#213 - The Rise of Almonds with Daily Crunch and Philosopher Foods

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In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff welcomes Laurel Orley, Co-Founder of Daily Crunch, and Tim Richards, Founder of Philosopher Foods, to discuss how they are redefining the almond snacking category through innovation, quality sourcing, and functional nutrition. 

Laurel shares the origin story behind Daily Crunch’s signature turmeric and sea salt sprouted almonds, a product born from a family tradition and bootstrapped R&D in her own kitchen. She breaks down the sprouting process, nutritional benefits, and how texture innovation helped them crack into conventional retail like Meijer and airport kiosks across the country. Tim introduces Gut Nuts™, the first fermented almonds on the market, explaining the role of probiotics, postbiotics, and lacto-fermentation in creating a tangy, umami-forward product that supports gut health.

Whether you’re a snack lover, a founder, or a buyer looking for what’s next in CPG, this episode serves up insights on product innovation, texture as a differentiator, and why almonds are more relevant than ever..

Tune in now and explore the future of almond snacking. Then grab a bag of Daily Crunch or Gut Nuts and taste the innovation for yourself!

Special thanks to the Almond Board of California — visit them at almonds.com to learn more about their work and resources.

Listen in as they share about:

• Brand Origins and Founder Journeys
• Sprouting and Fermentation Processes
• Product Differentiation Through Texture
• Health & Nutritional Benefits
• Innovation in Flavor Development
• Retail & Distribution Strategy
• Support from the Almond Board of California

Episode Links:
Website: https://www.dailycrunchsnacks.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurel-orley/
Website: https://philosopherfoods.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-richards-522285a4/ 

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Daniel's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics