Imagine a food, drink & pet food packaged goods industry where both small and large players coexist on a level playing field, consumers have choice, there’s int...
#133 How EatKinda’s Cauliflower Ice Cream is Disrupting Freezers & Scaling Smarter
Send us a textScaling a frozen food brand? It’s not for the faint-hearted. Cold chain logistics, merchandising nightmares, and razor-thin margins make it one of the most challenging categories in the game.But Mrinali Kumar, CEO and co-founder of EatKinda, is flipping the script - proving that bold innovation, sustainability, and smart operations can carve out a winning edge.In this episode, Mrinali reveals how EatKinda - the world’s first cauliflower-based ice cream - went from a small-town pitch comp in New Zealand to over 120 retail listings, and garnering international buzz, for its mission to reduce food and plastic waste.And now? They’re exiting NZ (for now!) to go all to focus on the US market.Tune in to learn: 🍦 How cauliflower creates that ultra-creamy, dairy-like texture.🍦 What frozen distribution really costs, and how they lifted margins from 17% to 40%.🍦 How smart use of foodservice data landed them on retail shelves.🍦 The merchandising missteps that almost cost them big.🍦 Why the US is their next frontier - and how they’re making the leap.If you’re building a food or drink brand and want to scale sustainably and profitably, this episode is your playbook.👉 Listen now to hear what it really takes to build a disruptive CPG brand that lasts.This Season of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival - a year’s worth of sales and promotion opportunities under one roof - and Chelsea Ford Co., modernising the CPG industry, one emerging brand at a time.LINKS & RESOURCES:Eat Kinda websiteEat Kinda overseasYour Free Pitch PlanGet Your Foodpreneurs Festival Ticket NowBecome a Chelsea Ford InsiderSeason 13, out now, is 'Operations Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival, your biggest sales & networking opportunity of the year; and Chelsea Ford Co., helping you land more accounts, get your product into more consumers’ hands, and put more money in your pocket.
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#132 Plant-Based Milk, Powered by Data: How Drink Nimbus is Disrupting the Industry & Tackling Waste
Send us a textAlexandra Bekker, founder of Drink Nimbus, is on a mission to shake up plant-based milk and the sustainability issues that come with it. After a highly successful eCommerce career, she discovered the shocking truth: 138 billion long-life cartons end up in landfill each year. So, she set out to create a better alternative.In this episode, Alexandra shares how she:🌱 Validated her oat milk powder concept through surveys and kitchen trials🛠 Navigated supplier relationships and big MOQs to get production off the ground📈 Built a scalable operational setup that’s taken Drink Nimbus into 100+ stores and countless homes💰 Manages unit economics, cash flow, and digital ad spend with precision🛍️ Avoided the Black Friday discount trap and turned it into a profit winAlexandra’s eCommerce expertise and data-driven mindset make this a must-listen for food and drink brand owners looking to scale profitably.This Season of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival - a year’s worth of sales and promotion opportunities under one roof - and Chelsea Ford Co., modernising the CPG industry, one emerging brand at a time.LINKS & RESOURCES:Drink Nimbus websiteYour Free Pitch PlanGet Your Foodpreneurs Festival Ticket NowBecome a Chelsea Ford InsiderSeason 13, out now, is 'Operations Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival, your biggest sales & networking opportunity of the year; and Chelsea Ford Co., helping you land more accounts, get your product into more consumers’ hands, and put more money in your pocket.
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#131 From Kitchen to Retail: How Six-Eyed Scorpion Crispy Chilli Oil is Winning Shelf Space
Send us a textSandra Seah, founder of Six-Eyed Scorpion, has built a premium, seriously flavourful crispy chilli oil brand that’s shaking up the condiment aisle. Voted #1 chilli oil by Gourmet Traveller, her range blends bold Singaporean flavours with top-tier Australian ingredients - and retailers are taking notice.For episode 131, fresh off landing in Harris Farm Markets, I spoke to Sandra about how she’s scaling smartly, ensuring profitability while keeping quality at the forefront. In this episode, we dive into:🔥 The strategic shifts that helped Six-Eyed Scorpion secure retail shelf space🔥 How Sandra balances handcrafted quality with demand planning and distributor relationships🔥 The financial levers she pulls to keep her margins strong and cash flow steady🔥 The power of brand-building - and why she’s prioritising it over launching new products🔥 The logistics and supplier strategies that keep her operation running smoothlyIf you’re an emerging brand looking to level up your retail game, Sandra’s insights will help you make smarter, more strategic moves.This Season of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival - a year’s worth of sales and promotion opportunities under one roof - and Chelsea Ford Co., modernising the CPG industry, one emerging brand at a time.LINKS & RESOURCES:Six-Eyed Scorpion websiteSix-Eyed Scorpion at Harris Farm MarketsYour Free Pitch PlanGet Your Foodpreneurs Festival Ticket NowBecome a Chelsea Ford InsiderSeason 13, out now, is 'Operations Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival, your biggest sales & networking opportunity of the year; and Chelsea Ford Co., helping you land more accounts, get your product into more consumers’ hands, and put more money in your pocket.
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#130 Burnout to Breakthrough: How Laura Allan Scaled Isaac’s Snacks
Send us a textBurnout is a real challenge in the industry. Many Foodpreneurs start their businesses as a side hustle - juggling production, marketing, sales, packing, and every other task that comes with running a business solo.But it doesn’t have to stand in the way of scaling.For episode 130, I sat down with Laura Allan, founder of Isaac’s Snacks, the wholefood bites brand keeping it real with fewer than 10 ingredients. With 900+ Woolworths stores stocking her products and a strong presence in independents, Laura has built what so many Foodpreneurs dream of. But it hasn’t been easy.Scaling isn’t just about getting more products on more shelves. It’s about navigating MOQs, cashflow pressures, and the hidden costs of retail that no one warns you about. And for Laura, it also meant hitting a breaking point - stuck in the relentless cycle of doing everything herself, until burnout forced her to rethink how she was running the business.In this episode, we unpack:🧇 The real cost of outsourcing to a co-manufacturer, why it’s necessary, but not without its challenges.🧇 How she tackled the financial strain of meeting retailer expectations - because it’s not just about getting on the shelf, it’s about staying there.🧇 The trial-and-error approach to finding the right people so she could focus on growth, not late-night admin.🧇 Why relationships (not just branding) have been the key to her success, and how she’s leveraged partnerships to push through every challenge.🧇 The evolving P&L and cashflow forecast that keeps her in control - because running a food business without a financial strategy is a recipe for disaster.This Season of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival - a year’s worth of sales and promotion opportunities under one roof - and Chelsea Ford Co., modernising the CPG industry, one emerging brand at a time.LINKS & RESOURCES:Isaac's Snacks websiteYour Free Pitch PlanGet Your Foodpreneurs Festival Ticket NowBecome a Chelsea Ford InsiderSeason 13, out now, is 'Operations Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival, your biggest sales & networking opportunity of the year; and Chelsea Ford Co., helping you land more accounts, get your product into more consumers’ hands, and put more money in your pocket.
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#129 From Side Hustle to Shelf: How Solbevi is Taking on Aperol
Send us a textYou’ve got the vision - but do you have the supply chain to scale it?For episode 129, I sat down with Stefan Di Benedetto, founder of Solbevi, the limoncello spritz brand shaking up the drinks industry across Australia and New Zealand. His goal? Nothing short of global domination.But here’s the reality: scaling a challenger brand isn’t just about a great product, it’s about making smart manufacturing and distribution moves, fast.Stefan’s story is one of relentless ambition, resilience, and strategy. He went from a side hustle in construction to outselling Aperol in key venues, securing Dan Murphy’s, and landing a major NZ retail deal with Super Liquor.But it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, and in this episode, he opens up about:🍋 Why he believes limoncello has the same global potential as Aperol - and how he’s positioning Solbevi to own the ‘yellow bottle’ space.🍋 The unexpected production challenges that came with moving manufacturing to NZ - and what he’s learned from shuffling stock across warehouses to keep up with demand.🍋 How he got stocked in Australia’s biggest liquor retailers (hint: persistence and standout packaging go a long way).🍋 The funding realities of the drinks industry, why he was naïve going in, and what he’s doing differently now to secure investment for expansion.And just before we recorded? He got hit with a massive setback - one that’s going to cost him big. But this ‘drinkpreneur’ who says “things happen for a reason,” is making limoncello out of every lemon he gets served!This episode is for every Foodpreneur navigating the highs and lows of scaling. If you’re pushing for something big but feel the weight of every challenge, Stefan’s story will remind you that the biggest brands don’t just happen, they’re built through hard work and determination.LINKS & RESOURCES:Solbevi websiteSolbevi at Dan Murphy’sVintage Sellers websiteSuper Liquor websiteYour Free Pitch PlanBecome A Foodpreneurs Festival InsiderBecome a Chelsea Ford InsiderSeason 13, out now, is 'Operations Season' and is being presented by Foodpreneurs Festival, your biggest sales & networking opportunity of the year; and Chelsea Ford Co., helping you land more accounts, get your product into more consumers’ hands, and put more money in your pocket.
Imagine a food, drink & pet food packaged goods 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 & CPG 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 food, drink & pet food CPG business to grow, become more profitable and thrive.Learn more at www.chelseaford.com .
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