When Marco Canora opened the first Brodo location, a takeout window housed within his acclaimed New York City restaurant Hearth, he believed he was at the forefront of a new category of sippable bone broths. He was on to something: the launch of Brodo sparked broad interest in bone broth, positioned to consumers as a comforting drink and a convenient source of nutrition.

In the following months, new bone broth cafes and packaged brands began appearing across the U.S. Yet while emerging categories often benefit from an expanding shelf set, Canora, an award-winning chef who’s helmed some of New York’s most admired eateries and been featured on several popular cooking shows including “Chopped” and “Top Chef,” has some misgivings about product quality. There’s a right way to make bone broth, he believes, one that involves patience, care and premium ingredients. It may cost more to produce at scale, but Brodo lives and dies by its high standards. 

“I’ve always been the ‘slow and steady wins the race’ kind of guy,” Canora said in an interview included in this episode. “And as long as I’m enjoying the process, I think the most critical and the most important thing about the path is that we each pop out of bed every day and we’re excited and proud about what we’re making.”

That principle has guided Brodo’s development since its launch in 2014. The company has expanded to six retail storefronts in New York City -- all profitable, according to Canora -- and distributes frozen bone broth in quarts and pints to independent and chain retailers, including Whole Foods, across metro New York. 

As part of our conversation, Canora and Brodo CEO Andrew Garner discussed the origins of the brand, how timing and location played into its early success and the company’s foray into packaged products. They also spoke about Brodo’s consumer education strategy and why Marco believes that the steepest part of the learning curve in the business of consumer packaged goods is also its most frustrating. 

Show notes:

2:04: Marco Canora, Founder &amp; Andrew Garner, CEO, Brodo -- Canora and Garner sat down with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif for an expansive conversation that began with Canora’s background as a chef, how his unhealthy lifestyle led him to bone broth and how Garner, a former health care and Coca-Cola executive, joined Brodo as its CEO. Canora also explained why he describes Brodo products as “beverages” and not “soup,” how the company communicates its value proposition to consumers, determining the right format and package size for the brand and how he attempts to use his influence as to support the development of better-for-you food brands. Later, Canora and Garner discussed the role of Brodo’s storefronts as a gateway to its packaged products, the challenge of merchandising in the frozen food aisle, why Canora laments traditional routes to market, the impact of growing interest in plant-based diets on Brodo’s business model and the dream scenario for the company’s future.

Brands in this episode: Brodo, Rind Snacks, Health-Ade, Starbucks, Knorr, Shake Shack

Ep. 202: The Difference Between Good and Great Brands Often Comes Down To This

This week, we’re joined by Tommy Kelly and Salim Najjar, the co-founders of Sound Brands, a fast-growing company that markets carbonated, unsweetened iced teas and tea-infused sparkling waters made with herbal and botanical ingredients.

Launched in 2015, Sound has been at the forefront of an emerging market for sparkling teas. Hailed by Bon Appetit magazine as “The New LaCroix,” Sound products are primarily distributed in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and also available at several chain and independent retailers across the U.S. 

During our interview, Kelly and Najjar explained that while they’ve made several costly mistakes over the years, their perspective that “a failure is really a lesson if looked at properly” has been essential to the brand’s development.

“The first year, I’d probably classify it as a bunch of failures, from spending way too much money on an initial product, to spending way too much money on an outsourced sales team,” Najjar said. “They all led us to where we are… and our current strategy, in terms of spending money and how lean we are.”

Also within our conversation, Kelly and Najjar discussed Sound’s origins and overarching mission, how complementary skill sets have supported their working relationship, why getting up to speed on industry terminology is critical for early-stage entrepreneurs, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how corporate sales have been a boon for the brand.

Show notes: 

0:40: It’s All About Popcorn & Pickle Salsa, #CBDMike and Eating Your Veggies at Expo -- The episode began with a chat about John Craven’s West Coast extravaganza and Mike Schneider’s kombucha-soaked visit to London, and discussion about recent office visits from fresh pickle and CBD snack entrepreneurs. The hosts also riffed on a few products sent to the office, including premium popcorn, non-alcoholic spirits and cocktail mixers, and shared tips for a successful experience at Expo West 2020.

18:00: Tommy Kelly and Salim Najjar, Co-Founders, Sound Brands -- Taste Radio editor Ray Latif met with Kelly and Najjar at Sound HQ in Manhattan for a conversation that began with their transition from nuclear power plant engineers to beverage entrepreneurs, how they identified white space for a sparkling tea brand, why they eschewed added natural flavors and sweeteners and a critical error in the company’s original name. They also spoke about the trials and tribulations of their first year in business and why it was costly to hire retail consultants without having a clear go-to-market strategy, the importance of defining brand positioning, why it took years to make their first hire and how their retail strategy has evolved, particularly in Sound’s home market of New York City. Later, Kelly and Najjar explained how corporate sales have become a key component of the company’s overall business strategy and why they regret being hard on themselves during challenging times for the brand.

Brands in this episode: Sound Brands, Nora’s Snacks, Belgian Boys, From The Ground Up, Maya Kaimal, Jarr Kombucha, Pip & Nut, Grillo’s Pickles, Farmhouse Culture, Big Swig, Alta Goods, [Popped] Artesian Popcorn, Lyre’s, Seedlip, GT’s Kombucha, WithCo Cocktails, Sir Kensington’s

Insider Ep. 74: The Most Valuable Asset Entrepreneurs Don't Know They Have

Twelve years ago, Ben Van Leeuwen launched his small-batch ice cream brand in the midst of a recession. An economic downturn is perhaps not the ideal time to start a company, yet the circumstances helped establish one of the core elements of his business strategy: a thorough examination of every cost. 

“Dig into every single expense, and ask yourself: ‘Is this really serving our customer?’ Van Leeuwen said in an interview included in this episode. “That’s the most important thing. If it’s not serving the customer, then don’t do it.” 

That principle has been essential to running a lean and profitable company and key to its growth. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has evolved into a sprawling brand with 22 ice cream shops in New York and California and a wholesale pint business with more than 1,500 accounts across the U.S.

As part of our conversation, Van Leeuwen spoke about why he started an ice cream brand alongside his brother and future wife, how New York City’s culture impacted its development and why the company didn’t raise money for its first 11 years. He also shared his perspective on how Van Leeuwen has bucked the trend toward healthy eating, promoting brand pillars through packaging, the synergistic relationship between its stores and wholesale business and whether he’s open to selling the company down the road. 

Show notes:

2:04: Ben Van Leeuwen, Co-Founder/CEO, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream -- Taste Radio editor Ray Latif met with Van Leeuwen in New York City where he spoke about how a summer job in his teens and traveling around the world led to and influenced the creation of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, as well as the upside to working with his family and why he rejected advice to use inferior ingredients in his products. He also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of operating in New York City, why the company stopped co-manufacturing early on and built its own production facility, why ‘running lean was just the default” and the reason that he and his co-founders decided to accept outside capital. Later, he explained why minimalism was the goal in its package design, the keys to the brand’s popular vegan varieties and how he stays in shape despite being the CEO of an indulgent ice cream brand. 

Brands in this episode:  Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Michel Cluizel

Ep. 203: The Reason This Indulgent Brand Gets ‘Richer’ Every Year

In this episode, we’re joined by William Siff, founder and CEO of Goldthread, an innovative brand of plant-based tonics formulated with herbs, spices and adaptogens. A clinical herbalist, ethnobotanist and licensed acupuncturist, Siff launched the company in 2016 as an extension of his apothecary and herb farm in Western Massachusetts.

A pioneer in the emerging category of adaptogenic beverages, Goldthread’s products are designed to&nbsp; “restore, refresh and invigorate our mind, body and soul.” The brand is distributed at natural and conventional retailers nationwide, including Target which recently added Goldthread to 970 of its locations.

In an interview included in this episode, Siff spoke about his background as a natural health practitioner and how his experience led to the creation of Goldthread. He also discussed why building the brand was akin to “inventing the category," effective methods for driving consumer education and brand awareness, defining metrics for success and how the company incorporates ingredient trends into its innovation strategy. 

Show notes:

0:50: Thoughts On An Expo-Less Week (At Least We Have Churro Ice Cream) -- The hosts reflected on the postponement of Natural Products Expo West 2020 and how exhibitors that planned to feature new products and brand updates at the annual event can share the news with BevNET and NOSH. They also chatted about how texting has become a useful tool for communicating with the editorial team, chomped on plant-based ice cream and reiterated that sharing snacks is always welcome. 

10:25: William Siff, Founder/CEO, Goldthread -- Siff spoke with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif about his foray into the beverage industry and why he viewed packaged drinks as “a model that could scale our overall efforts” to “get as many herbs, spices and adaptogens into as many people’s bodies as possible.” He also discussed key benchmarks that the company has reached, why demos and its “Plant Venture” events have been essential to the brand’s development and how he works with retailers to add more adaptogenic drinks to their shelves. Later, he explained why refreshment is a key selling point for Goldthread and why he believes that schizandra berry will emerge as the next “big” functional ingredient.

Goldthread, Fuze, Nos, BodyArmor, Core, Adrenaline Shoc, Cali’flour Foods, Ripple Foods, Van Leeuwen, Halo Top, UnReal, From The Ground Up

Insider Ep. 75: When Building A Brand Means Creating A New Category

The top podcasts for food and beverage professionals, BevNET’s Taste Radio and Taste Radio Insider feature 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.  

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