As global flavors continue to gain ground in categories across the store – from sauces and snacks to sparkling waters – the candy aisle has remained largely static, according to the co-founders of gummy candy startup Better Sour, Semira Nikou and Bella Hughes.
“We have seen this rise of global flavors in all areas of food and beverage,” said Nikou. “But Bella and I noticed that the candy aisle is still behind the curve.”
The duo, daughters of Iranian immigrants who were raised in Hawaii, grew up surrounded by bold, sour flavors – from pomegranate and apricot in Persian cooking to tropical fruits from Asia Pacific.
“Iranian food is extremely sour-centric,” Nikou explained. “And in Hawaii, there is just such a wide range of flavor inspiration from the Pacific Rim. We thought it was a shame that these were missing from the candy aisle.”
Better Sour launched with the idea that global flavors not only represent untapped territory in confections – they also reflect today’s increasingly diverse and adventurous consumer base.
Better Sour’s flavor lineup includes pomegranate and apricot or guava and calamansi lime – rooted in what the co-founders describe as a “culinary-first” approach.
“Bella and I love reading menus and following what chefs are doing,” Nikou said. “We will look at what’s showing up in cocktails, what’s trending in restaurants. That gives us a sense of where America’s palate is at.”
Better Sour’s flavors are more than trend-forward, they are also deeply personal to the co-founders, which connects them to globally-minded consumers, according to the co-founders.
“It all starts with our story, our heritage,” added Hughes. “It also gives us a great excuse to travel and eat together.”
Beyond flavor, the brand leans into clean-label formulations. All of Better Sour’s gummies are vegan and made with natural colors and flavors – an intentional move that’s proven timely as national retailers and regulatory bodies push for cleaner ingredients, Hughes said.
Looking for strategies to navigate evolving clean label trends?
How retailers, consumers, regulators and legislators think about 'clean label' is evolving and expanding so that they are no longer focused solely on ingredients. Now, the clean label movement includes questions about processing, packaging and agricultural practices.
Learn more about where the clean label movement is headed - and get tips to navigate the changes - from FoodNavigator-USA's free webinar: Clean label 2.0 - Soothing safety concerns and navigating state bans.
Register to watch the 60-minute event on demand.
A lean, data-driven path to growth
From the beginning, Bella and Semira knew that global flavor alone would not be enough to stand out – they also needed to prove the product could scale. “We wanted to really early on prove out a data story,” said Hughes. That meant launching with a mix of tastemaker and mainstream retail channels to showcase broad consumer appeal."
Better Sour’s first retail partner was Erewhon in Los Angeles, followed by Pop Up Grocer, Central Market and Fairway Market in New York City. The company also secured early placement in Target across Hawaii and Foodland, which gave the co-founders data across both natural and mass retail.
Better Sour’s sell-in message was straightforward: “There is this whole demographic of candy for foodies and multicultural consumers that live to eat,” said Hughes. “They are experiencing exciting flavors in every other CPG category – except gummy candy.”
With Millennial and Gen Z consumers drive most of the category’s consumption, Hughes emphasized that consumers across generations are ready for something new.
To fund the launch, Better Sour raised a seven-figure pre-seed round and has since secured additional capital, though the team keeps the details private.
“CPG is a very expensive endeavor,” said Hughes. “You are competing against million- or billion-dollar brands, even if you are just on a few retail shelves.”
The team keeps operations lean, with only four full-time employees. “We are very, very frugal,” Hughes said. “We try to keep it tight.”
The brand also worked with a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef and a food scientist to develop its custom flavors – an extra layer of investment that paid off in product differentiation.
“All our flavors are custom,” said Hughes. “We are not using run-of-the-mill flavor compounds, which is why they taste so special.”
Updated packaging to reflect flavor and enjoyment
The co-founders also recently updated Better Sour’s packaging, moving from a sun to a star shape, and focusing on highlighting flavor and fun.
“People love stars,” said Nikou. “Candy should be indulgent and joyful, and we wanted the packaging to reflect that.”
While many brands rely heavily on social media to scale, Better Sour focuses more on organic, values-aligned marketing – through in-kind partnerships and community events like film festivals and women-in-business gatherings.
“We are not big social media people,” Nikou admitted. “Getting our product in the hands of people is what works. Once they try it, they become repeat customers.”
