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PepsiCo launches second year of its brand incubator program.

By Screen Chow on May 15, 2018

PepsiCo today announced the second year of its Nutrition Greenhouse incubator scheme, an initiative designed to discover and nurture breakthrough brands in the food and beverage sector.

pepsi incubator

Issuing an open call for entrepreneurs to apply, PepsiCo is seeking to identify up to ten emerging brands in the nutrition space with products aimed at European consumers.

The selected companies will receive €20,000 in funding as well as the opportunity to work alongside experts from some of PepsiCo’s leading brands including Quaker, Alvalle, Sunbites and Tropicana. Brands currently delivering sales of €5 million or less are invited to find out more.

In addition to the initial €20,000 grant, each of the entrepreneurs selected will benefit from a six-month mentorship programme, featuring one-on-one pairing with PepsiCo executives. At the end of the scheme, one winning company will be awarded a €100,000 prize to continue its expansion.

The initiative, which launched last year, has seen eight companies achieve estimated combined growth of over €10 million – a fourfold increase in sales over its duration. Brands which were selected last year included makers of insect snacks, seaweed protein and Nordic birch water.

Year two will include a broader focus on nutrition beyond health and wellness, towards brands that tap into key lifestyle trends, enable personal performance or are purpose-driven.

Juan Ignacio Amat, vice president of nutrition for PepsiCo Western Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, said: “We are delighted to be returning with our Nutrition Greenhouse programme for a second year. Our overarching goal remains the same – to partner with the best and brightest food and beverage entrepreneurs in Europe and give them the opportunity to bring their products to the world on a global scale.

Kraft Heinz reveals five brands chosen for its incubator initiative

By Screen Chow on May 14, 2018

Brands of biltong, sauerkraut and antioxidant lemonade are among the start-ups selected by Kraft Heinz to join its Springboard incubator programme.

poppilu kraftheinz

The initiative, which was launched in March, aims to nurture, scale, and accelerate the growth of five disruptive brands, bringing them closer entrepreneurs, new ideas and consumer trends.

Over the course of the next 16 weeks, the selected start-ups will participate in a programme composed of learning, funding, infrastructure access, and mentorship in Chicago.

The brands in full

Ayoba-Yo – has introduced a nutritious alternative to traditional beef jerky and meat sticks, fearing a 14-day air-drying process.
Cleveland Kraut – makes a range of sauerkrauts and now aims to expand in other sectors.
Kumana – is best known for its signature Venezuelan-inspired avocado sauce and is a Los Angeles-based brand creating original sauces representing diverse flavours from different regions of the world.
Poppilu – a Chicago-based antioxidant lemonade brand which has created beverages with Midwest-grown aronia berries, one of the highest antioxidant fruits in the world.
Quevos – has developed a range of salty and crunchy egg-white crisps that are low in carbs and fat, and high in protein.

Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey introduce new bourbon

By Screen Chow on April 11, 2018

Campari Group-owned bourbon brand Wild Turkey has continued its collaboration with Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey to launch Wild Turkey Longbranch.

Inspired by McConaughey’s Kentucky and Texas roots, the small-batch Kentucky bourbon is refined with Texas mesquite and oak charcoals – a method that is said to deepen the flavour and complexity of the whiskey.

Wild Turkey Longbranch

This launch marks the first time Wild Turkey has unveiled a product that bears a signature of someone other than master distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell.

Wild Turkey Longbranch is the latest collaboration to come from the multi-year partnership with Academy Award-winning actor McConaughey.

McConaughey, who has served as the brand’s creative director since 2016, has worked behind the camera and in front of it in television commercials to reintroduce the world to Wild Turkey. Campari said the name of Longbranch is inspired by the friends that form the longest branches of family trees.

To create Longbranch’s flavour, McConaughey and Eddie Russell spent hours sharing notes, then, after two years of testing, perfected a proprietary process that combines two separate charcoal filtration methods to give it a “smooth and full finish”.

The first filtration process uses charcoal made from American white oak and the second uses charcoal made from Texas mesquite wood, which is said to give the bourbon notes of smoky sweetness.

Made with eight-year-old Wild Turkey bourbon, Wild Turkey Longbranch is said to have flavours of caramel, pear, and hints of citrus.

McConaughey said: “Longbranch, in its simplest form, is an extended hand, inviting a friend into your family. So the branch that was extended to me from the Russells was a long one, one that reached from Kentucky to Texas and back again. I offered the mesquite from my great state to add to their legendary Kentucky whiskey and together we made Longbranch.”

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Posts from the ‘foodbev.com’ category

PepsiCo launches second year of its brand incubator program.

Kraft Heinz reveals five brands chosen for its incubator initiative

Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey introduce new bourbon