Co-founders Ori Yosef Zohar and Ethan Frisch hope to cook up a deal for Burlap and Barrel, their sustainable herb and spice business, in Shark Tank episode 1420. Zohar has a digital marketing background and Frisch has both a cooking and logistics background. The pair started the company in 2016 with the objective of “building new international spice supply chains that are equitable, transparent and traceable.”
They do this by partnering with small farmers and paying them directly at two to ten times the price they’d get from big food companies. The company claims sourcing their spices in this manner results in fresher products. Their strategy appears to be working. In 2022, they did over $5 million in sales and they’ve paid out over $1.7 million to their partner farmers since 2016.
As for the spices, there are dozens of varieties available. They also have spice blends for a variety of cooking situations. They come in either a 2 ounce or 16 ounce jar. Prices vary depending on the spice, herb or blend, but most of them cost $8.99-$9.99 for a two ounce jar. They also sell gift sets. The company only sells direct to consumer and their products are available on Amazon. The guys likely want a Shark to help manage their growth.
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Posts about Burlap and Barrel on Shark Tank Blog
Burlap & Barrel – Fair Trade Spices
Burlap and Barrel Shark Tank Recap
Ori and Ethan enter the Tank and Ethan holds up a spice jar and asks if it looks familiar. He says supermarket spices don’t have much flavor. Ethan says he’s a chef turned aid worker and Ori says he’s a marketer turned entrepreneur. They’re the co-founders of Burlap and Barrel, a social enterprise working with the best spice farmers around the world. Their spices are better than anything you’ve ever tasted like heiloom royal cinnamon from Viet Nam or black pepper corns that grow wild off the east coast of Africa, They’re taking on a centuries old system that disconnects spice from home cooks. By bypassing layers of middlemen, they’re able to provide high quailty spices and their farmers get paid more. They are seeking $500,000 for 5% of their company.
The Sharks have samples which they smell and taste. The Sharks like them and Gwyneth says the cinnamon doesn’t taste like a regular cinnamon. They have 75 individual spices in their line. They sell 85% direct to consumer with the other 15% going to bulk sales, restaurants and grocery stores.
Lori wants to hear their backgrounds. They’ve been friends for over 15 years. Ethan was a chef and Ori liked eating his food. Ethan left the kitchen and got a Masters Degree in International development. He went toAfghanistan where he worked fior one of the biggest non-profits in the world building schools in remote areas. While in Afghanistan, he tasted the wild cumin. Ori says Ethan is one of the premier spice experts in the world; nobody has been to more spice farms than Ethan. Ethan started bringing sacks of the cumin home and giving it to friend in the restaurant industry and the response was overwhelming. He realized he was on to something and ran the business out of his apartment.
Mark wants to know about the business. Their spices are typically $2.50 landed and retail for $9.99. Lifetime sales are $12 million. In 2017, they had $100,000 in sales, in 2018 they had $250,000 in sales, in 2019 they had $600,000 in sales, in 2020 it was $3 million, in 2021 they had $5.1 million in sales and in 2022 they are on track to do $6-$7 million in sales. They profit about 10% of sales.
Mark congratulates them on their success, but he knows nothing about this business; he’s out. Lori likes the products, but feels it’s a crowded space; she’s out. Barbara says the valuation is crazy; she’s out. Gwyneth says the spices are like “fireworks” in her mouth. She loves to cook but hasn’t heard of them which gives her pause; she’s out. Ori says they came here with an idea for Kevin. Ethan says they do royalty deals all the time with chefs and others. Their standard royalty is 20% on an $11.99 unit. Kevin begins to make an offer and Ethan says they want to do a Mr. Wonderful line of spices.
Kevin says he’d never do that deal. He offers $500,000 for 10% plus a 20% royalty on everything sold until he recoups $1 million; after that, the royalty goes away. Ethan counters with $500,000 for 5% plus a 20% royalty on all Mr. Wonderful spices and 10% on everything else. Kevin says there’s no way he’d do that deal; he’s out.
Burlap and Barrel Shark Tank Update
The Shark Tank Blog constantly provides updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs who have appeared on the Shark Tank TV show. The first re-run of this episode in July, 2023 is just three months after the original air date. No noteworthy developments have occurred since then and reliable revenue figures are unavailable at this time.
The Shark Tank Blog will follow-up on Burlap and Barrel & Ori Yosef Zohar and Ethan Frisch as more details become available.
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