In this episode of the Startup CPG Podcast, Caitlin Bricker interviews Liv Truesdell, founder of FROST Buttercream, an emerging brand bringing bakery-quality, meringue-based buttercream to retail shelves with fewer ingredients, less sugar, and a noticeably elevated taste profile. Liv shares her journey from investment banking to building a family-run food business, working alongside her mother as co-founder, and developing a product designed to meet consumer demand for cleaner, less cloying desserts.
The conversation highlights how FROST approaches formulation, packaging, and education in a category where most consumers are unaware that conventional “buttercream” often contains no real butter. Liv explains the complexities of producing meringue-based buttercream at scale, the trade-offs of small-batch manufacturing, and the brand’s thoughtful expansion into retail, demos, and eventually food service—all while maintaining quality and operational discipline.
The episode also touches on early wins, from a Startup CPG Shelfie Award to distribution in notable New York City retailers, as well as strategic collaborations that have helped introduce the product to new audiences. Throughout, Liv reflects on the importance of community, consumer feedback, and patience when navigating the challenges of an early-stage CPG business.
Listen in as they share about:
- The inspiration and development behind FROST Buttercream
- Why meringue-based buttercream stands apart from standard formulations
- Educating consumers in a category with entrenched expectations
- Strategic retail expansion and the role of demos in adoption
- Operational realities of small-batch production and scaling
- Early collaborations, brand recognition, and retail partnerships
- Lessons learned during the first year of building a CPG company
Episode Links:
Website: https://frostbuttercream.com/
Instagram: @frostbuttercream
Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.
Show Links:
- Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
