Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 13 S E P T E M B E R 8 , 2 0 2 5 F O C U S S TA R T U P S / E N T R E P R E N E U R S H I P Bryna Gootkind, co-founder and CEO of LB Kitchen and LB Mini- Mart in Portland and Westbrook, is equally picky in deciding what to stock in her stores. She says she likes "clean" products with straightforward ingredients and with visually appeal- ing packaging. ough shelf space is limited, she says that "we would have space for any right brand." Spreading out into 'pummies' Harvest Maine, a company founded in 2022 by Matt Chappell and artisanal butcher Ben Slayton after Chappell sold Gather restaurant in Yarmouth, offers a new twist on the adage about eating your fruit and vegetables. Starting with the veg, they cre- ated spreads made from produce that was oversized or oddly shaped and not worth farmers taking the time to har- vest. eir solution, to reduce organic waste and alleviate some of the costs on farmers was to repurpose unwanted "seconds" into hummus-like spreads. All three — Broccomolé made from Maine broccoli and cauliflower, Beet and Carrot and the slightly spicy Celery Root and Red Pepper — are made with a base of split beans. More recently, the four-person team branched out into fruit snacks called "pummies" made from a byprod- uct of cider pressing called "pomace." Sold in compostable pouches, Apple Pie Fruit Bites and Summer Berry Fruit Bites already account for 40% of sales. As shelf-stable products that don't require refrigeration, the fruit bites can more easily be shipped over longer distances. Originally launched in October 2024, the pummies — still made with cider pomace — were relaunched this past April "with a brighter flavor and softer chew" and more suitable to scaling, Chappell says. While distribution is mainly in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and parts of Massachusetts, the com- pany is headed next to Rhode Island, Connecticut and upstate New York, tar- geting farm stores, natural food markets and regional grocers. Tweaking the formula Harvest Maine's Chappell says that while bringing a new product to market can be long and arduous, he expects revenue to grow by 35% to 50% a year and to eventually add more pummies. "e market craves innovation, and creativity is the lifeblood of our brand," he says. His advice to aspiring snack entrepreneurs is to consider a product's shelf life from the outset. "Our pummies are shelf stable, but early on we underestimated the impor- tance of shelf life for our refrigerated veggie spreads, and the challenge of moving a cold product," Chappell says. "Since then, we've added natural preservatives and a film-seal step that have tripled our shelf life, but it was a rocky start." Singing Pastures in Newcastle has also tweaked its formula with three new products that are lower in calories and higher in protein than its original Roam Sticks. It's also C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Matt Chappell, left, and Ben Slayton, co- owners of Harvest Maine, at the company's facility in Brunswick that makes chewy fruit bites called "pummies," They're made from a byproduct of cider pressing called "pomace." The market craves innovation, and creativity is the lifeblood of our brand. — Matt Chappell Harvest Maine P H O T O S / C O U R T E S Y O F J E N N Y B R AVO P H O T O G R A P H Y LB MiniMart, in Portland and Westbrook, stocks "clean" products with straightforward incredients, says the company's co-founder and CEO.

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