Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford

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Many  founders sense something is getting in the way of their growth. They just can’t put their finger on what it is.
My guest today is Janessa Rutter, founder of Bask & Co., a Coeliac Australia-endorsed breakfast and snack company. Three years ago, Janessa was on the show with 40 stockists and baking her own product. Today she has 650 stockists nationally, including 300 Woolworths supermarkets and a co-manufacturer.
In this episode, Janessa and I talk about what actually changed  and what had to change, inside and out, before the business could scale. We get into her ADHD diagnosis, what it explained about the imposter syndrome and rejection sensitivity she'd been carrying for years, and why that single realisation was the moment everything shifted.
We also talk about the decision to step out of production, how niching into the coeliac community changed her ranging conversations with buyers, and why systems aren't boring;  they're the business.
If you face personal challenges that get in the way of building a scaling business, 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:
Bask & Co website
Episode #75 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome to Land More Accounts
NFTC website
NFTC LinkedIn page
Your Free Pitch Plan
Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider
Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter
Season 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

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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 website
Naishad Dalal LinkedIn
Stickybeak Station & People’s Choice Award at Foodpreneurs Festival
NFTC website
NFTC LinkedIn page
Your Free Pitch Plan
Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider
Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter
Season 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

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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 website
Tastebuddies Instagram
NFTC website
NFTC LinkedIn page
Your Free Pitch Plan
Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider
Grab Your Foodpreneurs Festival Ticket
Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter
Season 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

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 website
Mirko Bonmassar LinkedIn
BiteBack Awards webpage
Hyro website
NFTC website
NFTC LinkedIn page
Your Free Pitch Plan
Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider
Grab Your Foodpreneurs Festival Ticket
Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter
Season 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

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 website
NFTC website
NFTC LinkedIn page
Your Free Pitch Plan
Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Insider
Grab Your Foodpreneurs Festival Ticket
Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter
Season 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