In Episode 155 of the Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford podcast – Season 16, Planning Season – I sit down with Lachlan and Grga, the Melbourne co-founders behind Sorry Nonna. One’s a graphic designer. The other’s an advertising creative director who’s worked with Netflix and Gatorade. Together, they’re doing things in the pasta sauce category that Nonna absolutely did not approve.
Gochujang Arrabbiata. Limoncello Marinara. A limited-edition Carolina Reaper collab with Doom Juice wine. Oh, and a coffee bolognese that consumer testing quietly killed before it saw the light of day.
But underneath the cheeky branding and flavour obsession, there’s a real business story, about what happens when creatives lean hard into their strengths, start planning (loosely), and build a cult following before chasing the majors.
Tune in to hear:
🍝 How Grga and Lachlan built a brand world first, and why they believe everything else follows from that
🍝 What winning a BiteBack Award actually unlocked for them – including the consumer testing that saved them from a very bad idea
🍝 Why they’re in 100+ stockists in stores they genuinely love, and what that’s done for their growth
🍝 How planning doesn’t have to kill your creativity – it just needs to suit you
This episode of Season 16 – Planning Season – is brought to you by Foodpreneurs Festival. The only Festival where packaged brands get seen, stocked and supported.
