Founder of Simulate (Nuggs) was arrested on assault and strangulation charges.

Do you still get Simulate in your grocery store? Post acquisition, the brand seemed to have fallen off, their website is non-existent and I’ve tried to source them at different grocers to no avail, pretty sure their brand is no more, even though they did raise upwards of $50 million for their alt-chicken brand. Their founder Ben Pasternak had been notorious for his serial entrepreneurship starting from a young age, he’s also the grandson of a real estate mogul in Australia who has an estimated networth of upwards of $700 million.

After Simulate, he moved on to crypto and founded Believe, a Solana-based platform that lets users buy and trade tokens associated with creators and influencers, he is also facing a civil class-action lawsuit where investors of Believe’s native token are accusing him of orchestrating a rug pull.

Most recently he has been arrested on charges of assault and strangulation.

Over the years a lot of you have compared Snaxshot to Deuxmoi, something I feel honored by to be honest, but the fact that CPG space, in particular food and beverage, actually necessitates constant calling out is concerning. I think about the Better Brand situation, a founder that raised at an insane valuation for a company that succumbed to bad leadership, to this date the company has been sued multiple times, mostly by lendors some who have even accused them of outright fraud.

Ben Pasternak raised over $50M for a company that was shilled as food tech but it was inherently just plant based nuggets and microwavable alt-chicken breast? The fact that we don’t address these companies post-mortem and all that lives on is the puff pieces at Forbes or Bloomberg, misleading a new wave of CPG founders into promises that aren’t necessarily the reality in this industry. The fact that he’s also facing a civil lawsuit around his crypto company, where they are calling him out for fraud, is an example of what happens when we don’t process and digest these founder stories as they are, instead of the hype headlines they usually get, it allows for them to keep perpetuating a narrative of success, but also it makes me question how much of these founders ability to raise and get these headlines comes down to proximitiy to privilege in lieu of due diligence.

The allegations against him are serious, and I think it’s important for it to be noted, unlike the other publications that are linking him just to his famous ex-girlfriend, or to his alleged crypto scam, that he was also operating in CPG and was seemingly able to get away with burning through so much venture money for a brand that ultimately went down with a whimper.

Going to allow for you to share thoughts and wanted to keep this short considering it is a Friday, but this also is something I’ve brought up time and time again on how venture has corrupted CPG, creating these new crop of founders that may have ulterior motives on building companies that are not really creating value in the ecosystem at the end of the day.

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At Wharton, Veronica Rivera, a second year student who is the founder of Sabe (a yummy, clean and convenient salad dressing) helped organize our chat as well as student one on ones where I got to chat everything from their most famous alum in CPG Aimee Yang from Better Bagel, in what ways VC has corrupted CPG, and pitfalls to avoid as an early founder. Was also able to check out their amazing food lab and some student founders like Jessica Zhu from Zen Broth.

• David’s road to $300M in revenue is paved with mixed intentions—

  The brand predicts that it’ll do upwards of $300M in revenue by the end of the year, the key here is in them revealing they are back to selling EPG as part of their business, something they originally had abstained from (and later sued for, it’s important to note all lawsuits have since been dismissed), David expects to sell to both domestic and international companies wanting to use EPG. Their capacity to produce it has 5x as they are not only expanding their retail footprinting from launching at Walmart and now Costco (Texas for now); their ice cream brand is set to launch soon as well, as Nick’s retired their EPG ice cream line, they will be the only brand out there using it now, but not the first.

• Here’s why Target is betting on hemp—

  Walmart continues to beat out Target, not to mention their grocery division eclipses theirs, so I’m not surprised that they’ve expanded into hemp and THC and have now disclosed they are lobbying Congress on policies regarding hemp in food and beverages, something Walmart and Costco shy against for the moment, a good way to gain leverage over your competitors.

  

• Nutella’s new flavor might be it’s savior —

  With cocoa prices being so volatile and prices rising at it’s highest in the last few years, it should come at no surprise that Nutella would launch a peanut flavor as a way to hedge against the cocoa price crisis. I have to give it to them for not succumbing to the pistachio craze, either way nothinig can beat a jar of Pistakio.

• Is Chobani clearing the path for another try at IPO?

  The dairy giant is cleaning up its act by refinancing expensive debt, improving and simplifying their balance sheet, for Chobani it’s all about growth. Capex has nearly doubled, they’ve invested over $1B in bigger factory and expanding product lines, and their EBITDA is rising fast. Though not immediate, a cleaner capital structure is a lot more trustworthy all around, considering their original IPO window was around the time Oatly did theirs, their stock is now 97% down not to mention the lawsuits that came after from investors alleging inflated numbers.

All in good measure, even pasta sauce.

A frustration of mine that I know others can relate to is having to figure out a way to save a half opened can of sauce or paste, not to mention the anxiety around opening a jar of sauce that I only used a quarter off, and now it’s a race to finish it while it remains fresh in the fridge. Monte’s used to have these perfect servings in a bottle, but as they scaled they were forced to get up to standard bottles in retail (makes total sense) so I’m excited to see brands like Silly Witch and Pantry Gems offer solutions like pre-portioned pasta sauce and tomato paste.

Frozen is an interesting leverage to have for a pasta sauce brand, it’s not at all as competitve as shelf in their category, plus frozen is also the biggest segment growing throughout grocery stores, post-pandemic saw many Americans expand their freezers, and it shows no signs of stopping—it also makes it feel fresher than shelf stable, there’s lots of potential for this brand, if they can nail the logistics.

What’s in a trail mix?

The people yearn for savory snacks, I love these two new brands, Wild Board snackified small plates from tapas to mezze and Beest is a crunchy meat brand expanding their lineup with charcuterie trail mix that combines dried meat, puffed cheese and nuts.

Gluten’s return heralds a cake mix renaissance.

Betty Crocker has failed to yassify itself and thus we are seeing a new crop of cake mixes that are not only offering better aesthetics, but cleaner ingredients overall, the category pioneer here has been Ollin and other’s are following closely, Batta is being smart about launching more culturally relevant flavors as well as a cleaner frosting mix.

Productive Scoops—

One stack to rule them all, protein powder is so passé—creatine and colostrum continue to rise in popularity, and Marrow is a smart brand that has just stacked them all in one, convenience will always be king.

New generation espresso tonics.

This isn’t the first time espresso tonic RTDs gain popularity, see the end of the 2010s, but a new wave of them coming at the heels of GenZ’s obsession with iced coffees and espresso martinis and combined it with really fun branding. Esspo, Esspritz and Solzi have launched within months of each other, more will follow.

A solution for those with an egg ick.

Search on Reddit or social media and you will see how many people actually detest the taste of eggs, an upcoming brand Crack’d Up is smart enough to capitalize on that inconvenience, creating a line of flavored eggs that spans from savory to sweet, only in America! This will do numbers at HEB, trust me when I say this.

Are we buying the protein dip?

Recently came across Schmeard, a protein cream cheese brand that recently launched, and this week Little Sesame debuted their “protein hummus”—chickpea brands like dairy ones are capitalizing on adding protein on the label to a product that already has existing protein in itself….

Marks & Spencer is pulling a Foxtrot

I’ve been made aware of Marks and Spencer slowly yassifying their entire private label, that looks more and more like Foxtrot and Trader Joe’s fucked and birth an in between of their styles. From Walmart to Target and Aldi, private label understands that Millennials and GenZ want their groceries with a side of aesthetics.

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Hi everyone,
I’ll be chatting at HBS and Wharton this week and I’m currently writing from the back of an Uber on my way to my hotel in Boston, catch me in Philly later this week, if you’re in town, HMU!

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At one point I had to turn off RSVPs from our partiful because we had a 400+ waitlist on a party that already had 400 RSVPs, mind you this isn’t a convention or conference of sorts…it’s kind of the opposite of that. ’s Cami …

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So many people reached out to me post EXPO asking for my thoughts, and for that you’d had to go back to a post I made a few years ago, titled “What’s in a trend?.” After half a decade of expos, working with the biggest food companies in the world and supporting each new wave of CPG founders, I’ve learned that I’d be doing you a disservice if I were to default to mediaslop unpacking “trends” that’s inherently a recap of what one saw at a convention center.

Two years ago we told you to look out for “fitness fizz” or protein sodas as they would become the next big wave in drinks akin to prebiotics, not to mention the proteinfication of everything, we also warned you beef tallow would become the “it ingredient” and one of our most popular essays was about real dairy making a comeback, highly recommend you read “Pendulum Swung Back”—all of which we saw manifested at this year’s Expo. Needless to say, if you’ve been following along, you don’t really have to go to expos, you’re already in the know.

More importantly, here’s what I’m actually paying attention to in 2026 and why.

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Kim Kardashian joins her Jenner sisters in owning a beverage brand as she announces she’s become co-founder of Update, originally founded by Daniel Solomons, a former investmet banker based in NYC alongside the Hess Family (that one). This story should come to no surprise if you’ve watched the last seasons of Kardashians on Hulu, Kim hasn’t been able to…

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At a time where we complain about slopbowls while we propagate messages like “fiber is the new protein” that have Babybel promoting probiotic protein cheeses and Pepsi unveiling their 10g of protein Doritos to be consumed only by the proteingooners that are delusional enough to pass it as gains, one is left wondering what more can be done in favor of em…

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Half a decade ago—which is an insane couple of words to start this off with, I deep dived into CPG’s fascination with gut health—think of kombucha, the whole probiotic craze, and what started out as supplements offering gut improve…

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On a quest to emulate Julia Child, Greer Hiltabidle came to be dubbed, ‘the GenZ Martha Stewart’ an honor she does not take for granted, but it was a combination of love for French cuisine meets anxiety eventually led Greer to start churning her own butter, eventually becoming Butter Girl NYC. Her unique compound butter flavors like French Onion Soup or Ceasar Salad paired with salt packaged in what looks like dime bags (appropriately labeled “Not Coke”) have the internet craving more—her Kickstarter is only a few weeks old and she’s already over halfway there.

As a new wave of GenZ brands permeate into CPG, Greer takes us on her journey bootstrapping her business, leveraging social media to her advantage as well as her aspirations for her brand.

**There’s a little mishap in this episode, consider it an intermission. I’m looking for a sponsor/sponsors to help give this podcast a glow up in 2026, if you want to support our storytelling and creative vision, shoot me an email andrea@snaxshot.com**

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Hope everyone’s had a great start to the holiday season—I know anything will be a lot better than the two weeks of bronchitis I just suffered through, I’m glad that we’re nearing the end of 2025 which felt equal parts eternal and a flash.

This isn’t your typical end of year review where I go over some vanity metrics to try and feel a vague sense of accomplishment—I could tell you that our newsletter is read across 150 countries, that we’re one of the top bestsellers on Substack when it comes to the food category (and the only CPG oriented one) or that our Instagram grew so much we average 15M views a month (memes on point), but instead I’d like to share the tangible impact this newsletter has had on the industry. Beyond the confinements of a Substack email, there are now products that have been inspired solely based off content on Snaxshot, our newsletter is the number one source for founders, brands, VC, retailers, buyers, brokers and consumers alike.

Our newsletter has served as inspiration for published books as well as student theses, it’s become the place to source brands for major grocery retails across the US, and S&P 500 executives use it to make their jobs easier, our events helped catapult newly launched brands and this year our events also served as a way to raise funds in support those in the industry affected by the LA fires. This isn’t just a newsletter, it’s become a cornerstone for building in CPG, and it only took 5 years to build.

Our work is not only recognized by the biggest mast publications around the world, we’ve also worked and consulted for every major food and beverage company in the world and most recently our work was profiled by The New York Times, I was able to gift my parents a printed copy for them to frame, them being both stern Capricorns it surprised me to finally hear them say the words I’ve been wanting to hear from them my entire life, “we’re so proud of you” in between hugs and tears while I said goodbye to them at the airport.

For the price of 3 iced matchas a month, you can get our well researched insights and though provoking issues, no advertising or affiliate links, without fluff and puff. If you work in the industry, it’s easy to justify the expense, you can also take advantage of this New Year’s offer, 30% off on all annual plans.

This newsletter and your support has changed my entire life for the better, and I can show you just how much I have paid it back in kind, by being there to support and nurture this amazing ecosystem. Below you will find testimonies from founders, VCs, retailers, marketers, and consumers on how Snaxshot has proved helpful to them, in their own words.

“Snaxshot is a revelation. I don’t know how else to describe it. A humble newsletter that completely reframed the way I see an entire industry. It has taught me how to see.

Snacks, something that could feel narrow or easily dismissed, feel alive and even joyful through the lens of Snaxshot.

It reveals a world of creativity shaped by range: talented, curious people building things with care, humor, and conviction. Some being boldly experimental and making their ideas real, others doing quietly excellent work, some pushing trends to their limits. It’s an industry evolving in public, through Andrea’s eyes, full of products that are often thoughtful, sometimes beautiful, sometimes funny, and made by people and entrepreneurs who inspire me.

Andrea’s writing doesn’t romanticize this so much as hold it steady and articulate clearly and intelligently long enough for its texture to emerge. In doing so, she makes visible an entire world to me that was already there, but easy to miss.

Snaxshot doesn’t just catalog this world; it gives it coherence.

More than anything, Snaxshot has changed how I look at everything else. What else could I be overlooking? What would Andrea see in the things I’ve been too quick to dismiss? Andrea has shown me how to look at the entire world and ask myself, “What is going on here?”

And chances are it’s something special.” —Rion Harmon, Day Job

“Snaxshot has a strong finger on the pulse of the consumer and where they are going. In a world where what the consumer wants is changing so rapidly, it’s powerful to have early indicators on your customers and their taste. Snaxshot’s is an incredible resource to discover the newest and most interesting food brands or products.” —Nicolas Jammet, Sweetgreen

“From our launch at last years Snaxshot Expo event, we met with Happier Grocery which ended up being one of our largest partners of the year. Happier lead to legitimacy and recognizability for companies like Thrive and GoPuff that we later launched with.

I always try to update our Faire PR drop list to say “as seen in Snaxshot” but they still don’t have that option. We gotta get it up there!”—Founders, Joon

“Snaxshot newsletter was the first time we got a shoutout about Pulpito! As a young founder, I did not even know what CPG until I launched a brand which I thought selling in few stores in Austin was a success until I got exposed to this much knowledge by you that in a span of 8 months we launched into 250+ stores. I still vividly remember every single detail of our phone call, which just blew me away on there was so much opportunity which I was purely missing! Thank you for influencing me and Pulpito!”—Andan Murtaza, Pulpito

“I feel like all my usual sources for food trends are dead! This scratches my itch for trends and supports the macro trends we’re seeing.” —Sarah Zuhlsdorf

“Have been following you and Snaxshot since early 2021 starting on Twitter. Love your recommendations and the sense of humor about all the trends from CBD to protein. You have provided some great recommendations for me and specifically have helped me connect with my brother in law who is a former chef and loves your content once I shared it with him and have gotten him a number of gifts based on your recommendations over the years! Thank you for everything!”—Josh Sugarman

“You were one of the first people to spot us as a baby brand!!! I was so excited! Your exposure is one that we get so excited for as a brand and that I trust as a consumer, no bullshit is hard to find.”—Gabrielle Brulotte, Hot Take

“Ex-buyer in a pantry section and then PR pro in cpg and wanted to stay in the loop about all products grocery related. I love this brand of food news and I feel like I’m still informed enough to speak eloquently about it.”—Amelia Ware

“As a marketer (ok - a publicist) Snaxshot has helped me keep my clients grounded in reality. It has also helped me laugh through some wild moments in the CPG timeline.”—Amy Barbanell

“This is more personal note but along the way we noticed other brands launching around the same time on the snaxshot. Some reached out to us, and sometimes we reached out. Those early conversations turned into ongoing check ins, shared advice, and real friendships built while going through the same ups and downs together. Thank you Andrea.” —Cabi Foods

“Impacted me as a consumer for sure! Infusing industry awareness/self awareness into my perception of brands as a potential customer is really helpful in navigating the grocery aisles. Differentiating between originality and customer value vs. shameless fad chasing, unoriginal thought, or just outright bad products. Also the memes are hot.”—Ian

“The Snaxshot newsletter has introduced me to so many must-follow new brands that reveal to where culture (and the market) is going, while the community around Snaxshot has connected me with these same founders, allowing us share notes and experiences.”—Andrew Rozas

“Snaxshot was the very first media outlet to take a chance on YUZUCO, back when we were still a passion project, hand-bottling and labeling fresh Yuzu juice from my Los Angeles home. That early belief meant everything to our team. Beyond the exposure itself, Snaxshot welcomed us into the community through industry events adjacent to Expo West that brought together curious, thoughtful people with our products in a genuinely fun way. Our Snaxshot x YUZUCO Arnold Palmer was one of the most fun (and tasty) things we’ve ever done.

We’re especially grateful for how intuitively Snaxshot speaks to our direction, not just with Yuzu, but as we grow into lemon, lime, and beyond -- and for how clearly they see the bigger industry problems YUZUCO is trying to tackle.” —Griffin Owens

“I’m an ECD at a brand agency in NYC. I’ve been using Snaxshot for a few years to keep an eye on the category. Last year I worked on the Blue Bottle Coffee brand refresh and packaging design + their new product line NOLA. Your insight on Snaxshot kept me so on the tip of which brands are truly unique / challenging the norm, and which are just more copycat trend junk. Great landscape insights and valuable POVs from your savvy community. Keep up the valuable work.”—Joe Granato

“You bring such high standards to curation and research that it inspires us to be like you.”—Eugene

“Honestly, just the candid coverage of the chaos that is CPG is quite refreshing, but in particular for our brand it’s been a really great resource for understanding the psyche of the modern consumer, even if it is a little bit mind-boggling at times!” —Matt Beaman

“I work in the food industry (first job out of college) and your account helps remind me that humor and astute observations are not mutually exclusive! You keep me sane as my coworkers freak out about niche trends while pushing me to think critically with consumers in mind! I LOVE the community and pov you curate!”—Margaret

“Andrea spotted our brand before we were even live and shared it out before anyone else. It was a major boost of confidence and motivation to see such a positive response, and that’s needed when your in the trenches of figuring it out. We’re grateful. Beyond her talent in understanding culture and trend, she’s knows there’s real people behind these companies and knows the challenges in bringing an idea to life. The Snaxshot platform is a gem and the true voice in CPG and beyond.”—Adam Zloto, Chestnut Sports Club

“Where do I begin????? Louie Louie was a brand new product in a brand new category when we launched in 2023. Being included in your event and round up in our first year absolutely made us feel seen and helped us carve out our voice and find our people in an otherwise pretty homogenous industry. On a personal note your presence in my feed is always so refreshing - reminds me to have FUN.” —Marie La France, Louie Louie

“Literally would not have a new specialty market filled with brands of integrity and killer marketing if it weren’t for you. Thanks for helping us navigate the world of CPG.”—Buena Bodega

“We opened Monsoon Market in fall of 2021 and almost instantly found Snaxshot online, feeling like we had just unlocked a world full of magic that was curated just for us. Naturally we connected with Andrea who was equally as enthusiastic about our new indie shop in Phoenix, AZ and her support and energy added momentum to Monsoon and what we were building. She generously shouted us out early on and in turn countless brands found our shop and considered us a potential retailer. We started attending every Snaxshot event we could because of how valuable it was to connect with our community of snaxboi professionals in person.

We are now in year 5 of Monsoon Market and Snaxshot continues to be a beacon for what’s true, what’s new & what’s necessary. Andrea’s fearless and relentless energy is something we champion. Her passion and willingness to help emerging brands & founders at no cost is something we admire and appreciate. Without Snaxshot it’s hard to say where we’d be today!”—Koral + Michela, Monsoon Market

“Snaxshot has genuinely shaped the way I think about the cpg industry. From understanding real consumer behavior to spotting market trends, packaging cues, and ingredients that are actually working in formulations—it’s been a constant source of clarity and direction in my development process. And being featured in Snaxshot has also kept me on the radar of influential people in the industry, opening conversations and connections that truly matter.”—Gabriela Macias

“I’m a Costco broker and your account helps me stay on top of the latest trends! Thanks for shouting out all the up and coming brands. It’s a great resource to connect with brands at an early stage to help build them up to the Costco model.”—Casey Burke

“I’ve been following since my food company was just an idea in my head - I love how direct you are about food trends (even when it hurts to hear as a protein bar brand), and how you don’t take BS from anyone, including industry insiders. Also as a WOC the gravitas you hold hits 10x more!” —Sravanti Balaji, Samsāra Nutrition

Have been following you for over a year now and always find your thinking and intuition aligned with me. You definitely have a finger on the pulse of the industry and you break big news before these other bev publications, identify trends early, and give thorough input and advice for startups. I think most importantly whats helped me is that you help me see through the bullshit the industry is pushing. We started our brand 2.5 years ago and Im constantly learning and understanding the industry and applying it where we can. Glad I found you!!—Sloan Miller

“It’s because of you and the fact that you saw something in me (that I didn’t even see at myself at the time) that I am working my dream job. You took a chance on a random college student in your DM’s and hired me and opened me to a world of connection and opportunity that I would’ve never had otherwise. Truly have you to thank for trusting me blindly and allowing me to take on such a fun project that lead me to doing this full time.” —Soon Tani Beccaria Mochizuki

“When I started getting curious about moving my career into food, Snaxshot was one of the first places I looked to learn! It helped me get a better sense of trends beyond just what I saw in my own feed and got me excited about the founders who were building in the same kinds of categories I’m interested in. Now that I’m a grad student and trying to work in CPG full time, Snaxshot comes up in basically every networking convo and has even helped me prepare for interviews.”—Anya’s Kitchen

“Snaxshot has been invaluable. Not just because it has helped our growing shop stay on top of trends and discover new brands, but because of the relationships we’ve been able to build with those brands. We’re able to bring our community CPG products they can’t find in the big box shops, and stand out in a crowded market…Snaxshot has a lot to do with that.”—Parker and Scott

“I worked in food CPG for a decade and launched a VC fund this year to support underrepresented founders. You have helped so much, mostly from an attitude perspective.

I saw so much bad behavior in VC, folks who were low key ruining brands, funding the wrong people/ideas, and I always wondered if I should speak on it. VC is filled with wealthy people who have been handed everything in life, but cosplay as blue collar workers (wear a vest and flatbrim, say you’re an operator, etc.)

So when I hear you say things honestly, and call out what you see directly, it helps give me the courage to do the same. And I appreciate that so much bc I also come from a non-traditional background, and things don’t change unless people are honest.” —Moy

“Working with Snaxshot was a real turning point for me and set so much in motion. Being trusted with the Behind the Snax photo shoots has continuously motivated me, and every project reminds me how much I love what I do and how privileged I am to do it.

Andrea’s trust and belief in me, along with the incredible humans she connected me with, became a true source of inspiration.

I truly wish there were more Andreas in this world.”—Anna Arnet

“I started my CPG career in the food tech space, moved to upcycled food and now work for an organic brand - snaxshot has guided me and always showcased incredible brands that I was able to connect and learn so much from. Thank you for showing the realest side of CPG and keeping everyone HONEST!” —Joy Nemerson

“We were featured in Snaxshot right after our rebrand launch, and immediately we started getting so much attention from buyers, especially from independent stores that have become great recurrent clients and opened our business to a community that we hadn't been able to tap into before. These have been great in establishing a closer connection to customers, since many of these stores are local and the owners are the ones directly working their stores, sharing recommendations and promoting our product on a one-on-one basis.

We had to update our Faire profile in record time and had to speed up production in order to meet all of these unexpected orders, including a really big one from Misfits Markets! Finally, reading about the predictions and trends helps us stay on track when working on R&D for new products, making sure we are going to be aligned with consumer trends”—Founder, Cassavida Snacks

“When we first opened our shop in 2022 I used your newsletter to help me find brands that hadn’t reached our corner of Tennessee and the result was so validating. Cool emerging brands don’t only have to be for big cities thanks to you!”—Lora Esbach

“Snaxshot was one of the only news outlets that covered my brand Cob Foods when I was running it from my garage/dining room at local farmers markets and seeing a picture of my product in her newsletter was truly a pinch me moment and helped put us on the map (and selling out on our website). She welcomed me to an NYC event and intruded me to all the industry people when I was a total newbie in CPG and it honestly was one of the nicest things anyone could ever do. Snaxshot is one of the reasons I ADORE our industry - my fave place on the internet. Will always have a special place in my heart for my OG supporter.”—Jess Davidoff, Cob Foods

“Snaxshot has done for Nour what J.J. Abrams did for Lost.

It’s not quite quantifiable. Snaxshot has that je ne sais quoi — an intuitive understanding of the “mystery box”: infinite possibility, heightened engagement, and the subtle magic that makes people emotionally invested in a product long before they fully understand it.

Snaxshot is an effervescent oracle, somehow encompassing the heart and soul of founders across every landscape of humanity. Through her lens, we’re able to see our own vision and mission more clearly.

The community events Andrea hosts have led to some of the most meaningful partnerships, customer connections, and friendships I’ve formed. She creates spaces where serendipity feels intentional.

Andrea is our Willy Wonka. She’s invited us into her factory in the most unexpected way — helping dreams come true with a rare balance of genuine earnestness and charismatic, hilarious hot takes. Knowing her deeply is rare, and if you’re lucky enough to be in her orbit, you understand just how powerful her presence truly is.”—Annie Balto, Nour

“Snaxshot is my #1 newsletter, personally for learning about trends / brands early, where Andrea really dives deep into the subject often making unexpected connections I could not have even seen. It is also the newsletter I recommend most to almost anyone I meet, because it does a better job explaining culture than almost any other publication I know of. I have met some incredible founders through Snaxshot and been able to support them. For me it is more than a newsletter.

The number of very serious investment bankers I have recommended Snaxshot to is comical, you would probably die, and sometimes they are confused by the memes….but I always tell them, that if you want to understand where the trends are coming from (and laugh), this is the source you should be watching first…not the fancy trend agencies, not the traditional publications.” —Anne Kurtz, The Juicy Bite

Let me know in what ways this newsletter has positively impacted you below!

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The Snax holiday guide is here, 100 items, curated just for you. Whether you still need something special for a loved one or you’re looking to treat yourself, you’ll find a bit of everything from independent small makers, and newly launched brands, as well as vintage finds.

No affiliated links, no sponsorships, there’s no way brands can pitch themselves…

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Tune in as Leah and Yasaman discuss how they bootstrapped their way to building a popular pickle brand, how amassing 100K followers on Instagram helped them prove early demand, what it took to get into the aisles of Whole Foods, why USC is a breeding ground for new CPG, how they managed to close their seed round so quickly and what comes next for Good Girl Snacks.

Photos for Snaxshot by the incomparable Anna Arnet.

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What you’ll find in this issue—

• These aren’t your parent’s groceries.

• The spectrum of grocery shopping.

• What defines a hypebeast grocer?

• Scene report from around the world.

• How this impacts grocers, brands and consumers alike.

Groceries as Identity

What does your olive oil say about you? It used to be the task of a marketer to be able to decipher, what kind of person is buying a CPG product at a specific price point, and brands would shell out enormous amounts of money to conduct surveys and parse through quantitive data to try and scramble something qualitative to sell back to them, as insight. Past generations were a lot more of a mystery because they weren’t as eager to be intertwined in marketing tactics as newer generations are, particularly when it comes to something so basic and inherit as grocery shopping. In my essay, “The New Grocer” we dive into the history behind the formats of modern grocery stores and how it fundamentally changed the way we started to view food essentials—but beyond the influence of store formats, technology has had a massive impact in how entire generations relate to brands and retailers themselves.

In “Horny, Horny Produce” I connect our new obsession with groceries to our foodie origins, packaging porn became the new food porn—all thanks to the advent of social media, to be more specific, Instagram. Though of course our behavior of trying to see the beauty and elevate something as monotous as fruit, spans the entire human history, it takes on a different format for Millennials and GenZ, it may not be as poised as the famous still life paintings of artists across the 17th century but similarly, we too try to capture coquette produce in the shape of a grid or reel (albeit, a lot less time consuming.)

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What you’ll find in this issue—

• The origins of modern versions of protein

• Cultural convergences of protein (2000s-2025)

• Do you know what your protein persona is?

• How we distinguish a protein product vs. a gimmick.

• Category breakdown.

Not A Craze, But A Rebrand

Our dietary habits have always been tied around protein, but not always in the carnivore Liver King style that may come to mind. Our obsession around protein began around the early 1900s with powdered skim milk and bovril, a product that was initially created to support Napoleon III’s starving troops during the Franco-Prussian war. Early on, BigMilk campaigned hard as the original protein drink, during WWII Carnation would advertise it as victory drink their ads would read, “Uncle Sam needs us strong”—by the 1960s, brands like Hi-Proteen and Joseph Weider’s candy protein bars began to permeate from body building to more mainstream audiences. Protein was touted as a kind of miracle food, take Irvin Johnson’s story, from frail kid to superman and reknown bodybuilder nutritionist who founded Hi Protein supplement powder.

The origins of protein as a way of adding mass to our bodies, is quite the opposite of how it has repositioned itself in the last 3 decades, think hunger suppresants and weight loss aid—an indication of just how much our dietary habits and the food we consumed has changed. It might seem that protein is everywhere now simply because it continues to be marketed to cater the generation of the moment—it’s not a trend, but a rebrand.

2000s Atkins / South Beach Diet

One thing I know with absolute certainty is that you can’t hurt Millennials because our generation survived Y2K diet culture—we are the children of “cocaine chic.” Though Robert Atkins started prophesizing the benefits of low carb but protein intense diets in the 70s, it was mostly ridiculed until the 2000s, when celebrities would rave about how much weight they had lost following it—his New Diet Revolution book has been dubbed the “best selling fad-diet ever written.” Similarly, the South Beach Diet started in the mid 90s and gained momentum in the 2000s, created by celebrity doctor Arthur Agatston and Mount Sinai’s former chief dietitian, Marie Almon; it was made to not only help lose weight but also help lower cholesterol and sugar levels.

The emphasis on protein served as a backlash to the low fat diet fads of the 80s and 90s, that saw a rise in high sugar processed foods, essentially we found a new food category to vilify. 2000s was a decade celebration of thin—Diet Coke, 100-calorie packs, the demonization of carbs and sugar that would most likely sabotage your plans of wearing extremely low rise jeans made popular by Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan and even documentaries like Super Size Me further pushed the skinny narrative by branding fast food the opposite of a Happy Meal, plain evil. Restaurants would soon add “Atkins approved” to their menus, snack aisles became inundated with low-carb options, protein bars and shakes boomed. Eventually, South Beach Diet and Atkins became part of the zeitgeist, what helps add your body can also help detract from it.

2010s Keto/Paleo

The 2010s see a convergence of Millennials coming of age trying to undo their indoctrination of junk food we grew up with and a return to natural or primal diet hence the return of paleo and as Fitbit launches in 2007 a growing interest in biohacking brings keto to the forefront. Unlike the 2000s, this time around, it’s not celebrities but instead influencers that have grown in popularity and audience thanks to the rise of platforms like Youtube and Instagram, they spread the gospel through videos and recommendations of what to eat and what to skip. Keto becomes a rebranded version of Atkins, with an emphasis on optimizing metabolism as a whole and less of a fad diet and paleo taps into the tribal mentality, a similar sense of belonging that wellness movements like Crossfit, a form of lifestyle and identity.

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