Marking the largest single distribution deal in the company's history, Me & the Bees Lemonade is available at Publix just in time for National Pollinator Month in Classic, Prickly Pear and Black Cherry flavors. Every bottle purchased helps save the bees as the company helps fund initiatives to increase bee awareness and safe environments.
AUSTIN, Texas, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Me & the Bees Lemonade, the woman and Black-owned lemonade company founded by teen social entrepreneur Mikaila Ulmer when she was just four years old, announces its all-natural lemonades are now available in more than 1,200 Publix stores across seven states.
"What a milestone moment for Me & the Bees as launching into Publix stores is the largest single distribution deal in our history," said founder and CEO Mikaila Ulmer. "We are so excited to make it easier for our 'bee-lievers' in the southeast with even more locations to pick up our lemonades just in time for lemonade season and National Pollinator Month happening now!"
Me & the Bees' Lemonade is made with premium all-natural ingredients, including honey as well as flaxseed, a key ingredient to Mikaila's great grandmother's South Carolina recipe upon which the business was founded in 2009. Publix will offer 12-ounce bottles of the ready-to-drink "lemonade that tastes good and does good" in three refreshing flavors:
- Classic Lemonade - Reminiscent of a good old-fashioned lemonade, it strikes just the right balance between tart and sweet.
- Prickly Pear Lemonade - Cheerful prickly pear cactus fruit makes taste buds hum, thanks to the aromas similar to a raspberry and watermelon combination.
- Black Cherry Lemonade - The latest addition to the brand's lemonade lineup blends ripe, black cherries with classic lemonade for a new flavor sensation.
Me & the Bees Lemonade will also be available to Publix customers via Instacart.
"This is one of those feel-good stories wrapped around a fantastic product," said Miami-based Daymond John of Shark Tank and early investor in Me & the Bees. "For such a quality retailer like Publix to bring on the brand really speaks volumes about the product's quality. This distribution deal will help Mikaila further realize her dream of helping save the bees while serving as inspiration for other young entrepreneurs who are passionate about launching purpose-based products."
As a purpose-driven brand, Me & the Bees always keeps its mission of saving the bees at the forefront, by helping educate consumers about the bees' role in the ecosystem and the alarming decline in the bee population. With its "Buy a Bottle. Save a Bee." philosophy, the company helps fund initiatives via its non-profit organization, the Healthy Hive Foundation, which is dedicated to increasing bee awareness and safe environments through research, education, and preservation.
"What an honor to be selected as a vendor partner of Publix, a company so committed to its shoppers, its communities and the environment," said D'Andra Ulmer, Mikaila's mom and Me & The Bees' chief marketing officer. "Back when I was a Florida A&M student I loved shopping at Publix, so for my daughter's lemonade to be offered at all of their stores is a dream come true and it really puts us on the map across seven key states in such a big way."
The product will be distributed to Publix by KeHe, one of the nation's top wholesale distributors of natural, organic and specialty products.
Now offering five flavors in nearly 6,000 distribution points across the country, Me & the Bees also announced this week it has debuted in Costco stores in Texas and Louisiana with a multi-unit club pack. The certified minority-owned company continues to experience high growth from its humble beginnings ranking as an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company in the U.S. and the number one ready-to-drink lemonade growth brand in its category.
About Me & the Bees Lemonade
In 2009, when Mikaila Ulmer found her Great Granny Helen's flaxseed lemonade recipe in a 1940s family cookbook, she was excited to give it a try and tied the sales that started at her lemonade stand to help save the bees from the very beginning. In 13 years, what started as a lemonade stand in a front yard in Austin, Texas, has quickly grown to a national brand with distribution to all 50 U.S. states. In addition to Publix, Me & the Bees Lemonade can be found at Cost Plus World Market, H-E-B, Natural Grocers, Target, The Fresh Market and Whole Foods Market, as well as at various local retailers and restaurants, and online at GoPuff.com and athttp://www.meandthebees.com. The shelf-stable lemonades contain no high-fructose corn syrup, no preservatives or additives, and are made with premium ingredients including U.S. Grade-A honey, real lemon juice, and flaxseed, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. The company donates a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of lemonade it sells to the Healthy Hive Foundation to help educate consumers about the bees' role in the ecosystem and the alarming decline in the bee population. More information can be found at http://www.meandthebees.com or by reading Mikaila's book, Bee Fearless, Dream Like a Kid, published by Penguin Random House in 2020.
Media Contact
Kate Lowery, Me & the Bees Lemonade, 1 5126570925, [email protected]
D'Andra Ulmer, Me & the Bees Lemonade, 512-689-2203, [email protected]
SOURCE Me & the Bees Lemonade
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