CPG Q&A PART 2
Plant-Based Foods
Not Your Average Nugget PL ANT-BASED INNOVATOR SKINNY BUTCHER LE VER AGES FOOD AND CULTUR AL TRENDS WITH A NE TFLIX DE AL. By Gina Acosta
lant-based proteins have moved beyond being trendy and into an accepted lifestyle that’s part of U.S. food culture. Now the driving force behind one of America’s most creative plant-based brands is looking to integrate his alternative-protein products into pop culture as well. Dave Zilko, the strategic innovator behind the Garden Fresh Gourmet salsa brand and now Skinny Butcher, talked to Progressive Grocer about what makes his plant-based products different, his approach to branding, and “Stranger Things.” Progressive Grocer: How was Skinny Butcher developed? Dave Zilko: After we sold Garden Fresh to Campbell Soup Co. in 2015, my partner and friend Jack Aronson switched to a completely vegan lifestyle after being diagnosed with cancer. He was unbelievably passionate about it. So when I was with him and our creative director, Mike Griffin, I couldn’t help but be moved by Jack’s passion for a vegan lifestyle. And it just struck me that this is a space that we could make a real contribution to. PG: You remember the exact moment when you came up with the name?
“We wanted to have Skinny Butcher come into a crowded sandbox with the best product on the market.”
DZ: Yes. As Jack’s health deteriorated, he really couldn’t be involved in it to that great extent —Dave Zilko, CEO, Skinny Butcher anymore. So it was really me and Mike, who’s just brilliant, who developed the brand aesthetic. It really evolved from there, somewhat serendipitous really, a combination of what Jack did after we sold Garden Fresh and what he was going through health-wise, and then still recognizing that this is a place that we can make a real contribution in. We wanted to have Skinny Butcher come into a crowded sandbox with the best product on the market. And I define “best product on the market” by meaning we’re winning on branding and we’re winning on a flavor profile. PG: Tell me about the winking butcher. DZ: Our brand aesthetic for Skinny Butcher is designed to put a smile on your face. And he’s winking at you because there’s an old joke: Never trust a skinny butcher. But he’s winking at you, saying, “Look, this is so good, even I’m eating it. You can really trust me.” And the butcher is the second-most-trusted individual in the supermarket, right behind
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the pharmacist. So that was the brand aesthetic we set out to create. PG: Your flavor profile is innovative and unique. DZ: We’re importing a bamboo fiber from Italy. We’re the first in this country to do it. We put together a proprietary blend of chicken flavoring that we just think is terrific. And then we decided to follow the gold standard and be pea protein-based, so all our items are soy-free. But pea protein can have an unpleasant aftertaste, so in the development of this product, we really focused on masking agents so there’s no unpleasant aftertaste with our products. So our approach was to come to market with the best product, and define “best product” by winning on branding and winning on flavor profile. PG: Can you talk about the response you’ve had from buyers and retailers? DZ: We are literally in launch mode right now. We’re in Safeway, about 350 stores. But we have a lot of onboarding coming soon. So far, the response has just been great. I mean, it
