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Many food and drink founders dream of landing their product on the shelves of the major supermarkets.

But why do they make it so hard for Foodpreneurs to do so?

In this episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I chat with Allen Roberts, a former FMCG senior executive with food giants like Vegetable Oils which became Goodman Fielder, Cerebos the makers of Fountain Tomato Sauce and Dairy Farmers. 

Allen and I talk about the big issues for small brands when working with the majors and the multiples. We go beyond just speaking of the crippling price promotions asked of brand owners and retailers copying innovative products. We give insight into how to make it work, if this is the pathway you choose. If you’ve got the patience and willpower to commit to the long-game, it’s ‘relatively’ easy! 😉

If, however, you are pulling your hair out or have not yet got beyond the Pollyanna perspective, listen now to uncover:

🏪 What the impact of the duopoly in the Australian grocery industry really means for small business owners.
🏪 How to be successful with the supermarket giants and what you need to give up in order to do so.
🏪 How much of a threat Aldi really are and what play they’re making in the market.
🏪 How to make an independent supermarket business model work.
🏪 The compounding effect of the supermarkets’ phantom brands.

And… we have some fun with marketing jingles and their memorability.

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Foodpreneurs Festival -  Your Year’s Worth of Sales & Promotion Opportunities All in One Day!
• Tickets to Foodpreneurs Festival (there are still limited Early Bird tickets on sale!)
• Your Free Pitch Plan (new updated version)
• Become A Festival Insider
• Allen’s LinkedIn
• Strategy Audit

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

You might be a small business but that doesn’t mean you have to spend more than you earn. There might be a constant list of activities on your ‘to do list’, all seemingly urgent to keep your business afloat, but what are the things that are the most important that will put more money in your pocket, and not more money in the pockets of retailers or distributors?

In this 100th episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I outline six ways for consumer packaged goods businesses to be more profitable. I unpack conversations with successful brand owners (you’ll hear them) who have spoken to me over the past two years about what they are doing and I give my insights into how you can do it too.

This is an episode you’ll need to come back to over and over again, as my guests and I outline key actions you need to take to overcome your biggest challenges, including making each product sale more profitable for YOU and how to hit or exceed your target revenue, pay yourself a wage, get more help so you don’t burn out and put more money in your pocket rather than the retailers or distributors!

These super valuable insights include:

📈 Developing a strategy to build a multi million dollar CPG business when you manufacture your own product.
📈 Why pricing your product so everyone can afford it maybe the best way to go-to-market when selling through the majors.
📈 Why Foodpreneurs get the smallest piece of the margin pie and what to do about it.
📈 Shifting your supply chain to increase the shelf life of your product will actually increase your sales.
📈 How leveling up and employing people is the best way to avoid burnout and a breakdown, even when affording the wages can be frightening.
📈 Buying new equipment is the answer to cost efficiency gains and scale and how to calculate the payback period.
📈 What numbers you absolutely MUST KNOW, especially if you want to EXIT.

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Foodpreneurs Festival -  Your Year’s Worth of Sales & Promotion Opportunities All in One Day!
• Tickets to Foodpreneurs Festival (there are still limited Early Bird tickets on sale!)
• Your Free Pitch Plan (new updated version)
• Become A Festival Insider
• Episode #27 Getting sales through a major retailer when you’ve got a lot of competition. Her

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Many food and drink founders dream of taking their brand global.

But where do you start, what does it take and what are the challenges that come with expanding into international markets?

In this episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I chat with Kathryn Bricken, founder of Doughlicious - the London Dough Company. Kathryn shares the secrets behind scaling her cookie dough empire in just a few short years. We explore her journey from a London factory to landing on shelves in some of the largest retailers across the world, including Whole Foods, Costco and Marks and Spencer and now Woolworths!

We go beyond just how delicious her products are (and trust me, they are!) and her initial story (which can be heard here), to delve into the next chapter in her global doughmination - from logistics to safety regulations to strategic marketing decisions - that comes with selling a product across three continents.

If you knead inspiration or want to expand your brand globally, listen now to discover:

🍩 Clever guerilla marketing tactics Kathryn uses to grab attention and get customers reaching for Doughlicious amidst established brands.
🍩 How to get off the shelf when you’ve gone into a new territory and nobody knows about you!
🍩 The challenges that can come with shipping frozen treats across the world.
🍩 Kathryn's strategy of building brand familiarity before adjusting pricing, ensuring customers fall in love with the product before considering the cost.
🍩 How removing 2 grams from her product helped catch consumers’ attention in supermarket aisles.
🍩 The complexity of the safety regulations in creating a ready-to-eat product, and how Australian regulations are among the most stringent in the world.

Want to get first-hand insights directly from Kathryn? She is coming over from the UK and will be both on the floor and speaking at the Founder’s Luncheon on May 16th and on the Main Stage at Foodpreneurs Festival on May 17th. Get your Early Bird tickets now if you’re wanting to take your brand global!

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Foodpreneurs Festival -  Your Year’s Worth of Sales & Promotion Opportunities All in One Day!
• Tickets to Foodpreneurs Festival (there are still limited Early Bird tickets on sale!)
• Your Free Pitch Plan (new updated version)

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Many small packaged food and drink businesses see PR as complex, ill-defined, or expensive. But what if it could be simple, affordable, and highly effective?

In this 2nd Anniversary episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I explore the power of PR for Foodpreneurs. Join me as I chat with PR expert Celia Harding, who's worked with both major brands including Smirnoff, and boutique favourites like Mr Black Coffee Liqueur.

Celia breaks down insider tips and tools to get your brand noticed, without breaking the bank (or spending anything at all!).

Tune in to discover:

📣 Strategies to attract retailers and customers (aka, the ‘right’ people).
📣 The 4 secrets to nailing media interviews and press releases.
📣 The key differences between PR vs. advertising, and how PR can complement your marketing efforts.
📣 How smaller brands can outmanoeuvre larger competitors with strategic PR.
📣 Why Australia is the perfect launching pad for your food and drink brand.

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Tickets to Foodpreneurs Festival (there are still limited Early Bird tickets on sale!)
• Your Free Pitch Plan (new updated version!)
• Become A Festival Insider
• How 2 Foodpreneurs Created a Successful Business Selling a Largely Unknown Ingredient 
• Mr Black
• Mobius Distilling
• Fellr Alcoholic Seltzer
• Collabosaurus

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

The world's top business leaders know the secret ingredient for scaling success: people. Not just employees, but a powerful network of mentors, allies, and even family.

In these turbulent times, going it alone limits your growth potential. That's why in this 2nd Anniversary episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast,  Episode 97: Behind the Scenes Look of what it Actually Takes to Scale, Scott Mendelsohn, the people-first powerhouse behind Australia's Raw C and Lesser Evil brands, shares his story of success by finding his ‘tribe’. He went from two shipping containers of coconut water to a $30 million international enterprise – and it wasn't through solo heroics.

This episode goes deep into the real blueprint for scaling your packaged F&B business, including:

🥥 Scott's investment criteria: What makes a brand stand out?

🥥 The "do-it-all" trap: Why delegation is your secret weapon.

🥥 Community as fuel: How collaboration conquers challenges.

🥥 Top 3 tips for aspiring Foodpreneurs: Grow, don't go it alone.

🥥 Cracking the US market: Essential insights for expansion.

🥥 Self-doubt: The surprising foe of even big players.

🥥 The power of feedback: Why openness fuels success.

🥥 Universal launchpad principles: Grow anywhere, anytime.

🥥 From lone wolf to collaborative leader: The mindset shift you need.

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Your Free Pitch Plan (new updated version!)
• Become A Festival Insider
• Scott’s LinkedIn 
• Scott’s Email
• Natural Raw C 
• Mandatory Spirit Co

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Forget the fantasy of buyers begging for your product. In the real world of packaged food and drink, thousands of brands are vying for limited shelf space. To stand out and get noticed, you need a strategic game plan.

In this 2nd Anniversary episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford, I talk with RangeMe founder, Nicky Jackson, the queen of connecting suppliers with retailers. Nicki spills the beans on how to crush the buyer game and land more accounts. Get ready for insider tips and tricks on:

👀 Strategies for handling radio silence from buyers after sending samples (I bet you’ve never considered this!)
👀 Getting buyers to ‘lean in’.
👀 Key research to do before reaching out to a buyer.
👀 Techniques for getting feedback from buyers once they do try your samples.
👀 Essential allies to enlist to increase your chances of success.
👀 Plus, a stack load of other insights, tips and tricks from one of the best in the business!

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Your Free Pitch Plan (new updated version!)
• Become A Festival Insider
• RangeMe
• Sarjesa
• Mid-day Squares
• Drunk Elephant 

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Picture this, you’ve just launched a food brand with no FMCG experience, producing in a saturated market from your garage in a local town. Fast forward four years, and that brand is now a household name, generating millions in revenue, selling nationally and internationally, and self-manufacturing not only your product but others as well.

It may sound like a dream, but it's the reality for Cian Dawson and Courtney Brown, co-founders of GYM BOD – a better-for-you ice cream brand that has skyrocketed since its conception. With a dedicated following among fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious consumers, their products are now available in over 1,200 locations across Australia and New Zealand.

In this episode, we dive into Cian and Courtney's journey that will ignite your ambitions, encouraging you to dream big, set goals, and focus on the right aspects to achieve them.

Tune in to discover:

🍨 Key focus areas that propelled them to reach their goals.
🍨 How they carved a niche in the competitive dessert market, becoming a household name.
🍨 The pivotal role of strategic thinking and planning in their journey.
🍨 Their most formidable challenge faced to date.
🍨 The importance of observing consumer actions rather than just relying on what the research says.
🍨 The necessity of defining your market early on to shape your business strategy.

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Your Free Pitch Plan (new updated version!)
• Become A Festival Insider
• GYM BOD Website
• GYM BOD Instagram
• #27 Getting Sales Through A Major Retailer When You’ve Got A Lot Of Competition. Here’s How.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

In the competitive world of packaged food and drink, your brand and packaging are your megaphone, your spotlight, your key to conquering the aisles, landing on more shelves and building loyal customers.

In this 2nd Anniversary epsiode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast, I chat with with design experts Bex Deere and Nat Townsend from Griffin Grace. They've helped countless challenger brands in the food and beverage space cut through all the visual noise on shelves, and they're here to share their wisdom.

These design wizards unveil the magic formula for forging that personal connection with your customers, including:

🧃 Navigating the ever-shifting design landscape and discovering styles that'll make your product pop (and the ones to avoid like burnt toast).
🧃 Learning how your packaging whispers your brand story across your entire range, creating a chorus of delicious consistency.
🧃 Why continuous brand evolution is the key to longevity. 
🧃 The #1 tip for designing eco-conscious packaging that'll make Mother Earth (and your customers) happy.
🧃 How collaborative design can turn grocery giants into partners, not gatekeepers.
 

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Your Free Pitch Plan (new updated version!)
• Become A Festival Insider
• Griffin Grace - Book a Free 30 Minute Call with the Team Here.
• Small Steps to Sustainability 
• Noshing 
• Chai Spice Beverages
• Mount Henry Honey 
• Tully’z 

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

Knowing what trends are happening in your industry is a smart way to find out how to not just stay on top of what’s happening, but ahead of it; differentiating yourself from a lot of the competition while doing so.

Brands that don’t evolve, get left behind. It’s not about jumping on every new trend that comes along or creating a new product to meet every consumer’s demand. It’s about being in the know, staying attuned to consumer trends, and knowing which of these trends align with your brand and are feasible to incorporate into your NPD, marketing messaging, and content strategy.

If you’re ready to dive into the trends that could shape 2024 and beyond to give your business a strategic boost, then you won’t want to miss Episode 93 of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast: Three Trends for 2024 You Need to Hear. You’ll walk away informed and empowered to capitalise on trends that resonate with your business plan, and garner insights into:

📈 Trends to boost your business and stay ahead of the curve.
👤 Product personalisation that goes beyond adding names to products.
🌊 Differentiating your product in a sea of brands.
❔ The unexpected food market experiencing significant growth.
🤩 How ambient foods are getting a ‘glow-up’.

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Your Free Pitch Plan (new updated version!)
• Become A Festival Insider
•  Zoe
• NGX: Nutri-genetics
• Bold Bean Co.

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.

Send us a text

2023 was for many, a shock to the system. A steep change in consumer behaviour relative to previous years. We heard ‘cost of living crisis’ mentioned continually on the news. But was it all bad for emerging food and drink consumer packaged good brands? 

Absolutely not. 

In this week’s Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast episode, the final for 2023, I review what the landscape was like for startups and emerging brands and help you prepare to make more sales in 2024. 

Becoming aware of the marketplace patterns; the changing conditions; what consumers want; and what the mix of Australian grocery retailers currently looks like, will help you capitalise on all of it. And the insights might surprise you.

If you don’t know and prepare for them, you may end up chasing your tail as you scale. 🏃🏻‍♀

In Australia, for example, the stats suggest that there’s a steady decline in independent retail store numbers and that will impact an emerging brand owners sales strategy.

Listen to Episode 92 and walk away knowing:
📊 Current market share data.
🪟 Which brands closed the curtains on their operations in 2023.
📈 Which category had the most brand launches and what you can learn from them. 
👍🏼 What the upside is of a cost of living crisis (there is one, I promise).

LINKS & RESOURCES:

• Your Free Pitch Plan
• Become A Festival Insider
• Episode #90 How to Boost your Profits in Tough Times
• Avalon Health Club
• Nimbus
• Blume
• VIA Drinks
• Fox Pops
• Episode #80 The Centuries-Old Seed Vying for Aussie Snack Success

Season 14

Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.

For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.

Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.

Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.

This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.

Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.

Click this link to see how you can be part of it.