Brains: Not your mothers Cottage Cheese

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As more Americans become protein-obsessed and are called back to the office, quick, portable snacks have become staples. Last year, the star of the show was beef jerky sticks, like Chomps. Now, it feels like we are are in the year of cottage cheese. US cottage cheese sales have grown over 50% in the past five years, rising 16% in 2023 and another 17% in 2024, according to Circana, as highlighted by The Wall Street Journal.

Lately, when I scroll through social media, I often come across someone sharing a recipe to make cottage cheese taste like anything but cottage cheese. (Cottage cheese chocolate mousse? Please). That alone was a sign it might not be for me, but my history with the food runs deeper.

Growing up, my parents were always concerned with protein. This trend is not new to the Braun household. Spoonfuls of peanut butter cover the canvas of my childhood like a Jackson Pollock painting. I have the opposite of an almond mom (she’s more like a Kerrygold mom) and my father thinks a handful of wasabi almonds is a meal. The battles I had as a kid with my parents, refusing to eat cottage cheese on my way to soccer practice or school, will go down in history. Cottage cheese and I have personal beef (and not in the on-the-go meat stick kind of way).

However, a few weeks ago, I found myself, eating (and dare I say enjoying) the very mushy substance I saw as the enemy for so long. I was attending an event by Jack Taylor PR on the hunt for free food (as one does) and was taken by surprise after I picked up some ice cream. I was bamboozled. I’m not going to say it was exactly like Ben & Jerry’s; it had a little something to it. But it didn’t lack flavor and stayed rich, unlike other health-focused ice creams I’ve fallen victim to in the aisles of Whole Foods late at night. When I swung back around the floor for a second cup, I realized I was eating a cup of cottage cheese, and my heart dropped to the floor.

And this brings me to the interview portion of this newsletter: introducing the creator of the cottage cheese that broke me—Joe Rotondo, CEO and founder of Smearcase.

Joe Rotondo founded Smearcase, the first and only FroCo (frozen cottage cheese), offering the highest-protein ice cream on the market—40 grams per pint—boosted with collagen, low-fat, and free from artificial gums or sweeteners.

Rachel: Why the name Smearcase?
Joe: Smearcase is a German term for cottage cheese. We get that question a lot! It’s an ode to our not-so-secret ingredient, cottage cheese. The name is a bit controversial, but it sparks curiosity and grabs attention,which is the ultimate goal.

Rachel: So, are you German?
Joe: No, my name is Joseph Rocco Rotondo, and I’m a proud Italian American. But my grandma was German, so in a way, the name is also a tribute to her.

Rachel: What inspired you to create a cottage cheese ice cream brand?
Joe: It’s crazy, dairy is a great protein source, but ice cream is usually low in protein and high in fat. I’m not a big dessert guy, but I was training for my first marathon about a year and a half ago. It was a brutally hot summer day in New York, and after my run, I was craving ice cream but wanted something with more nutritional value.

I was in a grocery store, sweating, shirtless, staring at the ice cream aisle, thinking, Why is there no high-protein ice cream? Later, I was eating my usual dessert, cottage cheese with honey and blueberries, when I thought, I wish this was ice cream instead of curdy, clumpy cottage cheese. That’s when it hit me: There’s no such thing as frozen cottage cheese or high-protein ice cream. The entrepreneur in me had to explore it.

Rachel: Is this your first venture into food entrepreneurship?
Joe: This isn’t my first rodeo in entrepreneurship,I’ve had a New York City-based clothing brand and a few e-commerce ventures. But this is my first time in CPG.

That said, I grew up around food. I’m Italian, so pasta Sundays were like a religious holiday. My dad owned restaurants and delis, and I worked with him a lot. After college, I was in his bagel shop when his bagel guy quit. I happened to be eating an egg sandwich at the time and said, Dad, do you need a new bagel guy? He said, Yeah, you start today. I had a one-week crash course from two Spanish-speaking guys (I failed Spanish in high school, so that was interesting), and eventually, I ended up winning Best Bagel in New Jersey.

Rachel: How did you achieve the creamy texture in Smearcase?
Joe: We’re past the days of sacrificing taste for health,taste is everything. We wanted Smearcase to be as close to traditional ice cream as possible, so we use raw cane sugar for flavor and texture.

Our key innovation was replacing traditional gums and emulsifiers with collagen, which acts as the glue for our product. That’s what gives it a creamy mouthfeel instead of the icy texture you find in other health-focused ice creams. We wanted it to be clean, simple, and delicious.

Rachel: Protein is having a moment. Are you capitalizing on a trend, or do you think this is here to stay?
Joe: Ice cream is way sexier than meat sticks! And way sexier than cottage cheese. Brands like Good Culture are making cottage cheese cool again, and we’re riding that wave.

That said, I try to take myself out of trends. I’m obsessed with making something timeless,something that outlives the moment. That was my ethos when I had my clothing brand, and it’s my approach to food.

Sure, protein is having a moment, but a high-protein diet is a proven path to better health. Cottage cheese has had countless comebacks, and it will stay relevant as long as there’s innovation. Good Culture was the first mover, and we’re the first brand to introduce cottage cheese as an ingredient in a CPG product. We’re paving the way for others to follow.

Rachel: How hard was it to develop and launch this product?
Joe: If you ask other people, they’ll probably say it was near impossible. At the Fancy Food Show in June 2024, top industry names told us they didn’t think it was possible.

But I was new to ice cream,I didn’t know what I wasn’t supposed to do. My sister, my co-founder Drew, and I made this in my New York apartment. I grew up in the kitchen, so for me, that’s my lab, my happy place.

We surrounded ourselves with the right people, and that helped accelerate our path to the shelf. We created a whole new category in under six months. That’s insane.

Rachel: Who is your target customer?
Joe: It’s a mix. Some people want more protein in their diet, while others want a better-for-you sweet treat.

At store demos, if I see someone grabbing Yasso or Halo Top, I say, Hey, come try this,you’re gonna put that back. And they usually do.

We’ve had a lot of success in the New York City health and wellness scene,brand activations, our own events, getting in front of people who value clean, better-for-you products. The market is waking up to better CPG options, and we’re right in that wave.

Rachel: Where can people buy Smearcase?
Joe: If you’re in New York City, you can order us on GoPuff. In New Jersey, we’re on Instacart.

We’re also available at ShopRite, Morton Williams, Fairway, and Happier Grocery,one of my favorites. If you’re in Westchester, you can find us at DeCicco’s. And we’re launching in some major retailers in March and April 2025, so stay tuned!

Rachel: Are you planning to expand beyond ice cream?
Joe: That’s exactly why we named it Smearcase. We didn’t call it Joe’s Ice Cream or Cottage Creamery. We envision introducing cottage cheese in new form factors, but right now, we’re focused on making the best possible ice cream.

Once we’ve built a strong foundation, we’d love to explore new categories.