Welcome back to Weekly Pickups!
On September 9 at 1pm ET, Express Checkout is taking over the Highlight Reel for a special conversation with Alexander Harik, founder of ZestyZ, about the future of CPG, why fiber might be the next macro moment, and what it really takes to build a food brand today.
Plus, we'll be taking your questions live. If you've been curious about CPG trends, building a food brand, or just want to hear two founders get real about the industry, this is your chance.
Fair warning: You'll definitely leave hungry for pita chips. 😋
REMINDER….WE LAUNCHED A PODCAST!!
Man Cereal, caffeinated chips, and the rise of wellness retail
Here we are—our first-ever podcast!!! After yapping via written word for almost 3 years, it’s time to go verbal (visual?) with our new pod, The Curious Consumer.
Let’s get into what we’ve been loving this week →
Nate's Pickups:
Gratsi boxed wine
Slapping the bag has entered a whole new era. If you're still thinking of boxed wine as that sketchy Franzia from college parties, it's time for a serious reality check. Gratsi is proving that boxed wine can be just as sophisticated as anything in a bottle—maybe even better.
Quick Facts: Sugar-free, low-sulfite boxed wine that's crisp, clean, and surprisingly versatile. Each box holds the equivalent of 4 bottles, and yes, even the red tastes great chilled.
Reasons to love:
Actually tastes like wine, not "diet wine." Despite being completely sugar-free (less than 1g of carbs!) and very low in sulfites, this doesn't have any weird artificial taste you might expect from something marketed as "better-for-you." It just tastes like really good.
The efficiency is unmatched. Four bottles in one box means you're set for the entire party (or week, no judgment). It's still mindblowing to me that you're getting this quality at this quantity, and how much Franzia is out of its league.
Where to buy: Online and in select retailers
Jenna’s Pickups:
Little Sesame - Caramelized Onion Hummus
I’ll admit it: I try… a lot of hummus. I even threw a hummus-themed party in January, because I am that person. But I can confidently say this is one of my favorites of all-time (including restaurant hummuses) ((hummi?)).
Quick Facts: Restaurant-quality hummus made in small batches with 100% organic chickpeas, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and caramelized onions, all produced in their own factory just outside Washington, D.C.
Reasons to love:
The texture is unmatched. This hummus is incredibly smooth and creamy in a way I haven’t experienced from any other store-bought hummus. The secret is in Little Sesame’s original "spinning" process—even as they've scaled, they still make every batch small and slow, which creates this natural creaminess.
Genius flavor distribution. Instead of dumping a smattering of roasted red pepper or pine nuts on top, Little Sesame thoughtfully places their flavored elements on the bottom of the container. This means you can control the flavor of every bite—with each swipe of lightly lemony, rich hummus, you can dig to the bottom for that sweet, savory onion goodness. You don’t run out of the added flavor after the first few pita dips.
Regenerative!!! (a classic Jenna reason to love) Little Sesame partners with a regenerative organic farm in Montana, building direct markets for regeneratively farmed, organic chickpeas.
The pita situation. They also sent me their famous pita bread (which you heat straight from frozen), and I'm not exaggerating when I say it was the best pita I've ever had. I just tossed it in my air fryer for a couple minutes, and it came out tasting like it was baked fresh from a restaurant kitchen.
Where to buy: Available in select retailers and online.
✨ Special Guest ✨ Mike Gelb
We're thrilled to have our friend
join us for this week's picks! Mike is a legend in the CPG world as the founder and host of , the go-to podcast and newsletter for unpacking venture capital and early-stage consumer startups. He's interviewed the founders behind some of the biggest names in CPG—from Pete Maldonado of Chomps to Allison Ellsworth of Poppi to Clayton Christopher of Deep Eddy Vodka—and always knows what's about to blow up next.Let's dive into his weekly pickups →
What is it? Brand name, flavor/scent/style if relevant, any other tidbits you'd like to share about the brand.
The brand name is Beefy’s Own Beef Tallow Potato Chips. They make Potato Chips that are cooked in beef tallow instead of seed oils or olive oil. The only ingredients listed on the packaging are potatoes, beef tallow, sea salt, and white distilled vinegar. (I have the salt N’ Vinegar flavor for context). I tried all of their flavors at Newtopia – Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar, Salt & Pepper, Sour Cream & Onion, Barbecue. It was my first time trying potato chips cooked in beef tallow.
Where'd you purchase it, and why that channel?
I tried and got a bag of the Salt N’ Vinegar at Newtopia Now.
What about this product intrigued you?
What compelled me to try was my curiosity about the flavor. I hadn’t tried potato chips cooked in beef tallow before, and I didn’t know what to expect. I was curious how powerful the beef tallow flavor would be. What stood out to me as well was the name “Beefy’s Own”. I thought the word “Beefy” was kind of fun and just felt a little bit different from other chip companies. This is a bit different since I tried it at Newtopia and not on the shelf at my grocery store. I also like the packaging. The white/grey background pattern I thought looked cool with the logo “Beefy’s Own” looking a bit faded like it’s worn, coupled with the drawing of a bull. I also liked how the bag seemed solid and thick like you were in for something special. Reading the back, I liked the tagline “we’re bringing back old school potato chips”, and the company story – bringing back the traditional method of cooking potato chips and the fact that it’s a family-owned business.
Why do you love it?
I loved how prominent the beef tallow flavor was. After trying all their chips, my taste buds felt like beef tallow was still the dominant flavor with secondary flavors depending on what you get – salt n’ vinegar, salt and pepper, etc. I felt like if the name is “Beefy’s Own” the beef tallow should be the dominant flavor, so I really liked that. I also liked how the chip seemed sturdy and thick. It had a great crunch to it. If I were to recommend it to a friend, I would say that the beef tallow flavor is the dominant flavor and has a really nice crunch.
Anything else you'd like to share!
I'm so grateful for you both including me and such a fan of Express Checkout. This is truly an honor. I think your readers would love to know your plans for Bubba CPG.
Thanks for reading! Anything you think we should try for an upcoming edition of Express Checkout? Email us at nate@expresscheckout.co and jenna@expresscheckout.co
The Little Sesame Caramelized Onion Hummus!! So good! 🤤 Went searching for it at Whole Foods immediately after reading — thanks for the great recommendation (always)!