Most Americans eat cold bread. Ismail Salhi and Johanna Hartzheim are changing that dynamic one loaf at a time.

Ismail and Johanna are the founders of Wildgrain, a subscription-based service that ships boxes of par-baked frozen sourdough, pastries and hand-cut pasta to customers across the country.

The married couple and business partners came to the U.S. after years of living in Paris and wanted to give people access to the same warm loaves of artisanal breads, flaky croissants and chewy dinner rolls they ate daily in France.

Wildgrain partners with local bakers across the U.S. to produce its products, which are made with no preservatives, no artificial flavors and no bleached flour. No thawing is required. Just a few minutes in the oven is all you need to make fresh, warm bread.

Since Ismail and Johanna launched Wildgrain in 2020 at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has become one of the most successful food delivery companies in America generating $30 million in revenue last year and turning profitable.

How did Wildgrain achieve its position and why does the company’s trajectory continue to rise? The throughline has always been an extremely high level of customer service, according to Ismail, who we spoke with for an interview featured in this episode of Taste Radio.

Show notes:

0:35: Ismail Salhi, Co-Founder, Wildgrain – Ismail talks about the growing number of artisanal bakeries in urban neighborhoods, including his own and why “the delicious window” makes all the difference when baking and buying bread. He also discusses he and Joanna’s decision to launch Wildgrain after shutting down their previous business, how they convinced a tech investor to buy into their new concept, and why they shifted focus after originally planning to build a vertically integrated company. Ismail also explains why being obsessed with your existing customer base is key to a subscription-based model, how Wildgrain has created a network of suppliers that provide consistent quality (if not taste), how they kept customers happy when things went wrong with deliveries early in the company’s development, and why customer service is embedded in Wildgrain’s marketing strategy. Ismail also talks about how the company achieved profitability three years after its launch, mitigating a potential plateauing of its subscription model and why Wildgrain doesn’t hire “until it’s painful.”

Brands in this episode: Wildgrain, RXBAR, David, Lesser Evil, AG1

The world needs plant-based spam. Nootropic beverages will make a comeback in 2025. T-shirts are the best brand swag. It’s buy-or-sell time, and the hosts transact in opinions. This episode also features interviews with the leaders of two fast-growing U.K.-based CPG companies: Jack Scott, the co-founder of flavored sparkling water brand Dash, and Kathryn Bricken, the founder of Doughlicious, a brand of frozen cookie dough and gelato bites.

Show notes:

0:25: No Results. We’re Available. Mindcraft. Un-Appealing. Brand Brush. Call It A Comeback. Like, Thanks. – Election Day has come and gone, but the hosts still don’t know who won. They will, however, be available to answer questions and make connections at BevNET’s Winter events. But before that, Ray needs a drop or two. Unmeat is on the plate, and not everyone is happy. Denim jackets might be the best gift you can give a customer (or member of the media) with toothbrushes coming in a close second. Mike urges everyone to back a coffee brand, salty snacks are all the rage, especially ones that taste like a turkey dinner, and a BFY gummy brand gets a big time partner.

37:33: Interview: Jack Scott, Co-Founder, Dash – Jack shares an introduction to Dash and discusses the company’s international distribution strategy, what he learned about the brand’s brief stint in the U.S. market and why hasn't it been a priority since, and why the American market is sometimes described as the "graveyard of so many British brands"

53:07: Interview: Kathryn Bricken, Founder & CEO, Doughlicious – Kathryn talks about the genesis of Doughlicious and why she chose to launch a frozen brand, how she assessed the timing and prepared for a U.S. launch, and how Whole Foods evaluated the brand and what gave its buyers confidence in its ability to succeed on its shelves. She also discusses Doughlicious’ national rollout at Target and how the company planned for a dramatic expansion in geography as well as a new retail channel and consumer base.

Brands in this episode: Dash, Doughlicious, Apothekary, Heyday Canning Co., Belgian Boys, Nguyen Coffee Supply, Fly By Jing, Four Sigmatic, Magic Mind, Comeback Coffee, Like Air, Jones Soda, Once Upon A Coconut, Grounded Shakes, Pipcorn, Better Sour

Olivia Ferdi is obsessed with the details.

The co-founder of Trip, a U.K.-based brand of lightly sparkling functional beverages intended to help people relax, Olivia says that a passion for the particulars is a key reason why Trip is the fastest-growing soft drink brand in the U.K. and currently preparing for a major expansion of its retail presence in the American market.

Trip debuted in 2019 and markets two product lines: one infused with CBD and adaptogens and the other, called Mindful Blend, is made with Lion’s Mane, ashwagandha, L-theanine and magnesium.

The brand is sold in over 30,000 points of distribution across Europe and the U.S and its Mindful Blend line will be available nationally at three yet-to-be-announced retail chains beginning in the first quarter of 2025.

In this episode, Olivia discusses how Trip’s philosophy of “product obsession” helped gave the company a fast start and keeps it building towards a more promising future. She also explains why “the customer is sacrosanct,” how the company is applying lessons from success in e-commerce to its brick and mortar business and why humility is key to its U.S. expansion.

Show notes:

0:35: Olivia Ferdi, Co-Founder, Trip – Olivia and Taste Radio editor Ray Latif chat about the industry meetup hosted the evening prior to their conversation, before the entrepreneur talks about Trip’s sponsorship of a Dua Lipa surprise concert in London later in the day. She also discusses Trip’s partnership with the Calm app, why she and Daniel never intended to build Trip as a U.K. brand, and how their personal experience with CBD became a “blind passion” to create a brand as a way to give people access to the ingredient. Olivia also explains how Trip’s “customer first” strategy has set it apart, how its well-crafted label design allowed the company to avoid using paid media early on, how she’s attempting to avoid pitfalls in the U.S. and the one word that can help Trip become a household name.

Brands in this episode: Trip, Brewdog, Sipsmith, Beavertown