# #66 Sharing is Caring: How Alison Cayne & Haven's Kitchen share cooking confidence and industry knowledge

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2022-10-25
- Length: 1h 00m
- Episode: 43
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-10-25-66-sharing-is-caring-how-alison-cayne-havens-kitchen-share-cooking-confidence-an
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/cfb5a903

## Summary

Alison Cayne, Founder & CEO of Haven's Kitchen, discusses scaling her fresh, high-pressure pasteurized sauce brand from a cooking school side project to national retail presence in Whole Foods, Target, and Sprouts. She details the operational challenges of managing supply and demand mismatches, the strategic decision to use Social Nature for pandemic-era trial instead of traditional demos, and the distinct margin and velocity dynamics between natural channel and mass retailers like Target. Cayne also shares her framework for founder decision-making, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between short-term fires and long-term structural issues, and the necessity of building a strong foundation before expanding.

## Chapters

- [0:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-10-25-66-sharing-is-caring-how-alison-cayne-havens-kitchen-share-cooking-confidence-an#t=3) Introduction: Haven's Kitchen Products and Origin
- [11:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-10-25-66-sharing-is-caring-how-alison-cayne-havens-kitchen-share-cooking-confidence-an#t=660) Early Days: From Cooking School to First Retail Orders
- [19:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-10-25-66-sharing-is-caring-how-alison-cayne-havens-kitchen-share-cooking-confidence-an#t=1184) Team Building and Hiring Strategy for Early-Stage CPG
- [29:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-10-25-66-sharing-is-caring-how-alison-cayne-havens-kitchen-share-cooking-confidence-an#t=1780) Navigating the Whole Foods National Launch During the Pandemic
- [34:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-10-25-66-sharing-is-caring-how-alison-cayne-havens-kitchen-share-cooking-confidence-an#t=2060) Target Launch: Velocity, Margins, and the Innovation Trap
- [42:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-10-25-66-sharing-is-caring-how-alison-cayne-havens-kitchen-share-cooking-confidence-an#t=2530) Using Social Nature for Trial and Consumer Insights
- [52:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-10-25-66-sharing-is-caring-how-alison-cayne-havens-kitchen-share-cooking-confidence-an#t=3176) Founder Decision Framework and Supply Chain Resilience

## Topics

- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Haven's Kitchen (company)
- Whole Foods (company)
- Target (company)
- Sprouts (company)
- Social Nature (company)
- UNFI (company)
- Chimichurri (product)
- Gingery Miso Sauce (product)
- Golden Tahini (product)
- Oat Haus (company)
- Mondelēz International (company)
- Sweet Nothings (company)
- Aura Bora (company)
- In The Sauce (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [222 - Alison Cayne, CEO of Havens Kitchen, from the classroom to the kitchen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-10-24-222-alison-cayne-ceo-of-havens-kitchen-from-the-classroom-to-the-kitchen) (People of Packaging)
- [Advice Line with Mark Ramadan of Sir Kensington's](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-27-advice-line-with-mark-ramadan-of-sir-kensingtons) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Brett Schulman of CAVA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-07-04-advice-line-with-brett-schulman-of-cava) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Katlin Smith of Simple Mills](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-01-23-advice-line-with-katlin-smith-of-simple-mills) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Brett Schulman of CAVA (July 2024)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-01-02-advice-line-with-brett-schulman-of-cava-july-2024) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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