I just spent 24 minutes ranting about cottage cheese.
Not because I’m losing it (though that’s debatable). But because L Catterton’s $500 million valuation of Good Culture might be the most important CPG story of the decade.
🎧 Listen to Episode 12: The $500 Million Cottage Cheese Deal That Changes Everything
Here’s what we unpack in this episode:
The Cottage Cheese Revelation
Good Culture didn’t invent anything. They didn’t add CBD. They didn’t make it plant-based. They didn’t use AI.
They just asked: “What if cottage cheese didn’t suck?”
That question is now worth half a billion dollars.
I break down:
How they 4X’d revenue by fixing texture and taste
Why L Catterton wrote the check (hint: it’s not about cottage cheese)
What this means for every “boring” category in your grocery store
Why your grandma’s pantry is full of unicorns
Sprouts Just Changed Cannabis Forever
120 stores. Multiple states. THC drinks next to kombucha.
When I walked into Sprouts last week and saw Cann sitting casually in the beverage aisle, I knew everything had changed. This isn’t about getting high. It’s about the complete normalization of cannabis as a CPG category.
We discuss:
Why Whole Foods is 6 months behind
Which Big Beverage company acquires a THC brand first
How this impacts alcohol’s 100-year dominance
The velocity numbers that made Sprouts say yes
The $15 Million Vegetable Deception
Evergreen raised serious capital for frozen waffles with hidden vegetables. As a parent, I get it. As a business analyst, I’m fascinated.
The deep dive covers:
Why parents will pay ANY premium to avoid food fights
The psychology of “hidden health”
Whether this scales beyond desperate millennial parents
What other foods are ripe for vegetable invasion
Plus: The Rapid Fire Round
Zero-proof martinis with Lion’s Mane (because of course)
Clear protein taking over Target
AB InBev dominating RTD cocktails
Why everything needs adaptogens now
The new government food pyramid that changes everything
The Uncomfortable Truth
We’re not in the innovation economy. We’re in the renovation economy.
The biggest opportunities aren’t in labs creating new ingredients. They’re in forgotten aisles waiting for someone to ask: “What if this didn’t suck?”
The best part of this episode?
I get genuinely worked up about cottage cheese. Like, emotionally invested in dairy products. It’s equal parts embarrassing and enlightening.
But that’s what happens when you realize the entire CPG playbook just flipped.
🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen now on Spotify 🎧 Watch on YouTube
If you get value from these deep dives, please take 30 seconds to rate the show. Those five stars genuinely help other CPG professionals discover Unpackaged Goods.
Next Week: The Seed Oil Wars - why everyone suddenly cares about cooking oil.
Stay curious,
Jonathan
P.S For daily grocery store discoveries and behind-the-scenes content, follow @deetseatsnyc on Instagram and TikTok. I'm documenting every wild CPG moment in real-time.
What’s the most forgotten food category you’d renovate? Reply and let me know.