Heroes & Headwinds

About Heroes & Headwinds

Heros and Headwinds is a podcast brought to you by the team at The Culinary Edge, the USA’s leading food and beverage innovation consultancy. Each episode brings you into the conversations that we have with our heroes in the industry, discussing how to brave the headwinds of an ever-changing & increasingly challenging F&B landscape.

Publisher

The Culinary Edge

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Jul 2022

Latest episode

12 Aug 2025

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Aug 2025

   Jarrett Whitlow, SVP Beverage Strategy at Botrista

   From “old school” operations to leading tech-driven beverage innovation—Jarrett Whitlow has seen it all. In this episode of Heroes & Headwinds, the SVP Beverage Strategy at Botrista talks industry shifts, navigating today’s headwinds, and what’s next for the beverage sector. He even shares his take on Red Lobster’s future and hard-earned advice for thriving through change.

2. 

   24 Jul 2025

   Darden Coors & Jenn Ruppert, MAD Greens

   In this episode of Heroes & Headwinds, we sit down with Darden Coors and Jenn Ruppert—CEO and VP of Marketing at Salad Collective—for an inside look at the launch of their bold new MAD Greens menu. Beyond the food, they share candid stories from their dynamic careers, offering insight into leadership, creativity, and what it takes to build a brand with purpose. It’s a thoughtful, energizing conversation you won’t want to miss.

3. 

   8 Oct 2024

   Mindy Armstrong, VP of Menu Innovation at Ascent Hospitality

   Mindy Armstrong has been a thought leader in the foodservice industry for nearly two decades, specializing in strategy, the creative process, and culinary leadership. Mindy has had a rich career in consulting and corporate leadership, and Today, serves as VP of Menu Innovation for Ascent Hospitality, including the Perkins Amercian Food Company, and Huddle House. Mindy is a prominent industry contributor on trends and innovation, and is an advisory board member for Women in Restaurant Leadership. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Mindy.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 30 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

36

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

Contact Heroes & Headwinds

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.