Hello hello!
Well this has been a crazy week, hasn’t it? In case you missed it, WE GOT ACQUIRED!!! Express Checkout is now officially part of the Morning Brew Inc. family, and we couldn’t be more excited.
If you want the full story on what’s going on, we shared more in our last newsletter. Short version: you can still expect Express Checkout’s usual newsletter, podcast, and socials, and it’s all still coming from us! We just have a whole lot more support and firepower behind us to grow + create even more.
We also want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who replied, texted, DMed, posted, reposted, or otherwise blew up our phones this week. We read every single message, and a few of them may have made us tear up at our desks. This thing started as a side project fueled by a love for CPG, and it only got here because you all kept opening, forwarding, and nerding out about this industry right alongside us.
If you’re curious about why MBI went with us, check out CEO Robert Dippell’s LinkedIn post, this ADWEEK piece, and Emily Sundberg’s piece on the deal!
If you’re a new reader, WELCOME! Highly recommend checking out our past editions for a better sense of the Express Checkout experience! ✨
Now, let’s get into our picks of the week →
Jenna’s Pickup:
Row 7 Koginut Winter Squash
Fall enthusiasts: brace yourselves. I don’t mean to come for your gourd prowess, but I am about to introduce you to a new squash that just might displace a Honeynut or Kabocha in your rotation. In fact, it just might become the Squash of the Season (you heard it here first).
I learned about this special squash last week during a Whole Foods Market press trip, where we had the opportunity to try a delicious new Whole Foods Market pizza featuring Row 7’s Koginut Winter Squash. While we indulged, we spoke with Row 7’s co-founder and one of the creators of this seed. Not God (nice try), but someone close: Dan Barber, chef and co-owner of Michelin-starred Blue Hill at Stone Barns.
Dan shared all about Row 7’s mission and thought process around developing its seeds: prioritizing flavor and nutrition above all else by selecting the best genes from different produce varieties. There is so much thought that goes into every single one of Row 7’s seeds, and I promise you can taste the difference in the final product. In this case, that product is a squash that puts all other Winter squashes to shame.
Note: If you’re wondering if I have any authority to talk about produce… fair. This is a CPG newsletter, but that’s exactly why this is an interesting pick. There’s been a recent blurring of lines between CPG and branded produce, and it’s something we like to keep tabs on; last year, we wrote about the “rise of branded fruit,” and this falls within that same discussion. TL;DR: if it’s branded and consumable, if it’s priced as a brand and not a commodity, then we think it should be discussed in the same circles as CPG. Feel free to debate.
Quick Facts: Row 7’s elevated take on Butternut squash, shaped like a small pumpkin and with the taste and texture of a Honeynut squash.
Reasons to love:
Specifically selected for flavor + texture. Koginut was created as a cross between two of the season’s favorite squash: Honeynut and Butternut. It has the sweetness and velvety texture of a Honeynut, with the size, durability, and storability of a Butternut—packaged in what looks like a small pumpkin. If you don’t think of yourself as someone who can detect the minute differences between squash varieties, I dare you to try this. You will notice its richness, creamy texture, gorgeous bright color, and nutty, honey-like flavor.
She’s a skin-on variety. Whenever I try produce prepared by someone with more culinary cachet, the inevitable fear crops* up: what if I can never make it this well at home? For a hearty winter squash, that fear is primarily rooted* in my mediocre knife skills. I was thrilled to see that the Koginut on the Whole Foods Market pizza actually still had the skin on it. The Whole Foods chef who developed the pizza told me that the skin is so soft, it actually bakes beautifully—offering some delightful textural variety and a slight crisp rather than the leathery, tough skin of most butternuts.
Produce you can feel extra good about eating. You can (and should!) feel good every time you eat something that came from the ground. But certain things come from the ground better, and this is one. Row 7 partners with regional growers who care for their land by employing organic practices. By sharing their seeds (instead of patenting them so no one else can grow them), Row 7 gives small organic farmers a source of income and encourages biodiversity above and below ground. Their growing process is so transparent, you can trace the exact farm your Koginut grew on here!
*: Pun alert!!!! Hide your hobbyist gardeners, stat!!
Where to buy: Try the new pizza at your local Whole Foods Market hot bar in the pizza section! Or buy the squash itself online or in Whole Foods stores.
Nate’s Pickup:
WashWise Reset Spray
Laundry is one of the hottest aisles right now, and WashWise is one of the most exciting new entrants to this space. I’m someone who deeply cares about how I present myself when I’m out and about. How I smell, if my clothes are wrinkly, if my fly is down… you get it. Being out and about nearly every day and night of the week at CPG events, trade shows, conferences, I need to look put together at 8pm for a shirt I may have been wearing since 8am!
On top of simply fitting into my new “going out” routine, this fulfills my need to find new EDC (Everyday Carry) products. Something small that I always have in my bag, and solves a specific issue. This one has earned a permanent spot in my backpack.
Quick Facts: WashWise’s Reset Spray is a water-based fabric mist that neutralizes odor, relaxes wrinkles, and lightly cleans clothes that have been worn but don’t need a full wash yet. It comes in two scents, Cotton Grove and Verde Rise, in a 6oz can for $29 and a TSA-friendly travel size.
Reasons to love:
Creative innovation. It’s great to see so many brands launching new ways to clean your clothes (like our fave, Wishing Well), but there haven’t been many new brands that touch on the in-between moments of doing laundry. Which is perfect for me because I make SO MUCH laundry that I probably don’t need to be making. What I love is that Reset rolls a few products into one, so instead of owning a wrinkle spray and a fabric refresher you’ve got one can that handles all of it. And, on top of all that, this one cleans the fabric a bit by lifting off sweat and body oils. That’s crazy!
Genius positioning. Dry shampoo for clothes. Are you kidding me?! What a brilliant way to describe this product! It so clearly gets the point across of what it does, when to use it, and where it lives in your routine.
Where to buy: Online
In case you missed it… 🎧
This week, we’re sitting down with wildly impressive Tristan Walker, who built and sold Walker & Company (the parent company behind Bevel) to Procter & Gamble. He also sits on the board of Shake Shack and recently joined Collaborative Fund to help launch Collab Holdings—a private equity arm built for consumer brands that don’t fit the traditional VC/PE playbook. He also runs Heirloom Leathercraft, a trade school and atelier bringing fine handcraft back to America.
He walks us through building Bevel from a personal shaving problem to a national brand, the difficult decision to sell to P&G, and why he now believes most founders shouldn’t take VC money in the first place. We also dig into what makes a CPG brand “durable,” why Gen Z is increasingly skeptical of private equity, and whether AI can ever replicate intuition. 👀
Catch the full episode below 👇
I can’t wait to try koginut squash. I’m a big fan of delicata squash. Wash Wise sounds perfect for travel. Great issue and congrats on becoming part of Morning Brew! 😊
Can confirm that koginut — and this pizza — are top tier! So excited to try Wash Wise now, too.