It’s time to talk iced tea! This beverage category is not new, but it's flying off the shelves and hotter than ever—much like the Earth's temperature these days. In this episode of Aisle 42, I chat with Max Rivest, co-founder of Wize Coffee Leaf Iced Tea—one of the brands close to our hearts here at Ethical Food Group.

Max is a passionate advocate for sustainable practices, and their efforts to support off-season coffee farmers are truly inspiring. He shares their journey to creating delicious, low-sugar, fruit-flavored sparkling iced teas from upcycled coffee leaves that everyone can enjoy. We even discuss the joys of a low-caffeine lifestyle.

To learn more about Wize Coffee Leaf Iced Tea go to: https://drinkwize.com/

To learn more about the team behind the Aisle 42 podcast go to: https://www.ethicalfoodgroup.com/podcast

Here’s a summary of this interview:

Vision for Future Grocery Stores: Max envisions future grocery stores with minimal plastic use, sustainably made and sourced products, and a balance of self-checkout and human interaction.

Personal Journey: Max's journey began in 2013 after a caffeine overdose while studying in France, leading him to seek healthier beverage alternatives.

Founding Wise Coffee Leaf Iced Tea: Inspired by the antioxidant-rich coffee leaf, Max and his co-founder started Wise Coffee Leaf Iced Tea to create a unique, healthy iced tea from upcycled coffee leaves.

Sustainability and Social Impact: The company provides off-season work for coffee farmers, creating over 140,000 hours of employment and helping to reduce the nomadic lifestyle caused by seasonal work in the coffee industry.

Product Evolution: Initially launched as a flat iced tea, Wise Coffee Leaf Iced Tea transitioned to a sparkling iced tea in 2020, offering flavors like mango, raspberry, and apple.

Health Focus: The iced teas contain low sugar (four grams per can) and avoid artificial sweeteners, appealing to health-conscious consumers, including diabetics.

Consumer Demographics: The most vocal consumers are females in their late 20s and early 30s, while the primary buyers are typically moms in their late 30s and early 40s looking for healthy family beverages.

Market Expansion: Wise Coffee Leaf Iced Tea is available in various retail locations, including Save-On-Foods, Whole Foods, and gas stations like Canco, with a growing presence in food service venues.

Unique Selling Point: The beverage is praised for its smooth, balanced flavor, making it a popular choice for those seeking a refreshing, non-alcoholic option without excessive sweetness or bitterness.

Future Aspirations: Max hopes to see the coffee leaf become a recognized and valued product in the tea industry, with potential for creating terroir-based, varietal-specific teas that benefit both consumers and farmers.

I followed the trail of my favourite pesto and plant-based cheese sauce and it led me all the way to Quebec, and Le Grand and co-founder Tatiana Bossy.

In this episode of Aisle 42 Tatiana shares her journey through the business world of the once trendy now mainstream plant-based movement. We talk about her approach to wholesome ingredients and their efforts to source products from suppliers who give a damn about people and the planet. Tatiana also envisions a future where dairy-free and high-quality products truly make consumers' lives easier - which is something we can all appreciate.

We also talk about their bold expansion into Western Canada and we even give a shout out vegan celebrities Pamela Anderson and Bryan Adams.

To learn more about these products and where to find them go to https://lovelegrand.com.

To learn more about who’s behind this podcast go to: https://www.ethicalfoodgroup.com/podcast

Here’s a quick summary of this interview:

Global Phenomenon: Tatiana Bossy discusses how the plant-based movement has transformed from a fringe trend to a global phenomenon.

Focus on Health and Wellbeing: Emphasis on improving health, wellbeing, and energy through plant-based nutrition.

Sustainability Efforts: Le Grand focuses on sustainability by using real plant-based ingredients and sourcing from conscientious suppliers.

Local and International Sourcing: They aim to buy more from Canadian suppliers but also source sun-dried tomatoes from Turkey due to climate constraints.

Celebrity Endorsements: Tatiana shares a story about Pamela Anderson and Bryan Adams, both committed vegans, trying Le Grand's products.

Missed Endorsement Opportunity: Pamela Anderson tried Le Grand's products but didn't publicly endorse them, which Tatiana found unfortunate.

Product Availability: Le Grand's mac and cheese sauce is now available at Whole Foods and will be promoted throughout the summer.

Negotiations with Save-On-Foods: Tatiana is negotiating with Save-On-Foods to bring their mac and cheese sauce to stores in the fall.

Independent Grocers: The mac and cheese sauce will also be available at various independent grocers across the West.

Positive Reception: Corwin Hiebert praises Le Grand's products, expressing gratitude for their quality and the passion behind their creation.

This episode is an Aisle 42 first because we're talking about pets. Pet food commands serious shelf space in most of our grocery stores (and of course the category thrives in speciality stores and online) - all of it fuelling a global market worth around $150 billion in annual revenue.

The more we dug into consumer demands, values-based shopping treads, and the environmental impact of this industry the more we knew we’d need to chat with someone about it.

So I chatted with Christine Mallier from Petcurean, a BC-based company renowned for its commitment to producing premium, sustainable pet food.

We talked about their approach to pet food innovation, alternative proteins, ethically sourced ingredients, smart nutrition profiling and diet personalization using AI, their teams’ deep commitment to environmental stewardship, and even a wild picture of the future where the pet owners’ shopping experiences could also be augmented reality.

To learn more about this future-thinking pet nutrition company go to https://petcurean.com.

To learn more about who’s behind this podcast go to https://www.ethicalfoodgroup.com/podcast.

Here’s a summary of this interview:

Here are the 10 bulleted highlights from the interview with Christine Mallier:

Vision for the Future of Pet Stores: Christine envisions a future where pet nutrition, sustainability, technology, and consumer experience converge, featuring smart nutrition profiling using AI and augmented reality tours.

Sustainability Initiatives: Petcurean focuses on using sustainable and ethically sourced ingredients, recyclable packaging, and operating stores with renewable energy and zero waste.

Innovative Pet Nutrition: Christine discusses the importance of insect protein in pet food, highlighting its environmental benefits, hypoallergenic properties, and the success of Petcurean's insect-based pet food products.

Commitment to Recyclable Packaging: Petcurean has signed the Pet Sustainability Coalition Packaging Pledge, aiming to transition the majority of their packaging to recyclable by 2025.

Transparency and Accountability: Petcurean publicly shares their sustainability goals and progress, including a significant reduction in their scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 40%.

Community and Environmental Support: Petcurean donates meals to pets in need, supports habitat restoration projects, and encourages employee volunteering.

Focus on Reducing Waste: The company has achieved zero waste at their head office, reducing waste to landfill by 86% and continuing to improve waste management practices.

Use of Upcycled Ingredients: Petcurean has launched treats for dogs made with certified upcycled ingredients, reducing food waste and promoting sustainability.

Celebrity Endorsement: Christine expressed a desire for Taylor Swift to endorse Petcurean, highlighting her influence and alignment with the brand's values.

Sustainability Reporting: Petcurean publishes an annual sustainability impact report, detailing their efforts to protect the planet, empower their team, and uplift communities.