Food and Beverage's Clean, Functional Ingredient Revolution

Food is serious business. Now, on The Main Course,
host Barbara Castiglia will invite insiders on the
front lines of food to share their expertise, strategies, and
forecasts for navigating the ever-changing restaurant industry.


While The Main Course loves to talk about food, there’s
another part of the menu that restaurants and consumers are
seeing evolve too—beverages. While the beverage industry has seen
growth and diversity in the grocery store, restaurants haven’t
had as many options. To talk about a better for you line of
drinks, host Barbara Castiglia chatted with Luke Emery, CEO
of Tractor Beverage Co.


Tractor, launched in 2018 by organic farmers, offers
artificial-free, certified organic, and non-GMO sodas and drinks.
Emery explained the origin story. “The founder Travis saw family
members get sick and looked at the food supply with artificial
flavors and chemicals. He wanted to make an impact on the world
and partnered with restaurants and foodservice partners aligned
with the mission of better for your ingredients.”


Emery also has a personal connection to the Tractor mission. He
was a veteran of the traditional beverage industry. Just as he
was beginning with the company, his son became ill. “I had
conversations with Travis about food is medicine. We changed what
goes into his body, and he’s now in remission,” he shared.


The company wants to inspire people to live healthier with
organic for all without giving up flavor. Emery shared about the
creation process. “We’re seeing the trends toward more functional
ingredients like turmeric in our lemonade. Our drinks are made to
pair with the food of our pouring partners and elevate the dining
experience,” he said.


In addition to delivering a high-quality product, one that
consumers can find at Chipotle, Pokeworks, Umami Burger, and
more, they also help partners develop a strong beverage program.
“Restaurant margins are thin, especially now. A strong beverage
program can help. With our self-fill bottle program, we ship in
concentrate. Restaurants add the water, saving costs on freight,”
Emery noted.


Emery feels good about the future of dining and that consumers
will continue to care more about what they put in their bodies.
“They deserve better, and that’s what Tractor and our partners
are delivering,” he added.


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