From backyard gardens to store shelves: Big Mama’s launches seed oil-free dressing

Florida-based Big Mama’s Backyard Garden is growing its presence locally and nationally with a seed oil-free version of its salad dressing, as the brand’s Founder Ethan Shapiro gleans lessons learned from other founders through industry events and communities to successfully scale.

Launched in 2021, Big Mama’s makes clean-label calamondin vinaigrette, based on a recipe from Shapiro’s mother – whose portrait adorns each dressing bottle. Shapiro’s mother used vegetables from her backyard garden to make the citrus salad dressing, and the brand was launched after encouragement from friends and family.

This year, Big Mama’s introduced an avocado oil-based version of its salad dressing to meet the growing demand for seed oil-free products, Shapiro said.

Additionally, Big Mama’s is exploring possible new SKUs, like a Caesar or ginger lime dressing, to launch in the back half of 2025, he noted.

“We heard from a group of customers who prefer to avoid seed oils, and we wanted to give them the option that still delivers the same amazing, zesty calamondin flavor just made with avocado oil instead of our original non-GMO expeller-pressed canola,” Shapiro said.

He added, “At our most recent farmers market, we actually sold more of the avocado oil variety at a higher price point than the original version. So, it is a clear signal that there is demand for seed oil-free, premium dressings.”

Learning from founders who have been there before

Like many CPG founders, Shapiro did not have a background in the food industry before entering the space, having previously worked in the corporate sector. To learn about the CPG industry, Shapiro enrolled in the Specialty Food Association’s Maker Prep Course – a six-week instructional course around CPG fundamentals.

“We just graduated in January at the Winter Fancy Food Show – that was a game changer. The course taught me a lot about the CPG business, and some of it validated what I already learned through trial and error, but it also gave me the chance to ask industry veterans directly about some of the challenges that I was facing,” Shapiro elaborated.

Additionally, Shapiro found a group of like-minded founders with Startup CPG – a community of CPG founders – that share lessons learned and strategies for building successful brands.

Startup CPG has “been a huge help when it comes to networking, sharing best practices, and just not feeling like I’m building everything from scratch. Whether it is packaging, logistics or some of their learning sessions, I think having a network of people who have been there makes a huge difference,” Shapiro said.

He added, “If I could go back, I would tell myself to tap into those resources a little bit earlier. I would tell myself you do not need to do it all on their own and the sooner you find your community, the faster and the smarter you can grow.”