Your Year in Snax

on feeding an entire ecosystem

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!