Weekly Pickups: Fancy Food Edition ✨
Ft. Fred Hart
Welcome back to Weekly Pickups!
Two days later, and we’re still coming down from the high of the Summer Fancy Food Show 2025. As always, this show reminded us just how lucky we are to work in CPG—it felt far more like a reunion than “work.”
In our ✨ humble opinions ✨, trade show trends are overrated. Just because we’re seeing innovation in a certain category does not mean that it’s “trending,” nor is it indicative of consumer preferences. Instead, we like to call out themes. Call it semantics, we call it accurate reporting. 🫡
With that being said, here are some of the themes we noticed throughout the show →
🧂 Sauce, Spice, and Everything Nice Every other aisle had a new condiment. Legacy brands leaving shelves + consumers craving convenient flavor = condiment explosion. These products punch up any dish with minimal effort and let home cooks explore global cuisines one squeeze at a time.
Standout brands: Monte's, Hot N Saucy, Aaji’s (see below ◡̈), Sourcery, Sababa Foods (Saturday Sauce), Tari, Hold the Pickle
👨🍳 Restaurant (and Chef) to Retail Pipeline Chefs and restaurants are bringing their magic to grocery stores like never before. These aren't cash grabs—they're thoughtful translations of restaurant expertise for home kitchens, making Michelin-starred flavors accessible to all.
Standout brands: Zucker's Bagels, Phoenicia Diner (best pancake mix we’ve ever tried), Ripi (insane ravioli made by Top Chef’s Joe Sasto), Zahav
🍰 Dessert Is So Back
The past few years, we saw a lot of “diet” products or “guilt-free” takes on our favorite sweets and baked goods. This year, dessert was back in its OG form—with a focus on real ingredients you can find in your own kitchen (like butter, “real” sugar, eggs) and none of the cutting-corners stuff.
Standout brands: Byte’M Brownie Bites, Lexington Bakes (always), Fat Witch Bakery, La Gringuita, Mike’s Philly Fluff
And now onto the fun stuff…some of our favorite finds of the show! All of these picks were new products to each of us! It is a discovery show after all.
Let’s get into it →
Nate’s Finds
Figa Foods
What is it? Brazilian superfood bars made from Cupuaçu (chocolate's cousin) - just three ingredients plus Brazilian-inspired toppings, naturally sweetened with dates.
Why I loved it. You wouldn't know this isn't chocolate. I actually had the pleasure of meeting with the founder, Ariel Altman, a few months ago where she gave me a little dime bag of v.0.0.0 of Figa. Sketchy right? Back then I was impressed with the product, and today even more impressed. It's good, really good.
Buttermints
What is it? Handcrafted butter mints in 20+ flavors made with just butter, pure cane sugar, and natural flavorings - no artificial ingredients or colors
Why I loved it. When I say these melt in your mouth, they MELT. Apparently I've been having butter mints (aka dinner mints) all my life without even knowing what they are. But these, these are something else. They also have 20+ different flavors so if you're not feeling minty you can crush a key lime pie or a coffee.
Long Weekend
What is it? Freeze-dried soups inspired by Japan's everyday staple. Just add hot water.
Why I loved it. Freeze-dried soup is apparently huge in Japan and these guys are betting Americans are ready for it too. Honestly, after trying their soups (especially the carrot ginger), I get why. Jenna and I are aligned on this one. The reconstitution is shockingly good and the flavors are bold.
Natural Blonde
What is it? Award-winning Golden Mary mix made from hand-picked golden tomatoes, fresh vegetables, and all-natural ingredients - no tomato paste, lower acid, lower sodium.
Why I loved it. Finally, we have a bloody mary mix that won't leave you reaching for antacids. It's made with four whole tomatoes per bottle and zero tomato paste, making it the least acidic mix I've tried. If you care about simple ingredients and very few additives, this is for you. I could crush a couple Bloody Marys made with this.
Pie Collective
What is it? Michigan-based frozen pie company that celebrates the collective of people behind their pies
Why I loved it. I've been saying this to anyone who'll listen. Frozen food is good, frozen means quality now. And these frozen pies from the Pie Collective (amazing name) You wouldn't know it came from frozen. This was one of the few bites at the show where I legit said wow unprompted.
Honorable Mentions (no booth, still faves)
La Gringuita - insanely good frozen cookies
Tru cinnamon - cinnamon-infused water?! yes please
Sourmilk - yummy probiotic yogurt
Jenna’s Finds
Aaji’s Tomato Lonsa
What is it? A traditional coastal Indian recipe of slow-cooked fresh tomatoes with bright seasoning and a smidge of jaggery for sweetness. This is one of those products that doesn’t fit neatly into a single-word category—it can be enjoyed alone, or as a sauce, dip, richly savory base to a dish… you name it.
Why I loved it: During the show, we had the chance to walk around with the incredible Whole Foods Forager, Holly Long! Holly was so excited to show us some of her favorite Whole Foods brands—and Aaji’s was at the top of her list. Rajus and Poorva, the wonderful co-founders (a Philly-based husband-and-wife duo), shared the story of Aaji’s—from the first time Poorva met Rajus’s parents and tried lonsa, to early farmers markets days and now watching customers find countless creative ways to use their products.
We tried the whole lineup of lonsas and loved every single bite. This product is complex—bright, umami, acidic, lightly sweet—the easiest single addition to turn any meal into a restaurant-quality creation.
LiveLoud Foods
What is it? Boldly seasoned, gourmet candied nuts. If you read that and thought “Okay, but I’ve had candied nuts before,” I challenge you to try LiveLoud. I apologize in advance—you’re about to gaslight yourself.
Why I loved it: This is one of the last things I tried at Fancy Food, and oh boy did I go out with a bang. Nate encouraged me to stop by this booth, and truth be told, I almost didn’t—my internal monologue was something like, how good can nuts be? Answer: mind-bogglingly good. Founder Chef Keesha O’Galdez (a former Chopped contestant and personal chef!) applied every drop of her culinary education to her hand-crafted, nutty creations. The Caribbean Jerk Nuts—featuring scotch bonnet pepper, allspice, cinnamon, smoked paprika, and a touch of maple syrup and coconut sugar—took my taste buds on a flavor adventure. They are perfectly crunchy, deeply savory, and subtly sweet. A+ all around.
For fellow vegetarian friends: These would be a fantastic replacement for meat on a charcuterie board! They hit every umami note and would pair stunningly with cheese.
Niramaya
What is it? I was first introduced to Niramaya three years ago, when I started the Shelfies program as the Managing Editor at Startup CPG! Niramaya won a Shelfie for their incredible Indian dips—and since then, founder Mehek has brilliantly expanded into the snack category with these game-changing Naan Pretzels.
Niramaya’s grain-free Naan Pretzels are inspired by Indian flavors like Jalepeno Chutney, Tandoori BBQ, and Sweet Jalebi (my personal fave—they taste just like funnel cake!).
Why I loved it: I definitely didn’t think I could still be surprised (and delighted) by pretzels, but Niramaya proved me wrong. I have absolutely no idea how Mehek so expertly crafted these utterly addicting pretzels without any of the top 9 allergens, but she did—and now, anyone can get in on the delightfully crunchy, flavor-packed fun. I especially love how the seasoning is in the batter of the pretzels, so you can snack without fear of spice-caked fingers.
Besides trying my new favorite pretzels, the best part of this booth was the people behind it! Mehek, of course, and another wonderful founder friend, Delaney Berman! Delaney is the co-founder of my favorite gourmet, plant-based spreadable cheese: Prophecy Foods! Can’t wait to see Prophecy hit the FFS floor in the future :)
Doosra
What is it? A sweet-and-spicy modern take on Indian snack mix. A base of crispy spiced chickpea puffs speckled with crunchy roasted nuts and either rich dark chocolate or caramelized white chocolate.
Why I loved it: This was another brand rec from Whole Foods’ own, Holly Long! We had the pleasure of sampling the product with its founder, Kartik, who took us on a true culinary journey. As we sampled a “shot” of the snack mix, he narrated exactly what we should be experiencing—”first crunchy, a little spicy, then you’ll get a punch of savory, followed by a hit of rich sweetness from the chocolate…”—and his timing was spookily spot on. This snack mix really does hit every note. It’s sweet, savory, spicy, crunchy…satisfying any snack craving all in one beautiful bag.
Kartik is also just an incredible founder who I had the pleasure of getting to know over an after-show dinner. He’s thought through every tiny detail of this brand, down to its sweet mascot (check out the story here).
Honorable Mentions
Waza Waza - Pre-launch. Vegan dips in gorgeous global flavors like Tom Yum Bean Dip and Caribbean Pink Bean Dip. I love dips. I love beans. I love global flavors.
Jozo - Barrel-aged tamari—the ultimate umami bomb, making restaurant-quality cooking accessible at home.
Tru Cinnamon - Pre-launch. Cinnamon-infused water. So simple, but so refreshing and luxe.
Frost Buttercream - Bakery-quality frosting so ridiculously delicious, it will make you question if that red-lidded shelf-stable stuff should even be called “frosting” at all.
Loopini Pizza - High-protein, lupini-based, frozen pizza. I went back for seconds…and thirds…
✨ Special Guest ✨ Fred Hart!
We're excited to feature Fred Hart in this week's Weekly Pickups! Fred is a CPG powerhouse who's been shaping the industry from every angle—as an investor, advisor, and entrepreneur. Currently, he's a design strategist and creative director, where he helps emerging brands navigate the wild world of consumer packaged goods.
You might have caught Fred at the Fancy Food Show (where we did!), and if you've ever wondered how CPG brands actually make it from kitchen to shelf, Fred's your guy. He's worked with countless founders to scale their businesses and has an uncanny ability to spot the next big thing before it hits mainstream.
Let’s hear what he saw!👇
Some of the best bites I had at the show came from Brooklyn Dumpling Shop. Korean BBQ beef, cheeseburger, chicken parm — all stuffed into dumplings. In a frozen aisle currently embracing authentic Asian heritage, this brand brings full-on fusion energy. It’s indulgent, savory, and totally imaginative, wrapping American comfort foods in an Asian format. With several NYC storefronts already established, their leap into grocery feels like a natural — and very fun — next step.
Carnal was one of the most elevated meat snack brands at the show. Created by two NYC chefs, the products feature ingredients like black garlic, shiitake, and spring onion, delivering bold, chef-caliber depth in a jerky format. The branding leans into the idea of fire and time — a smoldering gradient and scorched wordmark bring the concept to life. It’s primal, elegant, and a major upgrade to the gas station meat stick.
Check Check is a prebiotic rice water rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, with Dawn and Dusk SKUs designed to support liver and kidney function. The brand has a strong following in Hong Kong and is now entering the U.S. with a look that blends wellness, beauty, and CPG aesthetics. The booth was a standout, and the positioning — culturally rooted, visually modern — made it one of the most compelling beverage debuts at the show.
Brain Pop was one of the most inspiring finds, thanks to both its formulation and its founder’s story. After a traumatic brain injury, Sierra set out to create a functional drink focused on cognitive health. The result is a clean, smart blend of amino acids, vitamins, botanically sourced caffeine, and creatine — a gym-world staple now gaining attention for its brain-boosting benefits. Mission-led and backed by Cornell’s venture group, Brain Pop stands out with substance and purpose.
Sky Bar is a retro chocolate bar that still hits. First launched in the 1930s by Necco and now made in a small Massachusetts candy shop, it features four chocolate-filled compartments: caramel, vanilla, peanut, and fudge. Basically, four candy bars in one. With its variety and nostalgic format, it feels ready for a modern TikTok moment — a legacy treat built for re-discovery.
If you want to share a brand you’re loving for us to review, or if you have the perfect special guest in mind, email us: nate@expresscheckout.co and jenna@expresscheckout.co :)