Taking Mom's Dressing to Market - Tessemae's on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast

In our previous episode, we talked about having a great idea for a food product and how to consult the Food Innovation Center about creating it, but Greg Vetter of Tessemae's simply brought in a tub of lettuce with his secret dressing on it and walked out of a Whole Foods buyer meeting with an order. After selling 600+ bottles in five days simply doing in-store demos, Tessemae’s dressing became an instant phenomenon at Whole Foods and soon expanded exponentially through the state, the region, and eventually the whole country.

From its fascinating beginning in an Annapolis MD Whole Foods store, where Greg Vetter and his family made dressing at night and drove it to Whole Foods stores on Fridays, doing demos every weekend, to getting the call from Walmart asking if they could develop a shelf-stable version for them, Tessemae’s trajectory was almost inconceivable.

The origin of this great dressing came from Greg’s mom Tesse - who had to figure out a way to get her kids to eat their veggies while staying healthy. Because serving a dressing full of artificial ingredients was not an option, she created and perfected her own all-natural recipe. When her oldest son, Greg, realized how great it was, he said, “Mom, let’s go into business together and make this for the world!” As Tessemae's All Natural grows its product line around the globe, the commitment to healthy eating and healthy living remains the core of the company's mission.

Join us as Greg tells me about his initial “ignorance” of the food production industry, their growth and learnings from 2009 through today, and how they plan to keep innovating flavors and products under the Tessemae's brand.

The “NexxtLevel Brands Podcast’ is hosted by G. Steven Cleere, Founder and “Chief Pot Stirrer” of NexxtLevel Brands. This show focuses on disruptors and thought-leaders from the Entrepreneurial Food, Beverage, and CPG Industry, but we also share tips from veterans and key suppliers that may help fellow CPG professionals achieve their goals.

Discussion Points

• What drove you to create a product in the refrigerated/produce section?
• How Greg’s neighbor broke into his house to steal his mom’s dressing, and the a-ha moment this created
• Cold calling Whole Foods stores until he got a yes
• The panic of getting the first order and paperwork from Whole Foods
• When did you think about using a copacker?
• Transitioning to buying their own manufacturing plant
• How is the responsibility distributed among family members?
• The pros and cons of working in the produce section
• How Walmart came calling one day for a shelf-stable product
• Any supply chain issues due to covid?
• Our issues are hitting us now after we did fine during covid! 
• What’s next for Tessemae's - innovation in flavors and products will continue
• Words to grow by – “The Obstacle is the Way” book by Ryan Holiday 

Resources:

Greg Vetter LinkedIn

Tessemae's’s Website

Tessemae's Instagram

The Obstacle is The Way Book

NexxtLevel Brands Website

Steven Cleere LinkedIn