Smash Kitchen: Better-for-Everyone Pantry Staples
“Delicious, healthy, affordable; choose two.” That’s the bargain we’re used to striking when it comes to putting food in our bodies. For too long, eating better has meant paying more. With inflation driving up grocery costs, the demand for wider access to healthier pantry staples has never been greater.
Smash Kitchen is a company that says you can have your ketchup and eat it too.
“We believe pantry staples should be made with high-quality ingredients without compromising on taste, convenience, or affordability,” says Sameer Mehta, co-founder of Smash Kitchen. That kind of quality without compromise is exactly what we look for—products that don’t force customers to choose between values and convenience—and why we’re excited to back Sameer and his team on their mission to make better-for-you condiments accessible to everyone.
The inspiration for Smash Kitchen came from a simple realization: many pantry staples are packed with artificial ingredients and unnecessary additives. Their debut lineup features ketchup, BBQ sauce, mayo, and mustard, all crafted with premium, health-conscious ingredients: real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, organic tomatoes, cage-free eggs.
By building for scale from day one, they’re able to deliver premium pantry staples without the premium. Because if better food is only available to a select few, it’s not really better food. It’s a luxury. Smash Kitchen is betting that true impact—and true brand loyalty—comes from meeting people where they shop, at prices they can afford. Affordability at scale is a moat.
Sameer and his co-founders, Sean Kane and Glen Powell (yes, that Glen Powell), have a knack for building brands that consumers adore, or building legions of adoring consumers. Sameer was part of the founding team at Casper and co-founded Jinx dog food, while Sean co-founded The Honest Company and Hello Bello. Self-described “sauce boss” Glen Powell will make condiments the main character in his first non-entertainment business venture.
The company is gearing up for a major retail launch, hitting over 3,000 Walmart stores nationwide in Spring 2025—proof that better-for-you doesn’t have to mean niche.
We like to be early in category-defining companies (see: OLIPOP, Sweetgreen, Beyond Meat), even if the only thing they’re on the cutting edge of is making consumers insanely happy—we know the flashiest companies don’t always deliver the highest returns.
We’re proud to be investing alongside Aurum Partners to help Smash Kitchen disrupt the pantry aisle and make better food accessible to everyone. You can read more about the launch in Fast Company, and catch Glen Powell on the Today show here.