[00:00:10] Ray Latif: Hello, friends, and thanks for tuning in to the number one podcast for the food and beverage industry, Taste Radio. I'm Ray Latif, the editor and producer of Taste Radio, and I'm with my BevNET and Nosh colleagues, John Craven, Jacqui Brugliera, and Mike Schneider. Just a reminder, if you like what you hear on Taste Radio, please share the podcast with friends and colleagues. And of course, we would love it if you could review us on the Apple Podcasts app or your listening platform of choice. Well, we are home. We are home after nine days, in some cases, 10 days from our events in Santa Monica, Ruban Live, Nosh Live, and BevNET Live. Being there is awesome. It's exhilarating. It's also exhausting, which is why I'm kind of happy to be home. It's one of those things where, like, I miss the action. I miss the excitement. But at the same time, you need that downtime. You need time to get away from all the planning, preparation, execution that went into all the events. And I know, John Craven, you always talk about the end of the events as being bittersweet. And it's a perfect word for the last day of DevNet Live after all the other days of all the other events.
[00:01:23] West Coast: Thanks, Ray. Yeah, no, it's always weird that it comes down a lot quicker than it went up, so to speak. So yeah, but I think it was really awesome to be back with all these folks from all different parts of the industry and country in one place. And I think everyone was just in a happy mood because of that. Really appreciate everyone who tuned in or joined us in person. Really was great to, great to be back. And hopefully we're on a track to doing a lot more of those in 2022. So.
[00:01:58] Taste Radio: Yeah, it was awesome just being connected to everyone online for the last two years and sliding into people's DMs, connecting through Instagram, connecting through Insider, Elevator Talk, all of the things that we've been doing online to finally see some faces and put faces to brand names and actually having to have a conversation beyond a text message or an email. It was awesome and it was great to see just a variety of founders, new brands that we didn't even know existed, that popped out of the woodworks. That's what these events are for. It's for discovery, it's for meeting new people and reconnecting. So it was a great experience.
[00:02:39] Brewbound Live: I was initially walking up to people, when I couldn't hear them, I was like, you're on mute. You're on mute. At first, I forgot how to network, but it came back pretty fast.
[00:02:48] Ray Latif: It's funny you guys say that, and especially you, Jackie, because one of the funniest things that happened when I was at the events, was when people would come up to me and be like, Ray, you're taller than I thought you would be. It's because I'm sitting down, I have been sitting down these Zoom meetings for two years. And I guess people think I'm, I don't know, five, eight, five, nine or something like that. I'm six feet tall. They just think that you're head and shoulders, right? You know, apparently so. Also, some people seem to think I look like this character named Roy Kent, Ted Lasso. Folks, I've looked, I don't watch too much Ted Lasso, but I've seen pictures of the guy that plays that character, Roy Kent. OK, similar hair, maybe similar beard. They're both dark, both black hair, both black beard. I don't look like that, dude, other than he's there.
[00:03:39] Brewbound Live: He's every bleeping relative relative. just start growling at pe Didn't you just say I'm p to be a footballer.
[00:03:56] Ray Latif: I me Kent is as close as you'r No, no offense to the ac Smaller eyes. I was gonna say beady eyes, but I wanna say beady eyes. He has smaller eyes than I do, okay? So, folks, I appreciate the fact that you think I look like a celebrity, quote-unquote celebrity, but I don't look like this dude, all right?
[00:04:18] Brewbound Live: He's definitely a celebrity.
[00:04:19] Ray Latif: His name is Brett Goldstein. All right. All right. I just got that off my chest. But all joking aside, it was really awesome to see people in person. I've met literally dozens and dozens of people virtually via our Elevator Talk series over the past two years and to shake their hands.
[00:04:38] Brewbound Live: You've met hundreds of people. You can say that.
[00:04:41] Ray Latif: Okay. Hundreds.
[00:04:42] Brewbound Live: Yeah.
[00:04:42] Ray Latif: But to see them in person and shake their hands, give them a hug, you know, it was such an amazing moment for every single moment that had happened, every single time that it happened. Someone that I met at BevNET Live that I've been meaning to meet in person for a long time is Shailen Haywood, who is the co-founder of a brand called Gensation. Oh, me too. Shaylin is not only an incredible person, she's an outstanding formulator. You know, we talked about her brand, which participated or Shaylin participated in a previous edition of our New Beverage Showdown competition. And I told her what I experienced, you know, the first time I tried this product and I mean, obviously trying it at the event as well. This is the best tasting ginger centric product that I've ever had. It is incredible. And she has four different varieties. The one I'm holding in my hand is their Cherry Delight. variety. What's inside the bottle is extraordinary to me anyway, in my opinion. And I told her, you know, with a few tweaks on the outside of the bottle with the packaging and the label, you know, she's got a bona fide hit on her hands. I think she has a bona fide hit anyway, but I mean, a few tweaks in the packaging, I think she's on her way to some great things. But, you know, Shaylin, so great to see you. And thanks again for sharing.
[00:05:51] Brewbound Live: If we had an award for it, she would be a shoe in for The Most enthusiastic attendee of BevNET Live ever. I mean, she was, She had this full understanding that, you know, she was in the New Beverage Showdown and she did the virtual New Beverage Showdown and she was just like taking in the whole showdown and trying to like channel what it would be like to be up on stage. And then she just ran the table in the audience. I would guess that there wasn't a person at the event that she did not meet. She was a networking machine. Like she was incredible out there.
[00:06:25] Ray Latif: That's how to do it. That's absolutely how to do it.
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[00:07:15] Ray Latif: Another person I met at the show who I'd also met via ElevatorHop virtually is Dean Ernst, who's one of the co-founders of Essential Candy. Essential Candy participated in a Nautious Pitch Slam 11 competition. This is a great brand. Also, you know, one that could use some packaging tweaks. I think this is something the judges brought up, but Essential Candy, a maker of all natural hard candy infused with essential oils. When you see someone for the first time, and it was a really special moment meeting Dean and really hearing his passion for his brand and what he's been doing and seeing the struggle and everything that's gone into launching his brand. Congratulations on everything you've done to this point, Dean, and hope to catch up with you again really soon.
[00:07:56] Taste Radio: Another founder that I got to catch up with was Shelly Marshall from True Scoops. She was so enthusiastic, so excited to just share the story about True Scoops, which is ice cream mix, which you don't need a mixer. It's very simple ingredients and very clean packaging. And she just was jumping on any opportunity. She was excited to be there, just a sponge for information. And she was just so excited to just take everything and run with it after the show. So it was excited to meet her.
[00:08:27] Ray Latif: Yeah, really cool brand. Also in the Notch Pitch Slam where you make your own ice cream. It's a dry ice cream mix that you mix with half and half and it's already flavored. So I think they've got a strawberry vanilla. I'm gonna say there's a butterscotch flavor as well. She's based in Massachusetts, so Shelly, whenever you have an opportunity, please come visit us at BevNET headquarters. Let's mix some ice cream together in our kitchen. I'd love for that to happen. That would be a great video.
[00:08:52] Taste Radio: Yeah, great Instagram op.
[00:08:53] West Coast: Making ice cream. I like it, yeah.
[00:08:55] Ray Latif: You know, one other person that we've met in person a number of times, but who I would consider to be one of the great friends to everyone in the food and beverage industry is Stephanie Haughey from Whole Foods, one of The Most connected people you will ever meet. She's so involved in early stage brands and helping entrepreneurs build awareness and gain awareness to industry publications like ours, as well as the industry as a whole, via LinkedIn, via Instagram. I don't know, I mean, it seemed like every single person that saw Stephanie was like, oh my gosh, Stephanie, it's so great to see you, gave her a big hug. She's just one of The Most wonderful people that I've ever met, really. Forget about the food and beverage industry, just one of The Most wonderful people I've ever met. And she brought with her a couple brands. She brought these on the trip to LA. She brought these brands with her on behalf of the owners of these brands to show to me and to show to the Taste Radio team. One of which is a brand called Nemi, which makes a line of cactus sticks. Nemi was also featured on Elevator Talk over the past year. Really interesting brand of snacks made from cactus. The founder and CEO is Regina Trillo. Nemby recently underwent a brand revamp. And Stephanie was like, Ray, you need to see this brand revamp. Tell me what you think. And I think it looks pretty fantastic. I don't know if you guys have had a chance to try these. I'll bring some to you all.
[00:10:18] Brewbound Live: No, and I just want to say, Stephanie, if you give it to Ray, there's no chance that the Taste Radio team is coming. Not true. Not true.
[00:10:25] Ray Latif: I'll bring these to the office for sure. Stephanie also brought me a new brand or a brand of granola that I'm not familiar with called Nana Joes's. It's made in San Francisco. They make grain-free granola. The one I'm holding in my hand is their paleo chocolate cheer variety. It's made with peppermint, chocolate, and pistachio. This looks pretty darn great. Nana Joes's. I like how they have the picture of what appears to be Nana Joes on the front of the front of the package. It's like this old black and white photo, which actually lists the date that it was taken in November of 67. So I just need to read more about Nana Joes's, but what I see in the little window looks pretty damn delicious. So I don't know, Stephanie, I don't know what else to say about you other than the fact that you're the best.
[00:11:19] Brewbound Live: I mean, I have one more thing to say about Stephanie. Thanks for handing me Waju sparkling wellness water and for introducing to the founder as well. I mean, hopefully we'll just, you know, we'll get to see these brands at future shows because the products certainly that Stephanie hands you are always tasty and innovative. Absolutely.
[00:11:39] Ray Latif: I mentioned the Nosh Pitch Slam and the New Beverage Showdown. Just a quick shout out and congratulations to the winner of all the competitions over the course of the events. Those include Funky Funkytown Brewery, which won our Brewbound Pitch Slam. Cocotta, which is a maker of coconut spreads. So good. Yeah, which won. Both of those are so good. Absolutely. Our Nosh Pitch Slam. Golden Rule, the winner of the Cocktail Showdown 2, Bevernett's Cocktail Showdown 2, and of course, Hayo, the winner of Bevernett's New Beverage Showdown. Some really, really great brands in all these competitions. Not easy at all for these brands to achieve that level of champion, but as I mentioned, you know, at the end of the New Beverage Showdown, we've seen a lot of brands participate in these competitions, not win, not win the showdown, the pitch slam, And end up being incredible brands in their own right, namely Super Coffee, which was 2021 brand of the year, which did not win the showdown that it was involved in. Athletic Brewing is another great example of this. Athletic Brewing participated in the, in the Brewbound Pitch Slam three years ago, and it was named Brewbound's Craft Brewer of the Year for 2021. So. There's a lot to be said about brands that actually do win these contests. Then there's also a lot to be said about brands that don't.
[00:13:03] Taste Radio: These brands also come away with some amazing feedback. I know Poppy, which is Mother Beverage, when they won the New Beverage Showdown, they've gone through a lot of iterations of their product, notably, obviously, a name change and a rebrand. Doka Beer also participated in the Brewbound Pitch Slam and then came back for another round. implementing some feedback that they received from the judges. So it's great to see these brands continually evolve and iterate and learn from the industry and also learn from their consumers.
[00:13:35] Brewbound Live: Yeah, young one leaves Doki beer. The kimchi sour was definitely a hit and I know that the brew bound judges had a tough time choosing a champion there. There were so many great products.
[00:13:46] Ray Latif: Absolutely Ryan Galang, who's on our AV team at kimchi sour. He was holding on to that bottle. He definitely hoarded it gold like it was filled with liquid gold. He wouldn't let that thing go.
[00:14:00] Taste Radio: Here's the ultimate brand rap.
[00:14:02] West Coast: John Craven got more than his fair share of it as well. Yeah, it's pretty good stuff. Definitely appreciate a beer like that with some interesting ingredients and tastes really great.
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[00:15:05] Ray Latif: Yeah, another brand that participated in the New Beverage Showdown a few years back was a brand called, or is a brand called, Ugly Drinks. Ugly Drinks, a maker of flavored sparkling water. Sure, our listeners are familiar. We've talked about this brand quite a few times on this show. Co-founded by Hugh Thomas. Now, Hugh And a beautiful post on linkedin or pen beautiful posts on linkedin and instagram about his recent decision to step down as ceo of the company after seven years. The response to those posts were really incredible it almost seems like you. Who was one of The Most beloved or is one of The Most Beloved Person in the food and beverage industry if i just look right now. At the reactions, there were 4,000. There are currently 4,652 reactions. Those are those likes, loves. Yeah, how many of those are hearts, Ray?
[00:16:00] Brewbound Live: Over 300, I believe. He's got more hearts on his posts The Most of us get likes. Yeah.
[00:16:06] Ray Latif: That's crazy. 575 comments. 575 comments. It's incredible. It's like a standing ovation. So he's stepping down to a standing ovation on LinkedIn. Really incredible stuff. John, you've known Hugh forever. And when I think about the reasons that he talked about to step down, it's just he's looking forward to his next adventure, so to speak. He's looking forward to taking some time off. He's talked openly about mental health and the burnout that comes with being an entrepreneur. I get the sense that this is something that has been coming.
[00:16:42] West Coast: Yeah, I mean, I don't think anyone who knows you is probably all that surprised, you know, they're probably shocked by it. But you know, I think reading his post, you know, it's hard to argue with, with that stuff. Recognizing when a situation isn't right for you is kind of part of life. I think it's maybe a little more unique in that it's a company that he co-founded. But a lot of stuff changes in the 7 years he worked on it. Props to him for making the move and realizing it's time to step away. I'm sure it's tough and bittersweet for him, but he's somebody who, I think to Mike's point with all the reactions, certainly there's plenty of people rooting for him just as there were when the brand launched. So I'm sure he'll go on to great things.
[00:17:35] Brewbound Live: You talk about him being beloved, and I think the reason that he is so beloved is that you always feel like you're the only one in the room when you're talking to him. I mean, he's the kind of person who is locked on, very genuinely interested in what you're doing, and it's very easy to have a conversation with him about any number of topics, because he is such a Renaissance guy.
[00:18:02] Ray Latif: There was someone that pointed out on LinkedIn recently about this glamorization of hustle culture. You know, he's someone that definitely does not do that and has not done that. And I think there's something to be said about that, which is, you know, know when you need to take a break. and know when you need to step away. And Hugh's a great example for all of us, not just entrepreneurs. I think he's someone that makes it safer, makes it easier for you to say, look, I need a break. And I thank him for doing that. And we all know he's going to go and do some great things. He already has done a great thing in creating the brand Ugly Drinks. I mean, I can't think of many more like exciting brands that I've seen over the past seven years in Ugly. So Hugh, cheers to you and hope to see you again really soon.
[00:18:47] Brewbound Live: I'm definitely glad to hear that he's taken some time. His family is a huge priority. He hasn't seen them in a very, very long time. And I know he's planning to reconnect with them in Canada and then also with with friends that are very important to him and that he's been estranged from, you know, I mean, in a lot of ways. He left a great support system in both Wales and, and in England and friends that he hung out with all the time to solely come to New York by himself and blaze the trail and, you know, he and I have talked a lot about leadership styles and. things that are important when running a company. And I think that I'm always triggered by, as I hear, I see a lot of people post about hard work and I think hard work is overrated. It's smart work that is really to be valued. And I'm starting to see a lot more people, particularly Gen Z, who is coming along and reinventing the way that people work, value smart work over hard work. That's a really good point.
[00:19:48] Ray Latif: Is he from Wales? I didn't know that. I thought he was from Wales. Yeah, he's Welsh. Ah, I should have guessed. He runs like a Welshman. So I... He'd be like, hey Hugh, what's a curren? All kidding aside, congrats Hugh. And like I said, let's, let's catch up again really soon. Now, a brand and a product that we did not see at NAHJ Live, but I'd love to highlight, is a brand called Natural Delights. They recently launched these new Mini Mejdul Dates. These are made with dates, nut butter, seeds, nuts, fruit, and they're all rolled. Well, this one is rolled in coconut, the one I'm holding in my hand. They're all USD organic. As far as snacks go, this is one of the best. These are some of the best snacks I've had in 2021. I wish I had these all year, but hey, they launched in November, so I guess I should be lucky and happy with what I have now. So thanks so much to Natural Delights.
[00:20:39] Brewbound Live: I've got one quick shout out here and it is to Organifi who has a line of great powders. I've been drinking a lot of the red juice and also the green juice. And what I like about it is, I mean, first of all, the packaging is great. It pops and the side of pack is really, really helpful because there's so many things in it. It's like cordyceps. Siberian ginseng, reishi mushroom, red beet, pomegranate, acai. And then it gives you a summary of what it's supposed to do for you. And then the best part of the package is best served cold. And then they also have some that are best served hot.
[00:21:16] Taste Radio: I've been drinking one green juice a day.
[00:21:18] Ray Latif: Special thanks to our friend Adam Hertel, who's the vice president of sales at the company. Adam Stern us those. And thanks so much for my running buddy. Oh, really? You guys were running together? Yeah, well, sort of. We passed each other. You guys are passing buddies. You passed each other. Still counts. We ran together. I guess. I guess. Yeah. Thanks so much to Adam, who we saw at BevNET Live and anyone who sends us products that keep us healthy and not sick. Thank you so much for doing so. All right, Home Again, thanks so much to everyone we saw at Brewman Live, Nosh Live and BevNET Live. We're going to be doing it all Home Again. Well, Nosh and BevNET, that is, in June of 2022. Registration is now open. You will save money if you sign up now. What's better than saving money? I can't think of many things, so do it. In the meantime, I just want to say thank you to everyone who is listening. Another great episode of Taste Radio, at least in my book. As always, for questions, comments, ideas for future podcasts, please send us an email to ask at Taste Radio. On behalf of that amazing Taste Radio team, I'm Ray Latif, and we'll talk to you next time. Don't call me Roy Kent.
