The Bakery Shelf Gap Nobody Else Saw: A Cookie Mix That Tastes Homemade, with Lindsay Hancock
September 30, 2026
What if the best way to reinvent a category isn't to create something new, but to fix what's been overlooked? Lindsay Hancock saw a gap in the bakery aisle that was hiding in plain sight, and created a cookie mix designed to close it.
In this episode of Behind the Shelf, Keren Novack sits down with Lindsay Hancock, Founder and CEO of My Better Batch, to explore how she turned years of CPG experience into a premium cookie-mix brand built around convenience without compromising on taste or ingredients. Lindsay shares how her experience scaling Creative Snacks through its acquisition by KIND shaped her approach to differentiation, why earning a place on the shelf proved easier than earning a shopper's first purchase, and how My Better Batch uses packaging, premium ingredients and even a QR-code video to improve the experience at home. They also discuss the realities of scaling through a co-manufacturing model, listening to consumers, and protecting product quality as costs and distribution grow.
What if the best way to reinvent a category isn't to create something new, but to fix what's been overlooked? Lindsay Hancock saw a gap in the bakery aisle that was hiding in plain sight, and created a cookie mix designed to close it.
In this episode of Behind the Shelf, Keren Novack sits down with Lindsay Hancock, Founder and CEO of My Better Batch, to explore how she turned years of CPG experience into a premium cookie-mix brand built around convenience without compromising on taste or ingredients. Lindsay shares how her experience scaling Creative Snacks through its acquisition by KIND shaped her approach to differentiation, why earning a place on the shelf proved easier than earning a shopper's first purchase, and how My Better Batch uses packaging, premium ingredients and even a QR-code video to improve the experience at home. They also discuss the realities of scaling through a co-manufacturing model, listening to consumers, and protecting product quality as costs and distribution grow.
What you will learn:
- How Lindsay spotted the gap in a category dominated by legacy brands
- Why getting onto the shelf hasn't been My Better Batch's hardest challenge
- How the brand engineers around kitchen mistakes
- What Lindsay’s is staying protective of as the brand scales
- How the co-manufacturing model changes where the investment goes
- What consumers taught her that surprised her
Lindsay Hancock is the Founder and CEO of My Better Batch, a premium cookie-mix brand created to make homemade-tasting treats more accessible for busy people. A longtime food-industry executive and former Creative Snacks leader, Lindsay built My Better Batch after recognizing a gap between convenience and the homemade experience. Today, she is helping busy families take the shortcut without compromising on taste, quality, or the joy of baking.
Episode Timeline:
- 00:04 Keren shares her My Better Batch experience
- 02:54 Lindsay explains her CPG career and experience
- 06:11 Lindsay reveals the gap in boxed mixes
- 09:48 My Better Batch reaches 3,500 retail locations
- 12:31 Why earning the first purchase remains challenging
- 13:55 Why branding matters more than manufacturing infrastructure
- 15:19 Protecting premium ingredients despite soaring chocolate prices
- 17:05 What positive consumer feedback taught Lindsay
- 19:54 Why kitchen mistakes inspired QR-code instructions
- 23:59 How packaging helps My Better Batch stand out
- 26:03 Lindsay teases what's coming next for Better Batch
- 26:27 Where shoppers can find My Better Batch
Episode Resources:
- Lindsay Hancock on LinkedIn
- My Better Batch Website
- Keren Novack on LinkedIn
- Curion Insights Website
- Curion Webinars and Podcasts
- Behind the Shelf on Apple Podcasts
- Behind the Shelf on Spotify
- Behind the Shelf on YouTube
Episode Highlights:
- [06:11] Find The Gap Consumers Aren’t Asking For
Lindsay didn’t set out to create another cookie mix. After studying the baking aisle, she noticed that most innovation had focused on attributes such as gluten-free, paleo, or low sugar, while the core product experience had barely changed. My Better Batch was built around a different opportunity: give consumers the convenience of a mix without sacrificing ingredients, taste, or the feeling of something homemade.
- [09:48] Getting On The Shelf Isn’t The Same As Getting Picked Up
My Better Batch added roughly 3,500 retail locations in its first year, but Lindsay says distribution wasn’t the hardest part. The bigger challenge was getting shoppers to notice a new brand when they’re moving quickly through a familiar aisle. For emerging CPG brands, earning shelf space is only the beginning. The next challenge is creating enough awareness and differentiation to earn that first purchase.
- [19:54] Design For The Way Consumers Actually Behave
Lindsay learned that even a carefully developed product can fall short when consumers interpret instructions differently. “Softened butter” means different things to different people, and some shoppers will substitute ingredients without considering the impact. Rather than simply blaming consumers, My Better Batch was designed around the reality. A QR code on every box leads to a video showing exactly how the cookies should be made.
- [23:59] Your Product Has To Scream From The Shelf
Lindsay believes great taste alone won't win in a crowded category if shoppers never notice the product. That thinking shaped My Better Batch’s bag-in-a-box packaging, designed to create a larger visual presence than the standard gusseted bags used by competitors. The lesson extends beyond baking: when shelf space is scarce, packaging has to work as both product protection and a billboard.
Quotes:
- “It was really important that I was able to develop a product, not only that I felt like it tasted really good and looked really good in the packaging, but also warranted a spot on the shelf.”
- “Our biggest challenge is not getting to the shelf. It is getting people to find us when they are walking down the aisle... How do we get people to find us and pick us up for the very first time?”
- “People don't follow instructions. They just don't. So while asking confident in our instructions, people don't follow them... we just can't protect against all things that could happen in someone's kitchen.”
- “You've got to scream on the shelf. You've got to scream to that customer who's walking past. She's not looking for you... we had to be able to take full advantage of that shelf space.”