Lentiful stands tall on a hill of legumes after Naturally Network Pitch Slam

Before the results of the 2024 Naturally Network National Pitch Slam were announced, Ben Bacon sat quietly in front of his computer in a small meeting room at New Hope Network’s office in Boulder, Colorado.

Naturally Network’s National Pitch Slam was a bit different this year. Instead of gathering in person, the competitors had to win their regional pitch slams, then record new pitches for judges and voters to watch online. On Aug. 8, with several regional chapters hosting watch parties, the regional winners gave a five-minute virtual presentation and spent another five minutes answering judges’ questions.

Ben Bacon, founder of Lentiful, answers judges' question during a live broadcast of the Naturally Network National Pitch Slam on Aug. 8, 2024. Credit: Victoria A.F. Camron

Ninety minutes passed since the founder of Lentiful, a quick-cooking, convenient cup of lentils, faced the five judges. Bacon, the second presenter, watched the seven finalists that followed and mingled with the Naturally Boulder members and New Hope Network staff who attended the watch party.

After a long deliberation, the judges were back and Bacon was sitting with his computer. The judges announced the Audience Choice winner, Rooted Fare. They announced the runner-up, Evergreen. As Emily Groden expressed her thanks, Bacon said he didn’t think he was going to win.

The words were barely out of his mouth when the judges named the grand prize winner: Lentiful, the brand Bacon started in his kitchen just 18 months ago.

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It wasn’t Bacon’s first win. Lentiful also received a 2024 NEXTY Award for Best Plant Party at Natural Products Expo West in March.

Bacon also is winning when it comes to getting Lentiful into consumers’ pantries: He’s sold more than $1 million of product on Shopify, an online sales platform. “Then retailers like Thrive and Whole Foods, Wegmans and Hy Vee, Walmart all started calling,” Bacon said. “We’re going into 1,000 stores in the next 90 days. So, it’s a really exciting time for Lentiful. People are excited by it. Retailers are excited about it, and lentil farmers are excited by it.”

How is he doing this? How is he getting people across the country to buy lentils? Bacon is conducting in-store demonstrations. “I’m going to be out there in the Pacific Northwest, (Northern California). I’ve already been to 40 of the stores, just kind of scouting them out.”

He’s working on promotions for Whole Foods Market in January; for online Thrive Market, Lentiful will be a “buy with” gift through which 4,000 homestyle chili cups will be included—for free—in consumers’ orders. And Bacon has been placing ads on Facebook which have attracted 20 million impressions, he said.

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Naturally Network members and New Hope Network staffers help Bacon celebrate his pitch slam win during the live broadcast. Credit: Victoria A.F. Camron

Bacon was thanking the judges when, because of the broadcast delay, the crowd heard the news. The roar reverberated from the gathering to the meeting room. His fans and supporters rushed in, cheering and shaking Lentiful cups as if they were maracas. They certainly sounded like maracas.

The grand prize package includes a booth at Natural Products Expo West 2025, which starts on March 4, scholarships for SupplySide West in October, data services and more. All the regional winners received a booth at this month’s Newtopia Now; six of the nine will be exhibiting.

Bacon provided all varieties of Lentiful cups for the Naturally Network Pitch Slam watch party in Boulder, Colorado.

How a guy named Bacon is making it in plant-based CPG

Bacon clearly has carved out a niche for Lentiful. He and his wife are trying to eat more plant-based meals, but they needed a convenient option to fit their lives filled with demanding jobs and four children at home.

He doesn’t have a secret to winning pitch slams, he said. “I do recommend being authentic (yourself!) and being unique.

“I’m always my best when I’m just sharing the Lentiful story with the person in front of me and not worrying about charts or numbers or slides behind me,” Bacon said. For his recorded pitch, he hiked the foothills near Boulder, an elevation of more than 5,000 feet, “on a hot summer day wearing a Lentiful sweatshirt and sweating and huffing and puffing in the process,” he noted.

Bacon has also seen the benefits of winning a NEXTY Award in the spring—although he almost missed receiving the award.

“Of all the awards we’ve been lucky enough to win this year, the NEXTY was by far the most mind-blowing,” he said. “I remember being late to the awards ceremony and the ballroom hit capacity by the time I got there. I had to beg and plead with security to get in and made it in juuuust in time to hear our name called!”

Retailer buyers have taken note of the NEXTY Award. Wegmans Food Market told Bacon that the NEXTY Award put Lentiful on the retailer’s radar. “I’m sure it has helped with many others as well. It’s a huge credibility factor in our discussions with retailers and I’m always sure to subtly drop it into our conversations or email chains,” Bacon said.

So what’s next? The week after the Naturally Network Pitch Slam, he travelled to Pullman, Washington, for the 35th National Lentil Festival. Although many farmers in the northwest grow lentils, most of their crops are exported because Americans don’t eat them. Bacon has often said that he plans to change that.

He’s also looking forward to Newtopia Now, which starts Sunday.

“I am so, so pumped for Newtopia Now. Everything I’ve read and experienced about the event so far makes it a much more intimate and impactful event for a small brand like ours,” Bacon said. “My hope is that we’re able to take our momentum from the Naturally National (Pitch Slam) win and show retailers big and small that we’re ready to partner with them for success this year.” (He’s also extremely excited that the show is in Denver, which is about 24 miles from his home.)

Looking ahead to Expo West, he can’t help but wonder where Lentiful will be in March.

“I believe this will be perfect timing for Lentiful to use Expo West as a launching point to national brand status. We’re in the process of doing regional placements right now with several retailers like Whole Foods and Walmart and by March of next year we’ll have terrific data to share with the rest of the industry,” Bacon said.

He hopes to be profitable this year, as he expects to bring in about $2 million in revenue. “For 2025, it’s about optimizing our cost structure and maintaining profitable growth while likely doubling the business,” he said.

“I won’t sugar-coat it, it’s really tough out there for small brands right now. But we’re determined to make it through the next few years. We’ve got a great support network like Naturally Boulder and the best part about our industry is that so many people selflessly want you to succeed and will roll up their sleeves and personally help.”

Six Natural Network regional winners are exhibiting at Newtopia Now, New Hope Network’s new trade show that starts Monday at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Visit the website for more information or to register.

Find the brands at these booths: