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This Week in CPG 11/03/25
🛒 Retail Rollouts
🥫 SIMPLi brings Regenerative Organic Certified® beans to Wegmans
SIMPLi, co-founded by Matthew Cohen and Sarela Herrada, has landed its Regenerative Organic Certified® Black Beans, Kidney Beans, and Chickpeas in select Wegmans Food Markets locations. The rollout marks another milestone in the brand’s mission to make ethically sourced pantry staples more accessible, and continues its growth in retail as demand for regenerative organic products gains momentum.
🍯 Soom Foods launches nationwide with major retail expansion
Soom Foods, founded by sisters Amy, Shelby, and Jackie Zitelman, has rolled out its best-selling tahini to all Wegmans stores, over 230 Target locations, and more than 230 H-E-B stores. The expansion brings the beloved chef-trusted tahini to thousands of new consumers, and marks a major distribution milestone for the brand, which has long aimed to make its silky-smooth tahini a staple in home kitchens across the U.S.
🥧 Wonder Monday cheesecakes launch nationwide in Kroger
Wonder Monday, co-founded by Candace Wu and Jonathan Weinstein, is now available nationwide in Kroger stores, marking the brand’s first major national launch. After five years of development, their low-sugar, high-protein cheesecakes have found freezer shelf space across the country—fulfilling the founders’ vision of creating a dessert that tastes great and feels good to eat.
🐟 Fishwife expands into all 1,400+ Publix stores
Fishwife, founded by Becca Millstein, has landed in every Publix across the Southeast, bringing its Smoked Salmon with Chili Crisp, Smoked Rainbow Trout, Spicy Tuna, and Tuna in Olive Oil to more than 1,400 stores. The deal is a massive win for the fast-growing tinned seafood brand, expanding its retail presence and aligning with a grocer known for merchandising excellence.
🌿 CauliPuffs snacks now available in over 100 Wegmans stores
CauliPuffs, founded by Joey Rosa and Thai Lan Tran, is now on shelves in more than 100 Wegmans locations with its crunchy, better-for-you snack puffs. The move deepens the brand’s East Coast footprint and supports growing demand for plant-forward snack alternatives in mainstream retail.
🥥 Cha’s Organics coconut rolls ship to Costco Canada
Cha’s Organics, co-founded by Chanaka Kurera and Marise May, has shipped its first truckload of club-sized coconut rolls to Costco Canada, marking a big moment in the company’s expansion into wholesale retail. The new format is the result of extensive product development, packaging redesign, and logistical coordination—making it a proud milestone for the team.
🎯 simplyFUEL expands into Target stores
simplyFUEL, founded by Mitzi Dulan, is now available at Target, joining a retail roster that includes Costco, Sam’s Club, and Walmart. What started in Mitzi’s kitchen—and famously fueled the Kansas City Royals’ World Series win—continues to grow into a national snack brand, known for its high-protein, feel-good treats.
🚀 New Product Launch
🌶️ Auntie Rana’s launches Southeast Asian-inspired condiments
Auntie Rana’s, founded by brothers Amer Rabbi and Syed Khaleque, officially debuted this week with a lineup of authentic Southeast Asian condiments inspired by their mother’s family recipes. The launch includes Naga Garlic Mayo, Smoked Chili Oil, Five Berry Spiced Jam, and Golden Mango Achaar, spotlighting underrepresented regional flavors and rare ingredients—like the Naga Morich chili—while giving back 5% of profits to wildlife conservation efforts.
🤝 Brand Partnerships
🔥 Yellowbird and Bitchin’ Sauce collab on spicy new dips
Yellowbird Foods, co-founded by George Milton and Erin Link, and Bitchin’ Sauce, founded by Starr Edwards, have teamed up to launch two co-branded sauces: Habanero and Serrano. The spicy collabs are rolling out in SoCal Albertsons and Vons, plus select Costco Roadshows in Texas and the Northwest—bringing together two fan-favorite brands known for bold, craveable flavors.
💸 Acquisitions and Investments
💰 Recess raises $30M Series B and names new Co-CEO
Recess, founded by Benjamin Witte, has raised $30 million in a Series B round led by Cavu Consumer Partners, marking the investor’s first beverage deal since Poppi. With CBD beverages now representing less than 1% of its business, Recess is doubling down on its magnesium-based “Mood” line and its Zero Proof mocktails—the #1 RTD mocktail at retail. The raise also comes with a major hire: Kyle Thomas, formerly of Coca-Cola and Bloom, joins as President and Co-CEO to drive the brand’s next phase of growth.
🎉 News to Celebrate
📺 Freestyle Snacks founder Nikki Seaman heads to Shark Tank
Freestyle Snacks, founded by Nikki Seaman, will appear on Shark Tank this Wednesday, November 5 at 10pm ET/PT, spotlighting the fast-growing brand’s innovative take on marinated olives and pickles. With over $5.5M in lifetime sales and placements in 4,500+ stores including Whole Foods, CVS, and Target, the appearance marks a major moment for the Forbes 30 Under 30 alum who’s redefining savory snacks—liquid-free pouches and all.
🍓 LiveMore Superfoods expands internationally
LiveMore Superfoods, co-founded by Julia Klein and Brian Klein, is growing its international presence with launches across the United States, South America, and Australia. Born from a personal mission to make fruit and veggie nutrition convenient and delicious, the brand is scaling up globally from its new Miami HQ under the NUTRISCO umbrella.
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