Foodbeast Backs Habiza, Alix Earle Joins GORGIE 💅

Author

CPG WIRE
December 18, 2025

GM and Happy Thursday, folks. Here’s what we’re covering this morning:

  • Diageo sells another asset 🍺

  • Hoboken Farms raises $4M 🍝

  • Rae Wellness relaunches 💊

  • Cazcanes hires Jeff Kozak 🔥

  • Sauz rolls out at Hy-Vee 📈

Deals 💰

Mergers & Acquisitions 

  • Diageo is dumping its majority stake in East African Breweries, the largest beer producer in East Africa, in a deal worth £2.3B. The buyer is Japanese brewing giant Asahi. Over the past three years Diageo has divested brewing assets in Ethiopia, Cameroon, Ghana, and Nigeria as the company refocuses on premium spirits and its power brands (Guinness, Johnnie Walker, etc). Drinks International

  • Better Being, a Utah-based manufacturer and marketer of nutritional supplements, has been acquired by a syndicate of investors led by Snapdragon Capital Partners. Better Being was founded in Park City in 1993 and owns a variety of brands like Solaray, Nature’s Life, Honey Gardens, and many others. Private equity firm HGGC acquired Better Being in 2017 for $446M. PE Hub

Fundraising

  • Foodbeast Ventures, the newly formed venture arm of media company Foodbeast, just announced its first-ever investment: Habiza Hummus. Habiza, which was founded by Jonathan Srour in 2023, is one of the fastest-growing hummus brands in the country. Habiza now retails at Target, Erewhon, Central Market, Bristol Farms, Gelson’s, DeCicco & Sons, Mollie Stone’s, and many other outlets. Foodbeast

  • Influencer Alix Earle just invested in GORGIE, a functional energy drink brand that launched in early 2023. Earle is a shrewd beverage investor who previously backed Poppi and SipMARGS. GORGIE retails at Erewhon, Sprouts, Target, H-E-B, and select Kroger banners. PR Newswire

  • Moxie Beauty, a New Delhi-based haircare brand, secured $15M in Series A funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners. Existing investor Fireside Ventures and a number of angels also participated in the round. LinkedIn

  • Hoboken Farms, a New Jersey-based pasta sauce brand, raised $4M in fresh funding from its customer base. Hoboken Farms originally launched as a farmers market brand in 1992 and shifted to retail in 2023. The brand’s retail partners include Acme Fresh Market, Key Foods, Foodtown, and Kings Food Markets. PR Newswire

  • DTC snack brand Hot Box Pretzels scored a minority investment from Founders Row, a venture studio founded by Jamie Weeks. Hot Box Pretzels was founded by Roman Desmond as a food truck operation three years ago. PR Newswire

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What’s New 🤩

Apparel, Cosmetics, and Wellness

  • Rae Wellness is officially back after shuttering in 2023 due to supply chain issues and an investor dispute. Former Target exec Angie Tebbe launched Rae in 2019 and recently reacquired and restructured the business. Rae relaunched with 8 SKUs that are available via its website. WWD

  • O Positiv Health expanded its popular MENO line with three new products: MENO Heart + Blood Pressure Support, MENO Eye Health, and MENO Brain Health + Memory Support. The new products are available exclusively online. PR Newswire

  • Urban Decay expanded its beauty offering with Tube Job Tubing Mascara, an ultra-lightweight formula that promises length and lift. Urban Decay tapped Mariah the Scientist to promote the new product. PR Newswire

Food, Beverage, and Alcohol

  • Jeff Kozak, a longtime spirits exec and the former CEO of WhistlePig Whiskey, just joined Cazcanes Tequilas as President. Kozak, who spent 14 years at Beam Suntory and Diageo, helped scale WhistlePig Whiskey from $1M in sales to $100M. Cazcanes is one of the fastest-growing additive-free tequila brands in the U.S. and has more than $10M in annual retail sales. The Spirits Business

  • In other hiring news…Kraft Heinz named Steve Cahillane as its next CEO. Prior to joining Kraft Heinz, Cahillane was CEO of The Kellogg Company and President of Coca-Cola Americas. He’s best known for facilitating Kellogg’s separation into two standalone companies, Kellanova (snacks) and WK Kellogg (cereal). With Kraft Heinz set to split into two separate companies in 2026, we’ll see if Cahillane can deliver another home run performance. CNBC

  • Fruit Riot expanded its licensed offering with SpongeBob SquarePants Sour Pineapple. This is Fruit Riot’s third licensed SKU of 2025 after the company partnered with OLIPOP and WarHeads. Instagram

  • Laird Superfood (NYSE: LSF) reformulated its liquid creamer range with organic and minimally processed ingredients. They also upgraded their packaging with post-consumer recycled plastic. PR Newswire

  • Fire Brands, a scaled player in the licensed beverage space, partnered with Playboy on a branded line of energy drinks. Each 12 oz can delivers 200mg of caffeine along with vitamin B and L-Carnitine. Fire Brands is the company behind those Skittles, Snickers, and Twix beverages. PR Newswire

Data 🖥️

  • Protein Pints has the #1 pint SKU in all of Target after just six months at the retailer. LinkedIn

Distribution News 🚚

  • Sauz is now available at Hy-Vee.

  • Amika officially launched at Ulta Beauty.

  • TRUFF launched a 13 oz SKU storewide at BJ’s Wholesale.

  • Little Sesame launched six flavors at Erewhon.