Tho most of its growth is coming from expanding food array these days, SF-based Forager continues to innovate on bev side, too. Now launching is Organic Dairy Free Oatmilk that joins multiserve array in 48-oz bottles priced at $5.99. New entry joins Unsweetened Cashew entry that's long been in repertoire, along with newly rebranded Coconut Cashew Oat Blend, said chief revenue officer Matt Collins and cmo Wynee Sade during visit by BBI to co's hq in downtown SF yesterday. As they noted, tho Forager may vie vs bigger cos like Califia Farms, it currently stands as largest organic plant-based dairy co.

Fairway Market, iconic NY specialty grocer that's been struggling with financial pressures going back a decade to its sale to private-equity player, made anticipated Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing, identifying Village Super Market as so-called stalking horse buyer of 5 of its NYC stores and a distribution center for $70 mil. Village Super Market operates Shop Rite chain as well as Gourmet Garage specialty chain, a local rival of Fairway, but it was careful to say it intends to continue operating the stores, should deal happen, under Fairway banner. "If we are successful in our bid, we are committed to keeping Fairway, including its name, unique product selection and value, a part of this community," per statement issued under name of Village ceo Robert Sumas. As reported, New Yorkers have been obsessed about fate of retailer, which has proved valuable incubator of early-stage bevs over the years.

Blue Bottle Coffee may be proliferating coffee shops around US under its owner of past coupla years, Nestle, but it's also finding time to fill out its lines of packaged cold-brews to point where it will be offering 3 creamed entries packed in 10.7-oz gabletop cartons and 3 black entries in 8-oz squat cans. On creamed side, single entry, chicory-infused New Orleans Iced Coffee, is being augmented in coming months by Café Au Lait and oatmilk version of the New Orleans. (Use of carton is required because of creamery partner on production.) On black side, canned Bold and Bright entries will be augmented with Single Origin (via Colombian beans). All go out at $3.99 SRP.

Verve Coffee Roasters continued relaunch of its canned Flash Brew Coffee line while adding instant powder mix to lineup. Santa Cruz, Calif-based co founded in 2007 has brought production of its Flash Brews in-house now, relaunching 9.5-oz Original a little over a year ago, bringing back Ethiopia Sakaro last Mar and now adding Vancouver Decaf (named for location of its decaffeination partner, Swiss Water). Line continues to use hot brewing to extract full range of flavors, then flash chilling and nitrogen infusion to maintain freshness. SRP is $3.99. Verve is among coffee players who's maintaining commitment to offering only uncreamed, refrigerated entries.

Dyla Brands, which has maintained a very visible alliance with its minority investor Keurig Dr Pepper on its Forto coffees and coffee shots, has quietly been collaborating with bev giant on another front: the water enhancers that comprised Dyla's initial biz via its Stur brand. Over past year, NY-based co founded by Neel Premkumar has laid groundwork to take over mgmt of liquid and powder enhancer extensions of KDP's key soda and juice brands, upgrading the products and packaging in preparation for formal cutover at beginning of this year. Co now licenses, manufactures and sells such core KDP brands as 7 Up, Crush, Snapple, Hawaiian Punch and Canada Dry, currently a $100 mil biz but one that Neel argues is underdeveloped considering that those brands generate $2.5 bil on RTD side.

Deciding it may have bit off more than it could chew, Austin-based DSD house Dynamo Distributing will exit Houston market as of Jan 31. Dynamo, recall, backed by resources of Nutrabolt supplement group and its LivWell investment arm, has been aggressively building go-to option for early-stage brands in state that's been starved for DSD options for non-alc brands, with view to eventually extending its reach even to Dallas/Ft Worth metro (BBI, Sep 9). But in recent weeks we'd picked up grumbling from suppliers about spotty execution and Dynamo has responded by retreating to core Austin and San Antonio market for now, decision that was communicated to suppliers in memo dated Jan 8 just after Dynamo closed on additional investment we'd reported last month (BBI, Dec 16). Bryan Bulte, the LivWell managing partner who's been overseeing Dynamo, confirmed move this morning. "We think Austin and San Antonio metros are enough for us to take on and we are already profitable," he said. "We now can i

Rigged rules? Coverup? End of democracy? No, this heightened rhetoric isn't just from impeachment trial unfolding this week in Washington. It's being used by dissident group of Special Food Assn, which behind scenes has been banging drums from Dec 6 thru runup to this week's Fancy Food Show demanding meeting and vote to demand change, including potentially ousting dir Phil Kafarakis and SFA leadership. Insurrection dubbed SFA Members First has been led by Dan Dowe, exec dir of Artisanal Cheese LLC (whose SFA membership he claims was dropped in retaliation) and an SFA director for a decade, who argues that $4 mil loss in 2019, projected $2 mil deficit this year and overspending on logo and website redesigns and offsite meetings merits challenge. He claims assn changed bylaws to thwart meeting when it seemed he had accumulated required 100 member votes. Its critique is at SFAMembersFirst.com.

Japanese tea giant Ito En is augmenting its array of canned items as more sustainable alternative to its distinctive PET bottles, expanding its bottled milk teas and generating further momentum behind Oi Ocha brand via recent entry into Walmart chain.