Keisha Jeremie wants grown ups to eat applesauce, specifically her Sanaia Applesauce. Jeremie grew up making applesauce like snacks out of native tamarind in the Caribbean. When she moved to the states to attend school, she started making applesauce from green apples in her dorm room at the University of Virginia. Her dorm mates loved the sauce, but it wasn’t Keisha’s time.
Fast forward about twenty years and Keisha has had success in the corporate world and traveled extensively. The one constant: her home-made applesauce accompanied her in her travels. She thinks it’s the ultimate healthy comfort food. Applesauce is mostly sold to kids, but Ms. Jeremie thinks with a little sophistication and some interesting flavors, Sanaia applesauce will become a disruptive snack food.
So she set out to make the most interesting applesauce money can buy. It looks like she succeeded because the flavors sound delicious. Tamarind, guava, hibiscus, blackberry and more. She puts a little bit of pie crust in each jar to make the texture just right. At $19.99 for a four pack, it’s a bit pricier than regular applesauce, but not by that much. If it tastes as good as it looks, the price won’t be a problem.
My Take on Sanaia Applesauce
I always hesitate on giving an opinion on a food product when I haven’t tasted it. I’ll say this, I STILL like applesauce and I’ve eaten it my whole life. Pork chops and applesauce are a staple in our diet, too. As for Sanaia applesauce, I can say I’ve tried all the “add in” ingredients and I do like them individually, so I don’t see why I wouldn’t like them Sanaia’s way.
I understand what Ms. Jeremie is trying to do, I just think she has a long road to go. I think there is room in the market for her product, I just hope she has the gumption to get there.
Will Sharks Feel Saucy?
Many food products come to the Tank. Some get a deal, many others don’t. The businesses that get a deal are the ones that have a tasty product and a driven entrepreneur behind it. Last season, Delighted By Dessert Hummus got a deal with Mark Cuban. All the Sharks liked the product, but Mark liked entrepreneur Makenzie Marzluff’s drive. She was on a mission to created a new food category and she did it with blood, sweat and tears. She packed her van and went to every buyer she could find. Now, her dessert hummus is all over the country. I buy it at my local Publix and, in less than a year, there are two “knock off” brands.
If Keisha exhibits the same drive as Makenzie did, she’ll get a deal. In the video promo for this episode, she looks tearful and upset. That doesn’t necessarily mean she gets a deal or not, but if she gives the tearful “I put my heart and soul into this” speech, it’s going to fall flat. Sharks want results and work, like the aforementioned Makenzie. Any one of the Sharks could bid on this as they all have food products in their portfolios, whether they do invest will come down to Ms. Jeremie’s work ethic.
As for me, I don’t think there’s a deal here. It’s INSANELY pricey. All of her products are on backorder, which tells me she’s not in retail or really in production yet. No store locator, so no major retailer support thought she maybe a few boutique stores in NYC. She’s not a member of the Specialty Food Association so I’m guessing she doesn’t even show at the Fancy Foods Show (where she needs to be). I’m sorry, I just cannot get over $5 for a less than 8 ounce jar for applesauce. It would cost me $25 to have an afternoon snack that filled me up somewhat.
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