Competing in a cocktail competition, Jacquelyn Burklund put a unique twist on a Bloody Mary by replacing tomato juice with carrot juice. Her new take on the popular breakfast cocktail won the competition.
What followed was another discovery — carrots served up a more gentle alternative to tomatoes for those who suffer from heartburn and other food sensitivities. It also provides an option for those seeking nightshade-free cooking. That’s when she and her husband Jake Burklund came up with a product, Carinara, a carrot-based pasta sauce.
“We decided to take the leap and go for it because we couldn’t find any alternatives out there that didn’t have any tomatoes,” Jacquelyn Burklund said.
Humbl Roots, the manufacturing company for the flagship product, officially launched in January 2023. The versatile sauce can be used in traditional Italian dishes, as a marinade, or in soups, to name a few. Flavors include original, Spicy Cracked Pepper and Sweet Basil.
While she still works a full-time job, Jake, who is well-known in the local startup community for co-founding Scale Omaha and as a founding partner of Beeso Studio, transitioned to managing Humbl Roots full time.
Crushing Goals
The shift to full-time comes in part due to its quick ramp-up. This January, Humbl Roots entered a pitch competition as part of Hy-Vee’s OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit. The Burklunds walked away with the grand prize of $30,000.
At that time, Carinara was stocked in six Hy-Vee stores. After the event, Humbl Roots secured deals to be on the shelves of 17 Hy-Vees.
“It quickly got our name out there and we were able to connect with a lot of the [store] managers,” Burklund said.
Other stores supportive of local businesses stock Carinara including Made in Omaha, Ellsworth Crossing and Godega Market.
While this accomplishment has increased exposure, it brought on a new problem, they set a goal to be in 15 Hy-Vee stores in 2024; which they easily surpassed.
“We’re hoping to expand to retailers across the region,” she said. “So, getting outside of Nebraska as well.
“Also, we want to scale our production whether that’s finding a partner with a co-manufacturer to help us create bigger batches or build out our own facility in which we’ll have to invest in bigger equipment, and more people to join our team.”
Currently, Humbl Roots operates out of Council Bluffs-based Kitchen Council. A program of Advance Southwest Iowa Corp., the organization provides a Food and Drug Administration-approved commercial kitchen space for food startups.
“They’ve been very helpful getting through FDA regulations and all that. So they’ve been a really wonderful partner to start out with,” Burklund said.
Scaling for Success
Looking to the next step, Burklund said the growing pains of scaling the business to boost manufacturing is the company’s biggest obstacle.
“We’ve had to learn how to redo our process all over again,” she said. “We’ve had that challenge many times this last year, but we’re making sure the quality of the product comes out the same each time and we’re using really fresh whole ingredients and making the end product just as good as when we’re doing it out of our home kitchen.”
Humbl Roots will also build its brand ambassador program this year by doing samplings in the area Hy-Vees as well as working the farmers market circuits this summer.
“When people try the product, then they realize the benefits of it and some people are a little hesitant because it is something a little different,” Burklund said. “We just want to be consistent with our samplings and be in front of our customers.”
Burklund’s favorite part of running her own business is seeing people have a lightbulb moment when they discover a new cuisine option they thought they no longer could have.
“It’s so exciting to see customers when they realize they can have their favorite foods again, people who have had to get rid of tomatoes in their diet,” she said.
Burklund said that Humbl Roots hasn’t forgotten where it started and is currently working on a Bloody Mary mix that they hope to bring to market by the end of the year.
Website: humblroots.com
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