Why Cottage Cheese Is Worth More Than Your Startup & THC Infiltrates Grocery Stores

Episode 12: The $500 Million Cottage Cheese EconomyL Catterton just valued cottage cheese at half a billion dollars. Sprouts put THC drinks next to kombucha. Parents paid $15M to hide vegetables in waffles. And someone put mushrooms in fake martinis. Welcome to CPG in 2026.IN THIS EPISODE:[2:30] - Why Good Culture's $500M+ valuation actually makes sense [10:30] - How Sprouts just legitimized the entire THC beverage category [17:30] - The hidden vegetable economy and why parents will pay anything [23:30] - Zero-proof cocktails get functional (because of course they do) [28:30] - Rapid fire: Clear protein, Honey Mama's at Costco, AB InBev dominance [36:30] - The Optimization Economy: Have we gone too far? [41:30] - Predictions for 2026 and what this means for your brandKEY TOPICS:Good Culture's path from farmers market to $500M valuationWhy forgotten categories hide billion-dollar opportunitiesSprouts' 120-store THC rollout and what happens nextThe psychology of hiding vegetables in kids' foodHow AB InBev is winning the RTD cocktail warsWhy everything needs protein and adaptogens nowThe blueprint for modern CPG successMENTIONED BRANDS: Good Culture, L Catterton, Manna Tree Partners, Sprouts Farmers Market, Cann, Jeng, Evergreen, Dry & Dirty, Bloom Nutrition, Honey Mama's, AB InBev, Cutwater, BeatBox, MUD\WTR, RYZE, Ritual, Target, Costco, Whole FoodsEPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:"They're not buying cottage cheese. They're buying the ability to convince millennials that forgotten foods are cool again.""When Sprouts says cannabis is groceries, the regulatory moat just disappeared.""We've turned eating into a complex optimization problem. And somehow, it's working.""The next billion-dollar brand is probably in your grandma's pantry right now."ABOUT THE SHOW: Unpackaged Goods is the CPG industry's source for unfiltered analysis, founder stories, and insights into what's really selling. Hosted by Jonathan Deeter, founder of Pickle Advisors and Deets Eats Media.CONNECT WITH JONATHAN: 📧 Newsletter: The Deeter Digest (subscribe at [https://substack.com/@deetseatsnyc]) 📱 Instagram/TikTok: @deetseatsnyc 💼 Advisory: pickleadvisors.com ✉️ Email: [email protected] THE SHOW:Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTubeLeave a 5-star review (it really helps!)Share with someone building a CPG brandSubscribe to The Deeter Digest for weekly CPG analysis