Gourmet News

Organic Infant Formula Company Bobbie Available on NYC Uber Eats

Published December 22, 2022

Bobbie, the mom-founded and led organic infant formula company, is partnering with Uber Eats to deliver its organic, European-inspired formula directly to New Yorkers’ doors. The pilot program is taking the direct-to-consumer formula brand on-demand this holiday season for the first time ever, to bring parents peace of mind in knowing they can nourish their babies in a New York minute.

With the formula shortage still lingering and more than one-third of caregivers reporting difficulties finding formula as recently as November, accessibility to high quality formula is top of mind for Bobbie and Uber Eats. Layered on top of holiday shipping delays (in 2021, 9.4 percent of holiday packages shipped to New York faced delays, among the highest in the country), and unexpected winter weather, there’s a number of “oh no” reasons New York parents may need a can of formula delivered to their doorstep at the tap of a button this holiday season.

Since spring, over 30,000 people seeking asylum have migrated to New York City, with over 20,000 living in shelters, including hundreds of families with infants. That’s why for each can delivered through the pilot program, Bobbie’s social impact arm of the business, Bobbie for Change, will donate a can of formula to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City in support of recently arrived asylum seekers living in temporary NYC shelters, making a difference for local families in need.

“Formula is food and nourishes our most vulnerable population. For years, we’ve helped our customers order nearly every type of food on Uber Eats, and we’re so proud to work with Bobbie to now help parents and caregivers get their babies formula on-demand through our app,“ said Beryl Sanders, head of new verticals partnerships at Uber Eats. “As a Bobbie mom myself, I know how important it is to have access to high quality formula at any given moment. This first-of-its-kind partnership couldn’t have come at a better time against the backdrop of this year’s formula shortage, and we’re thrilled to offer New Yorkers the opportunity to get their beloved Bobbie on Uber Eats.”

The Bobbie Care team has seen first-hand the need for instant, on-demand formula deliveries since launch in 2021. Parents have called, emailed, and direct-messaged on social, panicked about running out of their formula unexpectedly, unable to wait for their next shipment. Never one to sit idly by while our customers are in-need, Bobbie has relied on Uber to deliver hundreds of cans on their own dime, helping parents in a pinch for a plethora of need-formula-now reasons.

From using Uber to send a can of Bobbie to LaGuardia Airport when a customer was stuck with a delayed flight and a hungry baby to ordering an Uber ride through gridlocked Atlanta traffic to a mom who was on her last scoop and ran out of frozen breastmilk, formula is an essential good, and for parents who need a top-up in moments of crisis, there’s often no alternative solution readily available. Until now.

“From the earliest days at Bobbie, we’ve been focused on reimagining how to make formula one less thing modern parents stress about. As a team of moms, this couldn’t hit closer to home for us. That started with our business model, as the first direct-to-consumer formula brand in the U.S., continued with our launch on shelves at Target nationwide this summer, and it’s beyond exciting to add yet another way for parents to easily access Bobbie with a reliable partner like Uber Eats,” said Laura Modi, CEO and co-founder of Bobbie, and mom of three. “We’ve been putting cans of emergency Bobbie into Ubers and sending them to parents for years now. To see this partnership with Uber Eats come to life in an official way is surreal.”

The Bobbie x Uber Eats pilot will be available in NYC through Jan. 31, or while supply lasts. Deliveries will be available to most Uber Eats users in Manhattan. To order, open the Uber Eats app and search for Bobbie, or tap on the Baby and Kids Hub to see the Bobbie storefront. Cans are priced at $28 each.

Bobbie is an organic infant formula company that exists to build a parenting culture of confidence, not comparison, where every parent is supported in the feeding choice that is right for them and their baby. Bobbie launched in 2021 as the first direct-to-consumer, subscription-based infant formula company in the United States.

Today, Bobbie is the only mom-founded and led infant formula in the country and the fastest growing infant formula to enter the US market since the 1980s. Bobbie’s recipe is modeled after breastmilk and designed to meet the most recent EU nutritional standards for critical ingredients like DHA and iron, while also complying with all FDA nutritional standards for infant formula.

Bobbie is focused on providing a purposefully sourced, USDA Organic infant formula with Organic Valley milk from pasture raised cows. It was the first-ever infant formula to receive the Clean Label Project Purity Award and certification as a Pesticide-Free Product. Bobbie was founded in 2018, is based in San Francisco, and is venture-backed.

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Fraternity, Sorority Foodservice Companies Merge

Published December 22, 2022

Contract fraternity and sorority foodservice management companies, Upper Crust Food Service, LLC and College Chefs, LLC have merged. Adam Guy, current Upper Crust CEO, will oversee operations for both companies moving forward. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Combining Upper Crust and College Chefs creates the leading provider of foodservice to fraternity houses, sorority houses and summer camps across the country. The combined company will service over 400 accounts in 45 states and across over 100 college campuses. Furthermore, the company will leverage its 850+ food service professionals to better serve its customers across the country.

“We are excited to merge two successful companies together to create the industry leader in our niche market,” Guy said. “Combining the experience and expertise of Upper Crust and College Chefs will benefit our employees and in turn the customers we serve.”

“Adam, like my brother Kevin, created these companies from scratch and this combined company will take them to a new level,” said Tim Gadus, manager of College Chefs. “I believe these companies who operate very similarly are now well positioned for the future.”

Established in Columbia, Mo., in 2010, Upper Crust Food Service serves fraternity houses, sorority houses, and summer camps. With a focus on great food and personal service, the company now feeds tens of thousands of meals weekly to students and campers across the country. www.UpperCrustFoodService.com

Started in Champaign, Ill., in 2008, College Chefs founder Kevin Gadus created College Chefs to provide him an opportunity to harness his passion and creativity for cooking. College Chefs employs professional chefs that provide rockstar service to premier fraternity and sorority chapters across the country. www.CollegeChefs.com

Selders Named UNFI President of Fresh; Barrick Promoted

Published December 22, 2022

Ron Selders

United Natural Foods, Inc. has named Ron Selders UNFI president of fresh, where he will lead growth strategy for its deli, bakery, produce and meat departments. These critically important store perimeter categories drive traffic and provide independent grocery retailers with choice, value and unique products that help differentiate them within their marketplace. Selders’ appointment is effective Dec. 26, and he will report to Steve Dietz, UNFI’s chief customer officer.

“Food retailers continue to invest in their fresh departments as they represent one of the most important growth areas in the grocery store, in addition to being a main driver in how retailers stand out against their competition,” said Dietz.

“Ron has extensive experience in the fresh categories and working with the supplier community, and we expect this experience, combined with his strong understanding of customers’ operational expectations, to benefit our retail customers as they seek tailored solutions to enhance the consumer experience. He’s a proven leader and someone I’m confident will help our Fresh teams build and deliver an even stronger set of products and solutions for our customers going forward.”

Selders joined UNFI through the acquisition of Tony’s Fine Foods in 2014 and became president of the division in 2018. He had previously spent 18 years in leadership roles at Tony’s, helping grow the family-owned specialty deli distribution business across the West Coast. In 2021, Selders was promoted to UNFI’s senior vice president of bakery & deli, where he led the respective sales, merchandising and category management teams across the entire organization.

During his UNFI tenure, Selders also helped lead the further expansion of Tony’s prepared foods and bakery and deli offerings across the country, as well as create a center-led specialty cheese department across the United States with initiatives such as the American Artisan program, which aims to bring smaller cheese producers greater visibility and sales opportunities within grocery stores.

Jody Barrick

With Selders’ promotion, UNFI vice president of bakery & deli, Jody Barrick, has been elevated to senior vice president of bakery & deli. Barrick joined UNFI through the acquisition of SUPERVALU and brings over 30 years of proven success leading the sales, merchandising and marketing functions of bakery and deli teams to the role. Barrick also serves on the executive board of the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association.

“Large-scale changes to shopping and eating behaviors, especially as more meals are consumed in the home, have put a stronger focus on the perimeter of the grocery store and its offerings. These changes represent a tremendous opportunity for retailers, and I look forward to working with our fresh teams to deliver wide-ranging and innovative products to help our customers grow and thrive,” said Selders.

Selders holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from California State University, Sacramento.

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