KeHE has announced the winners of its TrendFinder event.
In October, more than 120 suppliers pitched their products to KeHE’s category management team, which actively reviews products and brands to determine which will best fit the company’s product portfolio.
During the event, brands were evaluated on ingredients, innovation, taste, scalability, packaging, purpose, and passion. KeHE experts identified and awarded 23 suppliers with a ‘Golden Ticket’ indicating they have been selected to join KeHE’s assortment.
Winners include:
Snacks/Cookies/Bars/Tea
• Theo’s Plant-Based
• Byte Bars
• Mmmly
• Asheville Tea Company
Shelf Stable Drinks
• Weird Beverages
• Inaka Tea
• Atomo Coffee
• MYND Hemp
Candy/Confections
• Chomp! Chocolate
• Magic Mini Jacks
Frozen Desserts
• Mountain Fresh Italian Ice
• Howdy Homemade Ice cream
Refrigerated Dips
• Toasty Dips
• Hummus Goodness
Marinades & Seasonings
• Ghana Supreme Sauce
• Bearded Butchers
Jams & Spreads
• Roots Kitchen & Cannery
• Kokada
• Apicoltura Casentinese
The winners will gain exposure in more than 30,000 retail locations and support the distributor’s retail partners. In addition to providing distribution assistance to these brands, KeHE will also provide free supplier promotional programs.
“We are not only passionate about innovation, but KeHE is taking strategic steps to curate the best item assortment for our retail partners, keeping them relevant, fresh, and ahead of the pack,” said Rachelle Radcliffe, director of brand development at KeHE, in a statement. “We also understand the challenges brands face as they enter the market, which is why we do what we can to set them up for success.”
The next TrendFinder event will occur virtually from January 16–27, 2023, and focus on uncovering diverse-owned brands. Brands must be certified as women, minority, LGBT, Veteran, or disability-owned businesses and must be a new KeHE supplier.
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