Issue #6 | November 3, 2025
Proudly seasoned by Trophy Wife - The Official Finishing Salt of The Deeter Digest. Because you are the prize, and so is this salt.
š„ FIRST BITE
The appetizer before we dive in
Welcome to The Deeter Digest. This week, Recess raised $30M to expand beyond CBD. SNAP benefits are in crisis, affecting 42 million Americans. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic became a popcorn founder.
The tennis GOAT is now slinging sorghum. Letās dig in.
š THE MAIN COURSE
This weekās biggest CPG moves
Recess Evolves Beyond CBD
Ben Witteās functional beverage brand closed a $30M Series B led by CAVU Consumer Partners. Started as CBD sparkling water in 2018, now a platform with three beverage lines plus drink mixes. Kyle Thomas (former C4 Energy exec) joins as President & Co-CEO.
The Crunch: The CBD-to-functional pivot saved this brand. CAVU doesnāt miss - they saw Poppiās potential early. Now, Recess is positioned for mass market domination with proven leadership.
The SNAP Benefits Crisis
Approximately 42 million Americans, including 16 million children, are at risk of losing food assistance due to the government shutdown. $8 billion in November benefits on hold. Average benefit: $187/month ($6/day).
The Crunch: For the first time in modern history, SNAP has been halted. Food banks are experiencing a 30-40% increase in demand. In a world of $30M raises and premium products, millions might not eat next month.
Fruitistās Berry Big Round
The jumbo blueberry company secured $150M at $400M revenue. Ray Dalio doubled down. JP Morgan led. 12,500 doors across 28 countries.
The Crunch: When produce becomes a brand, not a commodity. Ray Dalio and Warren Buffett donāt buy food companies lightly. The premiumization of everything continues.
š° THE FUNDING FRENZY
Big checks being written
The Big Rounds:
Recess: $30M Series B (CAVU led)
Fruitist: $150M (JP Morgan, Ray Dalio)
Blueprint: $60M (Kim K, Logan Paul, Jay Shetty)
Homecourt: $8M Series A (Courteney Coxās brand)
Cob: $5M seed (Djokovic as co-founder)
The Smaller Bets:
Goddess Maintenance: 7-figure from IRIS Ventures
Sweet Chemistry: $1M (regenerative skincare)
LOAM: UK fiber supplement from Dr. Karan Rajan
The Crunch: From longevity platforms to sorghum popcorn, if you have a celebrity or credentials, someoneās writing a check.
šŖ DISTRIBUTION DOMINATION
Everyoneās everywhere
The Retail Land Grab:
Magic Mind: 220+ Target stores
Supergut: Nationwide at Walmart
Sunny Fine Foods: All Sprouts locations
TRIP & Levels: Both hit H-E-B
Koia Kids: Costco Canada
Daily Crunch: Albertsons launch
JAMBAR: Jewel-Osco debut
Upcoming Launches:
Amika: Ulta Beauty (December)
POV Beauty: Lip kits (November 4)
Rare Beauty x BĆ©is: Limited collection (November 3)
The Crunch: Another week, another 10,000+ doors. The shelves are beyond crowded. Someoneās getting delisted by Christmas.
š INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS
Building real businesses
Chompsā Manufacturing Muscle
Second facility: 160,000 sq ft in Nebraska
150 new jobs, 15% capacity increase
Total: 460,000 sq ft across two facilities
Forward Consumer Buys Justinās
Taking 51% stake from Hormel
Justin Gold returns as advisor
Making it standalone company again
The Crunch: Real businesses build factories. Chomps betting big on meat snacks. Justinās gets a second life away from Big Food.
š¾ CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHT
This weekās famous founders
Djokovicās Sorghum Play
Co-founder and investor in Cob
Led $5M seed round
Sorghum popcorn alternative
Bryan Johnsonās Star Power
Blueprint raised $60M
Kim Kardashian, Logan Paul invested
Longevity platform play
Courteney Coxās Homecourt
$8M Series A from CULT Capital
Luxury home fragrance
Nordstrom, Blue Mercury distribution
The Crunch: Every celebrity needs a CPG brand. Tennis stars, reality TV royalty, sitcom legends - everyoneās a founder now.
š PRODUCT LAUNCHES
This weekās debutantes
Man Cereal: Maple Bacon, Fruity, and Salted Fudge with creatine ($58/3 boxes)
LOAM: UK fiber supplement (10M follower founder)
Algae Cooking Club x Nara Smith: Limited garlic oil
MALK Holiday Nog: Seasonal almond milk returns
Freaks of Nature: Premium deodorant line
No Cap! x ICEE: Soda collaboration coming
The Crunch: Creatine in cereal. Fiber from influencers. Everyoneās launching something. Quality optional.
š THE DATA DIGEST
Numbers that matter
42M: Americans on SNAP benefits
$30M: Recess Series B
$400M: Fruitist revenue
37%: Vita Coco Q3 growth
40%: High Noonās RTD market share
460,000: Sq ft of Chomps facilities
$58: Three boxes of creatine cereal
šļø FROM THE PODCAST
This week on Unpackaged Goods
Interviewed the founders of Stesh about reinventing the nut butter aisle with premium California pistachio butter. Plus: Deep dive on the SNAP benefits crisis and how brands can help.
Key insight: āPremium doesnāt have to mean exclusive.ā
[Listen to Episode 7 ā]
š„ THE HOT TAKE
My unfiltered opinion on this weekās madness
Novak Djokovic is making popcorn. Kim Kardashian invested in longevity. Someone put creatine in Maple Bacon cereal.
Meanwhile, 42 million Americans - including 16 million kids - might lose their ability to buy food next month. The average SNAP benefit is $6 per day. Thatās less than one Magic Mind shot at Target.
Hereās the disconnect: Weāre building premium everything while millions canāt afford basics. Recess raised $30M to help people āfeel calm.ā Chomps is building 460,000 square feet of factories. However, food banks are seeing a 40% increase in demand.
Iām not saying donāt build premium brands. Iām saying, remember who youāre leaving behind. The best businesses serve everyone, not just the Whole Foods demographic.
Want to actually make a difference? Accept SNAP online. Price at least one SKU accessibly. Partner with food banks. Use your platform for something beyond margin expansion.
Because in the end, a rising tide should lift all boats. Not just the yachts.
šŗ COMING MONDAY
The Deeter Digest: Week in Review
Breaking down Djokovicās sorghum strategy and why every celebrity thinks theyāre a CPG founder now.
š„« ONE MORE THING...
Before you close this tab
PepsiCo redesigned their logo after 25 years. Lucky One Lemonade hit 1M cases. BelliWelli pivoted from bars to gummies. SVRY relaunched savory protein bars.
But the real story this week? Infrastructure beats Instagram. Chomps building factories. Forward Consumer rescuing brands from Big Food. Real businesses making real investments.
Until next Sunday, Jonathan Deeter Your CPG-Obsessed Friend
P.S.
If you only do one thing this week, call your local food bank. Ask how your brand can help. 42 million Americans are counting on it.
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