Producer: Pop & Bottle
Location: San Francisco, CA
Found at the Littleton Co-op: canned lattes
Website: popandbottle.com
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month is celebrated worldwide to bring awareness to and honor the cross-sector contributions made by people of such cultural background. And that includes impacts in our food system! While foodies of all backgrounds collectively contribute to what we eat, how we eat, and how we produce food, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have faced widespread systemic barriers and erasure from history, making AANHPI an important time to acknowledge and celebrate those contributions and the people behind them. Furthermore, we celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month in May specifically to commemorate both the anniversary of the first arrival of a Japanese immigrant on American soil, and the completion of the Trans-Continental Railroad, whose Western-half was primarily completed by Chinese laborers. While the contribution of Asian Americans to such events was not recognized until much later, both demonstrate the obstacles, and perseverance, that deem AANHPI Heritage Month worthy of annual recognition. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.
When Pop & Bottle CEO and co-founder Jash Mehta moved from London to San Francisco, she hardly expected to be joined across the pond by her best friend and eventual co-founder Blair Hardy less than a year later. The duo quickly immersed themselves in the world of farm-to-table meals, backyard agriculture, and clean eating. The one “compromise” to their healthy eating, plant-based lifestyle was their daily coffee ritual. So they decided to venture into making a ready-to-drink latte with clean and plant-based ingredients. Jash had grown up watching her mom be an entrepreneur and business owner. But in the Pop & Bottle creation, Jash and Blair wanted to make sure their product encompassed the entire coffee experience. To them, drinking a daily latte was more than just consuming a beverage; it was conversation, community, and a chance to reach out to other women. As CEO, Jash continues to pour integrity into Pop & Bottle products to make sure they’re all good enough for her, her customers, and her community.
For other founders, Jash says “Be prepared to drink a lot of caffeine! Other than that, the most important thing is an unwavering belief in yourself.” Hopefully founders and consumers alike will consider turning to Pop & Bottle to fuel their explorations into business and beyond.
Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.
