Children’s food brand Little Spoon and pasta sauce-maker Sauz joined forces to launch a limited-edition line of ready-to-eat meals for kids, pairing classic Italian-inspired dishes with a modern, clean-label twist, according to both companies.
The new offerings – Chicken + Parmesan Biteable and Spaghetti + Meatballs Plate – combine the two brands’ shared values around ingredient integrity, family mealtime and flavor.
Values-led partnership
The collaboration originated with Little Spoon’s outreach to Sauz, led by an appreciation for Sauz’s approach to developing high-quality sauces.
“We focus on brand partnerships that delight and appeal to the parent as much as the child,” Caryn Wasser, chief brand officer at Little Spoon said. “It was an easy decision to slide into Sauz’s DMs to see if we could make spaghetti magic happen.”
As it turns out, Sauz was already exploring the idea of a kids’ collaboration with Little Spoon internally when the two brands connected over LinkedIn.
“The timing couldn’t have been better,” Winston Alfieri, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Sauz, said. “It felt like a synergistic partnership – we were both eager to step outside our typical lanes and explore new audiences.”
That alignment made the partnership feel organic rather than opportunistic. Both companies emphasize premium, better-for-you ingredients and a shared goal of creating memorable meal experiences – particularly at a time when parents are navigating the challenges of summer schedules and mealtime routines.
Product design built on balancing familiarity and discovery
Italian cuisine was a natural fit for the collaboration, given its popularity with Little Spoon’s customer base.
“Pasta meals and Italian-inspired flavors are perennial favorites,” Wasser said. “We wanted to combine seasonal ingredients with that familiar, comforting profile in a way that encourages discovery while staying picky-eater friendly.”
The meals were developed through a rigorous internal R&D process, including home testing by Little Spoon’s culinary team and their own children, according to the company. The result:
- Chicken + Parmesan Biteable contains breaded, antibiotic-free chicken with parmesan and Sauz’s Summer Lemon Marinara, served with a side of farro risotto and vegetables.
- Spaghetti + Meatballs Plate contains whole wheat spaghetti tossed with lemon marinara and mozzarella, accompanied by grass-fed beef meatballs with blended mushrooms.
Despite Sauz’s sauces being originally developed for adults, no changes were needed to meet Little Spoon’s nutritional standards.
“Like Little Spoon, Sauz takes so much care and consideration into all ingredients that go into each product that no changes to the formula were needed,” Jessica Coon, senior associate manager, culinary product, Little Spoon said. The primary challenge, they noted, was the tight summer launch timeline – not the formulation.
Aligning business goals
For both brands, the collaboration is designed to serve as a growth lever – not just a limited-time novelty. For Little Spoon, the collaboration is an opportunity to reinforce its value proposition of convenience and nutrition coexisting without compromise.
“Our existing customers relish in our limited-edition offers,” which drive high trial and attachment, said Wasser.
Sauz sees the partnership as a key brand awareness play.
“We’re a relatively newer brand, so brand awareness and retention are our top priorities,” said Alfieri. “Getting Sauz in the hands of new customers is that first step and once we drive that trial, we know the brand loyalty will follow,” particularly with new demographics, he added.
While the meals are currently only available to Little Spoon subscribers through its DTC platform, both companies suggest the door is open to future expansions. Although for now, the focus is on delivering a memorable summer offering.
Building long-term brand affinity through experience
At its core, the collaboration reflects a deeper strategy: forming emotional connections with families by tapping into shared cultural and culinary memories.
“This collab is more than just a meal, it’s a moment to really get ‘lost in the Sauz’ and for kids to form one of the longest term relationships they’ll ever have: the pure, deep love of a good red sauce. Tapping into nostalgic mealtime always brings out new core memories for families, and that’s exactly what we are hoping to achieve with this collaboration,” Wasser added.
