Honey is one of the world's oldest pantry staples—yet it's also one of the least changed. After years working in branding and design, Noah Phillips couldn't stop wondering why consumers were still buying honey from the same bear-shaped bottle they'd seen for decades. That question became Honey Department, a brand using thoughtful packaging, premium ingredients, and consumer psychology to rethink how people buy, use, and even talk about honey.
In this episode of Founder Feature, Startup CPG Managing Editor Caitlin Bricker sits down with Noah Phillips, Founder of Honey Department, to discuss how a simple observation turned into one of the most talked-about emerging food brands of the year.
Growing up with a father who kept bees as a hobby, Noah always appreciated great honey. But it wasn't until he was asked to design labels for his dad's honey that he began questioning why the category had barely evolved. While nearly every consumer product has embraced modern branding and better user experiences, honey remained stuck in the same jars and squeeze bears consumers have known for generations.
Drawing on his background in advertising, industrial design, and branding, Noah set out to create a product that was just as enjoyable to use as it was to look at. The result was Honey Department: 100% raw thick honey packaged in an aluminum tube that encourages consumers to keep honey on the counter instead of hidden away in the pantry.
Noah shares how packaging can fundamentally change consumer behavior, why creamed honey creates a better everyday experience, and the challenges of sourcing authentic raw honey in a market where adulterated products have become increasingly common. He also discusses launching as a self-funded founder, why he intentionally avoided the traditional honey aisle, and how thoughtful design has helped Honey Department stand out in an established category.
Listen in as they cover:
• How Noah's background in advertising and design inspired Honey Department
• Why the honey category has remained largely unchanged for decades
• The story behind the aluminum tube and why packaging changes consumer behavior
• What creamed honey is and why it's different from traditional liquid honey
• How to identify authentic raw honey
• The realities of sourcing high-quality honey and manufacturing at scale
• Why Honey Department intentionally avoided launching in the traditional honey aisle
• Retail strategy, specialty retail, and creating intentional purchasing decisions
• Future product launches, collaborations, and gifting opportunities
• Lessons learned from building a premium food brand as a solo founder
Whether you're thinking about packaging innovation, disrupting an established category, or building a premium CPG brand from the ground up, this episode offers valuable lessons on branding, product positioning, and consumer psychology.
Episode Links
Honey Department Website:
https://honeydepartment.org
Honey Department Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thehoneydept
Noah Phillips LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-phillips-8630b825
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 (35K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Caitlin's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
