Opportunity and Growth- SHREDDER CHEDDAR

Meg Hull
Mar 4
5 min read

Fleet Feet Pensacola- On track first retail launch 2026

We have arrived at our third year in business and one year since our launch at Double Bridge Run. We need to celebrate these moments in time, because days pass by and so do opportunities if we don’t jump on them. In the beginning of February, I prepared my vendor table for my one year anniversary at this year’s Double Bridge Run at Pensacola Beach. I laid out charcuterie favorites that complimented Shredder Cheddar OGEEZ: apples, summer sausage, crackers, and pretzels. I also had raffle tickets with the customer's name and email for a poll where they said whether they preferred to eat Shredder Cheddar straight from the pouch or with food. We did a raffle at the end of the event and gave away a pack of Shredder Cheddar OGEEZ. It was no surprise to me, but a surprise to some that 75% enjoyed straight from the pouch rather than with other real food choices. This poll was taken at the event as well as online, and I am certain that these were honest answers. Customers really like the savory taste, nutritional value, convenience, shelf-stability and slim design for packability. I often hear, “It’s just like Cheese Wiz but better.” “It reminds me of something I ate as a kid.” This nostalgia is exactly why I created Shredder Cheddar. It all comes back to the cheese with the crackers and the little red stick I ate as a kid. I craved that salty cheese while running and thought what if I made a savory snack with really good cheese packed for adventure. If you can believe it, Shredder Cheddar was born from an idea while running around Mount Saint Helens in Washington state from a simple craving.

It has been one year of educating customers on why we can eat cheese while exercising. The truth is we can eat cheese while doing almost anything, but what we need in this market are more savory fuel and recovery products. That offers a healthy alternative to the sweet stuff that saturates the marketplace. Why cheese? Cheese has been eaten by European athletes for decades because of its high protein, minerals and essential healthy fats. Nothing new for Americans either. We have been eating cheese while mountaineering, backpacking, and camping for decades too. The only difference is now we have Shredder Cheddar that comes in a convenient, single-serve, lightweight, shelf-stable, temperature resistant pouch for eating on the go with electrolytes. It is genius, in my mind, to keep the tradition of cheese, but now have a natural real food option that will not go bad for a year and packed for adventure. Shredder Cheddar is a mess-free cheese packed for adventure.

I wrote it up in my business plan, and pitched it to investors that I will be in retail stores. The first store I will be in is Fleet Feet Pensacola. I pushed for this by building a relationship to partner with them. It was this February shortly after my one year anniversary that I landed Shredder Cheddar on their shelves. I thought it would be more difficult than it was. The buyer had been asking for a while, “When can we get it into our store?” I kept pushing the timeline back until the timing felt right. Finally, I decided—today was the day. I used a small shipping box that covered each panel with a printed label—- my bio, QR code, nutrition facts, and the reasons why you should eat Shredder Cheddar. I put 20 pouches in the box, and rode my bike to Fleet Feet. I stepped into the store, and they welcomed my box of Shredder Cheddar. I put it right next to the register. I left with a photo of my first store, and a big cheesy smile! I was stoked! I left thinking that was so easy, and why did that take me so long? What had I been afraid of? Would they not agree to my prices? Would my product not look nice enough? I obviously had my doubts, but put that aside to land on their shelves with confidence. I am absolutely fired up with the feeling of accomplishment.

At the next Fleet Feet run club, instead of sampling and selling Shredder Cheddar, I got to run with our community. It felt so great to be back on the other side of it all and RUN!!! Still able to network, I could now tell people where to buy it instead of selling it myself. I realized in that moment that as long as I am on a shelf somewhere that it will be seen. As my mentors mentioned, it is way better being in a store rather than being stored. I am ready to put these boxes of Shredder Cheddar in many places. My point of sale boxes are evolving—-they now have vinyl glossy panels and “Savory” written all over it. These boxes are just going to keep looking better and better. Shredder Cheddar is also in Salon Suites with Sarah Cutchins. So her co-workers and clients can have a grab and go snack. You will soon see Shredder Cheddar on the shelves at running, surfing, climbing, biking, golfing and convenient stores near you. Let’s go!!!

I made a connection with the mountain biking community here on the Gulf Coast. I went to my first event for Alabama Cycling Association and PORC with youth teams competing in mountain bike racing at University of West Florida. We set up a selling station then walked around to introduce Shredder Cheddar reaching hundreds of competitors and their families. Shredder Cheddar was a hit amongst the youth, which was awesome because they will be customers for life. I had no idea how these riders carried their food until one athlete suggested that I have a pouch that can stick to his bike. The riders were eagerly attaching Shredder Cheddar stickers to their bikes and really loving our product! I made some connections within this community for future events. I will be at the Scratch Ankle Gravel race March 21st at Bear Lake slinging Shredder Cheddar and reaching more athletes.

We are ramping up with another batch of Shredder Cheddar this week with my co-manufacturer in Colorado. This is always an exciting time, and keep your fingers crossed everything goes well! My manufacturer purchased new equipment that will make it more efficient for scaling up my batches. Scaling up means more money spending— which turns out is my least favorite thing to do. I feel risk-adverse when it comes to large purchases. I feel this everyday as a business owner and in personal life choices. Sometimes you just have to take the leap and trust it will be better than it was before. This is OPPORTUNITY and GROWTH!

Excited to see Shredder Cheddar around more often in our communities. Keep an eye out for Shredder Cheddar OGEEZ in a store near you. I will never give up and I will just keep pushing to spread Shredder Cheddar all over the country— one community at a time. Keeping it real cheesy— real cheese, packed adventure. Let’s Go!!!!