Mike Lodish is no ordinary sweets proprietor. Lodish’s Champion Brittle is a testament to family, hard work and a three-generation-old recipe for deliciousness.
Before opening-up shop with his mother, Pat Lodish, Mike Lodish may have played some football…
By “may have played” – we mean he conquered Pac-10 AND Rose Bowl Championships while at UCLA, was drafted into the NFL for an 11-year career and played in the Super Bowl six times… that’s more than any other player in NFL history.
Whoa.
Not only is the Lodish family’s legacy unique to the confectionary industry, but their products flatten pre-conceived notions of peanut brittle like a timid punt-returner standing at the 40-yard-line.
Peanut Crunch is airy, light and is 100% gluten free, 100% vegan and 100% all-natural. This stuff is good. Championship good.
Somebody should pour Gatorade on it – it’s that good.
Mr. Lodish took the time out of his busy schedule of crushing competition to speak with BOJ regarding this amazing family-inspired creation.
BOJ: How did Lodish’s Champion Brittle come to be? Why would a football champion decide to make peanut brittle?
ML: Our inspiration for the Lodish’s Champion Brittle brand was taken from multiple existing food-industry business owners. While watching TV with my mother one day, we saw a commercial for LegalZoom.com which featured Elaine’s Toffee Company. Janet Long, the founder of Elaine’s Toffee Company, used her mother’s toffee recipe to create a successful gourmet toffee business. We were so interested in their process with Legal Zoom, that we contacted their team to discuss how they moved forward with their initial idea. After multiple discussions, we felt confident that we could implement a similar business model for my mother’s brittle recipe.
BOJ: What is peanut brittle made of exactly?
ML: Peanuts, corn syrup, water, sugar and baking soda… if I tell you any more you’re going to need a helmet and some pads. [Laughing]
BOJ: Your brittle is very different in consistency and texture, what makes your brittle so unique?
ML: I can’t tell you what makes it different culinarily… for the sake of your health. I will tell you, however, that I like to call it a “hybrid” peanut brittle, so we’ve branded it “Peanut Crunch.”
BOJ: Anything surprising you learned while entering the food industry?
ML: Well, everything is new. I didn’t know what to expect really, because I had never been involved in the food product industry. I am learning something new about this business each and every day.
BOJ: How did your name and NFL career help to inspire the marketing of these products?
ML: As for the brand name itself, our friends at Garden Fresh Gourmet, a salsa, chip and dip manufacturer, suggested we incorporate the Lodish name. My mother is my champion in life, there is no doubt about that. However, being that I have been blessed with a long and successful football career, we agreed that the recognition of the Lodish name would help showcase our product as champion-material.
BOJ: How did you transfer your successful football career into the attitude necessary to start food-industry business?
ML: Immersing yourself in a new industry is often stressful, and can be a bit intimidating. The same can be said for anything you’ve never tried before. Luckily for me, my past line of work was deeply-rooted in determination, discipline and a hard work ethic. We have been applying that same energy towards Lodish’s Champion Brittle and we’ve begun to see success. Everything in life takes hard work. Whether it is the perseverance needed to compete as a professional athlete, or the preparation and research involved in identifying product distributors – the attitude is the same.
It is a very different work environment, however. Those in the business world are looked upon to be respectful, unruffled and reasonable. The playing field… sometimes not so much.
BOJ: Where can people find Lodish’s Champion Brittle?
ML: Those looking to order our products can visit patsgourmet.com to order online, or visit our location page for a store near you.
