Honest Tea Founders Return With Just Ice Tea
Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff, co-founders of Honest Tea, have returned to the bottled tea business alongside celebrity Chef Spike Mendelsohn with the launch of Just Ice Tea, a ready-to-drink organic iced tea brand focused on sourcing simple ingredients and Fair Trade Certified teas and sweeteners. The organic tea line will hit shelves nationwide beginning September 2022 and is the latest addition to Eat the Change, the planet-friendly snack (and now beverage) company founded by Goldman and Mendelsohn in 2020.
The news for Eat the Change’s expansion into the bottle tea space follows Coca-Cola’s May 2022 announcement that it would discontinue Honest Tea this fall. Goldman and Nalebuff founded Honest Tea in Bethesda, Md., in 1998.
“Just Ice Tea is picking up where Honest Tea left off, but we are tripling down on our commitments to our core values – Fair Trade Certified, organic and just sweet enough,” said Goldman “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to once again serve, and hopefully expand, the community of tea growers and retailers we assembled who were abandoned by the discontinuation of Honest Tea.”
The brand is named Just Ice Tea because “Just Ice” refers to the set of working standards and environmental principles the team aims to support through Fair Trade premiums and working standards. The brand is also committed to supporting our planet through organic certification, which uses a third-party verified approach to avoid the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers. Honest Tea was the first bottled tea brand to offer organic (1999) and Fair Trade certified varieties (2003).
“We didn’t want to leave our loyal customers high and dry, either,” Nalebuff said. “Challenging the line from F. Scott Fitzgerald, he predicted ‘We think act two will be even better’.”
Honest Tea fans will recognize new renditions of crowd favorites with Just Ice Tea. While similar, some key differentiators to note are: no cane sugar (Fair Trade Certified Organic agave and/or honey are used for sweeteners), glass bottles only, a bit less sweet and chef-crafted by Mendelsohn, who leads innovation at Eat the Change.
“Teaming up with mission-driven leaders and innovators, like Seth and Barry, to launch the next generation of bottled tea is truly a milestone moment for me,” Mendelsohn said. “Innovation is my favorite part of being a chef, and we’re excited to introduce this new line of chef-crafted teas made with responsibly sourced ingredients from our trusted partners.”
Just Ice Tea will launch with six SKUs with a SRP of $2.69-$2.89. Flavor names and varieties include:
● Berry Hibiscus Herbal Tea: Organic herbal hibiscus and blackberry leaves are brewed and blended with blackberry juice for a fruity caffeine-free blend.
● Honey Green Tea: Real-brewed green tea leaves and a “just sweet enough” taste of agave and honey offers a classic taste of this popular blend.
● Moroccan Mint Tea: Blend of real brewed green tea and mint makes for a refreshing taste with a hint of honey at only 35 calories for the whole bottle.
● Original Green Tea: Smooth, unsweetened green tea is as simple as it
gets. No flavoring (except from real-brewed tea leaves) and no sweetener – just the clean taste of real brewed green tea.
● Peach Oolong Tea: Real-brewed oolong and black tea leaves blend with the flavor of fragrant sweet peaches at just 60 calories per bottle.
● ½ Tea ½ Lemonade: Real-brewed black tea leaves blend with the sweet, citrus taste of classic lemonade. Two favorites, one bottle.
Just Ice Tea will be distributed nationwide and begins to hit shelves September 2022. Just Ice Tea is available first at Sprouts Farmers Market nationally and PLNT Burger locations in New York City. Other retailers set to carry Just Ice Tea include, but are not limited to: Whole Foods Markets, Hy-vee, Town & Country, Central Market, New Seasons Market, Erewhon, MOM’s, Roots, Yes! Natural Markets, Giant Foods, PCC, Dawson’s, Market of Choice, ION Group, Oliver’s, Rainbow Grocery, The Food Bin, Ellwood Thompson’s and The Common Market.
Gourmet News featured news about Just Ice Tea in our August issue. Subscribe now so you don’t miss anything!
H-E-B in Texas Carrying unMEAT Plant-Based Luncheon Meat
H-E-B Supermarkets in Texas are carrying unMEAT plant-based luncheon meat. Recently launched in the United States, unMEAT Luncheon Meat offers a healthier, plant-based alternative to the canned meat that is a beloved snack for families around the world.
Available in two flavors – Luncheon Style Meat and Burger Style Luncheon Meat – unMEAT offers a guilt-free, non-GMO plant-based alternative with 30% fewer calories, 60% less sodium and zero sodium nitrites than its meat predecessor. Though Texas is a state that is known for loving its traditional meat, interest in plant-based alternatives is present across the state, with more than 1,500 restaurants that serve vegan and vegetarian options. unMEAT Luncheon Meat is a shelf-stable alternative that tastes like the original luncheon meat (without the unhealthy ingredients).
“The consumer and retailer response to the initial launch of our plant-based luncheon meat is strong, and we are excited to have unMEAT Luncheon Meat available in brick-and-mortar H-E-B Supermarkets,” says Gregory Banzon, Chief Operating Officer, Century Pacific Group, parent company of unMEAT. “Now, Texas residents can purchase unMEAT where they purchase their regular weekly groceries, making it even easier to incorporate plant-based proteins into their regular meals.”
In addition to H-E-B supermarkets, unMEAT Luncheon Meat is available via online retailers, GTFO, It’s Vegan! and Weee!, and at select stores throughout the United States. This increasing availability makes it an accessible option for flexitarians, vegetarians, vegans or those looking to add more plant-based foods in their diet. Additional national retailer availability is expected to roll out this fall. For more information and to find a retailer, visit https://meetunmeat.us/.
unMEAT’s product range includes meat-free Burger Patties, Ground Meat, Luncheon Meat, Sausages, Nuggets and fish-free Tunas. Made with 100% non-GMO, sustainably sourced clean ingredients, unMEAT offers taste and texture for no-sacrifices-necessary balanced meals. unMEAT is available via online retailers GTFO, It’s Vegan! and Weee!, along with select stores throughout the Midwest and east coast.
Get the October issue of Gourmet News for more on plant-based products. Subscribe now so you don’t miss anything!
Plant Based World Expo Engages Food Industry
The third Plant Based World Expo North America returned to the Javits Center in New York on Sept. 8-9. Attendees at the 100 percent plant-based B2B industry event enjoyed innovative new plant-based products, speakers and networking opportunities. There were 3,722 attendees, up roughly 20 percent from 2021, and 232 exhibitors.
“The response to this year’s Plant Based World Expo has been tremendous,” said Chris Nemchek, general manager. “One of our goals this year was to improve the audience quality and increase the number of retail and foodservice buyers at the show, and we are thrilled to report that we increased the number of buyers by 20%.”
Trends on display included:
● Mushroom-based meats, snacks and jerky from Fable, Popadelics and Eat the Change.
● Plant-based meats and seafoods from companies such as Atlas Monroe, Hoya, Unlimeat, The Blue Butcher, Mind Blown Seafood and Finless Foods.
● Functional foods and beverages from Broma, True North, Remedy and Purposefuel.
● Snacks galore from Rule Breaker Snacks, Lupii, Mozaics and Fat Badger.
● Global culinary creativity and chef-crafted products.
● Convenient and accessible frozen and prepared entrees from companies such as Strong Roots and Wicked Foods.
● Elevated plant-based cheeses from Good Plant Foods, Bedda Cheese, Selfish Cow Plant Based Cheese, Plant Perks, Nuts for Cheese, Wildbrine and Miyoko’s Creamery.
“The success of this year’s Plant Based World Expo demonstrates the continued excitement around the plant-based foods industry,” said Rachel Dreskin, CEO of PBFA and The Institute. “Thanks to the strength of our partnership with the PBW team, we were able to put on a fantastic show featuring impactful conference sessions and so many meaningful opportunities for our members to connect with industry leaders and buyers. We look forward to continued growth and the expansion of our joint mission to showcase the power of plant-based.”
The show’s exhibitors were enthusiastic about their experiences at the show, citing great connections and the chance to showcase their products to a highly qualified audience as reasons why they plan to return next year.
“This was Mind Blown’s first year exhibiting at the show and it was incredible start to finish,” said Monica Talbert, co-founder of Mind Blown Plant Based Seafood Company. “The energy and excitement from attendees and other exhibitors was truly electric and so many quality connections really makes PBW a show not to miss!”
Whether they were sampling delicious plant-based frozen desserts and mouth-watering plant-based entrees or learning from expert speakers, celebrity chefs, and industry leaders, attendees agreed that this was the best PBW yet.
“The show has been incredible. We’ve made a lot of good contacts with all the right people to get our product into the right places. We’re looking forward to next year,” said Marc Elkman, co-founder, Mighty Yum.
“This was our first time coming to the show and we have made many amazing connections here–it gives me goosebumps–and we’re excited about following up and our future,” said Camille Holder-Brown, co-founder, Kale Cafe.
Read more about plant-based food in the October issue of Gourmet News. Subscribe today so you don’t miss it!