Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford
Imagine a consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry where both small and large players coexist on a level playing field, consumers have choice, there’s integrity in what they’re buying and they experience innovative, sustainable products.
In this weekly podcast, hosted by founder, award-winning coach, consultant & small business advocate, Chelsea Ford, you'll hear interviews with incredible founders and hard-to-reach industry specialists as well as practical and actionable content that directly supports your CPG business to grow, become more profitable and thrive.
Learn more at www.chelseaford.com .
Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford
#155 How Sorry Nonna are Building a Cult Pasta Sauce Brand
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Two creatives, a side startup, and a pasta sauce that's turning heads across Australia.
In Episode 155 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast - Season 16, Planning Season - I sit down with Lachlan and Grga, the Melbourne co-founders behind Sorry Nonna. One's a graphic designer. The other's an advertising creative director who's worked with Netflix and Gatorade. Together, they're doing things in the pasta sauce category that Nonna absolutely did not approve.
Gochujang Arrabbiata. Limoncello Marinara. A limited-edition Carolina Reaper collab with Doom Juice wine. Oh, and a coffee bolognese that consumer testing quietly killed before it saw the light of day.
But underneath the cheeky branding and flavour obsession, there's a real business story, about what happens when creatives lean hard into their strengths, start planning (loosely), and build a cult following before chasing the majors.
Tune in to hear:
🍝 How Grga and Lachlan built a brand world first, and why they believe everything else follows from that
🍝 What winning a BiteBack Award actually unlocked for them - including the consumer testing that saved them from a very bad idea
🍝 Why they're in 100+ stockists in stores they genuinely love, and what that's done for their growth
🍝 How planning doesn't have to kill your creativity - it just needs to suit you
This episode of Season 16 - Planning Season - is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival. The only Festival where packaged brands get seen, stocked and supported.
LINKS & RESOURCES:
- Sorry Nonna website
- Sorry Nonna Instagram
- BiteBack Awards Entry Kit
- Your Free Pitch Plan
- Grab Your Foodpreneurs Festival Ticket
- Chelsea Ford Co. Industry Newsletter
Season 17 with NFTC
Season 17, out now, is brought to you by NFTC – The Natural Foods Trading Company.
If you're a growing food brand navigating that tricky middle phase—scaling up, maybe landing your first major retailer, figuring out how to buy smarter—NFTC is worth knowing about.
They're a mid-tier ingredient supplier specialising in natural wholefoods: nuts, dried fruits, herbs, spices, seeds, and more. Small enough to offer lower minimums and genuine flexibility, but backed by serious sourcing capability and a team that actually knows its range inside out.
Think of them as the ingredient partner that grows with you—not one you'll outgrow.
Check them out at nftc.com.au
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