PORTLAND, Ore.—Plant-based dairy startup Take Two Foods, which launched the world’s first barleymilk in March of 2020, is excited to announce expansion into several new grocery markets this year, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Imperfect Foods, New Seasons Market, and New Leaf Community Markets. The company has also brought on seven new key members to its rapidly growing team in the last six months.
Market Expansion
Take Two Foods’ flagship product, Take Two Barleymilk, is currently sold in Whole Foods Market and Market of Choice throughout the Pacific Northwest and is expanding quickly into Northern California and Southern California, as well as select retailers in the Midwest and Northeast. Via the direct-to-consumer channel, Take Two has announced a March launch with Imperfect Foods, a grocery delivery service that works to eliminate food waste and build a better food system for everyone, directly aligning with Take Two Foods’ values.
Take Two Foods has signed on with Sprouts Farmers Market, a supermarket chain based in Arizona that offers a wide selection of natural and organic foods; Take Two Barleymilk will be featured in Sprouts’ 340 stores in 23 states. The company has also signed on with New Seasons Market and will be featured in all of its stores—18 in the Portland Metropolitan area and one in Northern California. Take Two Foods is also going to be available in all five New Leaf Community Markets in Northern California.
“We’re so excited to be experiencing such extensive growth in key markets,” said Sarah Pool, Take Two Foods Co-Founder and CEO. “Our planet and its sustained health are of primary importance to people across the U.S. We look forward to bringing this important nutrition to people everywhere, collectively contributing to a more sustainable food system and better future.”
Take Two’s products are crafted from rejuvenated barley, upcycled grain that is high in protein and other essential nutrients. Healthy fats from organic high oleic sunflower oil and coconut cream, blended with the barley and pea protein, delivers all nine essential amino acids and five to eight grams of complete protein per serving. Calcium, potassium, and vitamin D are added to make a wholesome vegan milk alternative that provides 50% more calcium than dairy milk and at least 50% less sugar than other flavored milks. Take Two Barleymilk comes in four flavors: Chef’s Blend, Unsweetened, Chocolate, and Vanilla.
Team Growth
In the past six months, Take Two Foods has brought on seven key team members with a diverse set of skills and talents to help nourish the world through the transformative power of circularity. The company is pleased to announce Sujit Srinivas as its new VP of Operations and Supply Chain. Srinivas is a plant-based food advocate who enjoys leading companies in their journey towards sustainable and profitable growth by designing, implementing, and executing an efficient operations and supply chain strategy. He currently also mentors early-stage companies that are part of the Built Oregon network and serves as an advisor to The Bitter Housewife. He previously worked at Craft Brew Alliance and Intel.
The company has also welcomed Rich Matusow as Chief Sales Officer. Matusow is a natural products industry veteran with over 20 years of experience devising and implementing strategic growth plans for mission-driven companies. He spent 10 years with Sambazon, as an equity partner and as its VP of Business Development where he focused on developing new sales channels and teams to optimize both the growth of Sambazon in the USA and to help drive the market-driven conservation model in the Amazon.
Luke Mafazy has come on board as CFO, bringing with him over 10 years of consumer packaged goods experience. Prior to joining the team, Mafazy attended London Business School to gain a more global perspective on business. Post grad school, he joined ABInBev in its Global MBA program, living in Belgium, Switzerland, and the U.S.
Other new additions include Melissa Fears as Marketing and Brand Manager, responsible for heading up the strategy and execution of all omni-channel marketing, creative and field marketing; Sara Hewitt as Sales Director; Mitch Thisius, RDN, as product developer; and Jacob Trinchero as Warehouse Lead. The new Take Two team members join Pool; Matt Olsofsky, co-founder and COO; and Breyn Hibbs, Head of Sustainability, Impact, and Partnerships. Take Two Foods is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.
Take Two Foods is working on expanding into shelf-stable packaging later this year, including developing a barista blend. The company continues to develop adjacent plant-based dairy products such as coffee creamer, ice cream, yogurt, and cheese.
About Take Two Foods
Take Two Foods is a plant-based food and beverage company committed to creating second chances for consumers’ health and the planet. Take Two Foods makes it easier for consumers to eat a more plant-rich diet by providing high-quality plant-based products. Its mission is to help catalyze the shift to a sustainable, plant-rich food system and to create a better future that includes reducing food waste and cutting down on greenhouse-gas emissions.
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