What if the biggest mistake food brands make is assuming consumers want innovation more than great taste? In this episode of Behind the Shelf, Keren Novack sits down with Jason Burke, founder and CEO of New Primal, to explore the realities of building a food brand that survives and thrives on crowded retail shelves. Drawing from his journey of growing New Primal from a homemade jerky business into a brand carried in more than 10,000 stores, Jason shares why consumer behavior is often misunderstood and why repeat purchases matter far more than initial curiosity. The conversation dives into product development, retail strategy, consumer trust, and the economics of shelf space. Jason explains why familiar products often outperform flashy innovations, how brands should think about expansion, and why authentic credibility is difficult for legacy companies to recreate. He also reveals why taste remains the ultimate competitive advantage, regardless of trends, health claims, or marketing campaigns.

Behind the Shelf is where product ideas meet real-world reality. Hosted by Keren Novack and powered by Curion, this podcast goes beyond marketing claims to uncover what actually makes products succeed once they hit the shelf. Each episode brings you inside the minds of founders, brand leaders, and product innovators across CPG, FMCG, beauty, food and beverage, and retail. From early-stage concepts to billion-dollar brands, you’ll hear field-tested insights behind the decisions, data, and consumer behavior that shape winning products. We're jumping beyond speculative theories to talking about what real consumers do, not what we assume they do. Through candid conversations and data-backed perspectives, Behind the Shelf reveals the gap between intention and impact, helping you build products people truly choose, use, and love. If you’re building, testing, or scaling products, this is your shortcut to smarter decisions—and better outcomes.