Weekly Pickups: Branded produce, sweet potato lattes, and more
+ the winner of Glimpse's $26k for 2026 giveaway!!!!
💥 BIG announcement time!!!! 💥
Earlier this year, we had the absolute honor of partnering with our friends at Glimpse to give one emerging brand $26k to go towards Expo West 2026. After sifting through almost 500 submissions, Glimpse finally picked the winner!
*Drum roll please….*
BEHAVE Candy! 🥳
Beyond BEHAVE being a fantastic product on an “insane growth trajectory,” Glimpse saw so much potential in founder Mayssa Chehata. They seriously admire her commitment to building in public and broader dedication to the founder community through her organization Breve, which promotes mental health awareness through breathwork.
“Glimpse was created to support brands just like Mayssa’s,” Glimpse CEO Akash Raju shared. “We couldn’t be prouder to support a founder who is committed to bringing other founder stories to the forefront while building a product that’s better-for-you.”
Glimpse talks to brands every single day, and constantly hears stories about Expo’s impact on brands’ growth—but trade shows are cost-prohibitive for so many emerging brands. So, they decided to put their money where their mission is, and now, BEHAVE will proudly exhibit at Expo West.
“It’s always been a dream of ours to exhibit at Expo West, but we’ve never had the budget to do it,” Mayssa told us. “The timing couldn’t be more perfect, as we’ll announcing some major retail launches in March. I’m so grateful to Glimpse for giving us this opportunity, and for showing up for a small, emerging brand in such a big way.“
Congrats again to Mayssa, and shoutout to Glimpse for being a true emerging brand cheerleader!
Now, let’s get into what we’ve been loving this week →
Nate’s Pickup:
Barebells Coco Caramel Almond
I like Barebells, I think a lot of people do. They’re probably one of the most popular protein bars on the market today, and for good reason. But I think I just found my favorite flavor of theirs, and honestly, it shocked me. Next we have to try their new protein sodas!
Quick Facts: A 20g protein bar with a soft, nougat-like center, coconut flakes, a caramel layer, and crunchy almonds, all coated in milk chocolate. Plus there is no added sugar. If you’ve had a Barebell in the past you know what you’re getting.
Reasons to love:
Texture is an upgrade. Most Barebells bars have great texture, but this one is somehow better. And I’m not even sure if it’s really any different from the other bars. It didn’t feel overly chewy like some of their other flavors can get—there’s this perfect balance of soft caramel, that signature nougat-y core, and a nice simple crunch from the almonds.
Flavor worked for me. This will sound weird but I normally do not like coconut, almond, and chocolate together. Honestly most coconut products (besides a Pina Colada) aren’t for me. I know, I know…it’s weird. But there’s something about the way they balance in this bar that really does it for me and I’m so glad I have extra bars in my pantry.
Where to buy: Online (currently sold out!) and at most grocery stores
Jenna’s Pickup:
Freida’s Quick Fires® Shishito Garlic Herb Side Dish Kit
Yes, I am telling you about a produce brand today. If you’re a Curious Consumer listener, you know that we have a lot of thoughts on branded produce and how it’s the next frontier of CPG. If you seek them out, you’ll find branded products in almost every produce section… and maybe even discover some serious gems amongst them, like Freida’s.
Quick Facts: Shishito peppers that come with a packet of Himalayan salt and garlic herb seasoning.
Reasons to love:
From the OG purveyors of cool produce. Crazy fact for you: Kiwis weren’t available in the US until 1962. 🥝 That’s when Freida Caplan introduced the Chinese Gooseberry to the US—and renamed it “Kiwifruit,” a nod to the fuzzy Kiwi bird.
Freida was the first woman to start her own company in LA’s wholesale produce market, and quite literally transformed how Americans eat today. Her company later introduced the US to jicama, spaghetti squash, starfruit, dragonfruit, and more. This brand and the woman behind it are, in every sense of the word, legendary.Restaurant-quality at home. It can be intimidating to prepare new produce, which is probably why I hadn’t thought to pick up shishitos before, despite them being one of my favorite apps to order at a restaurant. Any time they’ve arrived at my table, I assumed a blow torch was involved in their creation. Far too intimidating to attempt at home.
But Freida’s makes it so simple to experiment with new produce. This bag offers full instructions on how to achieve that perfect, blistered effect with just a skillet, and comes with the only seasonings needed to elevate peppers into a flavor-packed side dish. My final product looked just like the image on the packaging, and tasted like a chef’s creation.Comes with a side of education. The coolest thing about branded produce is that it gives produce a voice. If you’d just picked up some stray shishitos, you may not know that 1 in 10 are spicy (side note: love playing “spice roulette”), or that they’re rich in vitamin C. But with branding comes copy, and with copy comes the opportunity for education.
Where to buy: In select produce sections nationwide!
✨ Special Guest ✨ Tyler Ennis, Founder of BIPOC CPG
We’re so excited to welcome Tyler to the newsletter! Tyler is the creator and founder of BIPOC CPG, the world’s largest database of diverse-owned consumer product brands! He is building something seriously awesome, bringing awareness to what he calls “culturally derived CPG” (AKA founder-led products born from the communities they wish to serve ).
Let’s get into his pickup →
What is it? I tried the Sweet Potato Latte from KimlyParc. It is a caffeine free instant latte beverage.
Where’d you purchase it, and why that channel? I got this from Myrtle Wombat in Brooklyn, a convenience store that focuses on asian goods and products. I went there over the weekend because DIME was giving a demo of their MSG seasonings, and I wanted to explore the store and meet Jenn (the founder of DIME).
What about this product intrigued you? I love the KimlyParc brand and have purchased their instant Korean latte powder multiple times! I knew they had a Sweet Potato product but it was always sold out online. When I saw the bag (the last one Myrtle Wombat had in stock) on the shelf, I had to buy it. I really like KimlyParc’s brand mission and cute branding. I want to support them anyway I can! KimlyParc is a BFY version of the popular instant lattes (coffee, milk, sugar) in Korea.
Why do you love it? This drink is perfect for anyone who is a warm-beverage addict like me. If you’re looking to cycle between caffeinated beverages and something neutral, the Sweet Potato Latte is a really cool and new flavor that just HITS in the winter time.
Anything else you’d like to share? Please check out KimlyParc, DIME, and Myrtle Wombat! If you want to discover even more BIPOC owned consumer products, follow me @bipoccpg.
In this week’s episode of The Curious Consumer, we chat about weed brownies, non-Palantir drones, and the next Liquid Death (kinda) 👀. Check it out here:
I want my Cheez-Its via drone.
This week, we’re ogling over crazy-fast shipping, wondering how “delicious” and "visceral fat reduction” have managed to enter the same product copy (@ Lemme), unpacking Live Nation’s latest bev partnership, and, obviously, learning how Nate dodged laced brownies in high school.
Thanks for reading! Anything you think we should try for an upcoming edition of Express Checkout? Email us at hello@expresscheckout.co
Loved the Freida's shishito breakdown! That garlic herb seasoning packet is such a smart move becuz it eliminates guesswork around seasoning ratios. I've overcooked shishitos before trying to get that blistered look, so having clear skillet instructions bundled withthe right seasonings feels like a gamechanger. The branded produce angle is also intresting since it turns veggies into a guided cooking experience instead of just raw ingredient.