from our fridge upstairs. I didn't actually read the can that carefully before I started drinking it. So I took a sip and it's just, it's delicious. It's so tasty. This is the black cherry. They use maple water, which is always fun. It's 45 calories for a can, 9 grams of sugar and super tasty. And then I started reading more and they have probiotic cultures and there's maple inulin. But really what got me was the flavor.

[B]

Yeah, Looks amazing actually.

[D]

I love cherry. Sounds delicious.

[B]

Yeah. Black cherry, more specifically. Yeah.

[C]

Yep.

[D]

So this came a couple of weeks ago. It's Baba's Saturday sauce and it is a phenomenal shakshuka starter. We got it. And you know our sample captain, Colin, he never tried shakshuka before. So I drove home, made some with the sauce, came back, and now he's had it and he loved it. It was amazing.

[B]

Nice.

[D]

It's so easy to make shakshuka. It's easy to make shakshuka anyway. Everybody knows that.

[A]

But now it's when you have a jar this year.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely.

[C]

How many shakshukas can you make with that jar?

[D]

I made six eggs worth of shakshuka.

[C]

Nice.

[B]

Okay, Saturday sauce. Nice. Good stuff. That brings us to the end of this episode of Taste Radio. Thank you so much for listening. Taste Radio is a production of BevNet.com incorporated. Our audio engineer for Taste Radio is Joe Kratchi, our technical director is Joshua Pratt, and our video editor is Ryan Galang. Our social marketing manager is Amanda Smerlinski, and our designer is Amanda Huang. Just a reminder, if you like what you hear on Taste Radio, please share the podcast with friends and colleagues. And of course, we would love it if you could review us on the Apple podcast app or your listening platform of choice. Check us out on Instagram. Our handle is Bevnett Taste Radio. As always, for questions, comments, ideas for future podcasts, please send us an email to askteradio.com all on behalf of the entire Taste Radio team, thank you for listening and we'll talk to you next time.